# Idiotic car modifications **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 13, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893 "2011-07-13T16:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/1 "2011-07-13T16:59:40Z")
This morning I saw a car with Spy Hunter wheels - seriously, the center of the wheels bulged out about 6" and looked as if it could do pretty gnarly damage to another vehicle. I thought about all of the situations where you might be close to other cars - parking, etc. - and this struck me as possibly the stupidest car modification I’ve seen to date. The previous frontrunner was the dangling balls idiots put on their pickup trucks (or Kia sedans - I saw that one, once). But there’s no real potential for damaging anyone else’s car in that, is there? So what car mods do you find dumb? I imagine we’re going to see ridiculously loud stereos, oversized skinny wheels, and loud mufflers. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/2 "2011-07-13T17:08:55Z")
How about car alarms that go off when a gnat lands on the windshield? ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/3 "2011-07-13T17:15:23Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > How about car alarms that go off when a gnat lands on the windshield? That is annoying, but it’s not so much an idiotic mod as it is something that the owner needs to adjust. Now, those alarms that say “Please step away from the car?” That’s idiotic. I haven’t heard one of those since the early 90s, so maybe nobody makes them (or buys them) anymore. I don’t know about you, but I used to hear car alarms constantly about 15 years ago. Now, I hear them rarely - there seem to be a lot less false alarms, and they don’t seem to be so loud and annoying anymore. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/4 "2011-07-13T17:22:18Z")
When they lower suspensions to the point they can’t keep up with the normal flow of traffic lest they scrape the body/fenders on the pavement. Bonus points if they did that to a pickup, thus negating their ability to, you know, carry anything. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/5 "2011-07-13T17:25:30Z")
We did something like this a month or two ago, but what the hell. Amongst my favorites: – Giant wings on a ten-year-old Japanese econobox pushing out 95 horsepower – White car (usually an old econobox again) with the hood painted flat black, apparently to simulate carbon fiber – fake fender vents (think of the ‘portholes’ on old Buicks) – giant wagon wheels with ultra-low profile tires; most often seen on Ford Crown Vics, for some reason – ricer cars with neon lights mounted to the undercarriage, I guess to make them look like they’re radioactive or something. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/6 "2011-07-13T17:26:58Z")
Religious and political bumper stickers ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/7 "2011-07-13T17:30:14Z")
[Whistle Tips](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSOSJ68xOBA), that make the car exhaust sound like a train whistle. Make sure to watch to the end, where the genius defending them almost crashes into another car and runs a stop sign. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/8 "2011-07-13T17:30:42Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > – Giant wings on a ten-year-old Japanese econobox pushing out 95 horsepower Even better, the downforce these(don’t) produce would unweigh the DRIVE WHEELS on the FWD car. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/9 "2011-07-13T17:34:42Z")
> [@](#): > > That is annoying, but it’s not so much an idiotic mod as it is something that the owner needs to adjust. Now, those alarms that say “Please step away from the car?” That’s idiotic. The one I always encountered said “Protected by Viper. Stand back.”. Or then there were the car alarms so sensitive that they’d be set off by another car alarm, so you’d get a chain reaction. I think, though, that car alarms didn’t ever actually get any better: We all just got so used to ignoring them that they became useless, so nobody bothers any more. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/10 "2011-07-13T17:41:51Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > When they lower suspensions to the point they can’t keep up with the normal flow of traffic lest they scrape the body/fenders on the pavement. Bonus points if they did that to a pickup, thus negating their ability to, you know, carry anything. That’s what I was going to say - yeah, get a vehicle with good clearance, then take away one of the design features of that vehicle for no good reason. Also, those exhaust modifiers that make your car sound like a lawn mower. Ooh, I’m shivering with awe at the power! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/11 "2011-07-13T17:50:06Z")
Here’s a pretty good collection of idiot car modifications [http://www.youdrivewhat.com/](http://www.youdrivewhat.com/) At the moment the first few pix are mostly decorations (desecrations?). Page back a couple pages for some better examples of idiot mods. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/12 "2011-07-13T17:54:13Z")
Oop, wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/13 "2011-07-13T18:13:54Z")
Low profile tires on 4x4’s. Idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/14 "2011-07-13T18:18:04Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Here’s a pretty good collection of idiot car modifications [http://www.youdrivewhat.com/](http://www.youdrivewhat.com/) At the moment the first few pix are mostly decorations (desecrations?). Page back a couple pages for some better examples of idiot mods. Oh man, that’s awesome 😃 Favorite so far: the window box AC unit on the side of the van! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/15 "2011-07-13T19:31:07Z")
Aw, man, it’s too bad [laughatrice.com](http://laughatrice.com) went belly up, they had an awesome collection of ridiculous mods. Looks like the British version is still alive, though, at [Barryboys.co.uk](http://www.barryboys.co.uk/phpBB2/). ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/16 "2011-07-13T19:49:47Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Low profile tires on 4x4’s. Idiots. All I can picture is Cotton Hill. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/17 "2011-07-13T20:00:47Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Favorite so far: the window box AC unit on the side of the van! There are a dozen or so of those in the archives. The window A/C units look even better on a small econo-box. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/18 "2011-07-13T20:26:58Z")
I used to walk past a little Honda that had an improvised spoiler affixed to it, made with sheet metal and 2" pipe, and painted black. It was large enough, high enough and at a ridiculous enough angle that its stupidity was compounded by the fact that it would have largely obscured the view out the back window. Rad! ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/19 "2011-07-13T20:32:51Z")
I saw a car once that had “Bad News” painted on it, The rest of the car had newspaper headings shellacked all over… real newspaper headlines. Plus I don’t think shellac makes finishing for car exterior. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893/20 "2011-07-13T20:43:20Z")
I always get a laugh from the cars with huge rims and skinny tires. Who in hell thinks that look cool? The other big laugh (as also mentioned above) is the shitbox with a giant spoiler on the back (which I refer to as a carrying handle) and a resonator underneath. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-car-modifications/588893.md?page=2)