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
Much like vinyl wrapping, this mod started off as a bright idea and spiraled out of control once it hit mainstream car culture. What surely began as just a few vinyl decals and sponsor stickers here and there has turned into an utterly offensive overload of “sticker-bombed” cars, with the import scene being the top offender.
Setting oneself apart from the crowd is a noble cause, but when the end result makes a clean car look completely kaput, it is hard to win many lifelong enthusiasts over. Maybe there is an ulterior motive I may have been overlooking all along, or perhaps kids these days don’t want to pay for paint because its expensive. Regardless of the reason, for editors and staff alike this remained a laughable addition to cars throughout my six-year tenure at Honda Tuning Magazine, and according to many figureheads in the aftermarket community, is way overdue for retirement.
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
4. Stickerbombing to the MAX
Much like vinyl wrapping, this mod started off as a bright idea and spiraled out of control once it hit mainstream car culture. What surely began as just a few vinyl decals and sponsor stickers here and there has turned into an utterly offensive overload of “sticker-bombed” cars, with the import scene being the top offender.
Setting oneself apart from the crowd is a noble cause, but when the end result makes a clean car look completely kaput, it is hard to win many lifelong enthusiasts over. Maybe there is an ulterior motive I may have been overlooking all along, or perhaps kids these days don’t want to pay for paint because its expensive. Regardless of the reason, for editors and staff alike this remained a laughable addition to cars throughout my six-year tenure at Honda Tuning Magazine, and according to many figureheads in the aftermarket community, is way overdue for retirement.
