hideous ford focus!

ando

The new St 200 BHP focus coming next year or 2006:





Ford seem to like the orange colour scheme

byte

Heh, that CRX has an appropriate number plate. ROT indeed!

StRiKeR

it's nothing to do with the color though, its english reg! i prefer it without the irish reg!

glynf

another nice motor in eye bleed orange.

Atomic Pineapple

seen a Mg Zr the owner must a thought it was meant to be a plane cos it had bits sticking out everywhere that looked like plane fins, felt like goin over and breaking them off!

then seen a old type micro with a ****ty bodykit and two 5 inch exhausts comin out its arse, if thats not just stupid then i dont know what is.

seen that focus for sale in the autotrader aswell i think, how can whoever owns it think it looks good? i mean i know people have different tastes but some just have to have none.

De Hipster

draffodx wrote:

seen a Mg Zr the owner must a thought it was meant to be a plane cos it had bits sticking out everywhere that looked like plane fins, felt like goin over and breaking them off!

then seen a old type micro with a ****ty bodykit and two 5 inch exhausts comin out its arse, if thats not just stupid then i dont know what is.

seen that focus for sale in the autotrader aswell i think, how can whoever owns it think it looks good? i mean i know people have different tastes but some just have to have none.

Ah...the laughs I get from the modified & performance section of the trader, just hours of amusement at the expense of those little posing tossers!

Seth Brundle

Just out of curiosity - these cars with the extra exhaust on the back - do they work or are they merely decorative? If they do work, what gains (doubtful) are made and do they even get hot enough to get rid of condensed water?
Still they look ****e!

FX Meister

Of course they work, they give an extra loud sound to the exhaust which make people turn and look. I remember the laughs I had reading one of those rolling road reports on some Irish souped cars websites a few years. About 90% of the cars BHP was lower than the standard ratings when they left the factory due to the crap they put on them to make them faster. One dude's car was so low he had to change the wheels, still too low so he took the body kit off the front just to test it.

Seth Brundle

Yes that will work with one exhaust alright, but having two Wavin Pipes coming out of the back of the car is not the way either the car nor the exhausts were designed and therefore less gas is being fed through them and they are not having the desired effect.
Ideally to have a performance exhaust* working in unison with the car, the ECU should be re-mapped (possibly alongside a performance chip, air filter (debatable gains), etc.)

* a performance exhaust is not a farty back box but a purpose car specific system running all the way from the block!

StRiKeR

you got that right there now kbannon, alot of the boys dont know nything about modifying a car for performance, they just think a back box will give them more power, but it doesnt work that way! if a couple of hundrads euro for a bak box makes your car faster, why would there be ECU upgrade plus all the other stuff out there that cost an arm and a leg when you get everything done! there no need for a high flow exhaust system when there isnt enough fuel and air mixture going into the engine, its not a turbo car, with a high flow exhaust it will degrade performance more than anything, but for a turbo car wil be different, NA cars needs alot more back pressure when turbo cars dont! and the thing is whats the point putting in 1000s to make a small engine car go maybe just a little faster?
I met so many boys on the road with a 1.3 or less even, mostly 1.3 to 1.4 soap up big time, one has his ECU chipped, exhaust, intake and this and that done, maybe €4k to €6k he spent on it, and telling everyone whats done to it and how fast it is, saying that it will take any 2L no problem! I was interested to find out, took him on with my box standard 2L galant with only sports suspension and 17" on it rather than standard 15" which slows my car by very little as the tyres are wider!I only wanted more handling! still left him with dust! and i spent way less money for my car! thats why i would never do up a small engine car! waste of money as there wont be much gain unless if you stick on a turbo then yea it'll take the 2L's easy but only up to a certain speed still!

DoctorEdgeWild

De Hipster wrote:

Ah...the laughs I get from the modified & performance section of the trader, just hours of amusement at the expense of those little posing tossers!

At the risk of turning this into a modder v non modder war. Im into modding cars. Im 23, Im a truck driver, I drive a heavily modded Fiat Cinq. Ive spent about 5 grand on it. Its worth about 950 bucks if I sold it today.

I dont have a big sound system, I dont speed (I need my licence or my job is over). I just like modding my car. The Laguna, 316, Bora gang would probably laugh at me but I pay my outrageous Insurance and tax and love to laugh at those guys - pencil pushing, suit wearing, company car clutch riding 30something losers too.

x in the city

5grand.......

blimey. why bother? does it go much faster than when u first bought it?

the fastest they get is when they are being towed by the recovery truck

FACT!

DoctorEdgeWild

Very true x - Ive only spent 50 quid outta that total on the engine (total doesnt include servicing and parts of course) That 50 was an air filter which is just better for the engine, no real difference in speed - maybe 2 or 3 horses. Not noticable at the throttle.

Its a 95 car, passes the NCT every time like clockwork. How many rep mobiles can boast that?

I love the car, i treat it well, it serves me better. Dont regret a penny that Ive spent!!

dahamsta

Some people just like a nice-looking car I reckon. I drove a pretty nice Colt for several years, and although I would have liked a sporty engine in it, the cosmetics came first. Ditto the beamer, I'd lob alloys and a suspension kit onto it before I'd touch the engine. (Although to be fair, both were relatively poky out of the box.) Have to say that a cnuttagetinta wouldn't be my first choice of car to mod, but each to his own.

adam

StRiKeR

DoctorEdgeWild you have your point there, 5K that is alot of money to spent on your car but there are people who only want to mod it for style n others want to mod it for power! like i said before there is not much point modding the car for more power if you only have a small engine, but give it a better style is not a bad thing to do! Its just really funny and i only be laughing at the boys that think their 1.4 with all the mods but no turbo can take a big engine car, but hold on a second there, they dont even know how the engine works, just going by what others says and believe that whatever they say will make their cars faster!

I've been driving 1.6 or above since I was 19 so insurance wouldnt be an issue for me, especially my first car was a 2.2l Vtec and the highest power car i had was an Evo II!
Skyline GTR R34 is my next target!

dahamsta seems to know what you're doing, handling improvement first before BHP, thats always the good thing to do first! I love to know how may people out there actually have their car chip, cams upgraded and all other things done but cheap lowering springs! and I guess theres a big percentage of them dont even go near the breaks! they got it to go faster, very good, but they didnt make it stop faster and make the handling worse with lowering springs and most of them dont even realise that lowering the car will have effect on the grip of the tyres and have them adjust right, therefore, even worse handling!

pixie_student

DoctorEdgeWild wrote:

Very true x - Ive only spent 50 quid outta that total on the engine (total doesnt include servicing and parts of course) That 50 was an air filter which is just better for the engine, no real difference in speed - maybe 2 or 3 horses. Not noticable at the throttle.

Its a 95 car, passes the NCT every time like clockwork. How many rep mobiles can boast that?

I love the car, i treat it well, it serves me better. Dont regret a penny that Ive spent!!

What kinda air filter is it? I seriously doubt it is better for the engine.. unless it has a cold air feed..

DoctorEdgeWild

Pixie - its a k & n 57i. Cold Air feed from beneath the engine since I have no bonnet vents. Washable filter - easy to remove - when you have cleaned and replaced as many filters as I have while training you get to hate the bloody things.


Striker - Youre right about the order that some modders seem to do it in. First thing I did was uprate the brakes cos the Cinq is well known for its poor stopping distances. not that it ever gets up to speeds but a crash at 20 can kill a car stone dead if you dont brake! I could have spent that 5g on a punto sporting engine and fit it in or import the 1.3 trofeo limited edition cinq engine over and fit that. But at the end of the day, Id still be slower than the rep mobiles and the old ladies in Micras. At least this way my car is unique, good looking (to me) and different to the crap that sits all around me in traffic

By the way, nice car history - my bro had a 92 2.2 vtec prelude as his first car - so good. perfect model as well.

pixie_student

DoctorEdgeWild wrote:

Pixie - its a k & n 57i. Cold Air feed from beneath the engine since I have no bonnet vents. Washable filter - easy to remove - when you have cleaned and replaced as many filters as I have while training you get to hate the bloody things.QUOTE]

How did you feed it underneath?

K&N 57i make a nice sound!

Do you find it uses more petrol?

DoctorEdgeWild

Havent noticed a change in petrol just yet, although I only had it in two weeks when the car went into the garage for a brand new - only one in Ireland - bodykit. Im thinking it might make a small difference but the fuel consumption is unbelievable in the Cinq. as standard.

It comes with a nice black stretch type pipe which you can feed right underneath the car (the Cinq engine (998cc)) has loads of feeds out to the ground so its simple enough. Its actually a pretty neat engine - difficult to work on cos its so small but cleverly constructed. I should have it back on the road in a month - look out for the happiest Cinq owner in Dublin if it turns out well!

impr0v

So is it more about being different than making the car look more powerful than it is, DoctorEdgeWild? I'm genuinely trying to understand this and your above posts have been helpful. I think most of us ridiculing the modding of low power cars would be doing so because we're of the opinion that the owners are attempting to fool others into thinking they drive a WRC car, though of course some mod jobs are aesthetically so awful that they deserve ridicule whatever is under the bonnet.

Personally I would find it very hard to be proud of a cinquecento because of it's small power, physical size and lack of prestiege value.

mike65

impr0v wrote:

Personally I would find it very hard to be proud of a cinquecento because of it's small power, physical size and lack of prestiege value.

Impr0vs got a small...;)

Mike.

DoctorEdgeWild

Hey Improv,

Its all about making your car unique. I harbour no illusions about the power of the car. There are different kinds of modders. Im gonna say four groups;

1 - Power guys. All about speed, 0 - 60 times, bHP. Their cars include Imprezas, Evos, Skylines etc. Most guys will have body mods too, nothing outrageous - wheels, exhausts, bodykits. Mostly aimed at improving performance.

2 - All show and no go. Thats me - mostly younger guys who cant afford the criminal insurance premiums that come with the above. Big wheels, lowered, exhaust, skirts, bumpers all pretty much a necessity. Cars of choice - Civics, Clios, Puntos, Starlets (all can be made into performance monsters with the right £s). Not to be confused with the next crowd.

3 - Fools. Stickers, stick on fuel flaps, hubcaps that look as much like alloys as my face looks like Brad Pitts, bumpers that dont fit properly, piss poor paint jobs and most importantly of all - poor reckless driving skills. These are the reason I, as a young male driver, and Im sure some of you, pay huge insurance premiums. They give modders a bad name. They try to race you at lights, they ruin cruises (car meets). In short they ruin everything.

4 - Mixture of 1 and 2. They are never happy until their car is totally unique. Not a standard part left. Big Horse power, big wheels, crazy ass styling. These guys make driving around all that more enjoyable. Its art - its expressing individuality through their cars. Always driving safely too cos they are more than likely to be above the 10 grand mark with regards money spent and they aint gonna risk all that hard work for a thrill at some traffic lights.

And so here endeth the lesson. I hope this was helpful to anyone who read. Anything else y'all wanna know? I am no expert and only represent myself but Id be happy to try and explain something which alot of people have trouble understanding.

impr0v

mike65 wrote:

Impr0vs got a small...;)

Mike.

I should have just come right out and said it, instead of trying to skirt 'round the sorry reality. sob.

shagman

Check this site for a good laugh at some seriously dodgy modified (using lego and airfix?) cars ....
http://www.barryboys.co.uk/mx/

shagman

Nice... stylish, tastefull, subtle use of colour




WOW Look it's a rally car!!!!!

StRiKeR

what the hell is that?? man i wouldnt be able to drive with all that color on my dash!

DoctorEdgeWild I would be in group four out of the 4 groups you have their, and thats true there are 4 types of modding going on so far that I can see, and for those wannabe making the car looks and sound like a WRX but doesnt actually go like one I think they're just sad! but I've nothing against styling on small engines cars! its your money and you know you gonna lose them all when you sell the car, and if you dont have a problem with that, why should I!

mine was a Accord 2.2L vtec but same engines as the prelude, different program on ECU tho(for stock that is)!

DoctorEdgeWild

Howdy Striker,

Accord - nice car. I used to drive a 2.2 Prelude - serious engine, especially when the second set of cams kicks in.

I think there are some guys out there modding their cars to look like the real thing because they cant afford the real car, insurance etc. You usually find its younger guys doing it too. A good imitation can look good but I get your point. If you cant afford an Impreza WRC then dont get a 1.6 gl sport and do it up. I prefer to find an unusual car and do it in such a way that you have something interesting to look at. I love it when a car is so altered that I cant even tell what it is. Thats the ultimate achievement - especially to confuse guys who are really into their cars. My own Cinq aint quite there yet but hopefully my next 'creation' :rolleyes: will be. (CRX mk 2 or Alfa 145/146)

You got any pics of your accord?

dahamsta

StRiKeR wrote:

its your money and you know you gonna lose them all when you sell the car

Surely the same can be said for engine modding?

I have to say that although I like driving a powerful car, there's no way I'd spend ten grand on a Honda Cervix or Renault Clitoris like some guys do. If I was going to be spending that kind of money I'd be talking to Keith Black, and putting the result into something a bit more fun.

I'd take a 'glass Duece over a modded Mundane any day of the week.

adam

DoctorEdgeWild

The only problem with engine modding in this country is that our roads suck. I mean, no autobahns or proper motorways. Potholes the size of my car. Ive lost a suspension turret in a pothole once - that was on Dorset street - One of the capitals main roads.

Apart from that, where do you get to really use your engine? Unless you own an airfield (if so, can I have a go?), where can you LEGALLY allow your car to reach its full potential. Id be lying if I said I didnt get a buzz out of having serious power under my foot. Today I was driving an M3 - day before, a 7 and a half ton MAN. Power rules but both of those vehicles, I wasnt paying the insurance.

The resale thing is totally true though - however much you put in, you will be very lucky to get half of it back.

dahamsta

DoctorEdgeWild wrote:

The only problem with engine modding in this country is that our roads suck.

I know what you mean. You couldn't lower a car properly and drive it daily in Ireland, not a hope. One of my dream projects is a slammed W115 or W123 Merc, but if I did it it'd have to be a show car, and that wouldn't be half as much fun.

Apart from that, where do you get to really use your engine?

It's all about raw power for me, I love putting the boot down and getting that SAAB Turbo feeling. I've never been able to understand the "it'll do 180" mentality tbh. Who cares?

adam