I'm looking for a statistic of how much of people's income goes to modifying their cars from a reliable source. I've been looking but haven't had much luck and this would really help out a paper that I'm writing. I'm guessing that it would be best to find one for people in japan or surrounding areas since they spend the most. Please let me know if you know of any reliable sites.
FYI the paper I'm writing is on why people modify their cars. So far I've just nailed it down to being a hobby, for gas mileage, and self expression with each being broken down further into subcategories.
If you have any other suggestions for topics that I could talk about please let me know!

 

we also modify to make them faster, safer, handle better, stop quicker, etc. hope these help in any way.
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CHILDREN PAXIL

 

modify for handling yo!

how do you know for japanese people mod their cars than americans?

 

Well heres my rough brainstorm of the hobby aspect: Bonding(parent chil, friends), racing(drag,road,autox), performace (handling,braking,power).
I forget where but I just read that people in japan(iirc) spend the most of their income on their cars than anywhere else.
I'm just havin a hell of a time finding any statistics whatsoever. Think this topic is good for 7pages of keeping the reader interested?

Edit* I wanted to start the paper with a strong anecdote which is why I'm lookin for this stat, but if you can think of another anecdote I can start off with lmk!! I guess I'm pullin an all-nighter anyways thanks to adderall..insomias a bi***

 

i don't think gas mileage is a valid point, considering faster usually means it burns more gas, right? i'm not sure though

 

Just because it's faster than it was stock doesn't mean it uses more gas to an extent. Doing simple mods such as freeing up the exhaust or tuning the car will yield higher gas mileage.

 

Anyone?? I also just found out I need at least 3 academic or in-text citations..dunno where im gunna find any for this topic. I thought this paper was going to almost write itself but it's commin along pretty slowly =(

 

I know I spent a total of $2,700 on go fast parts and some EDM lights.

 

I'll keep that in mind =)

 

i want to make my car handle better, stop better, and yes faster. make it personalize also take a big part on modify cars

 

people modify as a hobby if theyre rich...because it really does take a lot of money to get continuous enjoyment out of it.
people modify to go faster (if they know they suck at cornering, or just wanna keep up with everyone else)
people modify to be safer...expensive tires that will stop 30 feet shorter than others etc..

i modify...er bought my RS pre-modified to put down fast times autoXing and rallyX...only mods ive down are a Sparco Corsa to help with G forces and still buy the autoX grade sticky commuter tire...thats it so far

safety would be seat, roll bar, tires, lighting (like real hurt your eyes hella bright Hellas) even suspension is safety since you will maneuver faster than 95% of the others

 

OK. You asked... about 10% of my take home goes to the car ~ but, I am in a unique situation (pretty much retired ~ had good luck in the film industry and I now sell Subys). I don't touch anything I made before moving and selling cars... But I just broke out the reciepts for '06 & '07. So far it's dead on @ 10% a year.

There, now go make paper.

I can almost guarantee the Japanese cannot spend the same . Hell, just food and rent takes 60-70% of their income! I know, I lived in Tokyo for two years.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone, it's making the paper come along easier.. on page 3 and counting.

 

I'm practical. If it helps with daily driving or makes my commute easier (or less crappy), I'll put money into it. A little show doesn't hurt either. Tires, for safety. Wheels, well, that was a one-in-one deal with the tires when I bought mine. I have a short shifter, which makes shifting in traffic easier. Then I have a stereo system, that I'll probably work on next. I love my tunes.

Exterior mods I have are subtle. Ver. 6 grille and an RS coupe wing looks better than the dinky RS sedan spoiler I had before. I upgraded my RS seats to 02 WRX seats because they held better on curvy off and on ramps. I didn't want to strain myself while turning hard if I sat in seats that couldn't hold my fatass properly.

I haven't touched my engine or my suspension. I just don't really push it hard enough on a daily basis to justify spending money on it yet. I just try to keep my car as stock as possible so I don't get all freaked out if something breaks. Also, I don't wanna waste money on bolt ons since I don't know if I'll end up selling the car later or swapping a WRX motor in. For now, it's a daily driver. A reliable one at that and I intend on keeping it that way until I get another, newer, more reliable car.

I'm at an on and off graphic designer's salary, so I'm not making insane bank or enough money where I can still take care of my other financial priorities and put money into my car without going broke. So I don't put that much money into my car. I don't think I've even spent a grand on this thing. I'm happy with how it drives and how it looks. Although, those could be improved, but I don't need it and I don't have the extra cash to do anything. I hope this helps, from a different perspective.

I wrote a similar paper on this topic when I was in high school. This was eons ago (about 8 years ago, God I'm old). I interviewed a bunch of my buddies who hopped up their Hondas and joined local car crews. Then there's my cousin, who pretty much grew out of it and kept his GSR with simple bolt ons after being in the "scene" for a bit before he crashed his old car. He just told me that when he got older, priorities changed and he shifted his money and his focus on school and paying bills. He was working part time and going to school, so after books and tuition, on top of helping his parents out, he didn't have much left. He still loved cars, he just didn't have the means or the time to get into them as much as he used to. Right now I'm starting to understand where he was coming from after all these years.

 

https://www.i-club.com/forums/bay-area-15/why-do-you-mod-your-car-166934/

I knew I started this post for a reason.
Hope this helps
and I have put about 7500 in my car in mods in the last 18 months, but spending time in Iraq and Kuwait lets you do that because you have little to no bills.