WELCOME TO THE SUMMER ISSUE !

Why on earth do we do this to ourselves? Why do we spend a small fortune to invariably make our cars more impractical, more prone to unreliability, and more difficult to sell on? I was faced with this proposition when surrounded by a group of ‘non-car’ mates recently. They all drive ‘normal’ cars, and all were bemused by my Mondeo and simply couldn’t get their heads around my decision to take a perfectly serviceable diesel estate car and change the wheels, brakes, suspension, mess with the engine, and cover it in sticky-backed plastic!

And to some extent I can understand their point. I can no longer leave it in narrow parking spaces, I can no longer get up the incline into my local Co- op car park, I live in fear of hedgerows, and I have to use my wife’s smaller car if we go away for the weekend in case the kids get sun cream on the wrap!

But – I know 100% why I choose to modify my car. I do it because I don’t want to have a car that’s a massive compromise, ‘averaged out’ to appeal to as many people as possible. I don’t want a car that merges into the background and is identical to thousands of others. You wouldn’t buy a new house and leave it exactly as you bought it – so why shouldn’t you ’decorate’ the second biggest purchase in your life to make it look and drive like you want it to? I stood on my soapbox for a good few minutes, preaching the way of the modification, justifying why I do what I do, and they listened intently. So did they all rush out and start modifying their cars? Did they heck, they still think I’m a bit mental – but what’s important is I do it – we all do it because we love it, and even when things go wrong, parts don’t fit, or boost pipes blow off mid- overtake, we all still do that over-the-shoulder look as we walk away from our parked up cars. We all drive home the long way on sunny days, and we all secretly, and not-so-secretly revel in the attention our cars create. It’s more than just a hobby, it really is a way of life, and long may it continue!!