The modern Hot rod Phenomenon
From Mod Mania
The Modern Hot rod Phenomenon
Big heavy American muscles cars are expensive even with the basic modern V8’s it will cost about $50k’s, they are crude in term of the engine and accessories, with the vast amount of torque from a V8 power plant and the weight, it would dramatically compromise the performance and handling, this usually results to a huge accident if not carful. That’s why I have always been a fan of tuners, they are the evolution of the hot and street rodders.
Some enthusiasts argue that tuners are in a complete different league because to its origin the engine and the type of car that are being modified, and because tuners are defined as sophisticated, exact, light, and efficient, while carrying the potential of becoming the ultimate compact sports car. On the contrary hot rods or muscle cars they are better in straight-line acceleration usually ideal for drag racing. Tuners, they select the light weight body work and strong chassis, the ones that are built to handle well. But in actual fact the two actually resides on very similar principles, being modified for better performance.
That is why the Lancer is without a doubt one of the most sought alter vehicles within the modifying community. The light weight Japanese two litre DOHC engine car is most famous for its quick performance and state of the art drive train technology platform inspired from its rally pedigree.
John, a close friend that I grew up had always wanted an Evo of his own after watching the Japanese anime series about car racing down mountain passes with their heavily tuned Japanese lightweights. After that John started car hunting at the age of sixteen, but without sufficient fund to obtain one so instead he bought the base range Mitsubishi lancer coupe, with extensive automobile knowledge taught by his father, over a three year period while searching for an Evo engine restlessly John started modifying the interior of his car instead, the aim was to make it the ultimate cruising machine. After spending $15k’s the years, the interior crediting a reputation of a first rate show car, with customised floor trim, extensive leather bolstered seats, glove box lid and door panels. And of course a new audio system, a Rockford Fosgate source unit, alongside a Clarion in dash TV monitor. Six inch two way speakers fitted up front and a pair of Kenwood 7x10 at the rear. Also a custom built subwoofer box to house the pair 15 inch woofers. Someone I share a passion with but not the type of car, nor was a big fan of him as a person but was connected almost instantly with the passion for cars and his theory in building the ultimate cruising machine, because one day I would like to be as passionate and devoted with my car like he did.
The Lancer was never a real looker on the exterior, with its worn out yellow paint job combined with new nineteen inch alloy rims with clear visibility of the stock brakes was a crime against modified cars, but this was because John exhausted all his money on the interior appearance and slight modification on the exterior, and was often asked by passerby’s why he didn’t mod the engine with the rest of the car? When he replied no one made a mockery of him, almost all of them sympathised and understood what he was going through it was as if they’ve all been through the same situation.
Treating car modders like children. The year was 2003, it was my end of year vacation in NSW, when the Sydney authorities enforced harsh laws against hoon drivers, the City of Rockdale prohibited the use of loud motor vehicle sound systems, the main streets of Sydney’s CBD was once a cruising ground for modified cars on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, but on the Friday night when Jonh took me out for a cruise in his Lancer only a handful of mod cars were seen. John and his friends were regular cruisers but now only once every couple of weeks. But still that was enough to annoy the Authorities, with only a hand full of mod cars seen on the roads that night, the real modders, had black tinted windows, big rims on an all black 5-series parked illegally alongside with five of them together on a no standing Zone down Chinatown, guarantee to be owned by the Yakuzas, but there was nothing that the authorities could do. That was one impressive scene, not something I would forget. Leaders of the modding community rebelling against the local council reside on the streets at all costs, but only supported and followed by a hand full of modifiers.
With the RTA (road and traffic authority) roaming the streets of Sydney’s CBD stalking so called hoon drivers cruising the streets was ready to imply heavy fines or even confiscation modded vehicles and with new penalty signs warning mod drivers posted all over the council. Extra speed humps have been installed under the Harbour Bridge to stop enthusiast hanging out, with tuners extreme low rides. Closing off Brighton Beaches Car Park from 8pm to 5am, any tuned cars residing there making any sounds would be fined or have their vehicles confiscated. We drove past and saw an RTA vehicle penalising a mod driver, enthusiast would drive past honking their horn protesting the fine for the young man.
The tuned car society is one large system umbrella to the Hot rodders they are like the big brother of all car modifications, revolutionised by the young delinquent kids known as today the import tuners or car modifiers, they resemble a dysfunctional family, the naughty young little boy screaming on the public streets with its loud music on their new and expensive sound systems, swinging from behind the supersonic loud mufflers. If parked side by side the modern car modifiers to a hot rod they seem like the siblings always ready to fight each other, but then punished by the hot rodders out racing the tuners by beating them in a drag race. But like all young delinquents tuners run in circles avoiding the from getting punished, because the hot rods don’t have the manoeuvrability strength to catch modern tuned cars they run and hide but they race and fight provoking and pushing each other because as much as the authorities, like parents want car modders to behave or leave, they are here to stay. The more you rebel against the outsider the more respect you gain from the car modding community.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuner_%28automobile%29, August 2000, viewed on 24th, September, 2009
Autosalon magazine issue 24, published by: The cabin group, 2004, viewed on 24th, September, 2009
