Custom car fans put on a show
IT’S a powerful passion that will make you part with thousands of pounds for alloys, spoilers and sound systems.
And that devotion to motion is on display every Thursday night when up to 200 motor lovers meet on a car park in Portwood, Stockport.
Ostensibly here to display their wheels and share wild tales of engine modification – there have also been complaints of noisy tricks and ‘dangerous’ doughnuts.
But members insist the troublemakers are a tiny minority.
James Cadman, 20, arrives in a Ford Fiesta like no other.
Draped in a coat of perfectly polished purple, this pampered pooch of a car has set James back £8,000 on new suspension, wheels and colour wrap.
James, a vehicle wrapper from Woodley, said: “You do get the odd idiot here but most people are all right.”
Ben Johnson, 22, an estate agent from Mosley, is leaning back on the BMW 320i which set him back just £1,200 as ‘something to mess about with’.
He said: “I’ve always been into cars, since I was four. So far I’ve put about £1,000 in. I just love driving, it’s the thrill of it.”
Across the lot, student Lewis Rodgers, 20, stands by his black Ford Fiesta. He explains the car park is divided in two.
One side, he says, is ‘all about sound’ - the other is ‘speed and performance’. He falls on the sound side, having spent £3,700 on his audio system.
Lewis says: “I love it, it’s a hobby, I just want the best sound system I can get. My girlfriend hates it.”
Lewis Smith, 24, is a vehicle body builder from Bolton. He’s spent more than £14,000 on his Ford Focus.
It’s the first time he’s been to the event - and he’s enjoying checking out the cars.
As night begins to fall, the lot is filling up and the noise levels are growing.
John Lever, a 44-yearold dad from Hyde is here with his Focus RS Mk 3 which set him back a cool £30,089.
The engineer said: “Cars have been in my blood since I was a little boy, I grew up fixing and repairing them.
“This event is all about the gathering of likeable enthusiasts from all walks of life. This to me is a few friends coming down.
“I don’t go for the screeching round - that’s bringing too much attention and making the police want to shut it down.
“But it’s past 9pm and it’s time for me to leave.”