So Why exactly are you modding your car???

[permit]

I'm not going to read everyone's reply, because frankly--I don't care. But Dave, I put on the THR CAB's in an attempt to help my otherwise shitty steering feel (and my old CAB's were split into several pieces, so why not buy an aftermarket part?). If I had done my research and asked others what they thought, then I would have gone for either OEM replacements or OEM offsets.

[325Projectz]

So my car can be all it can be, SIR!

Plus, I had a turbo'd G35 pull on me on the freeway. :tsk: I need mo powa.

[Low Level E30]

Why do I mod? Because my car is a big part of my life, for better or worse. Good days or bad, rainy or sunny, I get behind that wheel and I smile. It's like an old friend that I get to be reacquainted with. Driving the car puts my mind at ease, and I get to relax and just enjoy being on the road. Forget about work, forget about bills, forget about the girlfriend, just drive. I went a year without a license years ago - it was torture. I use driving as a stress release - time to be alone with my thoughts, time to think. Without a license or a car, it was really difficult to find that time, to be able to sort things through. And driving an SUV or a pickup truck doesn't quite give you the same release driving an e30 does.

Preach on, brother!

Ditto, here.

And, it's a fun communal hobby. Couple of guys w/ some beer and old cars, shooting the shit in the driveway while they play w/ their toys --- that's fun :D

[Bimmerfanatik]

Preach on, brother!

Ditto, here.

And, it's a fun communal hobby. Couple of guys w/ some beer and old cars, shooting the shit in the driveway while they play w/ their toys --- that's fun :D

where's my hallelujah?

probably in your garage...;)

[Low Level E30]

where's my hallelujah?

probably in your garage...;)

Muahahaha!!!

:D

[Ray Smoodiver]

I'll post before I read the thread...

... Because I can? I get personal enjoyment from making modifications that work, be it on a performance level, an enjoyment/comfort level or a level that statisfies my inability to leave anything alone for too long.

I voted Rob, as nothing else fits.

Edit, i'll spend whatever Smoked ellips and MHW's cost because they look cool, and I like them. I don't give a FUCK if anyone else does.

Hell, my car came stock with 5 lug, an alpina 2.7 and a M-tec 2 kit. I figure i've got you forum kiddies covered already

[Kip]

Cause I miss Jordan...

And if I make my car real nice, Jordan will come back, and won't drink or hit mommy any more....


Seriously, cause having the rich kids in HS have brand new 3's and Alpinas sucked!! I had a 59 Sunbeam Alpine vert that was pretty cool, but those BMW's were FAST in the day.

Also, the ex got my 76 vette (auto-x toy) and 63 basket case/project. I needed something new to play with

Mechanical shit = cool to fuck with/fix/mod.
Taking something that doesn't quite work right and fixing it gives a sense of accomplishment.

As for the previous "If I won the lottery"....
I'm hiring my own bitch to post for me...
I'm getting new M3 with that sick olive leather....
And an EVO...

Oh, and two girls at once.

[Blister]

I'm a ricer :D

[Digitalwave]

I didn't even read this thread but I don't know why I modded my car. It's addictiing. I stopped though after I came to my senses that I have spend a fuck load on my car and have almost nothing to show for it, and my book value has only gone down over the years.

[///M42 sport]

You forgot to add the option:

B/c I want to upgrade whenever something breaks.

[Ryan Stewart]

Most car ethusiants go through a time they are "mod-crazy"... they want to make it better, faster, cooler, more fun. There's some people who take it to an extreme and forgot how they started... or get caught up in a forum mindset that it is necessary to always have future plans, some future mod to spend the next paycheck earned on.

And then some people grow up / graduate high school and realize some of the stuff is overrated... the push for upgrades silly and the collecting of a mod list gay.

Some people never wise up. You see people in their late twenties trying to establish a cool image with their cars. Making a show or drag car to upstage all others... whether it is huge turbos or big body and brake kits, or both, and 19" wheels or whatever.... it all is silly. Spend thousands of dollars on a widebody kit and a paint job, and where are you at when you're done? A shiny car that is just the same from the drivers seat and a lot less money in your pocket.

Too many worry about how others see their car and not what reallly matters... being behind the wheel.

Some people just enjoy fucking with things. A friends dad has this hobby of restoring old cars. Spends all this time and work fixing up an old car but then sells it shortly after finishing it and then immediately buys another shitbucket to make nice again.

I actually enjoyed putting the things on my car and seeing results. Im pretty much done now, the only "upgrade" I would do now is improving something that fails.

[MrK]

I mod my car because nothing beats the feeling I get after smoking a MUCH more expensive car on the street.

[RCWells]

I like the BMW E30 platform. It's a great looking little car with a lot of potential as evidenced by numerous cars on this forum and e30tech and e30zone, etc. that have been tastefully modified, upgraded, whatever.

I do it because I honestly can't think of another car I'd rather be driving right now(besides a Jeep Wrangler, and I do miss my Harley) and I enjoy making the car better. Admittedly a lot of my mods are aesthetic, but most have been performance oriented. Why? Because a stock E30 is just plain boring and doesn't have enough performance in any category to satisfy my, dare I say it, "inner fast". I enjoy a brisk jaunt in the country and my modified car performs brilliantly. I love it.

As for what to spend money on and not spend money on? Cars are a depreciating asset unless you are buying investment cars, such as classic muscle cars, high $ euros, rare race collectible, etc., but they are necessary. Fact is, most people buy/sell/trade their vehicles every 3-4yrs. or at the least, would like to, especially nowadays, in our "throwaway" society. Some people trade on a shorter cycle than that, and live in a state of perpetual car payments. At best, the majority, once a car is paid for, trade in/buy a new car, so most peeps always have a payment, and never really "own" a car. In that sense, they are always throwing their money away. So is it smart to buy a new car? Big monthly payments, high insurance, high cost of licensing, etc. My little E30 is cheap, reliable, fun and I spend money on it when I choose to spend money on it. That works for me.

So, I am content to have my little car paid for, and spend some money on it here and there, and make it a little better all the time. At some time in the future, I guess I'll reach a point where there's just nothing left to do to it, but until then I'll keep having my fun.

[Febi Guibo]

why do I keep futzing with my car??

- the E30 was the car I wanted in high school... guess I'm making up for lost time
- I wanted to learn how to work on cars, etc. most previous rides were leased
- my OCD makes me keep fiddling with stuff... what better than an E30?

[1991 318is]

I day dreamed about cars as a teenager in the 1950's. In the 60's it was drag cars. In the 70's, stock cars. In the 80's thru 1995, it was road racing, TransAm, and Formula Ford. Now that I'm retired, it's a street E30 with rims and a modded suspension.
It's total insanity but I can't help myself.