Am I just getting old, or is my taste for custom cars that lean more toward classy and comfy than extreme and unsightly making me look like a codger? Regardless of what this geriatric-sounding reason may be, there are a handful of trends in the aftermarket automotive world that need to stop right away in order to keep the rest of us from gagging.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not against modifying a car — I have modified every car I have ever owned and enjoy seeing people improving upon a manufacturer’s designs — but some of the crap that is popular today borderlines on being ridiculous, with the rest of it utilizing the word “dangerous.”
Certain mods remain merely a cosmetic “upgrade,” and are only cause for concern to anyone who wants to hold down their lunch. Then there are things like extreme negative suspension camber, which often goes well beyond aesthetics, with a lot of it teetering on the verge of being flat-out dangerous.
Unfortunately, the only downside to a fading fad is that there will always be another pointless and potentially dangerous trend to follow in its footsteps, so there is little hope that any of us will ever truly find respite from automotive abominations in our lifetime
Once a staple of the “rat rod” community, the purposeful rusting of a car’s exterior has leeched its way into other mainstream car cultures in recent years, and now many younger import car fans are hooked on rust. This is one of those strange modifications that just boggles the mind. Who in their right mind destroys a perfectly good paint job, thus leaving it exposed to the harsh elements?
Okay, so there are some guys who artistically remove paint and seal everything properly, and are hot stuff because Mad Max rules. Let’s be honest with one another for a moment shall we? There really is no point to this mod other than making a car look like it has been sitting in a corn field for a millennia, and kids are purposefully rusting everything from their hoods to an entire chassis, just like the poor BMW seen here. I guess nothing says “I’m hardcore” quite like a tetanus shot every week or two because your car wants to kill you.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not against modifying a car — I have modified every car I have ever owned and enjoy seeing people improving upon a manufacturer’s designs — but some of the crap that is popular today borderlines on being ridiculous, with the rest of it utilizing the word “dangerous.”
Certain mods remain merely a cosmetic “upgrade,” and are only cause for concern to anyone who wants to hold down their lunch. Then there are things like extreme negative suspension camber, which often goes well beyond aesthetics, with a lot of it teetering on the verge of being flat-out dangerous.
Unfortunately, the only downside to a fading fad is that there will always be another pointless and potentially dangerous trend to follow in its footsteps, so there is little hope that any of us will ever truly find respite from automotive abominations in our lifetime
3. Rusted rides and Rat Style
Once a staple of the “rat rod” community, the purposeful rusting of a car’s exterior has leeched its way into other mainstream car cultures in recent years, and now many younger import car fans are hooked on rust. This is one of those strange modifications that just boggles the mind. Who in their right mind destroys a perfectly good paint job, thus leaving it exposed to the harsh elements?
Okay, so there are some guys who artistically remove paint and seal everything properly, and are hot stuff because Mad Max rules. Let’s be honest with one another for a moment shall we? There really is no point to this mod other than making a car look like it has been sitting in a corn field for a millennia, and kids are purposefully rusting everything from their hoods to an entire chassis, just like the poor BMW seen here. I guess nothing says “I’m hardcore” quite like a tetanus shot every week or two because your car wants to kill you.
