Modified Cars - whats it about?

[pbrettle]

I am sure that this has already been covered (see Carnage thread) but I thought I would start a new one - Modified cars - whats it all about?

I live in a smallish town in Suffolk and we do have our fair percentage of modified cars driving about. Now I understand some of the modification scene - individuality, tinkering & messing around and something different.

BUT:

I just dont get what some people do. There is one BMW here that is a 316i E36 with full M body kit, M wheels, M side mirrors and changed lenses. Now we are talking thousands on this car - and it is a 316i. For the same money he could have got a 325i E36 or even a 328i!!! Maybe I am missing something here???

My final example is a rather atractive brush painted yellow three door Sierra. You know what I mean, Cosworth whale tail, blacked out windows and a baked bean tin on the exhaust. Now, I know cost was probably an issue - but the owner must be embarrased about that car!! For the several hundred pound that it cost, you could have got a XR3i or Pug 205GTI - much more cred and much nicer to drive (in comparison).

Why oh why - am I missing something here? The stupid thing is that my 141K Mile Citroen 1.9TD beats them all at the lights!!!

Can anyone cast any light over this?

Cheers,

Paul

[.mark]

Best thing to do I would have thought is to ask the drivers themselves.

[JENKS_D]

maybe they are too young to pay the insurance, so they can look the part without having to pay 328i premiums.

[Sparks]

quote:
maybe they are too young to pay the insurance, so they can look the part without having to pay 328i premiums.

The thing is putting alloys and spoilers on will bump up your premium.
A friend informed his insurance company after putting alloys on (available as an option new, incuring no increase in insurance) and they wanted £100 for the 6 months of remaining cover!!!

Sparks

[DIGGA]

Unfortunaely, the onerous task of insuring a vehilce is something that not all drivers bother with.

Marcus
& Ocean Haze Griff 500

[PetrolTed]

That makes me so 'kin mad. About time we adopted a system where insurance details had to be displayed on the car. Uninsured drivers are freeloading scum.

[Captain Chaos]

Couldn't agree more, Ted. Did you know for example that about £35 of your avaerage car insurance premium is purely to pay for uninsured driver losses? Outrageous, isn't it?

And I used to own a VERY highly modified car (V8 Capri road racer) and I obtained insurance without much problem for a reasonable premium. There isn't any excuse for not being insured.
Or not having Road tax as well.....but mine is free so I would say that!

[JSG]

quote:
Or not having Road tax as well.....but mine is free so I would say that!

Glad you get some compensation for having to drive your barge instead of a TVR Captain. Only joking, I don't want to start a war again.

[DIGGA]

Ted, I agree it's high time the law was used to pursue uninsured/taxed motorists rather than the easily picked 'speeders'. The camera technology is available now.

Many people don't realise that if their property is damaged, or worse still, they are injured by these irresponsible ar5eholes, they'll get NOTHING. A big problem if your cars totalled, but an absolute tragedy if you're permanently disabled.

Marcus
& Ocean Haze Griff 500

[pbrettle]

Dont know if anyone has noticed that the Car Tax vans are out now. They use number plate recognition software to identify the cars and pull all ones that dont have valid paid up car tax.

Quite a nice way of processing large amounts of cars on the road. Park up a small white Peugeot van in one layby, point camera. Radio in hand to police car in next layby down the road.

Spotted one in Nottingham the other week and they had loads of people!

Cheers,

Paul
(the smug one that has paid his car tax)