I believe a 08 MT Sport weighs 2470??

And he said NEW car.

 

This was exactly my point back in mid 2008 when somebody turboed their Fit and I commented that it's a waste of money. People was furious .

 

If increasing the usable power of a Fit is a waste of money then buying a performance car and increasing it's power or making any improvement is a waste of money as well....How about shopping in expensive stores, eating at restaurants, playing golf, hunting and target shooting, cable or satellite TV, expensive sound systems, motorcycles, performance bicycles, drinking alcoholic beverages and the list can go on and on.... If there wasn't a market for any of these things they wouldn't exist.

 

I can agree with the "old man" mentallity a little. I have modified every vehicle I have ever owned. Started with my first car at the age of 17. The way I see it is that a car is a representation of it's owner. So I modify my cars to my taste. It may not be anyone else's taste but it is afterall my car so I'll make it my own. Some of the modifications people do are a little extreme and make a good car undriveable in my opinion but if that's your thing go ahead and have fun.

 

Not to side track too much, but can you post your engine modlist, or direct me to it?

Thanks-

 

Those listing that you gave do what they do for what they are and the person purchasing the item in the store already know what they are worth. Do you see those people going to the expensive stores to buy expensive clothing so they can alter what they bought? When you play golf do you change the rules that is already made just because you want to change it? Do you eat at restaurants and tell them to change their menu because it sucks? How about painting, if you buy an expensive painting like Monalisa's painting. Are you going to put her eyebrows on too because its missing or maybe put a man beside her, a cat or dog on her hands? And so on....

 

I have to agree with you.

 

I think what Texas Coyote is saying is that modifying cars is a hobby.

Life isn't meant to be lived so logically. Have fun and enjoy the ride!

 

Every 'man' has both the young and the old in 'em, trust me I'm going thru them all again. Let's face it we love our cars or else we wouldn't be here [cept for those guys wanting to take our $$$ - coughvendors] LOL

We all tend to be a bit competitive as well - it's what makes motor sports alive. At the end of the day we should all share the brotherhood over a cold beverage and a smoke and be glad we can share our interests.

It's more than a hobby - it's a way of life. I mean who in their right mind is going to go out and spend $80 on a 'racing tow hook' to hang off the front of their ride except a FITFreak and who else would join in on a forum called that.

I'm glad I have a FIT and this forum exists.
K_C_

 

Agreed sometimes it's just about what people like. Many people do like the slammed, tucking tire, monster that was Viv (Ray's fit) and some thought it was dum but none the less you can bet yourself that Ray loved it.

And on the fact that you enjoy this forum. This is probably the best, most informative, helpful forum I have ever been a part of.

 

Modding my car is about the last thing I want to spend my money on. I prefer spending money on cameras and outdoor adventure gear.

other thoughts:

-I would like to hand carve myself a wooden shift knob.

-I would like to add a sunroof and maybe paint my (paid off) 05' subaru wagon, but it makes me sick to think about spending all of that money on something that may be totalled the next day.

- I would also like to raise the subaru (non outback) a few inches for better ground clearance when I'm off pavement. The car is so heavy as it is, losing a bit of cornering performance isn't going to be a big deal.

-for a unique look to your car... I can understand the desire for JDM parts, rather than some aftermarket brand pos that is pulled off the shelf at auto zone. As for a unique look to your car- 99% of the people near your car will never notice the mods, or even care. Then of the 1% of the people that do notice the car, most of those people will think it is dumb anyway (or theirs is better). So yeah, I don't get it either.

 

Actually wealthy ppl buy expensive clothes and have them altered all the time, or buy custom made. Tailors for a rich clientele do very well.

Changing rules and menus has nothing to do with the discussion.

But yes, a wealthy enough person could get on the governing body of a sporting organization and change the rules, or have something prepared just for them at an expensive restaurant.

Now as far as altering art, nobody in their right mind would change a Da Vinci or Picasso, etc...., but a stock vehicle is the blank canvas, not the work of art. Car designers LOVE to see what can be done with their designs after the imaginations of owners are unleashed.

And as far as spending money on upgrading the Fit's performance vs. buying a better performing car, someone summed that arguement up very nicely here four years ago. "But then, it wouldn't be a Fit".

 

QFT

great post

And who cares if 99% of people don't notice your mods, Idk about you but I mod for me

 

My thing is its not a waste if you use it. Now what do you do with youre car that more speed would be a improvement? Do you even track the FIT if not why would you need to increase the speed of this car. Oh and my comment about youre fit still being slow is a matter of my opinion. To put it in some perspective to you i think my CR is slow as well. I am just woundering why you feel that this car needs more power in the first place. And like i said earlyer you can buy a speed3,gti or a civic si for around $23,500. Now i know they wont have as much room as a FIT. But you can't ever get the exact same specs on a car. But what you loose in room you would gain in performance with thesse cars. Now if youre looking for space and a car that gets ok mpg the FIT is for you. I would say insurance is not that cheap on it my S2000CR only cost me $20 more a month to insure. Now going on the lines of market for things i see where ur coming from in a way. Except it all depends on income what is expensive to one person is not to another. I guess its the same with cars. I just can think of so many other things i rather have with $6k than mods on my FIT. Like going to other countrys. I have been to more countrys and seen more things than most people i would say. But every one has there own personal hobbys and i value that. I mean i have seen some people spend $10k on a camera lens. So post some pics in here of ur mods. Once again im not tying to sound like a ass i just have my own opinion and every one should were all not the same and thats why i love america.

 

Now i don't want people to think that i don't like to mod cars i do. But for me its more for things i will use. I use to own a evo put tons of money into it and made it stupid fast only traked it once. I wasted all that money making power that i never even used. My CR i want to change the radio with a aftermarket one that has a ipod connection and better speakers,stock ones suck. I want different wheels i think it will make the car look more clean. And thats about it besides a good alarm system. Now i spend more money on keeping my cars clean like i want to get a PC kit with some pads. I also spend more than most on my maintance. I change tranny and diff out every year oh and i buy the most sticky tires out there. I think way to many people under look a good set of tires they will make worlds of a difference. But mostly i love hondas through and through and this forum this really i one of the best ones out there

 

so if you lived on a deserted island, and no one was ever going to see your car... ever, then you would still want to spend thousands of dollars to mod it?

There's no way you could ever convince me that spoilers and exhaust and wheels aren't primarily for show and attention- or maybe even trying to fit in with the cool crowd. It's just the type of world we live in, and it goes for EVERYTHING we purchase and consume.

Likewise, all of the (seemingly eccentric) folks I know in my life that really don't care what other people think and are into their own groove- I could NEVER imagine any them spending thousands of dollars on the most current "cool" things to buy for their cars.

 

To answer your question: Yes.

The mods I've done on my car aren't for anybody else except my own enjoyment and comfort. I haven't exactly spent "thousands of dollars" trying to address some of the car's "points for improvement" either.

Let me list my mods and why I did/got them. I got my car second-hand.

- Head unit: Stock Kenwood head unit refused to play CDs from day 1 (unlike the US Fits, the GDs here don't have integrated audio HUs). Because I don't want a repeat of this and I like listening to my own music collection, I sought out a Pioneer head unit that also accepts USB - one of the very first they made, back in 2007.

- Steering wheel: Stock steering wheel had a horn pad that broke and kept getting stuck - eventually shorting out the stock horn. Since my car has no airbags to begin with anyway, I went ahead and replaced the tiller with a Momo Fighter.

- Horn: The stock horn on our Fits/Jazzes is, frankly, pathetic...I'm sure a lot of people have this as their first mod item. It got ditched for a beefier Stebel TM80 Magnum, which was then replaced with a high-mount Bosch Windtone due to floodwater damage at the stock mounting location behind the bumper.

- Wheels and tires: These were always in the plan. Watch my photo thread and you'll see how dinky the stock 14s are. My stock 14s became Rota 16s. The swap to larger rolling stock got "accelerated" due to tire damage on a blind rut. The upgrade is also motivated by tire choice: at 14" there isn't much choice in good tire rubber here.

- Seats: One bugbear of mine is insufficient thigh support and it becomes a bother to my knees on long drives. Lumbar support is non-existent too. Out the stock seats went, and in went second-hand Recaro SRDs mounted to BRIDE RO-type seat rails. Problems solved. Ingress/egress took some getting used to, though.

My guiding principles were utility, function and comfort. Note that even though I take the car to the track for some action, I didn't even touch the engine or suspension - mechanically, my car is still bone-stock.

I'm not the richest guy in the world - just look at where I live - so I have to pick out my mods carefully and see if they're worth my hard-earned money or not. As it is, I think my Jazz is as complete as it'll get. I might get a couple more minor pieces, but nothing that'll scream "hey my car's a modified Jazz, look at me" - that's just not my cup of tea.

The same goes for most people who modify their rides. If they want to show off, bring on the carbon fiber, underbody neon, psychedelic body colors and nitrous purge. If they want to load up as much as possible on a trip to Home Depot, they get air suspension for hauling stuff. If they want power, for the GD at least, there are turbo and S/C options.

I don't fit any of the aforementioned categories though. My two cents

 

All of your mods seem functional. You don't appear to be the type of modder the OP was being critical of, and you certainly aren't the type of modder that I was addressing.

(although I do find the horn mod funny. I only use a horn once or twice a year, so it's not even a concern for me. Maybe where you live you may have to use it daily?)

 

Yes considering this (for my old car):

Lighter wheels with grippy tires

better handling and fuel economy

Lowered suspension: ^ditto

Tint: keeps me cooler

Tailights: added safety

Muffler: Slightly better fuel economy

 

any stickers or graphics or badges? the money you invested on fuel economy probably netted you zero.