Quick OT here. BretM, are you the same Bret that was on here many years ago with a 308 "Modifica Ridiculous"? I loved that line If so, what have you done to it these days?
I would think changing US cars to a more Euro like spec would add value to some cars. Not even sure if I would consider this a mod.
The "modify or maintain" question is an excellent philosophical one, and one that I have been dealing with for the past 18 months, ever since I bought my dead-stock (and neglected) GTSi. These 2V injected models are sort of the Rodney Dangerfield of the 308 line, and so I did not buy it with the thought that, years from now, I would be able to fund my retirement thru its sale. If, thru these modifications, I tend to diminish the "desirability" of the car for some unknown mythical originality-focused buyer, I can live with that. All of the changes that I have done are readily reversible and have been well documented with photographs and drawings showing how the OEM items originally fit. Should I (or anyone else) ever have a change of heart, the OEM pieces could then be easily reinstalled. Every one of the changes that I have done has, in my eyes, improved the driveablity and/or appearance of the car. Other than routine maintenance items, here's a list off the top of my head of some of my deviations from stock, both major and minor, done to date: Engine / drivetrain: Removal and storage of all smog gear - air pump, EGR, exhaust injection nozzles, catalytic converters. Stebro exhaust system. (combination of these items has notably perked up the engine, I suspect easily reclaiming the modest power loss which this series of car has been criticized over). Replacement of every single fuel / coolant / vacuum hose with higher quality silicone hoses (color: red) wherever practical. Brake calipers painted red for appearance Interior: Recover rear deck area and inside of targa with creme colored leather, replacing the icky OEM white cloth. Replacement glass fuse box. Conversion of goofy 85 mph speedo to 160 mph. Swap OEM black instrument fascia for carb series aluminum one. Replace five (5) inaccurate ancillary Veglia (aka "Vague-Liar) gauges with similar VDO items, replacing useless OEM clock with voltmeter so to better monitor battery and charging system health. Replace odd looking green needles in tach and speedo to match the new orange/red VDO ones. New silver spoked Nardi steering wheel, replacing similar style black spoked wheel. Chrome metal shifter knob, replacing the cheap looking plastic black one. Aluminum Ultimate Pedals. Replace quaint OEM cassette deck radio with Blaupunkt CD radio unit Exterior: Replacing 14" alloys with 16" OEM QV rims (work in progress). Remove OEM USA front grille, shocks and bumper and replace with Euro versions, and install larger "Euro" front spoiler (also work in progress). Replace OEM all-amber front turn lenses with Euro amber/clear ones. Paint top of fender extraction louvres matte black so to match the color of all of the other louvres on the rest of the car. .... and on and on. You get the general idea. All of the above has been fun hobby work for me to do, and at the end of the day I have a car which is uniquely tailored to -my- tastes. Whether or not other 'purists' agree with my decisions is a moot point. Cheers - DM
I think the resale issue on modded cars is a buyer population thing. For a stock Ferrari, you get interest from purists, modders, and those who don't know anything except the Ferrari name. For a modded Ferrari, you only get interest from those who know enough to evaluate the mods. So you lose the potential sale to those who just want a Ferrari, and who know nothing about them. It always bothers me when someone looking at a car I've been living with clearly knows nothing about cars. It's like seeing your ex shack up with a bum. (If the split wasn't ugly -- otherwise you might consider it karma. ) So if you're the type to take a lesser offer from a more "qualified" buyer, the mods might not impact the resale that much --- it takes a bit longer to find the "right" buyer, you just don't get as many window shoppers in the interrum. But if you're the type that can walk away from a car without a backward glance when you're bored with it, then the smaller sale base might bother you. At least, that's one way to look at it.
