Looks or performance?

[YBSLO4]

Hey guys,

Just want to hear what people have to say about whether to go all performance or whether looks and style is the go? Personally i am a man for both, don't get me wrong i love sleepers that are off there nut but ya can't tell, but i also admire those who can have a crazy looking car with the go aswell. I am 17, and got about lets see...52 days till i can drive my car legally. I got a 95 model M-Spec R33 Skyline GTSt. I been saving some bucks over the last few weeks and am stuck bad... i am keen to get it dressed in a full JUN bodykit, and have organised to pick up the side skirts and rear bar next week if i want, BUT... i dunno if i should spend that money on performance gear instead i.e. boost to about 10-11psi, front mount, AFC, shot shift etc... It already has some ncie 17's, been lowered heaps, filter, full 3" Fujitsubo LegalisR exhaust, Autometer gauges, and pioneer system.

I would like to hear peoples thoughts on this one. L8ters all, J.

[G0DF4Th3R]

no offence bro, but seeing as to how ure a new driver....the Skyline is a huge step up from the Charade that you learn to drive at driving school. i reckon, if you wanna spend money on your car, to make it look nice instead of adding power coz u should learn to control it first.

later,

bambam

[d0p3y]

I wouldn't be doing any more performance mods until you're sure you can handle the car's power and have a bit more driving experience, hell, you don't want to end up a vegie all your life because you mis-calculated a corner, took it too fast and wrapped your skyline around a tree do you?

[Silver-Arrowz]

If you can afford to buy and modify the car I'm sure you can afford to do an advanced driving course. Best investment I've had and you see things from a very different perspective.

As for show or go car, I prefer go. Mainly cause I don't like the unwanted attention of theving w@nkers.

[franks]

bah!

my first car was a wrx, my 2nd was a skyline.

just don't be a dickwad on the road, respect your car and most importantly respect others around you.

you'll learn how to drive your car as most of us have with time.

as for looks vs performance. id like a good balance of both...

[Silver-Arrowz]

Originally posted by franks

my first car was a wrx, my 2nd was a skyline.

Hey, same path hey?

[Guest Boxhead]

i think a happy medium is the best way to go for me personally..

but just remember this, its your car, do with it what you please.

[predator]

Interesting thread starter

Personally I am way for more balls over brass. I think when you get older you stop caring as much for the looks of the car or its the most important thing. That's not to say you want a shitty looking car, just some of the wilder stuff that you might think of when younger (all that neon stuff, big woofers, fog lights, etc) doesn't seem as important. I had a couple of dents on the old car and it was just, so what, it was still comfortable to drive, was running well, etc so it was ok for what it was. I just found it was power I wanted most

After a while you also start looking at other people's cars on the road with monster spoilers, dodgy paint jobs, stickers on every orrifice, big holes cut in the bonet for no apparent reason and they are slow as shit...just going "omg - just wtf are they thinking?" and u just wonder what is going on in their mind "do they know that looks so bad its not funny? or do they think its actually the hottest thing since sliced toast?"

With the whole young person driving thing I'd agree with some of the other guys... take it easy.. you're lucky to be driving that sort of car at that age, and it probably does have too much power that is safe just as standard. Learn to control the car as is before going ape and doing it up. If you crash it or the cops pull you over its just more things that will mean you're not going to be driving a nice skyline for long.

I've had several indicidents over the years - none were really my fault and none were serious, but they happened. They will probably happen to you depending on how you drive, and how many km you drive each year - its just a matter of averages no matter how good anybody drives.

But push it too much, you have a serious accident and hurt either yourself or somebody else badly, the cops decide your mods were illegal, the insurance company says "we're not going to cover that", and you have a 20k or so loan, no car, or lots to fix it, plus possible legal shit hanging over your head. I've heard it happen to many young guys and its not pretty. That sort of thing can haunt you for years.

[predator]

ark my first car cost me $2000 because it was all i could afford and i was pissed 'cause i was paying $700 a year in insurance .. hehe, some people get all the luck!

[Tosh]

A mix of both is requires IMHO. but I would say that if this is your first experience in a turbo'd RWD car, but the kit with the money you have mate. definately get used to the power and driving characteristics before going for more power man. It's got a few engine bits on it as it is. So enjoy it how it is for a while and when you believe you can handle the power, go for more.

[Timmy G]

A car should look as fast as it goes

[predator]

A car should look as fast as it goes

Hey thats not a bad one... see you could have like a judging panel where there was a points system - your performance points had to equal your rice points

Or the cops could be actively enforcing it: say an excel driver..

"nah sorry mate, you need an extra 100kw there for you to be able to put that spoiler on, i'm booking you. You're an embarrasement to the road"

[25GTT]

Originally posted by Timmy G

A car should look as fast as it goes

Turn that around and that is my belief, If a car trys to look fast then it should go fast... i do think a standard gtst is a fastish kind of car so spoilers wouldn't hurt... but what i mean by "A car should go as fast as it looks" Is that I dislike Lancers and Hyundai Excels with spoiler kits going everywhere mainly because they are trying to get the extra attention by dressing their car up to look fast but "all show no go"

[fatz]

just got your p's hey

just wait learn to drive the thing

you get the body kit you will just run it upa gutter and *** it

you get the power youll just run it up a gutter fast and harder and *** it some more

but then again if you 17 and can afford a skyline you should be able to afford the rebuild of the front end when you finally hit that gutter

my first car wasa rb gemmini and it it aboout 15 gutters, one car couple of trees hard in its time

pete

[Dragon18]

well i will go with what they guys say =) should look as fast as it goes but remeber the more fancy you make your car look they more attention it gets so if you are a very padantic person and worry about it all the time i would advise not making it full on hot with kits etc. there are a lot of jelous people around these days

so take that into consideration

as for driving it

i would say the same thing as most guys say

if you are sensible respect the car and the poeple on the road you will be fine just dont get carried away with the car and the power =)

[ed]

spend the money on doing a driving course

coming from FWD first thing I'm gonna do is hit the track and get used to the car and how it responds :uh-huh:

[predator]

whats FWD?

[skyline33]

what about spending the money on handling (suspension, brakes, etc)? make the car more predictable and safer

[Silver-Arrowz]

Originally posted by skyline33

what about spending the money on handling (suspension, brakes, etc)?  make the car more predictable and safer

stock suspension is safe as you can get. It's forgiving and predictable. Brakes can always be improved though.

[rs73]

Spending big $$$ on looks will be wasted if u smash ur car coz u can't handle it around corners, for example. But spending $$$ on power mods will even be more suicidal if you can't handle it either.

Stock suspension is already good enough for daily driving even for corner handling, unless you really want to go serious with circuit racing, drag race or drifting, then upgrade your suspension accordingly.

Maybe investing in a driver training course might also be good idea. It's not only just for beginner, even seasoned drivers can learn a few new things from it.

I have been driving for 14 years (since 1988), and only 2 light accidents during the first years of driving my small powered car with 1.0 litre 4-cyl engines. All my other (higher powered) cars during the past 10 years have been totally accident-free. Still, I am signing up for a one day intensive advance driving session after the New Year. I am sure I will still learn a thing or two from it. Will let you all know how it goes and if it's worth the money... If it's good, I will sign up a 2nd stage advance driving (slalom skill), then 3rd stage (circuit racing). They're expensive (expect to spend close to $900 for all 3 levels) so will see how the first one goes...