Re: lowering...in response to mgkepner's serman

[progeny <progeny@crosslink.net>]

Sqr69 wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 97-12-11 08:03:54 EST, jadney@vwtype3.org writes:
> 
> << Is there any way that I can appropriately express my total revulsion
>  at the thought of the destruction this does to the car?  I have the
>  feeling that people do it because they feel that it allows them to
>  express some originality in their car.  Well, perhaps it WAS original
>  to someone, sometime, but it's now hackneyed and bad engineering.
> 
>  The response I usually get down to is usually, something along the
>  lines of "But it's so COOL, Dude!"  Well, if your idea of cool is
>  poor handling, bump steer, and rediculous ground clearance to the
>  point that it is no longer a useful vehicle, then I really have to
>  part company.
> 
>  In the end it boils down to who do you choose to copy: Someone who
>  carefully designed something that worked well or someone who designed
>  something that looked "different."
>   >>
> 
> Thanks for sharing your opinion, Jim.........but, i personally find this type
> of "input" both offensive and inappropriate.  There are individuals on this
> list who have lowered their cars for reasons other than it being "so COOL,
> Dude!". I personally wanted to be able to go around a curved road without
> having to slow to a near stop or feel as though Benny was goin to tip over.
> The small amount he was lowered sits him at the same height as many new cars
> are being produced stock.  I don't feel he is "hackneyed" or "bad
> engineering", he's just not stock.  Not all of us want to have bone-stock
> cars, and yes we do make modifications to personalize our cars.  This is
> probably because "it's not just a car" to many of us, our cars are an
> extension of who we are.  I have never to made any modifications to my car to
> make it impractical, i never will, but I have slightly customized it (and oh
> my god, it's not fuel injected).  I do infact cringe when I see a "butchered"
> custom, but if is what the owner/driver wants, more power to him.  It's one
> more volkswagon on the road that otherwise might not be.  Jim, we all realize
> you have a plethera of type-3 knowledge and we appreciate you sharing with us,
> but please understand that we are all very different people here.  Your
> comments give me that same sick feeling in my stomach as when I hear about
> books being banned from local libraries.  If you have a negative experience
> you would like to share with the group about some particular type-3
> modification, please share, but save the didactic rambling and trashing of
> other individuals' preferences for someplace else.  It does not belong here.
> 
> Thanks,
> Amanda & Benny ('69 sqrback who was also very offended)


OK...I didn't want to get into this but I woke up in a bad mood this
morning and there are three more posts on this...we've established that
some of us like lowered cars and some of us don't...and there are good
reasons for and against lowering your car...I think we're all adults
here and I think discussing the pros and cons of lowering is a good
thing...it should help us decide weather or not we want to do it to our
own cars depending on the consequences and what we want to do with our
car...insulting one another shouldn't be apart of it...and if you feel
you must flame someone because of their opinion, send it to them
personally, it's not something the group needs to hear...so with that in
mind, can we move on and try to help some people fix their cars??
apologies
mikey