WTF Friday: Sins of Yesteryear

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For the second year in a row on New Years Eve I asked ā€œWhat trends of 2012 would you rather not see carry over into 2013?ā€œ. A loaded question to be sure, but always an interesting one to pose.

For todayā€™s WTF Friday Iā€™ve pulled out four of the answers from theĀ fan page, and one of my own, to discuss in slightly more detail.

Bikes/Roof Racks As Car Show Accessories

The roof rack trend has been creeping up steadily for a few years now but it hit situation critical when I started to notice more roof racks at car events then at the local skate park.

What makes this trendĀ particularlyĀ vexing is that the vast majority of bikes at these events are of such low quality that itā€™s not even halfĀ believable they are used as anything other than a ā€˜show accessoryā€™.

My point in one picture
My point in one picture

As both a rider and a car enthusiast I really hope this trend starts to fade away in 2013 because itā€™s a damn shame to see otherwise clean cars tarnished by bargain basement qualityĀ bicycles.

Camber

Thereā€™s really no easy way to say this without perhaps offending a reader or two but in 2012 people really started to go crazy with negative camber.

Approaching this one is a little tricky because ā€œtoo muchā€ is entirely subjective but we can all probably agree that there are extreme cases like the one below.

crazycamber

Personally I look Ā at camber like salt, it should compliment the dish and not over power it.

Poorly formed criticisms/opinions

If youā€™ve spent anytime on forums or fan pages (especially fan pages) then Iā€™m sure youā€™ve seen poorly formed criticisms like; ā€œLow cars are stupidā€œ, ā€œNeeds different wheelsā€œ, ā€œThatā€™s a waste of timeā€œ, ā€œAll Civics are Garbageā€œ, ā€œLooks like smashed assholesā€ etc.

These comments are conversation poison, and whenever posted the conversation inevitably goes downhill until the word ā€˜haterā€™ comes out and people are using sexual vulgarity and homophobia to describeĀ inanimateĀ objects.

We've all seen this I'm sure
Weā€™ve all seen this Iā€™m sure

We are not children, and this isnā€™t kindergarten, so the ā€œif you donā€™t have nothing nice to say donā€™t say anything at allā€ rule doesnā€™t apply but I really hope in 2013 people take the time to appropriately phrase their comments, opinions, and criticisms.

The Wheel Debate

Another calendar year has passed and the wheel debate continues rampaging through the scene with no end in sight and personally Iā€™m pretty well over it. Why? Because I feel itā€™s gone from an issue that was originally about the theft of intellectual property, and an inferior product, to something used for one enthusiast to take shots at another.

Wheels are stating to become a sort of status symbol, a talking point, and something you need to fit in, instead of what keeps the car rolling down the road and to some people no matter how incredible a build is if itā€™s not on ā€œreal wheelsā€ itā€™s not shit.

This argument doesnā€™t seem to be such a heated debate in other scenes (classic, muscle, minitruck, etc) but among the aggressive fitment community it remains a hot button issue.

Must have been a rota
Must have been a rota

Iā€™m not supporting the moral wrong doing and downright theft of some of wheel companies but I am saying lets stop draggingĀ remnantsĀ of a beaten dead horse from year to year and let people decide for themselves what wheels work best for their budget, project, and needs.

Closed minds

Donā€™t like a particular style of car? Thatā€™s cool but donā€™t write off the entire crowd based on a limited perspective. Iā€™m fairly certain I have said this before but I think many ā€“especially those new to the hobbyā€“ could benefit from looking over the fence at whatā€™s going on outside of their scene of choice.

I don't generally post a lot of lifted stuff but I respect them
I donā€™t generally post a lot of lifted stuff but I respect them

To paraphrase from Andrew Moonā€™s comment on the fanĀ pageĀ just because you donā€™t like a particular style doesnā€™t mean you canā€™t appreciate the work that has gone into it. And please stop judging cars by what the badge on the rear says. The owner knows his or her car is ā€œjust aā€¦ā€ so donā€™t try and use that as a way to undermine their hard work.

Anyway on wards and upwards for 2013. Letā€™s not take all of this too serious.

Itā€™s just cars after all.

10 COMMENTS

  1. I donā€™t post comments often but on the topic of close minds I just have to. The Dalai Lama once said something that I try to live by ā€œa mind is like an umbrella, if not open it donā€™t workā€ an how true is thatā€¦

    DP says: To each his ownā€¦.

  2. Poorly formed criticisms/opinions there will always be petty people and folk who get kicks out of putting people down to make them self feel big what i would like to start seeing is people not giving a damn and doing what ever they want with what ever they want done well with good quality YOU ARNT LIKE ANY ONE ELS WHY SHOULD YOUR CAR BE! sod what any one thinks infact if the right people are hating on you, you know your doing something right lol

  3. Ok. You say donā€™t criticize others but in the pic with the cracked wheel from the rally car you said it must of been a rota? Cā€™mon son. That rally cars put wheels through hell. It could of been any wheel. Even if it was does that matter? No. Why? Because none of us have to drive it. So yea. Stop beating the dead horse.

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