Modders - Why do you do it?

[CR-Z Canadian]

No disrespect intended - just the opposite...
I've never known people who tune their cars before, so this forum is especially interesting for me. I appreciate the passion and admire the dedication with which many of you tune, tinker, upgrade and improve your rides. And I feel the temptation to do a little myself (winter projects already in the pipeline , but I digress)

So, please share with me why you do it, how long you've been addicted, and what you get out of it. What is more important for you - interior/exterior appearance, or performance mods? Do you do it for your own pleasure, or for that of others who admire your work? Is it a hobby, or a profession (or sideline) for you? Or does it just drive you nuts that the manufacturer didn't get it quite right? Or do you just like to be unique? Do you know exactly what you want to do with a car before you buy it, or build onto it a bit at a time? Do you follow trends, or go your own way?

I can only imagine the amount of time, thought, work, real elbow grease, and love that goes into some of your cars. Not to mention money. What's it like to part with that car eventually? And on a more material note, do you ever get any premium for the time and money you have invested, when you sell?

There's no "right" answer, but please share some of your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.

[JCRZ]

To make it my own.

[Eagle_f90]

i think we all do it to personalize the cars. If you mod for speed then you just kinda just want to get more out of what you bought but lots of other things is to make the care look and feel the way you want it too. I mod mine because I have having the same thing as everyone else. I want my own style to it.

[sohcsol]

Thats a good question... For me, nothing beats the feeling I get when driving a car thats totally unique, and that Ive worked on myself and made into a real head turner, hopefully in a good way

Its hard to explain why its so addicting, but I bought the CRZ honestly intending not to mod it at all. But once I start seeing the possibilities with the car, theres no use trying to restrain from modding it. The most satisfying thing is to get a new part installed or do some work on the car that makes it better in some way, it really is like a drug. Sometimes all I can think of during the day is when Ill get home and be able to work on it...

I have a vague idea of where I want to go with the styling of the car but it can change abruptly. My previous car went through many phases, which started with a full bodykit, oversized wheels and neon lights when I was sixteen... By the time Id matured for a couple years it ended up a blacked out sleeper with a turbo kit and every performance mod you could think of. Generally I will want to completely change the styling of my car about once every year or so, just to have something new and different for myself, to get that feeling again.

By the time I parted with the car, it had ran its course and we were both ready to move on. Luckily the CRZ had just come out and I had finally found a suitable replacement.

I think having a forum in which to share your work and ideas with so many other enthusiasts makes it even more enticing to get that next mod done

[hotboxn]

It's a way of personalizing what is readily available. It's a way of standing out in the crowd. Obviously there's a limit to parts you can put on the car, so those of us that can build our own parts will go even further away from the norm than others will. When many of us "modders" purchase a vehicle, their wheels are already turning with an idea of what they're wanting the car to look like. For me, I had already ordered parts prior to even purchasing the CR-Z. Is it worth it to modify as far as return on investment? usually no, but for me, I'd rather have something that is different and fun to talk about with other enthusiasts than to have a stock readily available car that people just walk past and don't notice.

[Ledfoot529]

LOL my wife asks me the same thing all the time! I guess it started with bicycles when I was a kid. I would replace parts with stronger ones as they broke. Change out others for lighter weight or better performance. Once I was able to drive, I instantly started messing with what ever car it was I was driving. If I was driving my mom's 87 cutlass supreme, I would flip the air cleaner cover before going anywhere(For the sound) and flip it back when I got home. I never really did any mods to be cool, fit in, or stand out. Everything done was eather to make the car perform better, or change something more to my liking. I have had my CRZ for about 2 weeks now, and have already changed or modified quite a few things.

[Ludercrz]

most of the time it's Individuality, trying to distinguish your ride from the others and to be able to say proudly "that's MY car".

Other times you change one thing and it just doesn't look right so you add something else, and something else... and so on. for Example you buy new Rims with performance low profile tires, you realize after putting them on that the gap in the wheel well is huge and it doesn't look right so now you want to lower the car so it sits right. Now that the rims and suspension are on and the car looks more aggressive you realize maybe i should tint the window to keep that aggressive look.... and now maybe an aggressive sound so add a Cold air Intake to make a little more power and great noise on acceleration. and it goes on....

also for me, it could just be a small detail about the car that you don't like and want to change. I didn't like the rear end of the car and when I saw the C-west spoiler i instantly knew that's how i could make it more to my liking.

On the other hand for my Prelude, I had always liked the way the car looked so i bought a mint condition one and since I got it repainted the color I wanted I am now working strictly on performance so I can enjoy the look and feel of the car alot more. I plan to keep my Prelude for a very long time.

[jujun]

Originally Posted by Ludercrz

most of the time it's Individuality, trying to distinguish your ride from the others and to be able to say proudly "that's MY car".

Other times you change one thing and it just doesn't look right so you add something else, and something else... and so on. for Example you buy new Rims with performance low profile tires, you realize after putting them on that the gap in the wheel well is huge and it doesn't look right so now you want to lower the car so it sits right. Now that the rims and suspension are on and the car looks more aggressive you realize maybe i should tint the window to keep that aggressive look.... and now maybe an aggressive sound so add a Cold air Intake to make a little more power and great noise on acceleration. and it goes on....

sadly this is the habit that's grown on me...

Also to add, modifying a car is like sex. You treat her with light mods such as aero kits... the sex is good in return. You treat her with heavy engine tuning mods... the sex gets mind blowing.

[Ludercrz]

Originally Posted by jujun

sadly this is the habit that's grown on me...

Also to add, modifying a car is like sex. You treat her with light mods such as aero kits... the sex is good in return. You treat her with heavy engine tuning mods... the sex gets mind blowing.

sounds like you're telling people to get a Boob job done on their women... lol

[Pringles]

I swear for me it's therapy I spend all day long in front of a computer screen using my head (software engineer); it feels really good work on something mechanical... oh and of course; I like going faster than the other guy...