What I see a lot on A.Z. as well as on the street.....racing & car culture overall is predominately about making cars all the more custom, completely individualistic & for that matter different from each other. That is fine with me...BUT
I tend to like LESS custom, as in less ricey, less like that Honda civic with the satellite dish looking spoiler in the back that just passed me sounding like it didn't have a muffler & instead had a monkey screaming out the back end ....I laugh every time some car of this sort passes by me.
Call me crazy, but unless the wheels are like stock TL-P TL-S, & maybe some tasteful light ones that don't weigh down the car, everything else just puts me off. I much rather keep my stock 16's or get some TL-s 17's than put someone else's crap on my babe.
All I am saying is, if I wanted BMW-like angel eyes, I would have gotten a BMW, or for that matter a retro to put some 20's on, but it's an Acura, in my case a TL. I like it stock with few exceptions that don't weigh down on the overall look that reminds you....that this is a TL....not a space craft flying down the road.
I assume a lot of you prefer the custom look, but then again, this is precisely what this thread is about....SO, YOU can voice your opinion on which looks the best to you, & to what extent?

ME? I will keep mine relatively stock, minus sway bars, as I believe it's an enhancement that helps out a lot, without diminishing the look.
2. Adjustable shocks for me, for the same reason.
3. Don't really need more power....after all it's my daily driver, & most of us won't use ALL that power consistently on a every day basis.
4. Better tires, discs, pads, fluids etc....
5. & something which I am still debating, tint.... that's another thread.

So, what is your limit? Are going to be flying down the road in a car that is no longer what it used to be, the next Michael Jackson of cars? or would you simply prefer an in-shape car that retains all its beauty with minor mods?
Thanks for your opinions, it's what makes A.Z. what it is.

 

I'm sorry but my head hurts.

 

it depends on the car.
I've seen plenty of 350 and 370Zs with rims ,springs,mild body kit looked amazing.
in the same note: I've seen tons of Civics look like someone bought the local Pep Boys.(6 inch exhaust pipe, ironing board spoiler, 5000000000 stickers on it, spinning hubcaps,)
to me it depends on the car.
2 cars that look amazing stock IMHO: BMW M3, Mercedes C63. even if I had either one of those rides all i'd do is wax em, drive em and put them in the garage.

 

I'm definitely trying to keep my car looking relatively stock. It'll be something that a car guy can look at and tell it has been modded, but not something that is too visually loud. And the Terps and AcuraZine stickers on my rear side windows aren't too ricey.

I think the only other thing I really want for my car will be the EuroR lip kit which is very subtle, and if I get wheels, they'll look like they could almost be OEM options, something like that.

shameless plug for pics:

 

True & I neglected to specify, I meant particularly for Acura TL's & CL's. But feel free to express your opinions widely.

 

nice Acura Tommy except for that damn Yankee's plate frame.

 

nothing available for me, or way too high priced... so i'm probably going to go custom lip kit with the RL if its cheaper...

 

Personally, I like little in the way of body modification. If the car is not a collectable, however, then I like powertrain modifications, as long as they are actually functional.

I've always been of the belief that automotive enthusiasts are an eclectic bunch, and whatever an individual chooses to do to his or her car is fine with me.


Terry

 

[QUOTE=TommySalami;10648312]I'm definitely trying to keep my car looking relatively stock. It'll be something that a car guy can look at and tell it has been modded, but not something that is too visually loud. And the Terps and AcuraZine stickers on my rear side windows aren't too ricey.

I think the only other thing I really want for my car will be the EuroR lip kit which is very subtle, and if I get wheels, they'll look like they could almost be OEM options, something like that.

Right on the money dude, your car looks fantastic....that's exactly what I meant! Subtle differences that could really be spotted only by the trained eyes

 

as far as Acura TLs and CLs personal taste is like this: you can go with mild spoiler (and no i don't mean shopping cart spoiler or old supra TT "hoop spoiler") just stock height, nice set of rims(black,chrome, gun metal ,whatever you like) about 18 or 19s are the best on those 2 rides in my opinion. I personally don't like coilovers and springs but that's my taste. personally i'd rather have a higher dollar tires and pass the coilovers but "that's how i roll."
couple things to remember when saying that looks like poop on a car.
#1. your not paying for it so yeah you might not like it but someone else does.
#2. it's like Beer. one guy or lady says "XYZ beer awesome." another says "are you crazy i'd rather drink water than that shit." we live in America or Canada where we have 1000s of wheels ,cars and other options where we can(within reason) pick what rides and goodies we put on cars. so if a guy say this looks like poop. just say "yeah whatever."

 

I don't like body modifications much either.... mainly because all the kits for my car look like crap. The Euro R lip kit, 2G TSX sport kit and 2G/3G TL OEM lip kit both look awesome though. The 2G TL's kit modified to fit 2G CL's looks really nice too. I prefer go before show... I lowered my car firstly to improve performance, but I wanted it to ride like stock (it actually rides BETTER than stock now) and tint makes it look nice too, but I prefer it more to block out the sun and keep my interior cooler especially during the summer. I'm all about getting the best compromise between performance and price. I want a suspension with good compliance that's responsive.... more power but I will not sacrifice drivability.

I like the look of some cars when slammed, as long as its not too extreme. It really annoys me when someone with a Civic or other drops their car 2" or more and then doesn't get a roll center adjuster to compensate for the now-screwed up travel. Most people who slam their car think they're making it handle way better.... they deal with the back-breaking ultra-stiff dampening and spring rates because they don't know any better.

I'm just weird like that.... I like mildly-done VIP cars (which is still pretty extreme) and I like stock cars with wheels and a drop sometimes. If you do it, then do it for looks. But its hilarious when people spend $200+ on Rays lugs because they think that the lower unsprung weight (of lugs, FFS) will make their Lexus handle better

 

One of the things I believe a lot of people who do cosmetic mods to their cars may not think of is resale/trade in time. I have mixed opinions about this particular topic.

From the purely economic position, it makes no sense to visually mod a car because you will almost always limit your market when the time comes to sell or trade the car. You will take a hit, unless you are lucky enough to find someone of like mind who really wants your ride. And this includes such simple things like tinting or wheels.

Then there is the other and very valid argument that it IS your car and you have every right to do with it as you see fit.. regardless of any future concerns about potential monetary loss due to your efforts.

But there is also one other thing that many may not consider. When you do these sorts of surface mods, you make yourself a target. You might increase the possibility of theft, vandalism, or physical attacks on your person because of the messages you are sending out by owning and driving such a vehicle. People have been brutally murdered because of such things.

Lastly, what kind of message DO you want to transmit? Wings the size of houses on Civics do not exactly speak of a bank president or doctor or engineer. If this is important to you, it might be a valid consideration.

Just a few thoughts and one I would ad from my own personal opinion on the 3G TL. Few cars come along that look great from every angle. The 3G TL is one of them. Acura designers got it right with this one. It is just sheer beauty from every angle and every view. Once again, my opinion.

 

If it's not the Sox, you're incorrect. If it's the MFY's, then its wrong, period.


There's a fine line between a tasteful addition, and heinous. Some people just choose to be heinous.

 

and there are so many vietnamese soccer moms with those gay sun visors drive 3rd gen TL... I just wanted to be differentiated from them.

 

I really like tasteful wheels and mild tintings. Too often the stock wheels look like a soccer mom's first choice. The hottest TSX's I've seen had nothing but classy aftermarket wheels, an a-spec kit w/spoiler and darkened windows.

Too often the mugen grills and the exotic ground effects and spoilers contradict the car's lines. Most egregiousare replacement head and tail lamps that don't fit the style of the car, like Lexus IS300 style tail lamps on a '90 Accord; this not good. Whenever you see a car with that crap all over it you can see the stock car underneath all the plastic weeping, wishing to be put out of its misery.

The a-spec kit and spoiler from Acura at least look like they belong there. The 2G TSX's spoiler has the same distinctive carve line that the body does. You rarely see that attention to detail with aftermarket spoilers.

Good: (it's hard to see in the pic but notice the follow through)


Bad:

 

I know what I like, and I would customize my car accordingly. Additionally, I don't give a shit what other people do to their cars.

 

now personally i like the Mugen Accord. that's me.
I like the Mugen Civic however i don't feel it's worth 30 grand. if their gonna make it 30 grand put the RDX motor in it.

 

I prefer a clean look versus the "i just want to buy stuff for my car no matter what it is" look

 

Yeah but some stickers add up to 25 HP. That's worth it in my opinion.

My car is pretty much stock expect for the window tint. One day I plan to switch my 00 taillights out for 02-03's.

 

Any car I've had in the past I did suspension (slight drop and stiffer shocks) and +1 or +2 wheels and tires, K&N filter and tint. that's pretty much it. Header/exhaust upgrades on the cars I've had didn't really add up to much. It also depends on the car. I drive a Passat wagon, so to me, putting 20's and doing a full exhaust is not what I think was meant for this car. I swapped the stock 15's for 17's, new air filter, doing the suspension this spring and tinting the windows. Done

 

you should do a front end conversion too. The 02-03 headlights look a lot better