TOTD Look Good, or Drive Well?

[aaron88]

TOTD  Look good, or drive well?

Is it more important for your ride to look good or perform well?

Before you answer this question, more though is required.  Although most people would arbitrarily answer this question with a “well, it’s got to perform well” I don’t think most people really think it’s more important.  After all, the car already performs well, and looks good.  So why should you think that the cars looks might be more important than the performance?

Let me put it this way.  If the Chevette performed as well as the Fiero, would you have bought it?

I know that most people are going to answer that both are important and that they like the Fiero because it has both at a good price.  But I’m not asking that question, I’m asking out of the two aforementioned attributes to your ride (which may not be a Fiero), what is more important to you?

For me, the performance is more important.  However, if the car didn’t look good, I wouldn’t have bought it.  That’s why I bought a good looking car that had more potential.  I then changed the suspension and powertrain so that my car would do what I wanted it to.

How do the rest of you feel?

Aaron

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[2ML67]

Myself I like my car to be multi coloured as ugly as they come and breakdown all the time. OOh wait scratch that for a second there I forgot mine was a series II 3800SC car not a series I.
I like my car to perform first looks come in second after everything else is done.

[FieroDough]

Myself I like my car to be multi coloured as ugly as they come and breakdown all the time. OOh wait scratch that for a second there I forgot mine was a series II 3800SC car not a series I.
I like my car to perform first looks come in second after everything else is done.

Oh really! I think we need to line up this summer. *grin*

[2ML67]

Oh no my appoilgies I forgot Gary is not the only one doing a series I swap, hence the multi colour bit.
But if you really want to get beat sure I'll race.

[FieroBUZZ]

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[FieroBUZZ]

Actually, I need my licence.  It certainly doesn't pay to do anything foolish to lose it.  Laser, radar, photo radar, red light cameras, cops with attitude. With the current speed limits, etc, there are not a lot of newer cars that legally don't 'handle'.

If I had come across a 60's van with the motor between the seats, I'd be on a whole different forum.  

I doubt that I'll be out this summer 'racing' the young pups.  The lint in my pocket doesn't go well with the work yet to be done..................  Someone else may get a chance to try though.  

[JAYGT]

very good question.  well i sold my civic for my fiero about a month ago.  it was a mid 12 second car  with a stock jdm prelude  h22a engine and spray.  it did not look like anythin fancy bud had full jdm type r suspension with full acura gsr interior.  the carbon fibre hood was nice.  so ya  a 1980 pound car with 300hp  was alot of fun.  now im starting from scratch.  i bought the fiero cause of the way it looks.  because it has the engine in the back and is a two seater. i like the composit body panels.  i like that its a pontiac cause ive had a trans am for 15 years.  its got some potential but the rust in the frame will probly hold me back.   the civic is so easy to mode because its the exact same car as the acura integra type R.   just different sheet metle.  so you bolt on all the type r stuff and way you go.  
im still learning about the fiero and i hope it will turn out.  i have limited money so im starting with all ball joints and tie rods first. already did the rims and tires.  new rad.
as the money comes im having a carbon fibre hood made with reverse scoop down to the lower part of the rad.  it will creat downforce as well as let air go through the rad.  i have to take out the spare and cut some of the trunk there but i dont care.

[FieroBUZZ]

Jay, just a couple of thoughts.  If you got the Fiero cause it looks nice and you want a drag car, you have the wrong car.  It's not a Honda with massive aftermarket (+15 year newer technology).  They can be made to go fast much more cheaply.

You will be able to build a fast road car that looks great pretty much by yourself.  The front end does not need to be lightened.  A cf hood is a waste unless you just have to have the look.  In that case it'll be expensive as there are none available.  You'll replace a plastic hood which can be lightened by removing the backing panels and 'glassing some extra support in.  There are lots of scoops around and they're pretty easy to make and design yourself.

You may want to take a door off....they're 96 pounds each. and the space frame is all steel.  But that stuff is there to save your life.

[GoFast85]

I like my cars like I like my women. If they don't perform well, I look for something better. Nice to have a looker though

 8)Male Chauvenist Pig

[dguy]

TOTD  Look good, or drive well?

Truth be told, the first thing I thought of when I saw the subject line was Too Old To Die.  After reading the thread, I see that I need help.  Or caffeine.  Or help in the form of caffeine?

Is it more important for your ride to look good or perform well?

<snip>

Let me put it this way.  If the Chevette performed as well as the Fiero, would you have bought it?

Personally, it's a strange and often varying mix which usually puts performance first, looks second.  Let me explain.

I left the comment about the Shove-it in the quote above because up until my first Fiero, I was the happy owner of one.  Well an Acadian to be precise, but we all know that Acadians & Chevettes differ by about as much as Sunfires & Cavaliers.  Sorry Eric.  

It was never much to look at, but throughout its lifetime it served me well.  Not a performer in the commonly used definition, but for what it was and for what I needed at the time, it performed well.

Enter my first Fiero, and the beginning of the addiction.

My 2M4 was a better blend of both appearance and performance.  But I spent more time maintaining it mechanically than I did doing anything about the interior or exterior, so once again performance wins.

My current Fiero?  Hmmm...  I'd say it's an even mix between performance & appearance.  While most of what I do to it is in the interest of performance, I still can't resist the odd endeavour which at least in my eyes, improves its appearance.

My motorcycle?  Even 50/50 split on performance vs. appearance.

My (hopefully) soon-to-be ex-winter beater?  Performance only.  It was ugly when I bougt it, and it's still ugly.


Like I said before I started rambling on...  it varies.  

[Kitten]

TOTD  Look good, or drive well?

Is it more important for your ride to look good or perform well?
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Perfomance should be number one on the list.  If the car doesn't run well then what's the point of having a nice looking car that never leaves your garage...... unless of course it's a ground up restoration, and you don't depend on that particular vehicle to get from point A to point B on a daily basis.

And no if a Chevette handled as well I would not have bought it.  Mini's are supposed to handle really well too and I am not in the least interested in getting one of those.  

So appearance is also important.  But the Fiero has a different look from other vehicles that makes it more inviting to work on than other vehicles.  Heck our CR-V has door dings that have been there for 2 years now that I still haven't fixed, and yet there are minor things on the Fiero's that I fix as soon as I can.

It's really difficult for me to pick which one is ultimately more important.  Having a well running vehicle is very important otherwise it can be a death trap.  But I also perfer to have a vehicle that looks good (at least looks good in my eyes).

We are a appearance driven society so it's difficult sometimes to draw the line between appearance and performance.

So the long and short of it is it depends on the vehicle.

[FieroDough]

Oh no my appoilgies I forgot Gary is not the only one doing a series I swap, hence the multi colour bit.
But if you really want to get beat sure I'll race.

Hehehe! Deal then! Mano a mano, or Fiero a Fiero!

[2ML67]

That is of course if your wife does not make you sell as soon as its finished. You know to make room for the dreaded MINI VAN!

[JAYGT]

hey buzz well i didnt want to give away what im doin but ill tell ya anyways.  i have a local guy that will do anythin in carbon fibre.  now i know i already have a composit hood.  my car needs a paint job.  so instead of payin someone to paint my hood im goin to get carbon man to lay a sheet of carbon on my hood.  it will look like a carbon hood.  if its cheap enough ill get him to do the fenders as well.  i think there is a carbon, fibreglass mix thats tinted to look all carbon that might be cheaper as well. i will find out.  at the same time i was goin  to get him to do the  reverse hood scoop.  i already have the trans am hood scoops ready but we will se.  concievably i could bring him every panel and have it covered in carbon.  that would be a weird lookin car.  

i also know it will never be as fast as my civics.  im gettin older and i think my fiero will be fine.

[GoFast85]

so ya  a 1980 pound car with 300hp  was alot of fun

How did you get that weight down fromthe base weight of:

Stock base prelude weight manual trans – 2954 lbs = 1340 kg
Stock base prelude weight SS auto trans – 3009 lbs = 1365 kg
Stock Type SH prelude weight – 3042 lbs = 1380 kg