quicksilver Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 This thread reminds me of a book my local library used to have. I think it was called 'Improve & Modify - Ford Escort & Orion' and was published by Haynes, back in the mid 90s when Escorts were cheap and commonplace. Anyway, it was full of instructions for improving* your Escort by fitting stuff like tailblazers, backflashes, louvres, grilles with extra lamps and other such shit. No doubt there were others in the series inflicting the same treatment on other cars too, but such a book just wouldn't exist nowadays. 1duck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_the_cat Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 We still have the one for the Peugeot 205! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 I had a massive problem with some of the Tailblazers as a kid. Let me explain....I also had a problem with trailblazers.... I remember a VW Jetta (on an E plate) which had one between the tail lights, number plate having been relocated to the bumper...And that was it. It just offended my sense of where stuff fitted on a car, some plates were close to touching the ground as well fitted on like an after thought. In Belgium this was quite popular. I hated seeing plates being relocated because of trailblazers, some if which looked absolutely wank anyway. Pillock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 A trend which would be repeated in the late 90s with "smoothed" bootlids, handily* replacing the numberplate recess with five kilos of filler and requiring a trip to the caravan spares shop for a new light for your numberplate that's now awkwardly screwed to the bumper. w00dy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyCat Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Lot's of Jap stuff had them from the factory... Honda Civics... Preludes... Aus spec Concerto Mazda 323f Probably many others too. inconsistant, jumpingjehovahs and MorrisItalSLX 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoss Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Hella twin light grilles are fantastic This one may* be a little too much. mercrocker, worldofceri, fordperv and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 I remember those really crappy fragile looking RGA kits for unlikely stuff like Cortinas. I’d be surprised if any lasted longer than the first strong wind on a Motorway. mk2_craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 20170528134334_IMG_6931.JPG20180527095443_IMG_7104.JPG20180527102252_IMG_7121.JPG20170528111823_IMG_6891.JPGThis one may* be a little too much. 20170528134609_IMG_6933.JPGOooffff here a couple of fords blakey79, Yoss and worldofceri 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandamonium Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 My little boy is obsessed with finding cars where the 'lights go all the way across', I'll now be able to tell him what they are called! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinmasters Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Factory fitted you say? blakey79, bunglebus and mercrocker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldofceri Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Hey, does anyone remember you used to be able to buy a kit to make your Cortina look (a bit) like a BMW E30? Or have I just imagined this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebus Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 No filler in my tailgate thank you! Fiesta3 by RS, on Flickr worldofceri 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 This picture has just appeared on my Facebook feed. jumpingjehovahs, ShiteRider, robinmasters and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 No filler in my tailgate thank you! Fiesta3 by RS, on FlickrSurely if you had a MK1 Fiesta, you could easily "smooth" the tailgate by fitting one off a MK2? Whereas you've inexplicably just relocated the plate without touching the bootlid Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadworkUK Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Off topic, but I have ill will for anybody who repositions their front numberplate to an off-centre position for purely aesthetic 'gain'. It's often a square plate, too, because import, innit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 You could actually buy the smoothed tailgate skins off the shelf aftermarket but most people needless to say bodged it. Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 You could actually buy the smoothed tailgate skins off the shelf aftermarket but most people needless to say bodged it.Alot of the time a trip to the scrappy showed a door which had a similar profile to match the tailgate you were doing so no need to use 50 tubs of easy sand, simply take a cut and weld it in then minimal filler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadhg Tiogar Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Actually what other factory efforts were there? I can think of Audi 90 ... Yes, my Audi 90 had that. I thought it looked alright, apart from the fact that the bootlid wouldn't shut properly because of a previous shunt that the previous owner had repaired by having it pulled out on a jig, but then hadn't finished the job..... Off topic, but I have ill will for anybody who repositions their front numberplate to an off-centre position for purely aesthetic 'gain'. It's often a square plate, too, because import, innit. This is the whole Alfa 156 thing. Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Off topic, but I have ill will for anybody who repositions their front numberplate to an off-centre position for purely aesthetic 'gain'. It's often a square plate, too, because import, innit.Best of all is when they fit an import style plate onto a standard UK recess so it doesn't quite fit. Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 factory you say? MorrisItalSLX, Nicola H, jumpingjehovahs and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselassist Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Hey, does anyone remember you used to be able to buy a kit to make your Cortina look (a bit) like a BMW E30? Or have I just imagined this? there was such a thing; think it's USP was the 'twin kidney' grill 'conversion to the mk4/ mk5 'Tina and a boot spoiler and side skirts; I remember a company advertising in the back page of Street Machine or Custom car, selling various tacky kits and they had felt tipp drawn 'renderings' of the car with one fitted; the artist clearly didn't feel motivated to make a decent job of it, and it looked like a drunken scribble, where the rest of the mk3/4 escorts n sierras were well captured... I remember looking at the ad n wondering who would actually part with coin for such a thing; how could anyone bar the visually impaired buy the 'its a BMW' ruse... I actually saw a tina with this 'kit' - all straight diamond white respray to 'everything' - had a Donegal reg. visiting Cavan town one weekend a rally was on; he had gone 'full hogg 'n stuck BMW and 3201 badges on it; the driver and his occupants looked suitably mentally deranged ... JeeExEll and worldofceri 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1duck Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 This thread reminds me of a book my local library used to have. I think it was called 'Improve & Modify - Ford Escort & Orion' and was published by Haynes, back in the mid 90s when Escorts were cheap and commonplace. Anyway, it was full of instructions for improving* your Escort by fitting stuff like tailblazers, backflashes, louvres, grilles with extra lamps and other such shit. No doubt there were others in the series inflicting the same treatment on other cars too, but such a book just wouldn't exist nowadays. I actually have one for a corsa sitting around somewhere, i'm kindof hoping it was the last iteration of the series. I was bought it by a well meaning uncle or such like, despite never having owned a corsa or shown any interest in corsas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 They also occurred vestigially as an option on the Mk 3 Cavalier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slacky Posted September 28, 2018 Share Posted September 28, 2018 Couple of mine -???? dieselassist and Lacquer Peel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyG Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 The most unlikely car for the full RGA treatment was the Volvo 240 series, didn't stop making them all the bits though. I never saw one outside the RGA catalogue. Side skirts on a 240? insanity. The Granada Mk2 and Rover SD1 kits were nearly as bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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