Apologies, everyone. FATHER-IN-LAW. My wife's father.

My wife came over from Vietnam as a post-war "boat person" in 1979 when she was 6. Her father brought her, in some ways, by accident. In part because of her stubbornness...a virtue I still 'enjoy' today.

Long story.

Very harrowing trip. To this day she doesn't care for the smell of unrefined petroleum...diesel...oil...grease...beca use it brings back strong latent memories of the boat ride and an oil platform they encountered off the coast of Malaysia which probably saved their lives. Couldn't/wouldn't let them on the platform, but gave them water and canned goods.

Guess it isn't that helpful that I'm a gearhead with a car that oozes gas, oil, and grease...that I come to bed with grease on my hands...and that I own a diesel truck.

That aside, in very plain terms, he IS NOT a car guy. He just doesn't get it. Neither does my wife, if I'm being honest. But she knows how much pride I take in my in-garage accomplishments.

And she knows I have about the freakin' awesomest car in town. Maybe not the fastest. Maybe not the shiniest. Maybe not the most comfortable. But as far as BAD *** goes, I'm pretty close to the top of the heap.

Anywho..."The idle...not so smooth"...that comment makes more sense when I explain that it came out of the mouth of a 65 year old asian man as he climbs into this 2001 Toyota Camry.

Me? I think it's awesome. I paid extra for that.

If he thinks giving me a smooth idle is what I want for my birthday, I have some wonderfully cheap land in Florida I could sell him...

In the end: My car = modified.

 

that was awesome

 

Dont ask Mike, ask his wife. We know we know what mike's going to say.

 

some modifications can look like they belong though. I put 82 rear on 76 some consider it a mod but to me the money is more worth it in engine and drivetrain. Most people see my car as a piece of **** from outside but once I open hood and they see all the shiny stuff there like oohhhh (that's where the money went) I built a mild 355 but more 4 looks than anything. There a 76 from a guy name brent and his is what I call highly modded but could pass as stock somewhat real clean and classy.

 

This is how Hagerty Insurance defines it... Pretty vague...

Stock Vehicles have NOT been modified in a way that substantially changes the appearance and/or performance of the original vehicle.
Modified Vehicles have significant increases in performance, structural modifications, substantial changes in appearance, or a custom paint job.


Brent's (brent319)car looks stock? Bad *** -but not stock..

DSCN4305 by richardhayes454, on Flickr

DSCN4304 by richardhayes454, on Flickr

 

Brent's (brent319)car looks stock? Bad *** -but not stock..

Not stock but it looks like it came that way L88 style custom. But what I mean is its a clean car no wide body kit or motion cues just clean flares, nice tail, wide tires, custom paint, with engine and drivetrain to match inside and out. Are you gonna tell me those side views mirrow don't look like they should've been like that from factory. Its far from a stock 76 but the execution on it is perfect. I wasn't trying to insinuate that it was a stock looking 73 just clean as if it shoulda came like that from dealer. his car and rolling thunder are on my top 1000 favorite vettes aside from Corvette summer. There a lot of bad a** vettes here and each has a part of his owner in it

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...rZbAnwQ5QKAZrg

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/image.../103108_5b.jpg

 

Everybody has their own idea of what a modded Vette should look like. Some people prefer subtle mods while others prefer those that are more striking and pronounced.
I personally have always been a much bigger fan of the subtle type of mod. the kind of thing that only people who know what they are looking at will notice. If I use my own car for example. Most of what I am doing to my car I really doubt that anyone outside of the Corvette world would notice.

 

i sort of wish this thread was called: what are "good" mods/ what are "bad" mods?

although i know that is all subjective. to some, anything beyond stock can be bad (i am not a purist i guess)
i have been looking and researching for over a month (in midwest)...the 1st car i saw/test drove:

'78 w/ 71 chevelle engine in it. had cloth racing seats put in (more comfy , but sat higher than factory seats). of course the car was sanded down to primer.my wife thought the car looked like SH*T! it drove nice and sounded wonderful, and honestly i was hoping he would want less for it, b/c i would have been more interested in it....he wanted $5K for it.

in my search i've seen ones w/:

flame graphics-sure looks CA hot rod cool, not sure i'd drive it. (also 2 of these had huge engines that had modified hood...again not sure i see me in it, but it was cool)

last week on craigs list i saw a late model C3 that had a mid -80s camero engine it it....it looked kind of cool...honestly the engine to me looked similar to the C4 corvette engines...my 1st thought was: can they do that?

also on craigs list i saw a mid 70s white one that had this huge pin-up graphic on the hood....i guess i'm getting old and conservative, but i didn't see myself in that....

i guess in the end for me, i don't mind a hotter engine and more comfy seats, etc, but i'm not sure the showy "hot rod" look is for me....altough i'm not sure it would have been for me when i was 16 either....i guess i'm not overly "showy"...so maybe the answer is slightly modified is fine, as long as it doesn't look overly modified from outside....if that makes sense....

 

Check shutterfly link below, there is not ONE aspect of my '72 that is stock, frame, wheels, brakes, suspension, trans, engine, hood, wiper door operation, interior, seats, seat belts, steering wheel/column, rack steering, hydro boost brakes, roller engine, LT1 induction on an L98 engine with HEI in back, electric fans, aluminum radiator......'89 vette wheels/large tires.....body done by previous owner and unfortunately repainted by me......gets compliments, but not up to 'standard'.....lowered driver seat, firewall pushed forward to enable bending the pedals forward and get my knees off the late shark steering wheel, entire console modified, same with small instrument panel.....Truck 4 bolt factory roller engine '68 Olds tail lights, custom front lights using lo profile Camaro bulbs and openings about 1/2 the size....custom aluminum grill....custom console operating system.....

I can drop the entire exhaust system out with just SIX bolts..... on the driver and outta the way, and another 8 bolts the cross member is outta there.....dozen more and the trans is mine.....200 4r.....

like a say, NOTHING STOCK, from wheels to roof, not NUTTIN' honey, not nuttin'.....not the suspension, not the frame....




AND every time I take it out, even for a trip to the store, guys, and every once in a while a GAL, ask 'what YEAR is that?" I answer 'it was born in '72, but has vette parts on it from '65 through '94 so pick a year......'what year do you like'???

 

Yeah... there are the "usual and customary" car show or track sanctioned rules that say (pick a number) more than 3-4-5-6 changes from OEM are considered either "custom" or "modified". Even the use of the term, is subjective.

My car is not for show or for racing. It's rough around the edges but a pretty good fair-weather driver.

When I take it to shows, it ends up being classed with the mega-bucks late-model guys where money is never a problem. Not that "their" mechanics/techs or "their" shop didn't do outstanding work but home-grown car guys on a budget, struggle to get peer recognition from weekend warrior judges. That's been my observation.

I attend these events to schmooze with my existing friends or to make new ones. Rarely does the car get recognized by 'Vette judges so if it does, that's icing on the cake.

My car has been categorized either custom or modified and was brought to the shows with the same changes that I made over 4 years ago. Which is to say: each section has many. Pick one and I chased Bubba, his adjustable wrench, and his half smoked Winston's out of there.

I attempted to keep a stock appearance but in some cases, I failed.

I patterned after the old road-racers of the day and skulk around town in my own version. Like TSW, I appreciate the generation's history on the road track enough to try and emulate the look on mine.

 

Ahem....Personally, I think my "Matching Numbers" is one of my better witticisms.

I will keep my day job.

 

 

Well i would say mine is heavily modified!! but when i saw it i invisioned a 70`s style can am type racer and it was dirt cheap so i bought it and add the huge mudflap rear flares, a custom 80ish rear bumper cover, a hood scoop, a 70`s style mini metal flake paint job, complete new engine and trans with black ceramic headers and sidepipes
Some people hate it and some love it?? it was on a path to a slow death and i feel i saved it? with 2 pins i can remove the entire front tilt end and could toss on a monza style front clip (more corvetteish) but it would take alot to return it to stock and i feel as a 74 it looks better than they did from the factory split rear chopped off bumper etc...???

when i found it


after more mods and 8 months and a fist full of cash LOL