OEM+ or Modified

[Williams]

Its no secret that I like the OEM+ theme. But I have a question that I cant seem to easily find an answer for. At what point does OEM+ become modified?

How I see it is, OEM steering wheel from another model, OEM seats from another model... exhaust, coil overs etc would be considered 'enhancements' as they're not visible as such... all visual changes require to be of OEM origin.. 1, 2 or even 3-4 of these items could be considered to make the car OEM+, but at what point does OEM+ become modified..?

OEM+ is also considered to be how the car 'should' have looked, instead of how it actually ended up looking when it left the factory. But to me this blows the whole 'OEM+' tag out of the water, as it's then just one persons perception of how a car should have looked.

OEM is just that. Un-changed from when it left the factory. Not even venture shield for the hardest of the purists.


Your thoughts please

 

[Brett]

You can do stacks of work without going outside the OEM+ theme. Its all in the smallest details which sometime require a lot of work to do correctly. The idea is not to make the modification shout out loud but to be descreate where only car enthusiasts would notice something isn't quite OEM.
For instance, Blakes next modification to his Lupo is the fitting of an Audi A2 bonnet grill. I bet most haven't got a clue what one looks like, reason being its descreat and unnoticable. Because of that it looks OEM but not to a Lupo buff.

 

[Matt]

Agree with both posts above - interesting topic title

I personally think it's the subtle discreet (being the key word for me) enhancements that personalise your car. For example I would have never have changed my vee wheels until the i found the personalisation ones. I think anything you can easily revert back to oem isnt a modification. Anything which would require more work to revert back and cost would be a modification and not a personalisation upgrade whilst you own the car.

 

[Kett]

Tough call Shaun,

Got to admit that the reason I bought Tim's was that it would have been criminal to change the ID seats and steering wheel in the acid - but let's face it... they're crap! Lol!

 

[roystinho]

I like the OEM+ look. Things like the Trendlines which should've been at least an option are my favourite. The 197 wheel is ok for me, but not of the era so I'd opt for a refurb in leather.

Suspension and exhausts again are fine as they're easily changed back so you're not spoiling the car.

However once you get the cutting machines out I think it crosses into modified in my eyes

 

[Matt]

Oxford definition of modified


Make partial or minor changes to (something), typically so as to improve it or to make it less extreme.
Or
Transform (a structure) from its original anatomical form during development or evolution.

I'd say oem+ Is the former and car modification falls in to the latter definition

 

[roystinho]

Yeah almost, but if you stuck some stupid alloys on it would fall in the former, but we/I'd say that was modified as it wouldn't look OEM...

Great thread though

 

[Williams]

Some interesting replies already..

I've done a bit more digging around, this time on a certain VW forum, which as far as i'm aware is where the whole OEM+ thing originated 'as such'.

There still seems to be very little definition, or line drawn, but essentially it would seem that the car needs to look OEM, lol.

This quotation seems to follow the general thinking;

OEM+:
Adjective

1. Modifying a vehicle so that it looks like some type of factory special instead of an aftermarket tuner car.

Thats exactly how I would define it, Not necessarily using OEM parts but at least following the design of the vehicle so that it looks like it actually rolled off the assembly line that way.

Overall, it seems to follow a 'mood' for want of a more descriptive word. So even if all the parts are just bolt on/off, this doesnt mean that its OEM+ If I may use Mossy's car as an example (hope you dont mind m, as he was very much a leader in changing and experimenting with different options on his car, which always looked, and still does, fantastic. He only makes discrete, sympathetic changes...(like OEM+) but the overall appearance is notably miles away from an OEM car, or even OEM+. So the quantity of changes seems to be relevant when it comes to being OEM+ There have since been a few owners that have followed this route of styling, and although they are all reversible, look more like a modified car rather than OEM+

Seats... now here's an interesting one too.. 182 Trophy Recaro Trendlines were also an option on other 182's, so following the VW logic, fitted into a v6 would be OEM+. Yet fitting other Recaro's or non Renault option Recaro's would not be considered OEM+ And yet, look at Ed's Techical Grey vee with Honda (iirc) Trendlines... they seem to work just right and so his car would probably be considered OEM+

Wheels... like wise with wheels, if I fitted Cromadora's to my car, it would look far from OEM+, and yet they look great on maxi.mans LY car. Matt's car with the 20spoke rims on look very much OEM+. I can only put this down to our, as enthusiasts, perception of what is to be considered 'the norm' Matts wheels because they look the same as OEM, you know something looks different about them, but you cant quite work out what it is at first. Cromadoras on Maxi.mans car look right perhaps because we've become used to seeing the yellow Trophy cars which have Cromadora's fitted.

Aerials, a bee sting aerial in black as OEM would look OEM+ and yet a silver one would not, even if it was an original aerial painted in silver.. lol.

How on earth do the VW judges differentiate between OEM+ and modified..? :rofl:

 

[cliche]

Any product from the manufacture's part bin is oem+
Any product made my an external company is custom/ modified

At the end of the day it gets confusing when you start using new car part from the same manufactor !
But these are only words people use at shows to class a car at the end of a day oem+ is modified as its not standard haha

 

[Ed220V6]

Phase 2 is OEM+

 

[Brett]

Blake is currently camping in a field full of OEM+ cars as he's abit of a VW scene fan. Ill get him to post his verdict.

 

[cliche]

Blake is currently camping in a field full of OEM+ cars as he's abit of a VW scene fan. Ill get him to post his verdict.

Edition38 in Northampton ?

 

[Williams]

Will be there tomorrow.. yeah, Edition38

 

[Lankan]

Interesting topic.....

To me anything that alters the character of the car (i.e. moving it away from its original purpose), but not necessarily its apperance, both visual and/or functional, is a modification. Everything else is an enhancement, or where the owner has personalised the car to his/her needs/tastes. All enhancements need to be reversible. If not, they fall into the "modified" category.

 

[Ali]

Open to debate i suppose...

OEM+ = Seats, wheel, Mk2 wheels/spoiler but not Croms.

Modified = Coilovers, brakes, spoilers, harnesses, cage, exhaust

I'd consider mine a mod'd vee.