What's your motivation?

[Huffer]

This topic is for all modders - why do you mod the chassis you have, instead of chunking down some change for a car that meets your needs at "stock"?
Or is "stock" never good enough anymore?

I'm particularly interested in the answers from people like xcntrk, sybir, bakergtt, cajual etc. Those that have gone beyond the simple "wheels, springs & exhaust" route.

[shazapple]

"Just" get a better car. Yeah right its just that simple.
I could put a few hundred dollars worth of suspension on my car, or I could sell it and spend thousands more on a better car...

Thats the way I see it. Plus I like to work on my car and I like making it better. It makes it my own instead of going out and buying something everyone else has.

[rougeben83]

No car is "just right" for me. I need to change a couple of things on whatever car I get to fit my particular needs and budget.

[Danbob]

Because it's fun. I can' stand having something that's exactly like everyone else's. All the mods to my Legacy are free because they are parts I either got for free, or had lying around. It's a hobby of sorts for me.

With my wrx, it's a challenge to make it faster than an STi for far cheaper.

I just love cars and modding them/playing with them is a stress relief from the outside world...even if it's just fixing somethign or taking it apart to clean it, put it back together, and make it work more3 efficiently :-)

[outbackmike]

for me putting more into a car gives me the feeling of working on something that is mine,and putting parts that are not original but better gives the car a more personal character. in my opinion...

[SilentRacer]

Everyone needs a hobbie, for some people its photography, for some its gambling/drinking, this just happens to be mine. Standing out in the crowd and having people compliment your ride doesn't hurt eather :cool:

[Wiscon_Mark]

It is a hobby, and stock is never good enough. I like modding to my tastes, and upgrading features that are important to me. No stock car is ever going to satisfy me completely because all cars (with a few exceptions that are arguably not stock) are mass marketed to a large group of people that are not exactly like me.

[blackgtbeauty]

I see mine as being basically what all of you have said.

More-so however it's my way out so-to-speak. When things start to bother me and I start getting stressed, it's out to the car I go.

Another reason definatly is to stand out from the crowd and show some individuality. There are too many boring Legacy's around here and if I didn't do what I'm doing, it would be just that. Boring.

I feel like I have a lot of my father's autobody ambition in me. It's not his job, just what he does for fun, and I feel the same way (I used to color my Matchbox cars with Sharpie's and model paint when I was 4), so it seems to me like it's something I'm meant to do. I love seeing a car go from nothing to something.

Just my $.02, I'm done rambling :grin:

Rob

[Plays_with_Toys]

It's about personality and being different. I love that I have a wagon, and all my friends first said I was stupid for planning stuff on it. Now most of them think it looks great.

As mark said, almost all the cars out now are cookie cutter shapes. You have to spice it up just a little. It makes it more fun to walk to your car in a parking lot and know it's different.

From a performance aspect, yes, you could save up alot of money for a better car, but at my age, any car that is inherently awesome stock will suck my money out through insurance.

[2.5GT]

just a beater for now.

[warrior]

Cars are like people. Every person has their own taste in clothing, music, ideas, etc. Cars vary the same way.

Lets take two identical 1999 Legacy GT's. I purchase one, and say regular joe-blow purchases the next. After 5 years, with no modifications, both cars will run completley different.

This is where the cars personality comes in.. everyone on this board knows what their car's engine sounds like and when something isn't "right".. you feel it.

This is why I cater to my car; for me and for that mechanical life inside my car (who's name is Marv by the way :lol:). I personally feel every car should be granted the same care we all put into them.

[deadlydave]

At first, it was just something I wanted to do. Go faster without my insurance company laughing all the way to the bank. But now, i plan to auto-x my car and make it faster for that and better looking. I want to pay homage to subaru's rally heritage. I like working on my car, the more I can do myself the more I can save.

And I want to stand out. Fuck vanilla.