Modified rapture for our adult racers

Car fans who spend thousands on their car to add that extra spoiler or ear-bleeding sound systems will be converging on the RDS…

Car fans who spend thousands on their car to add that extra spoiler or ear-bleeding sound systems will be converging on the RDS in Dublin on Easter weekend for the "100% Modified Motor Show". By Michael McAleer.

Top billing at the show goes to a $500,000 Toyota Supra, star of the car movie, The Fast and the Furious. However, while it may have a top speed of 185mph and hit 0-60mph 4.3 seconds it will be well and truly parked at the RDS.

Organisers are keen to play down the boy racer image that modified motors has attracted of late, particularly in light of controversial meetings of some modified fans that have led to illegal road racing and conflicts with residents.

According to Richard Lavin of Xtreme Promotions who are organising the show, "we are organising a legal and fully supervised show. The car parks will be fully manned by security and any potential boy racers will have to leave their need for speed in the car park. It's a static show, and there will be no racing."

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Among the attractions will be several competitions for body art and sound equipment. For those who invest small fortunes on car audio equipment the show will also feature two Dodge Challengers - more commonly known as the cars from the Dukes of Hazard TV show - and a Baracuda. All feature hydraulically controlled sound systems in their boots, but when combined together are claimed to be the world's largest portable car sound system.

For competitors however, it will be all about the show and taking pride in their cars.

According to Lavin, the average spend on top of the price of the car is about €€20,000. However some modifications have been valued up to the region of €€80,000.

Lavin says it's this type of investment that differentiates the boy racer from the modified motor fan.

"The boy racer is happy to wreck his car on the back roads," he says, "but when you have invested so much time and effort, not to say money, in your car you're not too keen on racing it around some public car park in the dead of night."