Photo Credit - Brian Snelson
Car manufacturers build their vehicles to certain specifications, and design models to cater for specific audiences. For example, a car aimed at wealthy drivers might have luxurious trim options inside the car whereas a sports car would be aimed at those who prefer raw horsepower over comfort.
But whilst carmakers offer models for many particular target audiences, many motorists in the United Kingdom prefer to customise their cars to their own unique styles, requirements or tastes.
Those seeking as much power as possible might consider boring out their cylinders for extra displacement as well as utilising ‘bolt-on’ power modifications such as turbochargers or super chargers. Others may just want to design a show car that aims to get everyone’s heads turning whenever they see it!
Unfortunately, there are a few people in Britain who are pretty clueless when it comes to taste or automotive knowledge and will modify their motors in a certain way because they thought it was a good idea at the time, or because their mates told them it’s the latest craze!
If you are fairly new to the car modifying world, then you must avoid doing these ridiculous modifications to your car; they will serve no purpose other than to make a mockery out of your motor!
Big Bore Exhausts
I have lost count of the number of boy racers driving around in small hatchbacks powered by 1.0-litre 12-valve engines that spend anything up to £500 on exhaust systems with big bores.
You can tell they have a big bore exhaust fitted because the tailpipe is about 5 inches in diameter and is mated to a larger bore pipe connected to other sections of the exhaust.
Unless the engine has had significant modifications such as forced induction and internal engine changes, and those modifications were complemented by a remapped ECU (engine control unit, the car’s internal ‘computer’), you are likely to see less power from your engine rather than more!
Fake vents
One of the most pointless modifications you could ever do is fit fake vents to your bonnet and front wings! Some cars that have turbocharged engines such as the Subaru Impreza WRX are designed so that bonnet scoops can provide higher volumes of air going to the intercooler.
Some people with lower-spec cars try to mimic these models with fake vents on their cars, but they are just pointless and a waste of money; it would be better to just save up the money to buy the real thing! The Tilsun Group has a lot of cool and high-spec cars for sale, as do many other car dealers across Britain!
Badge “enhancements”
If you drive an old E36 BMW 325i, you might be tempted to debadge your car and instead fit some cool M3 badges to it. Even if you went to the lengths of fitting an M3 body kit, wheels and suspension to your car, you will still only have a BMW 325i and not a BMW M3!
Seriously, I’m all for making a car look nicer, but don’t try to make your car look like something it’s not; that is just really stupid!