Search the Community

An image of an LTA officer checking the undercarriage of a Mazda RX8 with a flashlight is circulating on WhatsApp group chats and social media. In the image (see full image below), we can tell that this incident happened sometime at night and it's at a HDB estate. Image taken from Roads.sg Just so you know, LTA officers are obligated to come down and visit you whenever they receive a complaint about your vehicle. It could be illegal parking matters or of course illegal modifications, which is exactly what the LTA officer is checking for in the image. The best part about these visits is that you won’t even know about them! Upon inspection and if found guilty of modification violations, you’ll only hear about their visit through a letter from LTA accompanied with a fine/summon that will probably tear a hole through your *censored*. Why people want to “sabo” you If you’ve done modifications to your car and someone made a complaint against you, it could be a couple of reasons 1. They have nothing better to do and damn cb 2. They cannot tolerate the disturbance your car causes to the neighbourhood Generally when people complain, it’s because of No.2. What should you do if you don’t want people to call the polis? LTA has very clear guidelines as to what modifications need or don’t need LTA’s approval. They’ve also included modifications that are specifically not allowed. Everything else not mentioned, is fair game. Taken from LTA.gov.sg Keep within the guidelines and LTA won’t touch your car. As you can see, not everyone appreciates how loud your vehicles are. Especially in residential areas. Like, why? Louder isn’t always better. Facebook comments and feature image taken from Roads.sg Also, we aren't in America where we can own the car for a lifetime. It's just a 10-year lease! Don't need mod lah! Call 1800 2255 582 for the LTA customer service hotline if a car is disrupting your peace.

[extract] I

The Impreza STI with the large scoop will Nevah, Evah die! At least according to our regional modders that is. It has become a major trend with your neighbours up north to make almost every make or model of car out there into an Impreza scoop utilizing monster. Some with head shaking sheer lunacy, like the triple scooped new Proton Saga shown here, or some tastefully done ones. Actually, there are no tastefully done ones I've seen. Except for some earlier GC Imprezas, SF Foresters and other Scoobies that also utilise this scoop. Yes I am limiting the scope of use for Scoobies only, but I'm quite the traditionalist. I do not usually agree with a Mercedes 190e running a Nissan RB26 engine (when you can stuff an AMG Mercedes V8 in it) or a Proton Satria using a B20 Honda VTEC engine (when you could stuff a...actually Proton does not have anything really decent to put inside), or a Perodua Kancil with a NISMO or a RALLIART (may the company rest in piece) sticker plastered on the sides of the car. Anyway, the picture above clearly states that people with Proton Sagas love Subarus. This is the second one I've posted here albeit the first was a 3 tiered scoop version. One should be proud of what one bought, and not be something else, even if it is a lowly Saga. The industrious bloke above bought an RM38K Saga, spent around RM4K for the bodykit and paint, another RM2K for rims and tires, another RM2-3K for ICE and some other mods. You got to hand it to him an 'A' for effort if you can't hand him anything else. Maybe a blindfold would be good. Then there is this car. This is very apt as Toyota owns a part of Subaru nowadays and this could be a prelude of the new AE86 that Toyota and Subaru aims to produce together. It shows a glimpse of what they could produce. Or not produce. Or I suppose part ownership of Subaru would make it a valid use of the Impreza scoop on a Toyota even if the car is already around 20 years old.

I had earlier posted an article on the Subaru Impreza WRX/WRX STI scoop and the various cars utilizing it. This modification is usually done by people to want to make their rides look like they have a gazillion horsepower under their hoods or that these cars really need the extra cooling due to 'having a top mounted intercooler' like an Impreza WRX. Maybe the Toyota Hilux in the picture I posted earlier is a turbo diesel with a top mount intercooler and the scoop is really useful in directing cool air where it is needed the most. But sometimes the scoop is just a dummy intake for the sole purpose of styling and looks. This is like the picture of the Proton Satria turbo conversion above, where the scoop is purely for looks as the intercooler is front mounted. The scoop is redundant. While I do agree that it is their hard earned money and it is their democratic right to spend it on whatever they feel like doing, sometimes you do feel like someone should tell them not to. The following photo is an example of why you should do just that: A new Proton Saga with a triple layered Impreza scoop as mentioned by one of the readers of the previous posting. I just had to search for it. And for the benefit of you readers I have found it on a Malaysian buy-sell site. We all know that if you dress badly you may end up being arrested by the fashion police or at the very least the photo of a very badly dressed you in a fashion magazine as an example of how not to dress. Maybe the car is a show car for some motoring event or to showcase the 'skills' of the fiberglass specialist. But we may still need some policing for car mods like these, regardless whether they are just for motor-shows or events; as some people say too much freedom can be a bad thing. This is all the proof you need that sometimes you HAVE to tell someone they have taken things a little too far.

It seems the Subaru Impreza WRX or the WRX STI Top Mount Intercooler scoop from the version 8 (applied model C to E in Subaru talk) is making headways in every vehicle out there. Check out the Toyota pickup above and you'd see the famous scoop looking its best. Modders are willing to put this scoop on any car they see fit. In Malaysia, I've seen the scoop on a Proton Wira, Proton Waja, the new Proton Saga, a couple of Perodua Kancils, a Perodua Myvi, Hyundai Accents and aside from the two pictures that I have posted here, on a Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo. While it may serve a purpose for directing air into the Airtrek's intercooler better than the smallish NACA type duct on the stock bonnet, I think its blasphemy. Doing a Mitsubishi/Subaru hybrid somehow doesn't gel in my mind. However, the more as I think about Subaru and the scoop, I've also noticed the Subaru rear wing on all sorts of cars, the most surprising is a WRX fishtail rear spoiler on an RX8. It does look pretty decent anyway as the shape does look like it fits the Mazda. What am I saying? A Mazda RX8 does not need to be confused as some other car. It already is a great car. I really wonder what goes on inside the minds of these people. Go buy a Mazdaspeed wing or something Mazda for God's sake! Therefore, I now have to say that Subaru makes the best aftermarket wings, spoilers and scoops in the world (or at least in this region) due to every Ali, John, Lim, Muthu or the DVD seller down the street choosing something that originated from a Subaru for their ride. Maybe Subaru should really copyright their stuff and then claim royalty. Subaru could become one of the largest performance bodyparts supplier or royalty cash machine in the region. Before I end this article, here's another picture with the scoop on the wrong car; and I have to add that the car in the picture, also has Subaru STI seats. I rest my case.