the cons of owning a modified car

[Bahney]

had my car back now for 2 weeks and all i have had is hassle and grief.

i have had it keyed already on the drivers wing (about 6inches across) after 25min with the t-cut and colour restorer i managed to salvage something from it

i have had my car door bumped by someone elses door (nice small dint in the passenger door)

everywhere i park or stop i seem to get some kev lureing over my car asking "wat's that mte?" every 5 seconds.

if i am sat at the traffic lights i have my handbrake on and gar in neutural, the ammount of times i get a nova/saxo pull allongside me and try and race me is pathetic, seems to happen every day, i just ignore them and drive normally for fear of injuring my baby bravo.

it appears that because i drive a car with a kit i am automatically branded a "boy racer" this is the one thing that boils my blood ! i am far far from it and have only ever raced 1 person in my car and that was my mate on the m62 at 2:30am when i first got my car (he owned me)

no one ever lets me out at junctions anymore, i used ot get let out all the time but now it appears i have to wait an eternity for someone to slow down and let me out, possably due once again to the "boy racer" brand.

where ever i park it i am worried, if someone looks at it i am wondering if they are admireing it or caseing it for a job later when my back is turned, i am constantly checking it and makeing sure it is alright.

and this morning to top it all off i was pulling out of my carport to go to work and i clipped the front bumper on a post, it was right on the edge of where the bumper/front arch meets, i was reversing so rather then sratch the front bumper it ripped most of it off. i managed to pop it back into position but i now need to get that repaired

my car still needs a respray (long story) so the scratch issue wasent a massive one because a respray soon. but the other issues i have noticed are really really starting to get to me, i can now understand why so many people mod a car and then shortly after sell it.

simply not worth the hassle, the cons are in my opinion on a par with the pro's.

anyone else with a modified bravo care to comment ? is it the same for you ?

 

[Alan]

i think you can write off dents and scratches off as modded cars only, my car his a huge dent in the door where someone opened their car door into it, i know what car it was, i've just never seen it since. I also have a dent on the rear wing near the light where someone seems to have leant on it. My dads merc have been keyed many times in car parks and he constantly gets his standard merc silver valve caps taken.

The rest of your problems, well, you modify a car, that's the price you pay! that's why a lot of people do what tafi did and get a second cheap car to drive. Which is a shame as you spend so much getting a car the way you like it and then you can't drive it.

 

[Wimmy]

Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

Scratches - I get them from car washes
Junctions - Not too bad, I aint noticed any difference.
Lights - Get the occsional chav and/or business man pull up alongside to race. I thinkthis is funny because they expect you to take it seriosly. Sit back and set off as normal and watch them waste their fuel away. They will feel really silly when they have set off like a mad man as you tootle along.
Kids - I get it everyday in my street. "I like your car Mister!" I think its funny. After all you mod it - its gonna get noticed
Motorways - People move over for me! I didnt notice it until a friend of mine followed me on a motorway. Some move over for you because they want to see what your car is!

Pros - A god damn sexy looking car

 

[Alan]

Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

yeah but if the superwarkets ever paint their trolleys black you'll never find you car wimmy! lol

people don't move over for me on the motorway, they seem to deliberately sit in my way, the kind ones wait until i've slowed to their speed then move over, meaning i have to waste my brakes and fuel slowing down and speeding up. maybe i should modify my car!

 

[Wimmy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

I would find it! Mine will be the one everyone is fighting over because you dont have to put a pound in the slot

 

[Ian@work]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

Definately more Pro's than Con's.


I've also noticed on the motorway that EVERYBODY moves over for me. Especially when I come up behind them quicker than a boeing 747

Ian.

 

[mousey]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

Not quite on topic but sort of!
Someone lent on my car and there is now a dent in the bit between the window and the roof(driver side dr)

anyway of gettin this out? already tried a suction pad!

 

[Alan]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

no wonder money keeps falling out your exhaust when you've been to asda wimmy! and i thought your can was magic!

 

[tommy $]

cons win everytime

you already probably read my previous posts about what happens when you put ice in. £300 quid later and i think the modifyings on hold for a bit. Funny thing is from the outside the car is standard apart from alloys. Besides she looks damn sexy standard anyway!!

 

[allystew]

I own a heavily modified Bravo also and feel exactly the same on the whole "Boy Racer" tag. When certin people see my car they think that i'm out every nite racing. But as im so afraid of doing any damage to my Bravo and My licence.

A few tips for you:
1. When parking my car I go to the back corner of the park on its own and take up 2 spaces by parking over the white line. This means that no chance of people opening doors into it and no trollies are going to be crashed into it.

2. For piece of mind just get a good alarm, immobiliser and steering lock. Even a tracker if you are still worried.

3. Finally just enjoy all the attention you get.Those saxos and corsas are just jealous of you standing out from the usual crowd. If you spot a nice lady give your Bravo the once over give her a wave.(The ladies love my Bravo anyway)!

The pros outweigh the cons every time.

 

[halmsx]

Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

hell yeah, ladies do love bravo aint it? its not sumthing the get to see everyday like the hondas or bmws, etc. especially with exaust like mine, well, that attracts cops more, anyway, it sure does gets the the chicks eyes! bravos got curves, just like them ladies do

owh, mine does need a paint job badly, i too embarassed to even post the pic here.

as for the 'racer' branding, yeah, i got a lot of alfas, bmws, mercs, mivecs, vtecs, expecting me to race with them, naah, dun wanna embarassed them with the chicks besides 'em, hehe...

considering of havink the outside look standard, including with the original fiat rims, took off all the kits already, ok, so its sligthly lowered, even now i still get people went like 'uh? whuts dat?'

 

[Paul R]

Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

I never noticed any trouble with my old one (was quite modded! But i am sure i will with my new one (10days till completion)....Bravos definatly attract the womens eye!

~As for not racing vw's etc, i can not resist humiliating golf gtis, they sit there in the 02 reg gtis thinking they will **** all over me and try and make me race, so if it a golf gti i do....out of principle!!!and i love there face once they have been killed!!!As for the fiesta/nova/saxo crew!i just let them speed off, sorry roll off, thinking they have done me!

I hate the boy racer image, it too boils my blood, i know you are all going to say i am because of the golf comment, but thats only golf, generally i dont race!!

Stick with it Bahney....you have a sweet looking little car!!

As for parking, i agree, park in the corner of the car park, or up against pillers in multis, but dont take up two spaces, that really gets on my tits when people do that!!!!!!!!

Paul R

 

[Bahney]

Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

i suppose maybe because of the problems i have had with my bravo i am starting to resent it a little, which is makeing me serioustly regreat ever paying silly ammounts for all the work to be done. yeah it is a head turner and yeah it does make me smile when i catch someone stareing at it wondering what my baby bravo actually is and assume it is some sort of imported car. but i can't help the feeling in the back of my head that i have pissed my money away on a car that i will be worried about 24/7 and that it now attracts the wrong kind of attention from skum of the earth.

i went for a job interview on monday and i have a 2nd interview tomorow, one of the perks is a company car, a VW bora tdi which would basicially make my bravo redundant, so i would save her for a weekend car which meant i could spend more time on my bravo without worrying about haveing to have it all finished by monday morning so i can get to work in it.

respray in the next few weeks and with summer fast approaching i might change my tune.

i am glad that most of you detest the boy racer image as much as i do, for example last night i was just driving home from a mates house, young lad behind me in a pug 106, took perticular fun in driving about 6inches away from my rear bumper trying to forse me to go faster then the 35 i was already doing in a 30, i never and kept to the 35 speed, as the road branched into 2 lanes approaching the traffic lights i was in the left hand lane because i was turning left, he was in the right hand lane to go stright ahead. he is sat there revving the tits off his 1.2 pug 106 conpletly standard apart from windscreen washer lights !!! and i am sat there with my indicator on clearly turing left and he zoomed off and gave me the finger out of his window, lol i just had to laugh but i don't know what he was expecting, and it is when i get compared to people like him that it is a blatant insult.

i am glad i am not the only one with these views anyway and yeah there are a lot of pros and i am sure once my car is how it should be i might start seeing them again

thanks for all the responces

 

[~Paul R]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

it must be pug 106s... i had one off those sitting on my bumper... now this really winds me up, i see red when some one tail gates me.WHY, oh why do people do it!!if i slam on my brakes he and i will be screwed!!!what right does he have to risk my life!

Anyway, i delt with the situation slightly differently, if you put your left foot on the brake, and just slightly touch it the brake lights come on, keep you right on the accelerator and you speed doesnt change!!i did this last night and this pug did a bloody emergency stop, he looked like a right tit!!lol....but when ever someone get too close i do that, they keep back then! and its not dangerous as your speed doesnt change!

Paul R

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

How can there be any CONS, its a bravo


Tafi

ps. mine is a little bit modded too

 

[Light_Warrior]

a word of advice

Re left foot braking! Be careful, and try this out on an empty road before you do it for real. I did a skid control course, and it took several attempts to master.

When you do this for the first time you will almost certainly slam the brakes on too hard and try to fly out the windscreen! i did it twice!!! Your left foot is used to a heavy, springy clutch pedal, where your brake ppedal is fairly light, and very pressure sensitive.

If this doesn't make any sense to you, just practice on an empty road a couple of times and you'll see what i mean

 

[Nigel]

Re: The cons of owning a modified car

I can relate to the original post about owning a modified car, the looks, the questions, the corsa, saxo boyracers. I just ignore them leave em to it i think because theres not many modified bravos about they get excited! And you do lose some respect of other drivers and get that tag but comes with the territory!

 

[Allan Wall]

re

i dont think he actually means brake, just so the light comes on.


i normally just hit the brake pedal hard and listen to them screetch up behind you! its his fault if he hits you, but no one has yet! dangerous game i know though.


generally i dont get any bad stuff though, people always seem to give way to me, and let me go first on roundabouts etc? but i am a polite driver back! so that might help?

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: the cons of owning a modified car

safer option!
hit your rear fogs and they will instinctively break