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why do some people like.....

2K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  coupeloop 
#1 ·
the little details of the interior, or ext of miatas? ex. chromed out anything, the rings around the ac vents, ebrake boots/handle, chrome gas doors, or wood trim etc etc??? i never really see the interest of them, but why are they so expensive??
 
#2 ·
You and I come from a totally different style of auto styling. And its just like fashion --it constantly changes all the time.

One day flush with high offset is cool, the next is super low offset with lots and lots of camber is cool. In a few years time, that will most likely change. And the sad thing, as you grow older you mostly dislike new trends in autostyling --just like fashion, music, art, movies, etc. :p

I think that made sense....
 
#3 ·
its just like fashion --it constantly changes all the time.
Exactly. Haha. This question reminds me of a thread I posted in today over at Miata.net. I had typed a follow up response to my first post over there but I got discouraged and decided not to say it. What I had planned to say (and which also applies here) is that there is no use trying to explain a certain design aesthetic or stylistic preference. It's like art and you either like it or you don't. Hopefully, you can just accept it for what it is. The thing that I love about Club Roadster is that we're respectful of all tuning styles regardless of whether or not you'd do the same to your own car. Honestly, I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread on here cataloging all the nuances among the various chrome trim rings, etc. like the tow hook or side view mirror threads. I think people like them because they're a relatively inexpensive way to add some decorative flair to their car. Often people associate brightwork with added luxury and class. Back in the day the base models had no decorative trim and the top of the line models had chrome details everywhere. It's easy to think of these accessories as expensive due to their small size. Some are just painted plastic while others are precision machined pieces similar to what a watchmaker might use. Their cost varies depending on quality and attention to detail and other factors that affect pricing like supply/demand, economies of scale, shipping & handling from Japan (or wherever), inventory costs, etc.

P.S. Threads like that one I linked to above reaffirm why I'm so happy we have Club Roadster to be able to talk about subjects like this free from ridicule.
 
#7 ·
For me is all about the small details that make the car, YOUR CAR, and nobody elses. Just like a set of rims, you dont want to pull up at a stop light and the exact same model car pulls up next to you with the same rims, or at least i dont.

Anyhow, i think the brightwork in the interior might be more for guys that maybe grew up with Roadsters in the past, as the older cars had all kinds of great little details in the interior/exterior. I got to pimp my old g/f's TR7, and her dad would let me borrow his MGB, so maybe that had an effect on me, not sure? Modern cars are all plastic, and urethane.

So anyhow, when i got my first Miata i noticed lots of cheap plastic parts, and very minor visual details. So i wanted to bring more details to the interior, and i figure, 95% of the time spent with your Miata you are where? Driving right? So that means you are in the interior, so why not give the car some eye candy.

It may also have to do with the cars use, because if you are making a track monster, why would you add weight? And if you wanted a clean street cruiser to impress the ladies, you dont want a gutted track car. because you will hear the girls questions like, where is your carpet? and wow, its really hot in here, what do you mean you took the a/c unit out, its 90 degrees today, nonono dont put the top down, youll mess up my hair.

So it would depend on the owners build/use, track, street, show, etc.
 
#9 ·
No problem with any of my bling blinding me or anyone else. As for why I do it? Because I like it. :roll:

All my chrome is metal except for the KG Works door pulls.

BTW, Why would anyone use a beer tap for a shifter? :D
cause it was a joke my friend made, i ran it for 2 days


as for the luxiouriousnessessest, sell my car for a lexus
 
#10 ·
cause it was a joke my friend made, i ran it for 2 days


as for the luxiouriousnessessest, sell my car for a lexus
Thank gawd! I thought you were serious. #-o

BTW, I agree 100% with Phatmiata but would add while my car is mainly a daily driver it does see track use. Just not a lot. Maybe once or twice a year at DE events. (road courses). Since that is only one or two days out of 365, I'd rather make my car enjoyable for the majority of its duty.

Now if I won the lottery, I'd have a dedicated track car and still keep my current one.
 
#12 ·
I never understand the purely visual modding. The wheel choices to be 'cool', the trim pieces to look great... screw that stuff.

I mod to make my car handle better, go faster, stop faster and be an overall great car. It is afterall.. just a car... and its main purpose is to be driven... not looked at or look special.
 
#13 ·
I never understand the purely visual modding.
There is nothing to understand. It is simply a matter of preference.


I mod to make my car handle better, go faster, stop faster and be an overall great car. It is afterall.. just a car... and its main purpose is to be driven... not looked at or look special.
There are elleventy billion reasons why people choose different cars or one car over another car. All these different reasons keep tens of thousands of marketing majors employed doing surveys, focus groups, etc. (although you'll find this is a poor way to develop a car - read The Driving Force by Pete Schutz - it is still a valuable effort when timed correctly and data fed into right place in the organization). Most people don't have a singular reason for why they drive the car they do or mod the way they do. Racers and people who care solely about the car's absolute performance envelope are without a doubt in the minority. I'd say the way a car looks is right up there with cost, safety, and reliability for most people.
 
#14 ·
I never understand the purely visual modding. The wheel choices to be 'cool', the trim pieces to look great... screw that stuff.

I mod to make my car handle better, go faster, stop faster and be an overall great car. It is afterall.. just a car... and its main purpose is to be driven... not looked at or look special.
Good for you. The great thing about living in a free society is we can each choose to do what we want. (within the constraints of the law)

The great thing about Miatas (or any other car with soul) is people express their appreciation for their vehicle in many different ways.

Look at the original VW Beetle as an example. There are classic ones, Cal-style ones, Bajas, etc.... Each owner expresses what they want and has a different vision.
 
#16 ·
I'd say the way a car looks is right up there with cost, safety, and reliability for most people.
Appearance is one of the most important things about a car. I'm not trying to argue that it is the sole factor in a purchasing decision, but it's a factor that can make or break a sale. It can be affordable, safe, luxurious, practical, and sporty, but if it looks ugly, no one will buy it. There is a reason why the Pontiac Aztek didn't do well. I also know plenty of people that liked the Subaru Impreza, but bought a different car because they thought it was too ugly.

Many highly desirable cars are aesthetically pleasing. Face it, no one is going to look at your intercooler piping and say, "Wow. Now those are some nice bends. The welding is immaculate." They're going to see what's on the outside. The paint, the front fascia, the bumper, the wheels... that's what you see every day. It's what people see when they walk by your car and it's what they see when you're driving down the road.

A lot of car companies sell the same car, but with different bodies and labels. For instance, take the Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky. They're really the same car, but they attract different types of buyers. Or how about the Toyota Echo, er... Yaris, er... Scion xA, er... Scion xB. I would never have bought the Toyota Echo, but I liked the funky boxiness of the Scion xB, so I bought one.

I hate to admit this, but I didn't like the original Miata. Although it had the essence of a British roadster, it just didn't have the sex appeal. I didn't know about the automotive aftermarket back then. If I had, I would have bought a black NA, slammed it on Works with some nice fender flares and a more aggressive front end.

But I didn't. It was the 2002SE that got my attention. The bigger wheels and the body kit made it look different... so I started researching Miatas and now I have one.
 
#17 ·
I never understand the purely visual modding. The wheel choices to be 'cool', the trim pieces to look great... screw that stuff.

I mod to make my car handle better, go faster, stop faster and be an overall great car. It is afterall.. just a car... and its main purpose is to be driven... not looked at or look special.
If it was really "just a car" to you I'd be willing to bet you wouldn't be surfing car forums.

Sure, it's a car but for an enthusiast, it's an extention of ones personality.
 
#18 ·
I mod to make my car handle better, go faster, stop faster and be an overall great car. It is afterall.. just a car... and its main purpose is to be driven... not looked at or look special.

yeah... i'm gonna say that if a miata looked like a turd, but was fast and handled quickly, it would weigh on your mind to buy one or not...


and if it's just car, how come you didn't get a bmw? or a Mercury Capri?

i think looks have a LOT to do with the purchase of a car. after all, the new bug is just a golf. but why do people buy bugs then? the look maybe? god knows the rear seat head room SUCKS.
 
#19 ·
If it was really "just a car" to you I'd be willing to bet you wouldn't be surfing car forums.
Ever notice that tech stuff is talked about on these boards? Not just reviews of the latest crome switches or trim rings?

NAautoxer said:
and if it's just car, how come you didn't get a bmw? or a Mercury Capri?
And I didn't get a bmw because the cost/performance ratio is way to high. And last I checked... the mercury does not offer the same layout benefits the miata does for building a track car.

Seriously... I bought my miata with the single purpose of driving it. Its beat body wise... but that means little on track.

FR/light/double wishbone and cheap... how is that a combo not to love.
 
#20 ·
the little details of the interior, or ext of miatas? ex. chromed out anything, the rings around the ac vents, ebrake boots/handle, chrome gas doors, or wood trim etc etc??? i never really see the interest of them, but why are they so expensive??
It's part of the retro theme that some Miata modders are going for. Same with the retro Watanabe/ Minilite/ Panasport rims, chrome Runabout or KG Works mirrors, Zoom inside mirrors, chrome fuel filler assemblies, bug-eye sprite headlight kits, Pitcrew Racing body conversion, Nakamae quilted carpets, Nakamae 'button' style bucket seats, Nardi/Motolita wooden steering wheel, KG Works instrument clusters, and the AWD gauges. They are all part of the vintage/retro theme.
 
#21 ·
It's part of the retro theme that some Miata modders are going for. Same with the retro Watanabe/ Minilite/ Panasport rims, chrome Runabout or KG Works mirrors, Zoom inside mirrors, chrome fuel filler assemblies, bug-eye sprite headlight kits, Pitcrew Racing body conversion, Nakamae quilted carpets, Nakamae 'button' style bucket seats, Nardi/Motolita wooden steering wheel, KG Works instrument clusters, and the AWD gauges. They are all part of the vintage/retro theme.
I dunno. I like the retro theme like the Pit Crew kit but I wouldn't say my car is going for a Retro theme. I have some of the parts you mentioned but got them just because I liked them.

I guess I like the fact that my car looks unique and many people don't even know what it is. Ultimately though, if other people love or hate it, I don't really care. My mods are chosen purely because I like them. Ok... I like it when they love the car. :mrgreen: Who doesn't like a compliment?
 
#22 ·
And I didn't get a bmw because the cost/performance ratio is way to high. And last I checked... the mercury does not offer the same layout benefits the miata does for building a track car.

Seriously... I bought my miata with the single purpose of driving it. Its beat body wise... but that means little on track.

FR/light/double wishbone and cheap... how is that a combo not to love.

E30 BMW's are relatively cheap, light, and inexpensive.
 
#24 ·
And I didn't get a bmw because the cost/performance ratio is way to high. And last I checked... the mercury does not offer the same layout benefits the miata does for building a track car.

Seriously... I bought my miata with the single purpose of driving it. Its beat body wise... but that means little on track.

FR/light/double wishbone and cheap... how is that a combo not to love.

E30 BMW's are relatively cheap, light, and inexpensive.
You really think its possible to compare the overall cost of building a miata to building an e30? Just the price difference in oem parts is going to kill you. Not to mention it'll typically be at least a couple thousand more to get into a usable car.

Not fighting... just talking this out. I looked through car layouts like the miata for awhile before I decided on this route. I wanted a car that was cheap enough to write off if it goes boom at the track... but still enough car to have fun.

I'd love to have an M powered e30 or wierd swapped one... but all the parts for them are just exponentiallly more expensive than miata stuff.
 
#26 ·
I mod to make my car handle better, go faster, stop faster and be an overall great car. It is afterall.. just a car... and its main purpose is to be driven... not looked at or look special.

yeah... i'm gonna say that if a miata looked like a turd, but was fast and handled quickly, it would weigh on your mind to buy one or not...


i think looks have a LOT to do with the purchase of a car. after all, the new bug is just a golf. but why do people buy bugs then? the look maybe? god knows the rear seat head room SUCKS.

CAUSE YOU CAN PUT A JET ENGINE IN IT!!!
 
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