Car mods are silly! Or are they?

[Notshawn54]

My eldest brother bought a Triumph Herald in '66. His number came up in the draft in '67. He took me aside before he left and told me not to let Dad sell it while he was in Vietnam and be sure to take care of it. I took him seriously. I was in second grade. Two years later, I'm all grown up as a 4th grader and thought of it as mine... I used to sit in it and imagine driving it. My brother comes home, says thanks and drives it away. Never to return home. I had grown attached to that car! But I got over it. I was happy he came home in one piece. It looked like this one:
View attachment 20066
I think that's how I got the bug for British roadsters. I had a few of them during my high school and college years.

Love it. My dad had 2 TR4’s when I was a kid. His buddy had a Spitfire and a TR6. I too used to sit in it and pretend I was driving. And then…….. one day I got out and it rolled off the end of the driveway, down a hill and into a tree. The headlights were looking at each other. I was 4 years old , still surprised I saw 5. Now I tell my dad he can thank me for him learning to fix cars

 

[Bongo Lewi]

Love it. My dad had 2 TR4’s when I was a kid. His buddy had a Spitfire and a TR6. I too used to sit in it and pretend I was driving. And then…….. one day I got out and it rolled off the end of the driveway, down a hill and into a tree. The headlights were looking at each other. I was 4 years old , still surprised I saw 5. Now I tell my dad he can thank me for him learning to fix cars

Bugeye Sprite is on my bucket list. The happiest car in the world. When I get one, both me and the car will be smiling forever.

 

[Notshawn54]

Bugeye Sprite is on my bucket list. The happiest car in the world. When I get one, both me and the car will be smiling forever.
View attachment 20075

For me it would be a Lotus 7

 

[Stephen G]

1965 Morgan for me

 

[Stephen G]

1965 Morgan

 

[Warhammer]

Car mods are often more about the activity and creativity than anything else. The thing that most critics (who have probably never even attempted anything like this themselves) don't get, is that the people actually doing things don't care about the opinions of the people doing nothing. Same applies for almost every other form of critic, food, film, art, etc...

 

[USApat]

Car mods are often more about the activity and creativity than anything else. The thing that most critics (who have probably never even attempted anything like this themselves) don't get, is that the people actually doing things don't care about the opinions of the people doing nothing. Same applies for almost every other form of critic, food, film, art, etc...

You have nailed it. At least for most of the comments in this thread.

 

[clm2112]

My rolling lab for testing engines.... Started life as a 1987 base model V6 Camaro. It has since had a dozen engines, three transmissions, and four axles swapped along the way.

Last test engine, 420cid SBC with a 700R4 transmission.

Current engine (work in progress) 355 LT-1 and T-5 transmission.

Along the way it has had tuned port motors, mini-rams, various nitrous-oxide setups, volvo-penta and mercruiser motors,.... sort of a place to answer the "what if" questions. Try it out, take it to the track, see what happens, and file the accumulated knowlege away for future use. (When Crane Cams was one of my IT customers, I used to joke that my invoice was payable in parts.)

Yeah, amusing myself making firearms is a way cheaper hobby to have.

 

[clm2112]

You have nailed it. At least for most of the comments in this thread.

Hey, a lot of us do get the creative expression aspect of it. Doesn't stop me from having a good laugh at their expense when their "expression" runs contrary to the laws of physics. Kinda like some putz whining about the cost of parts, yet had the money to cover themselves in tattoos.... stupid hurts, and can be rather expensive at times.

 

[Bongo Lewi]

Car mods are often more about the activity and creativity than anything else. The thing that most critics (who have probably never even attempted anything like this themselves) don't get, is that the people actually doing things don't care about the opinions of the people doing nothing. Same applies for almost every other form of critic, food, film, art, etc...

True to some extent. But then again there are nitwits who think what they do is some form of art. The product of genius. Or want others to think they are avant garde, clever, and artistic. For example: 10 Ridiculous Works Of Art You're Supposed To Take Seriously

Self expression is not the exclusive domain of the truly creative. Consider gun owners. Some have talent and others just like to accessorize to the point of addiction. Compulsive.

Otto: Apes don't read philosophy
Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don't understand it.

 

[Racer88]

But then again there are nitwits who think what they do is some form of art.

Come on, man! Ya gotta believe!

 

[Bongo Lewi]

@Racer88 Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. I'd bet the guy on the right will be the first to piss his pants and cry for Mommy after the shooting begins. If he doesn't first collapse from exhaustion carrying a 50 lb rifle. Behold the accessorizer!

There's a fine line between creative and stupid.

Even better... This guy was really sure of himself:
View: https://youtu.be/MDUYPrKKM5M?si=swVFEM3JA6PpRsu7&t=14

 

[Warhammer]

True to some extent. But then again there are nitwits who think what they do is some form of art. The product of genius. Or want others to think they are avant garde, clever, and artistic. For example: 10 Ridiculous Works Of Art You're Supposed To Take Seriously

Self expression is not the exclusive domain of the truly creative. Consider gun owners. Some have talent and others just like to accessorize to the point of addiction. Compulsive.

Otto: Apes don't read philosophy
Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don't understand it.

The art world is one of the most prolific money laundering schemes on earth. A lot of that crappy but expensive art is simply a way to move funds without using banks.

 

[Bongo Lewi]

I think I must lack the ability to live in a fantasy world.

 

[Racer88]

@Racer88 Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. I'd bet the guy on the right will be the first to piss his pants and cry for Mommy after the shooting begins. If he doesn't first collapse from exhaustion carrying a 50 lb rifle. Behold the accessorizer!

View attachment 20085 View attachment 20086
There's a fine line between creative and stupid.

Even better... This guy was really sure of himself:
View: https://youtu.be/MDUYPrKKM5M?si=swVFEM3JA6PpRsu7&t=14

I had never seen that film of the Eiffel Tower jump. You can tell his body was telling him, "Don't do it!" He was very hesitant to jump, and even when he finally stepped off, it was very clumsy and not purposeful.

 

[Racer88]

The art world is one of the most prolific money laundering schemes on earth. A lot of that crappy but expensive art is simply a way to move funds without using banks.

Ask Hunter Biden! LOL!

 

[Bongo Lewi]

I had never seen that film of the Eiffel Tower jump. You can tell his body was telling him, "Don't do it!" He was very hesitant to jump, and even when he finally stepped off, it was very clumsy and not purposeful.

If he were transported to modern times, he would have put a wing on his Hyundai and been convinced it improves performance. Or put a laser on his handgun, assuring everyone that it improves marksmanship.

When you really think about it... figuratively speaking a lot of people think they can fly if they flap their arms fast enough.

What did the optimist say after he jumped off a tall building? Halfway down he exclaimed, "So far, so good".

 

[Bobster]

Last test engine, 420cid SBC with a 700R4 transmission.

Current engine (work in progress) 355 LT-1 and T-5 transmission.

So does the clutch pedal just sit there when you have an automachz?

 

[Bobster]

...others to think they are avant garde, clever, and artistic.

I dated a girl who grew up on a farm but considered herself an "artist". And she was... I was involved in the "scene" while dating her and went to some of her and other's "exhibits" with the wine, cheese and crackers. Attendees were the typical freakish types before that "look" was more common as it is today. But she was hot in a farm girl sort of way and didn't dress as wacky as her peers. Her "form" was more of a texture kind of media but also with lighting and shadows. One of her exhibits called "On The Farm" (or something like that) involved blind, enclosed containers you would put your hands in with long gloves and "feel" the textures of the farm. Picture a media blast cabinet that you can't see into. One container had straw in it, one had ears of corn, one had rabbit droppings and another had cow shit sitting on a heating pad to keep it warm! She was fun but I think I was even more "rough around the edges" than she was and didn't fit into that lifestyle--trophy BF I was NOT! She went on to become an art teacher in a local HS...

 

[Bongo Lewi]

@Bobster I had a few GFs that were not exactly mainstream. The heavy, disassociated artist type who was Goth and if you asked her what she was doing tomorrow she would say she was considering suicide. A welder in the same typeclass as Flashdance but not a dancer. Small town country girl, not necessarily farm. One or two recently divorced nymphomaniacs with Daddy issues. A couple of "dancers" who were not welders. A smattering of foreigners collected during my travels who had a very different look on life and living than this midwestern boy whose family migrated to New England in his teens. Toss in two ex-wives. My current wife is French.

When it comes to women, you might say I have been rode hard and put away wet. One common thread is that nearly all of them had an artistic bent. Art, crafts, cuisine, literature, antiques, architecture, etc.