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VIDEOS EVENTS ATHLETES PRODUCTS<br />
Motoring<br />
The best car models to modify for<br />
each budget<br />
© Grant McDonnell for<br />
SlammedUK<br />
If you want in on the car modifying world, these are a few of<br />
your best options – from budget friendly machines to the<br />
flashiest models available.<br />
Written by Jordan Clarke · 25 February<br />
Looking for your first car to modify and not quite sure where to start? Well, the first thing is<br />
securing a car you want to build off, and to do this you need to establish a budget.<br />
Remember, modific<strong>at</strong>ions don’t tend to be cheap, so be realistic when picking your model,<br />
as th<strong>at</strong> is just the startAup cost.<br />
Jordan Clarke, the owner of the automotive lifestyle brand SlammedUK, knows a thing or<br />
two when it comes to car modifying. The coAfounder of the Gravity Show has been<br />
modifying cars for eight years and spends much of the year travelling to shows across the<br />
UK and Europe to see the hottest car mods currently on the scene. Here, he picks his<br />
favourite models for each budget, and suggests wh<strong>at</strong> mods you can start with.<br />
“The cars I’ve chosen for the article are solely based on wh<strong>at</strong> cars myself and my friends<br />
had over the years, and our experience of buying and modifying the cars. There are so<br />
many different cars you can buy for these budgets, but it all depends on your tastes and<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> genre of car you’re into. For me, it was a mix of both German and Japanese based<br />
cars as I’ve had Golfs and MX5s – have a read and see wh<strong>at</strong> you think!”<br />
1. VW Lupo – £1,000 budget<br />
A Lupo is a gre<strong>at</strong> beginners car<br />
© BETH HALSEY<br />
“The VW Lupo is a gre<strong>at</strong> entry level car to begin modifying – you can pick these up for<br />
under £1,000, usually in 1.0L or 1.4L engines. You can get coilovers (coilAover shock<br />
absorber) from around £150 – granted, they are not the best available, but they do the job,<br />
and I actually had some £165 JOM Coilovers on one of my cars and they were gre<strong>at</strong>!<br />
"A small car means small wheels, which is always good when building a car on a budget.<br />
You can get a set of 16” aftermarket alloy wheels from as little as £300. The Lupo is a gre<strong>at</strong><br />
starting point for anyone starting out in the modifying world. Cheap and reliable, I would<br />
highly recommend it as a car to start with!”<br />
RELATED<br />
This modified VW Lupo GTI will leave you wanting one<br />
SlammedUK's Jordan Clarke interviews Harley Smith who made the interesting choice to work on<br />
modifying a Lupo GTI. Go inside his Lupo and find why he chose this model.<br />
2. Mazda MX5 – £1,500 budget<br />
Jordan Clarke's MX51<br />
© JORDAN CLARKE<br />
“If your budget is a little higher but you would still like something affordable and fun, the<br />
Mazda MX5 is a gre<strong>at</strong> place to start. I actually personally did a budget build on a MK2 MX5<br />
a few years ago and it’s still one of the most enjoyable builds I’ve done with a car. I<br />
managed to buy the car, coilovers, hardtop roof, carbon spoiler, front splitter, XXR 527<br />
wheels, Corbeau bucket se<strong>at</strong>s, exhaust and, of course, neons, all for under £2,500. With a<br />
1.8L engine and rearAwheel drive, it’s a lively drive.”<br />
3. BMW E46 – £2,500 budget<br />
A classic E46<br />
© ALEX HURD<br />
“The popular BMW E46 is an easy car to modify and looks really good, whilst not being<br />
overly expensive. However, as with most cars, you can spend a lot if you really want to! A<br />
secondAhand set of wheels generally starts from around £500. Add a set of coilovers and<br />
some subtle carbon touches to transform the look of this car.”<br />
A nice set bolted onto a BMW E46 M3<br />
© CHER PHENG LEE<br />
4. MK5 Golf GTI – £5,000 budget<br />
Mk5 Golf<br />
© TRISTAN YOUNG<br />
“For a much larger budget like £5,000, there are a lot of cars you could opt for, but a<br />
favourite of mine is the MK5 Golf GTI. The 2.0 Turbo engine with around 197bhp on the Golf<br />
means you can squeeze out more power with some choice mods. A Golf has timeless good<br />
looks, and the package suits every style of modifying as it allows many different sizes and<br />
styles of wheels, as well as different suspension and carbon options. The modifying list for a<br />
car like this is endless.”<br />
RELATED<br />
Check out this unique modified Volkswagen Polo / Cross hybrid<br />
SlammedUK's Jordan Clarke interviews the cre<strong>at</strong>or of a oneAofAaAkind VW Polo, modified with the four<br />
door VW cross. Find out how Charlie Hartill came up with the concept and made it reality.<br />
5. Nissan Silvia S14 – £7,500 budget<br />
The S14 is adaptable to any style<br />
© KYLE CHAPPORY<br />
“The Silvia is another timeless classic. Having this size of budget really opens your options<br />
to models, but there’s a reason you’ll see so many Silvia mods <strong>at</strong> shows and on a drifting<br />
track. It’s a really fun car to drive, it looks fantastic and there are neverAending options for<br />
modific<strong>at</strong>ion styles.<br />
"Bodykits are generally a good place to start, and then you can start looking <strong>at</strong> wheels and<br />
coilovers. Bodykits can start from £500 and go up to pretty much wh<strong>at</strong>ever you want to<br />
spend. Wheels are the same, and but for a set of custom splits, you’ll be looking well into<br />
the thousands. As for coilovers – on a car like this, you won’t want to get the entry level, so<br />
you're probably looking <strong>at</strong> £500+ for a good set.”<br />
6. Audi TTS MK2 – £10,000 budget<br />
Audi TT would be a dream build<br />
© JAMES BARR<br />
“If you’re starting with a high budget like £10,000, then you really do have a lot of options.<br />
In my opinion, one of the best models for this kind of money is an MK2 TTS. The 4WD<br />
Qu<strong>at</strong>tro system and 2.0 TFSI engine provide an amazing driving experience and plenty of<br />
power behind the wheel, plus options to increase the power and torque with a few engine<br />
mods.<br />
"The MK2 Audi TTS is undoubtedly one of the bestAlooking coupés on the market, made<br />
only better by modifying. Again, I wouldn’t recommend going for any cheap options here.<br />
Air suspension is a good start, or you could add a good set of coilovers, which would be<br />
the cheaper option but still around the £600 mark. WheelAwise, the TTS has large arches, so<br />
18–20” wheels will look incredible, and start <strong>at</strong> around £800 for a decent set of Cast wheels,<br />
but it can go all the way up into the thousands dependent on your budget.”<br />
RELATED<br />
These are trends th<strong>at</strong> are taking the car modific<strong>at</strong>ion world by storm<br />
Take a look <strong>at</strong> the most popular car modific<strong>at</strong>ions from the 2<strong>01</strong>8 show season and find out wh<strong>at</strong> the<br />
scene is predicting will be the top alter<strong>at</strong>ions in <strong>2<strong>01</strong>9</strong>.<br />
Take a look <strong>at</strong> the hottest cars on display <strong>at</strong> FittedUK in Manchester<br />
Jordan Clarke, owner of SlammedUK, visits one of UK’s largest Automotive shows FittedUK and picks<br />
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