Here at Jalopnik, we’re big fans of modifying cars. Big turbos, engine swaps, anything to make a car better than it came from the factory. We know you’re big fans of the same, so today we’re here to ask you about some memories of your own car mods — but not the ones that went well. Instead, we’re here to talk about the truly dumb automotive hijinks you got up to in the name of speed.
For our purposes here, you can list any kind of car mod — that includes mods to the driver, hidden techniques your older sibling taught you that definitely weren’t just bad advice. Have you pumped too much nitrous into your Sentra SE-R in search of quarter-mile times, or cut your apexes too tightly to shave tenths and ended up running off-track? Today’s the day to tell your tale down in the comments below. I’ll even throw in my own confession to kick things off.
Mine’s a matter of taste
Back in the day, I bought a pre-modified Subaru Legacy GT wagon. It needed a lot more work than the seller let on when I bought it, including a clutch, flywheel, and new engine and transmission mounts. Me being a college car enthusiast, I of course went for a heavy-duty clutch, lightweight flywheel, and semi-solid mounts for everything — building the car to handle its power, sure, but also turning it into a large vibrator that concerned my passengers. Then, out of love for how that car felt, I went on to do the exact same mod list to my Scion FR-S. That car didn’t even make anything above stock horsepower, it just shook.
Was my FR-S a beauty to shift? Absolutely! Did I shave tenths off the time it took to row through gears? I did! Was it worth having to explain to every passenger I took from then on out? Honestly, yes. It may have been dumb, but I’d do it again. What about you, though? What’s your tale of automotive idiocy in search of speed? Let me know down in the comments, and I’ll collect my favorites later in the week.
