Factory Stock Original

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
How many of you guys here prefer your vehicles left factory stock? I have to tell you I'm one of those people. I'm always impressed when I see a car or truck that's 10 years old or older and it's been well maintained in its factory original condition. Cars loaded up with aftermarket wheels and other body accessories do not impress me, at all.

Other than nice paint I leave them stock body wise.
If the OEM has decent optional wheels I usually try and go that route if has lousy looking wheels or steelies and hub caps.

Suspension, brakes, and drive train is another story but I try to keep it all high end and done right.

 

[Papa Bear]

I applied an "Easy does it" sticker to my back bumper but other than that I'm stock.

All the best.

Bob R

 

[Bamaro]

Stock

 

[dparm]

My M3 is stock. It does have the OEM/accessory gloss black kidney grilles and side vents, but that's it. The car is so perfect to begin with that I don't want to touch it!

 

[79sunrunner]

I love walking around car shows finding all original cars, it's like seeing them the day they left the dealership. Usually if I see even a minute mod, I keep walking. However the day I buy my 61 Etype Jaguar, I think I may mod it a tiny bit to make sure I can get from point A-B-A.

Unfortunately I did modify my MG. With a new carb, and ripped the 70s emission system out. Im sure to see that scowl from the purist face in the future.

And I can not stand the American design touches European car company add to their import offerings. I usually take them off.

 

[eljefino]

Form follows function for me.

An upcoming travesty will be when I stick Saab rims with snow tires on my wife's Chevy HHR. It's, IMO, ever more insulting to put a different OE brand on compared to anonymous aftermarket.

My motivation? They were cheap rims that fit, and are going to get wrecked by winter weather anyway.

 

[JHZR2]

Yes, quite stock. Ive added a hidden gauge here or there (scan gauge, boost gauge, oil temp, etc), but generally pretty far out of sight or something that looks like OEM.

Wheels are the worst - them and wings on the back are pretty obnoxious.

 

[JR]

My 97 f250 7.3powerstroke. bone stock except larger squirters, hid conversion, led lighting.
93 metro xfi. no mods bone stock.
bone stock is my vote.

ken

 

[y_p_w]

I think most would think of normal replacement parts like filters and factory equivalents to be stock "enough". I've got a combination of Akebono and Hawk pads, and generic replacement rotors with black painted "hats". When my radiator tank cracked, I got an all aluminum replacement.

I consider same size tires to be pretty much equivalent. There is no way I'd buy a set of RE92s.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Wheels are the worst - them and wings on the back are pretty obnoxious.


^^This. Aftermarket wheels,fake Autozone carbon fiber interior trim,blue headlights,and aftermarket spoilers are the absolute most hiddeous attrocities.

Had to edit and add another wretched aftermarket *mod*. The HUGE "Impala",etc written on the lower door panels and the home grown "Twin Turbo" decals I keep seeing. Oh yeah,and the fake Buick side vents too,haha those are just plain comedic!

 

[hardcore302]

Mustang not stock, I had bought an exhaust for it before I bought the car..

 

[hattaresguy]

I like stock, as for wheels if I change them I like to stick to the same manufacture.

IE a different style of Chevy wheel for a Chevy truck, but still all GM.

Generally factory stuff works the best, I dislike playing backyard engineer.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I like stock, as for wheels if I change them I like to stick to the same manufacture.

IE a different style of Chevy wheel for a Chevy truck, but still all GM.

Generally factory stuff works the best, I dislike playing backyard engineer.

Like I said, a lot of people get aftermarket replacement parts like brakes, shocks, or tires. When my insurance paid for a new windshield to replace one hit by a rock, they paid for slightly green tinted Pilkington glass (made in the US) rather than the OEM Japanese glass with a smoke tint.

If you need a new radiator, there are aftermarket equivalents as well as aluminum performance radiators (which I got).

I know some people insist on everything being the same. I know someone with a BMW who just got a new set of tires. He wanted to get the OEM and got the same Bridgestone Turanza model that came from the factory. I was wondering why not something higher performance like a Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS RFT , but I guess some people insist on keeping things the same. Also - I guess he needed run-flats without a spare, but there are some long wearing run-flats like the 960AS I mentioned.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

An upcoming travesty will be when I stick Saab rims with snow tires on my wife's Chevy HHR. It's, IMO, ever more insulting to put a different OE brand on compared to anonymous aftermarket.

My motivation? They were cheap rims that fit, and are going to get wrecked by winter weather anyway.


Yeah, those are 5x110 which is not a common pattern. You have to take what you can get sometimes.

My Cobalt uses the same pattern. I found some steel wheels from a Pontiac G6 to mount my snow tires on. They're pretty generic, but then I bought a set of plastic G6 hubcaps for them. I keep trying to pretend there's not a Pontiac arrowhead emblem on them! But at least my pretty Cobalt SS alloys stay nice and are still pristine after 160,000 miles. They've never seen salt.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Wheels are the worst - them and wings on the back are pretty obnoxious.


^^This. Aftermarket wheels,fake Autozone carbon fiber interior trim,blue headlights,and aftermarket spoilers are the absolute most hiddeous attrocities.



To that list I would add dyed interiors or painted trim on the interior. Nothing says "16-year-old with no money" faster to me than a car with stuff badly dyed or spraypainted inside of it. It never looks as good as a clean, unmolested original and its rarely durable. Check back in a year or two and its always scratched, peeling or sticky. Nasty. Then throw in an aftermarket sound system which sticks out from the dash and doesn't match the illumination, and its just all bad all around.

I should mention I'm not an audio buff. I'll replace the speakers if they need replacing, but the stock radio or CD player is all I need. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was an audio buff.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Wheels are the worst - them and wings on the back are pretty obnoxious.


^^This. Aftermarket wheels,fake Autozone carbon fiber interior trim,blue headlights,and aftermarket spoilers are the absolute most hiddeous attrocities.



To that list I would add dyed interiors or painted trim on the interior. Nothing says "16-year-old with no money" faster to me than a car with stuff badly dyed or spraypainted inside of it. It never looks as good as a clean, unmolested original and its rarely durable. Check back in a year or two and its always scratched, peeling or sticky. Nasty. Then throw in an aftermarket sound system which sticks out from the dash and doesn't match the illumination, and its just all bad all around.

I should mention I'm not an audio buff. I'll replace the speakers if they need replacing, but the stock radio or CD player is all I need. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was an audio buff.


To add to the obnoxious neon-lit soundsystems,the HUGE "Kenwood" banner across the windshield,or the Pioneer emblem covering the entire back window haha.

 

[y_p_w]

I remember the '95-96 Acura Integra GS-R/LS Special Edition used to be seen on Civics since it was about the same bolt pattern and the 195/55R15 tires were about the same size as stock Civic tires and didn't really need a speedo adjust. I've seen those on Civics complete with the Acura center cap for emphasis.

And I also know because my GS-R was stolen. Recovered with all the factory aluminum alloy wheels gone as well as the four tires on them. It was abandoned with the compact spare on one tire and three almost bald tires on steel wheels. So apparently whoever stole my car thought of this as a trade.

The other thing that sort of looks odd are people putting Honda logos on Acura cars. I sort of get it, but then again I don't fully get the whole JDM thing.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: y_p_w
I remember the '95-96 Acura Integra GS-R/LS Special Edition used to be seen on Civics since it was about the same bolt pattern and the 195/55R15 tires were about the same size as stock Civic tires and didn't really need a speedo adjust. I've seen those on Civics complete with the Acura center cap for emphasis.

And I also know because my GS-R was stolen. Recovered with all the factory aluminum alloy wheels gone as well as the four tires on them. It was abandoned with the compact spare on one tire and three almost bald tires on steel wheels. So apparently whoever stole my car thought of this as a trade.

The other thing that sort of looks odd are people putting Honda logos on Acura cars. I sort of get it, but then again I don't fully get the whole JDM thing.


Badges/ornaments on cars from other makes is something that just cracks me up!! Especially the oversized Cadillac emblems on the grilles of Chevrolet trucks haha! That literally makes me laugh out loud!!

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: y_p_w
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I like stock, as for wheels if I change them I like to stick to the same manufacture.

IE a different style of Chevy wheel for a Chevy truck, but still all GM.

Generally factory stuff works the best, I dislike playing backyard engineer.

Like I said, a lot of people get aftermarket replacement parts like brakes, shocks, or tires. When my insurance paid for a new windshield to replace one hit by a rock, they paid for slightly green tinted Pilkington glass (made in the US) rather than the OEM Japanese glass with a smoke tint.

If you need a new radiator, there are aftermarket equivalents as well as aluminum performance radiators (which I got).

I know some people insist on everything being the same. I know someone with a BMW who just got a new set of tires. He wanted to get the OEM and got the same Bridgestone Turanza model that came from the factory. I was wondering why not something higher performance like a Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS RFT , but I guess some people insist on keeping things the same. Also - I guess he needed run-flats without a spare, but there are some long wearing run-flats like the 960AS I mentioned.


Depends on the vehicle. Radiators for instance, if your talking German cars Nissans makes one for just about everything and they are so so. Behr OTOH costs twice as much but are OE quality and suppliers. Last Behr radiator I bought had the Mercedes star and part number stamped right on it. Same radiator you get at the dealer just in a different box, and about $100 cheaper!

Same with my truck I can buy a GM radiator for $80 more than an aftermarket, I'll buy the GM radiator and not have to touch it for another 10-15+ years.

Parts can be a real mixed bag, some of the Chinese stuff is really bad. I tend to stick to OE supplier brands. Like I bought Moog tie rod ends for my truck when I needed them. They cost $10 more each over the Chinese ones, but Moog is a known good brand at least in the Mercedes/BMW world.

 

[MCompact]

I usually tweak my cars to some degree to increase the performance but I do little if anything to change their appearance; replacement and maintenance parts are almost always OEM/OEM manufavturer

1975 2002: Weber 32/36 DGAV, Delta Mark Ten B, Bilstein HDs, E21 Recaros, Alpine Tuner/CD/Sirius XM head unit

1995 318ti Club Sport: Turner/Conforti chip, Philips Vision Plus headlamp bulbs, UUC Motorwerks RK II shift knob, UUC clutch pedal bushings, UUC clutch pedal stop, BMW M Technic deck lid spoiler

1999 Wrangler: Banks Torque Tube exhaust manifold, Bilstein HDs, Hella E-Code headlamps/Osram Night Breaker Plus bulbs, MB Quart speakers, Jeep/Mopar door and tailgate sill guards

2007 Mazdaspeed 3: Mazdaspeed CAI, Koni FSD shocks/struts, 2010 MS3 wheels/Pilot Super Sport tires

1996 Speed Triple: Triumph/Sebring 3-into-1 exhaust, Triumph six-pot front calipers, Triumph seat cowl

As you can see, nothing in my garage is all that wild- or anywhere near fast; the ti and S3 struggle to top 130 mph and the MS3 is all done at a tick over 155 mph. The MS3 can barely break into the thirteens and the S3 is mired in the low elevens...