I just don't get these kids..

who modify their cars to such an extent that it's become unreliable and needs constant tinkering. Some of these same kids drive like "ass-hats". They think nothing of doing clutch dumps at redline, burning up the clutch, shifting at redline on a regular basis, blowing up the engine, street racing, and driving recklessly on mountain road thinking that they're Takumi of Initial D.

My question is how can they afford to abuse their car? If you had to work hard to earn money, would you blow it away like that? I've noticed a Lemmings or sheep-like mentality among these car nuts. Once something is deemed "cool", everyone wants to get it. The standard for coolness for the import is "JDM-tite yo". WTH do they spend several thousands of dollars for a tired engine or transmission from Japan that has no verified mileage? On top of that, they need to buy the ECU and do all the wiring to get it to work. And then the ECU needs to be retuned to accept the lower octane gas in the US, especially in California (91 Octane max). Such non-ODBII ECU's will not pass smog tests in certain states.


Case 1: Car catches on fire after street racing. Car has aftermarket fuel rails, pumps, turbo, and modified engine management.

Case 2: Car engine blows up after driving near redline for most of its 80K miles. Just 80K miles!

I'm not against modding or performance driving. I like doing things in moderation.