Hooniverse Asks- What's the Most Annoying Automotive Personalization?

Robert Emslie

/comment

Comments

Hey, do you really have a baby on board? Because if so I’m definitely going to refrain from T-boning you the first chance I get, Earth Mother. It used to be the only personal expression afforded our cars was bumper stickers announcing your affinity for Ike, or felt-covered dogs on the parcel tray with the heads that go up and down, up and down.
Then came suction cup Garfields, followed closely by trunk-opening disembodied hands, the aforementioned roadsign-like proclamations of fertility, and eventually culminating in – God help us – truck nuts. There’s so many mechanisms to visually communicate our social disfunction these days that it makes me sad that I didn’t get in on what is obviously a lucrative business when it was just getting off the ground.
Some of these represent humor that can take the rage out of the road, while others can potentially be legal grounds for having piled onto that minivan with 300 or so anime character dolls piled high on the dash. What about you, what auto personalization efforts make you want flip off the instigator? Or, are you also an offender?
Image source: [SuzukiClub]

About

Robert Emslie

Robert Emslie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

147 responses to “Hooniverse Asks- What's the Most Annoying Automotive Personalization?”

  1. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    It is a toss-up between:
    <img src="http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/2/4755/61/24385030085_large.jpg&quot; width=500>
    And
    <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cNL6nrBxdNg/SNcwQfrL6DI/AAAAAAAAAq4/QXdvZ-ml4ug/s320/CrazyCarEdit.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. TurboBrick Avatar
      TurboBrick

      At least the art car freak was original – I just can't wrap my head around the idea of why would anyone spend their own money to paint their car to be an advertisement for someone else's product. Save the brown Delta 88's!

      Reply
  2. TX_Stig Avatar
    TX_Stig

    Personally, on my vehicles, I prefer no personalization that people can quickly notice. Subtlety is the name of the game. Especially given the volatile nature of our constabulary here in Houston, the less opinion that one's car spouts, the better. Besides, my personalizations are mostly evident in the great cloud of diesel soot that eminates from the rear of my car when I call up the extra power. Much more effective statement than a sticker that says "Back Off!"

    Reply
  3. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    Boom-bass stereos. It's one thing to see an abomination, it's another to hear it coming a block away.

    Reply
    1. west_coaster Avatar
      west_coaster

      Special mention for said audio system that causes the rear license plate to rattle. You stay classy, Mr. Salvage Title Honda Civic Owner.

      Reply
      1. Hoonda Avatar
        Hoonda

        Its actually quite easy to stop the rear plate from rattling if you tighten the bolts with a soft spacer of some kind behind it.
        I have a 500Wrms sub in my accord. Its loud, but its there because my whole stereo is loud, and I like bassy music. A stereo doesn't sound right without a dedicated bass channel

        Reply
  4. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    <img src="http://www.2dayblog.com/images/2006_november/glass_crack.jpg"&gt;
    Enough already.
    …and I agree with Mutha – most art cars aren't art and barely qualify as cars.

    Reply
  5. scroggzilla Avatar
    scroggzilla

    2 words…..truck nuts.

    Reply
    1. PowerTryp Avatar
      PowerTryp

      Depending on how they are attached I'd just remove them with this
      <img src="http://www.powertool-box.com/images/D/DC415KL_Dewalt_36V_Grinder_lrg.jpg"&gt;
      or this
      <img src="http://bazillionlights.com/Images/Tech/Wire%20Frames/bolt%20cutters.jpg"&gt;
      Castration never felt so good.

      Reply
    2. SSurfer321 Avatar
      SSurfer321

      They can be done tastefully
      <img src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2009/03/Literal_Truck_Nuts.jpg&quot;, width=500>
      IMG from Gawker Owned Automotive Enthusiast Oriented Website

      Reply
    3. FЯeeMan Avatar
      FЯeeMan

      I have a severe, irrational hatred for them.
      I've yet to decide if I should:
      A) carry a can of blue spray paint for them (though I'm not the biggest brute in town – My response to "Hey, what are you doing?" would be to turn around with my finger still pressed down to show the guy)
      B) Print up bumper stickers to slap on that say "Truck's got 'em 'cause the driver don't"

      Reply
  6. Maxichamp Avatar
    Maxichamp

    1. Bullet hole stickers.
    2. Aforementioned baseballs.
    3. Stick figure stickers of family members, especially those with MIckey Mouse ears.

    Reply
    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      Real bullet holes are waaaaaay cooler. I once saw a car with a couple of (real) bullet holes in the hood, like they had tried to start it by shooting at the engine.

      Reply
      1. dmilligan Avatar
        dmilligan

        I tried that once and it doesn't work for shit. I sure felt a lot better, even though I had to walk to work that day.

        Reply
    2. dwegmull Avatar
      dwegmull

      I mostly see the stick figure family on the rear of large SUVs with just the driver on board. It's like they are telling us: "look I need this giant vehicle so I have enough room to put all those stick figures on the rear window". Wait, what?

      Reply
    3. ZomBee Racer Avatar
      ZomBee Racer

      I see those stick figures on the back of mini-vans, especially the ones with names of all their children and pets, and then I think of the registered sex offender I found online that lives around the corner (and also the hundreds more that live in our city) and it makes me want to slap the $#!% out of the parents.
      "WHAT THE @#$% IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! STUPID!!!"

      Reply
      1. IronBallsMcG Avatar
        IronBallsMcG

        What pisses me off about that is that it is the same ones who are in a panic that an offender is in the area that slap this stupid sh!t on the back of their rolling uterus.

        Reply
    4. engineerd Avatar
      engineerd

      I saw a car the other day that had one woman and 5 cat stick figure stickers. In that case, I was thankful. I gave the crazy lady a wide berth and knew not to mess with her.

      Reply
      1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
        Smells_Homeless

        My brother's been threatening to do that to my car for months. And I'm neither a lady nor do I own A cat, much less many cats.
        My brother's evil.

        Reply
    5. Hugh Johnson Avatar
      Hugh Johnson

      The other day, I saw one of those, except that there was a Vampire, a Monster, a Robot, a Zombie, and a Squid. It was actually pretty funny.

      Reply
  7. discontinuuity Avatar
    discontinuuity

    Those weird "crybaby" dolls you see at car shows sometimes. I don't really know what they're supposed to represent or what they have to do with cars.
    <img src="http://image.superchevy.com/f/events/9154075+w200/sucp_0604_25_z+2005_gainesville_super_chevy_show+cry_baby_doll.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      However, I would applaud the guy who displays his car parked on one of these, with just the legs sticking out.

      Reply
      1. Deartháir Avatar
        Deartháir

        I may need to get one now, just for that reason.

        Reply
    2. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Wait, those are dolls? I don't buy it. I do get concerned so when I see them; I would hate to think that someone was deliberately trying to alarm me. Why would someone be that cruel and deceptive? I think YOU'RE the deceptive one.
      Next you'll tell me that the giant 3-foot butterfly on the soffit across the street is made of plywood, and the white cat that's been clinging to the bricks halfway up the neighbor's chimney for the last 40 years is cast iron.
      I'm frankly offended you think I'm that stupid.

      Reply
      1. dmilligan Avatar
        dmilligan

        I'd better not tell you about the pet leash that I've had tied to my rear bumper for the last 6 months then.

        Reply
    3. P161911 Avatar
      P161911

      Went to a car show a couple of weeks ago, a great variety of truly unique cars. There was one guy there with a 55 or 57 Chevy (I don't remember which, I think it was the only tri-5 Chevy there). It was customized with big chrome wheels, big loud engine, and painted orange. It was owned by an older guy. He had two of these things and was wearing a "Flair Hair" visor. I think he hit just about every car show cliche. He was really out of place at this show (Which featured everything from a Mangusta to Hudson Hornet rat rod to a LeMons racer to a Porsche Carrera GT).

      Reply
      1. west_coaster Avatar
        west_coaster

        Let me guess. He also had the vintage drive-in restaurant tray stuck on the door, complete with plastic food, empty soft drink cups, ketchup and mustard containers, etc.
        It's almost as if these people all came out of the same mold somewhere.

        Reply
  8. skitter Avatar
    skitter

    Tinted glass. Your full-throttle/full-brake commuter should not block my view of the (hopefully more sane) traffic in front of you as effectively as a much slower, more predictable tractor-trailer.

    Reply
    1. west_coaster Avatar
      west_coaster

      And when they don't react when the light turns green ("one Mississippi…two Mississippi…three Mississippi…") you can't tell whether it's because they're frantically tapping out a text message, putting on mascara, or both.

      Reply
    2. 7shades Avatar
      7shades

      You'd probably change your tune if you lived slightly closer to the equator. Tint is factory-fitted down here.

      Reply
      1. skitter Avatar
        skitter

        I did two years in south Louisiana. No A/C, no tint, no big deal.

        Reply
  9. west_coaster Avatar
    west_coaster

    1. The stupid row of stickers representing every member of the family. Nothing screams "white trash in a leased Chevy Tahoe they probably can't afford" like stick-figure dad, mom, kid, kid, kid, dog.
    2. The lame idea of a license frame with the brand of car on it. Not the kind the dealer puts on, but a chrome (or worse, gold colored) one that just says "Lexus" (or Infiniti, or BMW, or Mercedes-Benz) at the bottom. Gee thanks, because I couldn't see the five-times-bigger chrome L-E-X-U-S badge sitting 18" from that frame on the decklid. The sad part is that people PAY for those.
    3. The gigantic flag from whatever sports team or foreign country you support. I'm okay with something small and tasteful to root for your team, but when the entire rear window of your Durango or Explorer is a Raiders, Dodgers or Viva Mexico! logo, you have some serious low-life-ness going on

    Reply
    1. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      My friend's parents have a trailblazer SS with a bowtie trailer hitch cover, a plate frame with twin bowties and the stock bowtie all in view. I had to laugh at the redundancy.

      Reply
    2. ptschett Avatar
      ptschett

      I'm starting to see big-SUV owners go straight for the vanity plate to announce their procreative success. Today I was behind "4BLSNGS", and the other day I was behind "4R4KIDS"; both black Suburbans.
      …though I hope the 1st one was "4 blessings" and not "4 balls and gas". (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

      Reply
    3. fhrblig Avatar
      fhrblig

      I HATE those damn family stickers. I feel like people are forcibly introducing their family to me. No, douchebag, I don't want to get to know you. Especially after you just cut me off twice without signaling.

      Reply
  10. SSurfer321 Avatar
    SSurfer321

    I'm going to start displaying stick figures on my truck fenders a la fighter/bomber plane kill markings

    Reply
    1. PowerTryp Avatar
      PowerTryp

      Cut them in half diagonally and put them on sideways. Oh and make sure you use the children stickers.

      Reply
      1. SSurfer321 Avatar
        SSurfer321

        Children, pets, a handicap symbol and maybe the outline of a small compact car

        Reply
  11. IronBallsMcG Avatar
    IronBallsMcG

    That is the one that makes me irrationally burn with the white hot fury of a thousand suns.

    Reply
  12. Maxichamp Avatar
    Maxichamp

    Those dolls creep me out.

    Reply
  13. Stephen Hood Avatar
    Stephen Hood

    Memorials on the back window. Bobby Joe 1971-2008. When did cars become tombstones? Oh, truck nuts!

    Reply
    1. IronBallsMcG Avatar
      IronBallsMcG

      Only acceptable if the deceased is in the trunk.
      Bonus points for hookers.

      Reply
    2. RahRahRecords Avatar
      RahRahRecords

      I've been seeing more and more of those lately and I have the same response. It makes me wonder if they died in the car?

      Reply
  14. $kaycog Avatar
    $kaycog

    I agree with truck nutz, and I also dislike the "pee on" stickers.
    <img src="http://s.ecrater.com/stores/130382/4ad2d53bbf52d_130382n.jpg"width="500"/&gt;

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      This is the only one I think is even halfway entertaining, but I still wouldn't put it on my car.
      <img src="http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/CalvinPublicUrination.jpg"&gt;

      Reply
      1. $kaycog Avatar
        $kaycog

        That does make me laugh!

        Reply
    2. tonyola Avatar
      tonyola

      The author of Calvin & Hobbes has never licensed any of his creations for merchandising or advertising beyond books, so he doesn't even get anything for all the pissing Calvins. I'm sure he's not happy about these. I've seen some praying Calvins too.
      <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_whpaUfj0ONc/TCJ-AMYoUPI/AAAAAAAAAcw/lHAsx8Mw0ZM/s1600/UD0013.jpg&quot; width=400>

      Reply
      1. $kaycog Avatar
        $kaycog

        I didn't know that. Some people have made a lot of money off these stickers. I'd be unhappy too.

        Reply
      2. Smells_Homeless Avatar
        Smells_Homeless

        Oh, I'm sure the praying Calvin's make Watterson just crazy.

        Reply
        1. Deartháir Avatar
          Deartháir

          Praying Calvin makes me seethe with rage.

          Reply
          1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
            Smells_Homeless

            And where the hell did that apostrophe come from? Rogue! Rogue, I yell ya.

    3. discontinuuity Avatar
      discontinuuity

      I saw this at the Pike's Peak Hill Climb (sooo many rednecks) and had a good lol.
      <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4420978527_f460892a4a.jpg"&gt;

      Reply
  15. RichardKopf Avatar
    RichardKopf

    Those ovals used in Europe to tell where cars were registered; used as advertisements in the U.S.

    Reply
    1. Maxichamp Avatar
      Maxichamp

      Yeah, I'm not impressed that you live in AV (Aliso Viejo) or RSM (Rancho Santa Margarita).

      Reply
    2. discontinuuity Avatar
      discontinuuity

      I've seen a few clever ones in Colorado: Pb for Leadville, and Au for Golden.

      Reply
  16. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
    BigRedCaveTroll

    I'm not sure how many of you gentlemen have frequented the likes of Jacksonville, North Carolina (more precisely Camp Lejeune), but that place has the most annoying automotive personalizations ever, ever. Military bases as a whole seem to have this problem, but none as bad as Camp Lejeune. There are so many "His Boots/Her Flops" (which is ironic because you really aren't allowed to wear flip-flops on base), "Marine Wife: Toughest Job in the Corps," "Semper Fi: Marine Wife" (which I always get a chuckle out of), little stick figure families which often include pets, EGAs, claymore trailer hitches, rank insignia, displays of ribbons and all other sorts of motivated nonsense. Then on top of that you have the standard fare of tackiness that's been mentioned above.

    Reply
    1. BGW Avatar
      BGW

      A friend just moved from Asheville NC to Jacksonville (for work, because nobody would voluntarily relocate there)- the automotive culture shock was immense. That whole Jacksonville/Fayetteville/Goldsboro military triangle is pretty rough vehicularly, but they do have the Most Awesomest Thing Ever: Drive-up ice machines. BRILLIANT!

      Reply
      1. Bubba Avatar
        Bubba

        I looked into moving to Jacksonville FL for work a few years ago. In 40 years of living all over the South, I have never seen such a common display of the confederate flag on vehicles as I did in JAX. Every other car had it in some form or the other literally. Their city was also one of the most segregated and separate places I've ever seen, more so than comparably sized cities in Alabama even. I couldn't bring myself to make the move there. I want more diversity in my surroundings…And I'm as WASPy as they come.

        Reply
    2. buzzboy7 Avatar
      buzzboy7

      I drive through on my way to school. Oh it scares me.
      On a second note though, there is beautiful old stude on 17 south as you're leaving town. Everytime I drive by I stare longinly.

      Reply
      1. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
        BigRedCaveTroll

        I'll have to check that out when I go back there in a couple weeks.

        Reply
  17. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    Vanity plates that mean absolutely nothing. I assume those are your initials and maybe you're a doctor? That's my best guess for you, "MEK PHD". Some can be clever, but vanity plates in general are pretty lame.
    I had to talk my sister out of opting for one with her name on it, though it helped that the dealer registered her car the same day and vanity plates weren't an option.

    Reply
    1. Lotte Avatar
      Lotte

      Lame in general and especially if you're trying too hard, but sometimes it's amusing to see what gets past the DMV. There's a black(?) Acura TSX runnin' round my neck of the woods with the plate "JERKS" No kidding. Okay, it's not like it's a bad bad word but I would'n't have expected that to go through.

      Reply
    2. Hoonda Avatar
      Hoonda

      I don't remember how to post images on this commenting system, but the two wierdest/lamest vanity plates I've seen have got to be a plate that simple had the number "1" in the center on the back of a BMW 3-series, and another that said "CUPFACE" on a jeep commander. Sometimes you don't want to know the backstory.

      Reply
    3. FЯeeMan Avatar
      FЯeeMan

      My dad once saw a Saab in the Portland area driven by a well dressed, older lady. The plate read SNAAB.

      Reply
  18. topdeadcentre Avatar
    topdeadcentre

    Those little stick-on yachting flags that spell out the owner's initials, placed below the window on the driver's side door. Extra tackiness puts the wife's initials on the front passenger door.
    These are almost exclusively seen on big American luxury barges. I'm not sure if they're at all common outside New England.

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous
      Reply
    2. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      My dad has had a big round brass keychain titled "YACHT KEYS" with the keys to any one of the lame cars hes has owned for as long as I can remember. A very cool, very subtle nautical accessory. Someday it will grace my keyring and I will think of how stupid he looked driving our purple minivan.

      Reply
      1. AlexiusG55 Avatar
        AlexiusG55

        And of course, that's the last thing you want to attach your yacht keys to- every set I've seen have been attached to a big cork ball so they float.

        Reply
    3. discontinuuity Avatar
      discontinuuity

      I've never seen them, but I've lived in land-locked midwestern states most of my life.

      Reply
  19. ZomBee Racer Avatar
    ZomBee Racer

    I agree, but give rare obscure cars a pass.
    I myself have one that no one has ever heard of, thus I put the model designation as the plate. It wasn't real creative, but hopefully somewhat informative and might even cause people to look it up.
    The above Shelby however is at the other end of the Captain Obvious spectrum.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5616414089_a0555728ee.jpg&quot; width="450">
      <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5617014146_7b4269f5f8.jpg&quot; width="450">
      I've used my vehicle's serial number as a plate, but only when the vehicle in question was yellow, had a fiberglass body, and was equipped with round tail lights. Otherwise it'd just feel weird.

      Reply
    2. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      You have an obscure car that no one ever heard of, or a plate that no one ever heard of?
      <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vanishing_point_oa_5599_tshirt-p235115374148983426q6yv_400.jpg&quot; width=500>

      Reply
  20. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    Reminds me of just about every Dodge Charger / Magnum I saw when I went down south to visit my friend in Miami. Once we passed the Mason-Dixon line on the way back they started to thin out.

    Reply
  21. Joe Dunlap Avatar
    Joe Dunlap

    Its always fun to see the band wagon jumpers with their laker flags flying during the playoffs. Theyre everywhere, untll they lose. Next day, nothing

    Reply
  22. topdeadcentre Avatar
    topdeadcentre

    Sports-team window decals with a figure of the sport (hockey, cheerleading, football, field hockey, ballet) and an inscription like "Heather Sue, 2011-2012, Arkham Elementary School Cheerleading"
    Which probably leads to, "Why, um, hello Heather Sue! Your mom couldn't make it here to pick you up today, so she sent me! Jump right in!"

    Reply
    1. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      My friend made sure to call the Montana "the field hockey van" at least once whenever I was stuck driving it, thanks to one of those. I just let him think the demasculation got to me, but actually it still kinda did.

      Reply
  23. Hoonda Avatar
    Hoonda

    Confederate Flags. I see them all the time in the northeast for some reason. It really makes me wonder what the owners of these cars are thinking. Do they really think that what the confederacy stood for was a good thing? Because I'm sure there are a lot of people that might disagree about which side was more in the right during the civil war, and express their sentiment on your beloved pickup truck. Especially in more urban areas.
    I'm white and I want to throw a brick at their car when I see that.

    Reply
    1. SSurfer321 Avatar
      SSurfer321

      Heritage/History not hate.
      So by your logic, you want to throw a brick through The General Lee?

      Reply
      1. mdharrell Avatar
        mdharrell
        Reply
      2. Hoonda Avatar
        Hoonda

        But the problem is, I'm in upstate NY. These are the wannabe rednecks that live in suburbs and drive big pickup trucks that are never towing anything or see mud.
        The civil war era was not a part of our history those from the south should be especially proud of, for that whole slavery thing. Oh cool, you guys decided to take your ball go home because you didn't want to stop selling people as agricultural equipment, then lost a war about it. Real reason to be proud right there. Maybe the germans should be proud of what their country was doing between 1935-1945 for the same reason.
        And yeah, despite how iconic it is, the General Lee is still pretty dumb. Not as dumb as the orange honda element I saw with a General Lee paint scheme. If I saw a General Lee replica, I wouldn't feel a need to vandalize it because its just a stupid replica of a car from a yokel soap opera. A trip to Maaco and it can regain its dignity as a normal charger. Brand new ford super duty with the stars and bars on the rear window in the middle of albany? Complete toolbag behind the wheel.

        Reply
        1. SSurfer321 Avatar
          SSurfer321

          The Civil War Era is something to be proud of and remembered. It's when Americans weren't afraid to stand up for what they believe in, right or wrong. It's when the government feared its constituents, not the other way around.
          The Civil War also was not solely about slavery. It was about States Rights vs. Federal Rights. It was about economical and social differences between the manufacturing North and the plantation South.
          Abraham Lincoln would abolish slavery but seven states had seceded from the Union prior to his election in 1860.
          And just because slavery was abolished under Lincoln, segregation didn't begin to be abolished until the 1950's.
          /steps off soapbox
          But yeah, I don't see how a Confederate Flag belongs in subdivisions in Upstate New York. Maybe Autozone ran out of white wolf window decals.

          Reply
          1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
            Peter Tanshanomi

            "The Civil War Era is something to be proud of and remembered."
            Remembered, yes, but proud of? Americans took up arms against each other and the conflict eventually killed 1 out of every 30 Americans. I am not sure what's to be proud of there.

          2. Jennings R. Scroggs, Jr. Avatar
            Jennings R. Scroggs, Jr.

            Yes, it was about "states rights". The Federal Govt said they were going to abolish slavery, and the southern states told them to get bent. South Carolina's declaration of secession specifically mentioned the expected impending federal abolition of slavery as it's reason for leaving the union. Once the Federal Government removed troops from the South in 1877 (as a result of the Compromise of 1877 aka 'the corrupt bargain'), Southerners were free to strip newly freed slaves of their rights via Jim Crow legislation to maintain a form of soft slavery. The institution of slavery, and the apartheid system that supplanted it, are at their root, deeply immoral. Dress it however you like, but it's still shameful…for all Americans.
            /history major with ancestors who undoubtedly owned slaves.

    2. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      It gets worse – I've seen them on pickups in Canada. It doesn't matter if we're in Southern Ontario, it doesn't count as the South.

      Reply
    3. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      Confederate flags are useful indicators of either the drivers intelligence or taste in 80s television.
      A friend I worked with last summer spent some of his money on his newly acquired 2000-ish Grand Prix two door. He had a Browning tattoo, chewed grizzly wintergreen, and listened to country so hardcore I actually started to like it, in other words, this guy worked hard for his redneck status. He wanted to paint the flag on his car but all he could manage was a dinky 6" sticker. Still, from then on that car was known as the "General Prix".

      Reply
  24. hwyengr Avatar
    hwyengr

    This backfired on me when I was young and stupid, and is how I ended up with a '92 SHO with the plates "VWGTI 86".

    Reply
    1. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      My former next door neighbor bought a used car with a personalized plate left on by the first owner. It implied the owner was of loose virtue. My neighbor was in her teens when she bought the car, and waited what I thought was a longer than appropriate time to replace it with state-issued random characters.

      Reply
    2. ptschett Avatar
      ptschett

      I used to work with a fellow whose white Saturn wagon wore "BKNBLK" plates. I asked how that had come to be, figuring he was simply showing his fandom for AC/DC. Turned out the plates had originally been for his previous car, a black Falcon wagon.

      Reply
  25. njhoon Avatar
    njhoon

    Agreeed. I did see one that was rather inventive and snarky at the same time, I am pretty sure it was on a 356 that read 'RealOne'.

    Reply
  26. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    My LeSabre is one of the few cars that could legitimately wears fake hood ports, since they were a long Buick tradition. However, I don't even have them since Buick left them off many '80s and '90s models. No, I'm not going to stick some on, either.
    <img src="http://image.motortrend.com/f/27954710+w750/buick-ventiports-1954-four-roadster.jpg&quot; width=400>

    Reply
    1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
      Smells_Homeless

      You're missing out. Six per side and – biggety bam! – instant v12 upgrade.

      Reply
  27. dragon951 Avatar
    dragon951

    I may be in the minority, but I dislike most add-on decor. The car was styled without your bumper sticker in mind, and in two years the comment will be irrelevant and you will be tearing it off anyways, messing up your paint in the process. Of course, then we get into racing stripes and decals (which can be done tastefully) or air-brushing (usually a lower tasteful quotient) which totally messes up my general philosophy. Let's go with this:
    1. If it doesn't require professional installation, you are likely heading for fail.
    2. If it does, it should look factory installed, else likely fail.
    3. If you satisfy 1 and 2, you are probably in the realm of acceptable taste, but not necessarily (see picture below).
    <img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kwl3feY4l81qzhb89o1_500.jpg&quot; width=400 />

    Reply
    1. tonyola Avatar
      tonyola

      Yeah, butterscotch leather and op-art checker cloth. Who slipped LSD into the Porsche designers' coffee?

      Reply
    2. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      That interior is freakin' awesome. I would rock it proudly.

      Reply
      1. muthalovin Avatar
        muthalovin

        I totally dig it. Its just obscene enough.

        Reply
  28. nitroracer Avatar
    nitroracer

    Any hood scoop that has an installation procedure of peel and stick.
    <img src="http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/2/4884/2821/24708910026_large.jpg&quot; size="600">

    Reply
    1. ptschett Avatar
      ptschett

      It seems like every white crew-cab 4×4 pickup has those around here. I don't get it.

      Reply
  29. smokyburnout Avatar
    smokyburnout

    When I'm working on someone else's car, pictures of their loved ones/years-old funeral announcements/lucky charms in the gauge binnacle blocking things.
    This crap too:
    <img src="http://www.shoptoolsshoptools.com/images/pedals22.jpg"/&gt;
    What's with people saying "IMG from _______"? Did I miss a memo?

    Reply
    1. SSurfer321 Avatar
      SSurfer321

      A bit of “netiquette”: this whole process of embedding an image hosted somewhere else is known as hotlinking. If you hotlink someone else’s image for our comments, the courteous thing to do is include a link back to the page where you found it.
      http://hooniverse.info/2010/08/03/how-to-embed-ima…

      Reply
    2. muthalovin Avatar
      muthalovin

      Its just a courtesy thing. It is not required, but just shows that we are not a bunch of image stealers.

      Reply
    3. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      The previous owner of my fiancee's car installed those fake pedals. Problem is, they got the set for a manual transmission, and her car is an automatic. I'm not sure if bolting together the clutch and brake is ingenuity or stupidity.

      Reply
    4. Smells_Homeless Avatar
      Smells_Homeless

      My car came with those from the factory. They're my least favorite "feature" of the car by a large margin.

      Reply
  30. Hopman Avatar
    Hopman

    Okay, I'm fine with stickers on a vehicle, as long as they aren't offensive. I actually have five on the back window of my truck: Red Wing Boots (it's what I wear), "Euro"-style ovals for IMS (Indy Motor Speedyway, which I got on a road trip) and NH (for New Hampshire, which I am proud to be from), and two ski area stickers: Gunstock at Pat's Peak.
    I do agree that those family stickers are a bit nasty.

    Reply
  31. Brett MacPherson Avatar
    Brett MacPherson

    You folks would absolutely hate to live around here. (Southeastern New Brunswick. Canada, not Jersey.) It would blow your mind how many people affix fake hood scoops to not just their hoods but their roof too. I've seen stick on port holes on every car imaginable, and plenty of trucks as well, usually newer Rams.
    Since WalMart starting carrying "GT" and "V6" logos, just about every Civic and Focus has had an engine swap, judging by the badging. A popular one on trucks is a rectangular chrome decal which is placed around the badging on the doors and tailgate.

    Reply
  32. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    Putting higher level badging on a car that's clearly nothing special – we all know your flatulent E36 with the gaudy chrome rims isn't an M3 (and frankly, we're thankful you didn't ruin one).
    As an addendum, I saw a jelly bean Ford Escort with Contour badging – I have no idea what was going through the owner's mind, but I probably approve.

    Reply
    1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
      FuzzyPlushroom

      I'd prefer the Mk4 Golf I saw once that was totally stock aside from its "TOUAREG" badging. If you didn't know what a Golf was, it might have looked stock; as it was, I was greatly amused.

      Reply
      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        I would drive the hell out of a 4WD V10 TDi Golf.

        Reply
  33. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
    FuzzyPlushroom

    His name is Alfred, and he lost one of his hands in a threshing machine when he was seventeen.

    Reply
  34. TurboBrick Avatar
    TurboBrick

    This! I don't know why, but seeing these offends me more than it should. It's wrong, it's tacky, there's an incorrect number of them and they're always crooked.

    Reply
  35. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    I saw one the other day that said "C-NIK."
    I didn't get it at first, until I realized that it was on a Saturn Vue.
    Groan.

    Reply
  36. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    This:
    <img width="500" src="http://indesertum.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/coexist-bumpersticker.jpg"&gt;
    Because, invariably it is stuck on the back of some self-absorbed, overly idealistic, yappy bitch's car, sitting in the middle of the road/lane while she talks to one of her hippy friends holding up traffic. It's also fun when you get cut off or nearly run off the road by someone yapping on their cell phone drinking their oversized latte with one of these on their car.
    Besides, I don't like people and I don't want to coexist with anyone but my wife and my dog.

    Reply
    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      I saw a second-gen Prius one day that had two of those; one on each rear quarter. Coexist? Tell that to Osama bin Laden.

      Reply
    2. IronBallsMcG Avatar
      IronBallsMcG

      Didn't think of that as an accessory. If it had occurred to me my head probably would have exploded.
      Co-opting other people's religious symbols for your self-absorbed message pisses me off. I'm not a particularly religious person, but I think using the Star of David as an "x," or any of the other mis-appropriations shown above, for a message like this is one of the most BS things I've seen in my life.

      Reply
    3. discontinuuity Avatar
      discontinuuity

      I too have been cut off by a douchebag in a Pius rocking one of these stickers, along with one or two espousing Buddhism.

      Reply
  37. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    <img src="http://www.recidivism.org/images/showdogs.png"&gt;

    Reply
    1. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      If you must make other drivers aware that you indeed have dogs, this is the only way to go. And yes it has to be a Crew Cab Sweptline.
      <img src="http://www.imcdb.org/i028854.jpg&quot; width="600">
      via imcdb

      Reply
    2. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
      FuzzyPlushroom

      I'm convinced that there's something fundamentally wrong with Aerostar owners, since the only people I knew well who had one were mentally unhinged and had a few purebred Keeshonds (with appropriate, or perhaps inappropriate, messages to that extent on their van).
      Well, I'll forgive Agey, he seems okay.

      Reply
  38. LTDScott Avatar
    LTDScott

    Since the subject came up, what's the consensus on my personalized plates? The previous owner put them on the car and I've kept them:
    <img src="http://www.ltdlx.org/albums/SVT-LTD/DSCN2642_Medium.sized.jpg"&gt;
    I like it because it is a subtle hint at what the car is under the skin – essentially an LTD if Ford's SVT division had put it together.
    But on the other hand, it's kinda ricey since the car isn't an actual SVT product. Plus a normal plate would help the sleeper vibe.
    I actually wish I could get the original blue/yellow or white sunshine plates, but it's not possible.

    Reply
    1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
      Smells_Homeless

      I like it. It's an homage to something that could have happened.

      Reply
    2. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      I think you could do everything mentioned above and it would still barely quell this car's cool. In fact, I would heartily approve.

      Reply
    3. JayP Avatar
      JayP

      That car is awesome.

      Reply
    4. vwminispeedster Avatar
      vwminispeedster

      I dig it. Although with a such a cool car it doesn't need to advertise its awesomeness to the general public. I'd rather stay under the radar.
      However, with that said, I had HOPKIRK on my 2005 MINI Cooper even though it was all white and didn't have any racecar numbers on the doors. I was actually surprised some "real" Mini didn't already have it. Dad's 1972 Citroen DS21 has the plates "PLUSH". I had "WADLOW" (tall guy in a small car from the Simpsons) on my 1968 VW bug. My next car though will just have sequential plates.

      Reply
      1. LTDScott Avatar
        LTDScott

        HOPKIRK is rad for a Mini.

        Reply
    5. west_coaster Avatar
      west_coaster

      But given the era of the car, shouldn't it be "SVO" instead? SVT came along later.

      Reply
      1. LTDScott Avatar
        LTDScott

        That is true, although most of the "hot" Ford bits on the car are from '93-95 Mustang Cobras.

        Reply
        1. west_coaster Avatar
          west_coaster

          I'm sure there are guys with vintage Toyota Land Cruisers who sport "TRD" mud flaps, etc.

          Reply
  39. RichardKopf Avatar
    RichardKopf

    Disclaimer: I am not against troops or in favor of breast cancer, but I absolutely HATE those stupid magnetic ribbons.

    Reply
    1. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      I think more than the ribbons, I hate the "If you stand against our troops, please feel free to stand in front of them" bumper stickers. It's great to show support, but to drown out the other side of a rather complex issue with thinly veiled threats of violence doesn't really do anyone any good.

      Reply
  40. Mad_Hungarian Avatar
    Mad_Hungarian

    1. Big monograms on the back window.
    2. The stick figures are bad enough in general, but I've seen a version in which each character comes with an accessory — Dad has a fishing pole, Mom a tennis racket, Sonny a skateboard, etc.

    Reply
    1. IronBallsMcG Avatar
      IronBallsMcG

      I'd prefer Dad has a mistress, Mom has a vibrator, Sonny has a learning disability and gender issues…

      Reply
  41. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    Those don't bother me so much, but I happen to know the guy whose heavily modified turbo-Neon has "SRT 4".

    Reply
  42. MattC Avatar
    MattC

    This is right up my wheelhouse. I personally abhor the vast majority of "personalizations" most people place in their cars.
    My list (in no particular order):
    1) "In Memory Of" stickers. i personally think it is a highly inappropriate way to memoralize a loved on
    2) truck nuts = white trash
    3) Calvin pissing on whatever brand" = take on of the most cherished cartoons (whose creator decided to end while at its height, then to sell out ala Charlie Brown) and debase it with petty rivalries
    4) Fake portholes = even better when more is better or placed haphazardly
    5) Fake spinner wheelcovers
    6) small stuffed animals crowding in the back window
    7) Rattle can flat black painted panels. Flat paints are notoriously difficult to apply professionally and is highlighted even more by an amateur with several cans
    8) fart cans+ usually go hand in hand with poorly applied flat paint jobs on an economy car with no hubcaps and rusty steelies.

    Reply
    1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
      FuzzyPlushroom

      I don't mind flat black trim or detailing, but doing an entire car that way doesn't usually work. Satin or gloss black is fine, generally, but flat paint just doesn't do well. I'm down with chalkboard hoods/trunks on cars square enough to pull them off, so long as the owner keeps a box of chalk in the glove compartment for that purpose.
      Of course, a single flat black/grey panel often looks like you ran into something and were too cheap to paint the replacement…

      Reply
  43. Irish Avatar
    Irish

    Just because they're marketed towards men doesn't mean we said you can't have one. I'm almost ashamed with how easily these irritate me. http://feeds2.yourstorewizards.com/2063/images/fu… http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz165/blosson_…
    And of course" http://familycarstickers.org/wp-content/uploads/d…
    We don't care.

    Reply
    1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
      FuzzyPlushroom

      Ale Cheetos? Is that a new flavour of which I'm unaware?

      Reply
  44. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    It's funny you mentioned those. I saw some on the way to work this morning, and I thought to myself, I should start taking cellphone pictures of those and put them up on a Flickr! page. I especially like it when people put on those stick-on Escalade-style air extractors, and put them on backwards.

    Reply
  45. LTDScott Avatar
    LTDScott

    You can do that in California too, but only up to 1972 models.

    Reply
  46. packratmatt Avatar
    packratmatt

    I think the best (worst) has been covered but I hate the 13.1 and 26.2 stickers.

    Reply
  47. Lotte Avatar
    Lotte

    Oh, I've finally got one: Tinted lights, especially full black-out tails. Things like brake pedal covers, big wheels, or too-much-dolls-in-the-window don't really bother me (I find it good, actually, that someone is at least mildly interested in their own car…), but when your customization leads to me not being able to see clearly whether you're braking, wanting to change lanes, etc. then it becomes my problem, too. Then it can annoying.
    I guess this also includes cheap aftermarket tails with bulbs that seem more fit to be inside a "Try Me!" valentines bear with light-up cheeks than inside an automobile taillight cluster.

    Reply
    1. smokyburnout Avatar
      smokyburnout

      I think you've just inspired me to go off on a bit of a tangent.
      Annoying lighting mods!
      Crappy aftermarket, installed-by-idiot Altezza taillights, broken lenses, or anything else that causes blinding white (sometimes blinking!) light to erupt from the rear of a car at night.
      LED taillights without proper resistors that strobe instead of blink.
      People who drive at night with just crappy aftermarket (or, on at least one occasion, stock BMW) halos and foglights on instead of their low beams.
      VW/Audi guys who drive with their Euro-style rear foglights on during clear nights.

      Reply
    2. west_coaster Avatar
      west_coaster

      That's also a problem on sport motorcycles. Some genius will decide that he wants to customize his bike by installing "low profile" signals, and tail/brake lights. Usually, they're very low quality, made in China, and have about one fourth the light output of the OEM units.
      Nice move, dude. You choose to ride a vehicle that already has a risk of not being seen, and you purposely make it that much harder to see by an increasingly inattentive driving populace.

      Reply
  48. sporty88 Avatar
    sporty88

    Here (Sydney, Australia) the local police gave out stickers a few years ago with the slogan "Cops are tops" as part of their PR program. As soon as they started turning up on cars (usually driven by somebody who got their licence out of a cornflakes packet), my first thought was that they were saying "Please reward this shameless attempt at sucking up by not booking me".

    Reply
    1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
      FuzzyPlushroom

      While this is true in most of the adult films I've seen, there are a few rare examples of bottoms.
      (Charles couldn't be here today, so I've stood in for him.)

      Reply
  49. Jesse Avatar
    Jesse

    Mine says 92X WRX. Saabaru was taken. Bastards.

    Reply
  50. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
    FuzzyPlushroom

    After careful assessment of the above comments, I've decided that my 745 needs only two decorations: a Human Rights Campaign sticker inside the left corner of the rear window and "Gun Control Means Using Both Hands" in the other. Fuck with everyone's head.

    Reply
    1. skitter Avatar
      skitter

      Not quite, as there's no fundamental conflict between those positions.
      Edit: Quite honestly, don't mistreat other people, also make sure no one else does is the core of my philosophy.

      Reply
      1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
        FuzzyPlushroom

        And likewise. My point is that folks on far opposites of the political spectrum tend to favour some rights but not others – and I like the vast majority of 'em.

        Reply