ever since i first learned of truck customization, i have been amazed at the fine line between something that is really cool and something that is just hideous. what is the dividing line? surely personal preference has something to do with it, but there seems to be a general consensus, at least on here, about what is acceptable and what is not. to be honest i used to think lowered trucks were retarded. why? because i'd never seen a truck like the trucks i see here. yes, in western PA, i've never seen a clean drop or a truck that wasn't rolling on stockers or didn't have clear taillights and a spoiler. our meet last week was the first time i'd seen a nicely done custom job in person. yeah, hovi you don't get out much do you. there's not much of a street scene in western PA, so you're probably right.
now what made me want to ask this question? i saw a customized sierra at the auto parts store today. it was a 99-02 RCSB 4x4, blue in color. it had:
generic mud tires, looked like 285/75, white lettering out, on stock aluminum wheels: forgiveable, but if i bought tires called "trail dominators" i would not advertise it.
chrome bedrails: not something i would do, but why are they hated so badly?
lund stick-on hoodscoops: yuck. looked really bad, imo. cheap and fake way to customize your hood. even if you don't have a functional scoop at least it's not held on with 3M tape. i really hate these, almost every truck i see around here has them.
clear taillights: i am biased towards stock taillights in any situation, but these were screaming "gay" from across the parking lot.
chrome fender trim: chrome gone wrong. i don't know why it looks so bad but it just does.
dual exhaust: had potential until he bolted on 4" chrome tips. any exhaust system with chrome tips and/or tips that are bolted on has no credibility in my book. welded on stainless tips are the only way to go. add custom points if they're handmade.
add some cheap tint and ventvisors and other stuff and you had a "nice truck" in some people's eyes. around here those mods would be comparable to what we think of a nice truck like fullthrottle dan's or 1truess. i am not comparing your trucks to this POS, what i am saying is that people around here look at the chromed out sierra like i looked at your trucks at the meet, which is sad.
so i gotta ask, what makes mods acceptable, and what makes them tasteless? this whole thing is just fascinating to me. i saw a ranger with cab clearance lights, but then again i put clearance lights on my heavy half. what do you think?