Joeman Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 ... Are frankly, pretty disappointing!!(rant time)I popped into my local MdDonald for a late dinner tonight, and in the Halfords carpark opposite was a crowd of youths parked up, standing around their cars in hoodies, chatting and looking "cool". No problem with that, in fact it brought back happy memories of my own misspent youth.What was disappointing was the cars they were driving. All the cars were totally bog standard crap mobiles. Not one car had any modifications or anything to make them stand out or "special". Back in my day, if you rocked up to a halfords carpark out of hours in a bog standard 1.1 litre car with plastic hubcaps, you'd be laughed off the industrial estate!!10 to 15 years ago, the same carpark probably would have had a load of modified cars, driven by youths who were not afraid to have a go, and wanting to make their cars just a little bit different. Lower suspension, big wheels, loud exhausts, big stereos, crazy paint jobs etc etc. Tacky to us maybe, but certainly a lot cooler than a bog standard ecobox.So as i sat there in the carpark munching my old school BigMac meal, i was wondering at what point did it become acceptable for young lads to drive crap cars, and why?very disappointing that the youths of today have no idea how to work a set of spanners or know how to modify their cars.. if this continues, shops like Halfords will have no customers to sell tools etc to, and us older generation will be seen as strange for wanting to get our hands dirty and work on cars/bikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Insurance! case closed NEXT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Insurance! case closed NEXT That was my first thought, but i disagree. Its never stopped kids making undisclosed modifications in the past, so why should it now? have kids suddenly become less rebellious? i doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 yeah I know what you mean maybe times have changed and mummy and daddy wont allow them to modify the cars when they borrow them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 yep, probaby all mummies shopping cars... you cant look cool driving your mums Vauxhall corsa! its tragically disappointing... I bet If we rocked up in a modified sierra cosworth, or escort RS-turbo, or pug GTI or any other modified car from the mid nineties, i bet they would complain because it didnt have air-con and might be a little uncomfortable over speed bumps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 I must say though there is a big bunch of them in modded cars here there is also a big bunch in standard cars which are all pretty much new! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 maybe its just the "sevenoaks massiv" who drive bog standard shopping cars... every other halfords in the country has as respectable number of modified cars hanging about after hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzie Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 When I was 17, which was only 7 years ago, I had a 2003 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SXIAll the chavs did what you mention, turned up in Rover metros, or even a Citroen saxo (the most modifiable car ever) and they had barely anything done to it.My car was different, it went on to have its own remapped ECU, and an uprated exhaust system, as well as a few other little tweaks, like iridium plugs, better air filter and so on. So it looked standard, and it was the "ultra blue" which was meant to be the best colour. So I left it after that, but it went like the clappers for a £3k 1.2 litre. Mates used to try it on in 1.4 Puntos, polos and even a 1.6 ford focus. Had em all Looked standard, but went well But I've always done things that way, have something that looks as nice as it can stock, but then fettle with the inside parts Your disappointment was my joy as I used to love overtaking these guys that do the silly meet ups. But yes I do see what you mean, they don't try any more like they used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Strange Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I would say insurance costs too. The young lad who served me in Halfords was paying as much in real terms (at 23!) for a 1.1 Saxo, as I did for a Courtney Sport 2.0L 16V Astra GTE when I was 19. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I bet If we rocked up in a modified sierra cosworth, or escort RS-turbo, or pug GTI or any other modified car from the mid nineties...I bet they wouldn't even know what it was!I know what you mean - In my Halfords days there were regular meets for modders in the car parks. Most of them were utter shit but at least they had a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Times do change. When I was 20. Some 21 year back, I had an Opel Manta.I dread to think what the equivalent would cost to insure today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 There's a lot of them in Norwich as well, but equally the same amount of unmoddified cars. Personally I wouldn't ever have bought a pimped up car because chances are it's been thrashed about and probably about to fall apart, plus who wants to look like a chav!! I agree if people had the likes of an escort RS or whatever that would be a different story but insurance put a stop to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KTM21 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 In the car world now, if you tried to deck out a 1.1 corsa, you would be called a ricer. A ricer is someone who's tried to make their car look like something special when really it isn't. If I had a 1.1 corsa now, there's no way I'm going to spend money doing it up. It's just pointless really, I'd wait until I can get something that's actually sort of special. It's like when you see a standard 1.2 fiesta with racing seats, what's the point when the car makes 70 something bhp. For this reason and insurance being a lot of money, I'm not planning on getting a car for a few years or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 If only that were the case round here. Any mid ninties naff bodykit that didnt sell back then has sold now and been made to fit a peugoet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 But very happy memories of local retail park cruises Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jnestie Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 happy memories. I had an original mini. 1275cc, twin weber carbs, uprated cams all interior taken out and replaced with a space frame. I spent thousands on it but had such a laugh. A lot of car manufactures try to have a model aimed at the boy/girl racers, that could be why they leave them standered now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Good times i had a vtr. Cut up/ fiberglassed/filled my bumper with some huge spotlights in their. White wheels lowered, subs and speakers cage etc. Even put my headlights in the oven to split them and paint them black.Id love another day been 17. Aimlessly driving around with mates.http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/vtrdonk/FB_IMG_1428954922621_zpstj46s4wl.jpgChav tastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I started life in a nissan micra sound system to wake the dead, alloys, exhaust, tints ect. Then went civic type s, type r, evo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzyG Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Haha yup, them were the days. I had a 306, slammed low on 17s with tweaked boost and fuelling (manually tweaked in those days, none of the ECU malarky!) to give it an extra 20bhp over standard, as well as leaving plumes of smoke whenever you floored it haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KTM21 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I started life in a nissan micra sound system to wake the dead, alloys, exhaust, tints ect. Then went civic type s, type r, evoIs the evo modified? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I started life in a nissan micra sound system to wake the dead, alloys, exhaust, tints ect. Then went civic type s, type r, evoIs the evo modified? Yes its stage 2 running roughly 365/325 and drinks like an irishman at a wedding so i dont use it much plus the antilag has destroyed the baffles in my exhaust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KTM21 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Nice one, I must admit I'm more of an STI guy myself (hawkeye) but I love evo's as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I must admit I'm more of an STI guy myself Oh god dammit it is SO hard to resist the urge to set that quote as my signature...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Hawkeye is imo the best looking proper impreza shape. I was just put off by how many inprezas were about and how tempermental they are with tuning, but had i not had a childhood obsession with the evo i would have bought an sti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I must admit I'm more of an STI guy myself Oh god dammit it is SO hard to resist the urge to set that quote as my signature...! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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