Car modification: who do you do it for?

It struck me recently that the whole car modification scene is def not quite straight cut stuff as you once might have thought.

If you ask anyone on any car forum this question 'who do you modify for',you will get an almost unreserved answer, 'i modify for myself,to please myself', followed by, 'If someone doesnt like it then thats there problem not mine'.

But i thought to myself is this actually true?

When you consider a ton of posts on forums where someone asks for your opinion if a set of wheels looks nice? why would you ask if you were only pleasing you?

Ok so you "value" other peoples opinions but isnt this the same thing? Arent you really asking for general approval?

Im starting to believe this is more the case than ever before.
Those who spend 1000's on there cars who compete in modified national events are trying to do something that catches your eye but stay within the realm of what the scene is dictating.

Trend setting is a big thumbs up in my book and taking risks with ideas can only be a good thing.But who gets to say what is cool,nice,tasteful,amazing and whats utter tosh,trying to hard,old hat or just plain tacky?

The whole subject is a double edged sword in my honest opinion.Ive seen it dozens of times and been on the other end of it too.When you show what your doing,what choices you made and you sometimes get an overwhelming thumbs down.

So ok,its not a case of whos right and whos wrong,but clearly you need to respect the fact that a whole community of like minded folk all thrive on each others ideas,passion and forward thinking.

This also works in reverse doesnt it.If you have total approval from bumper to bumper would you still ignore the masses and take it apart and go another route?

I get the feeling the whole subjective attitude to making a car in terms of 'its my car and i modify to please me',isnt as truthful as it once appeared.

There is the outside chance your right and you need to see a project thru so all the parts come together as a whole and it just simply works,simple as that.
And there are cars that regardless of the mega cash that went into them,the owner just had zero taste whatsoever and no amount of telling them cuts it lol.

So amongst us all there is a dying breed of modders who really are switched onto there own taste and wont care for any outside remarks.To the point of taking it very personally indeed.Like the car has become there one and only means of expression and therefore deeply personal for it.

I cant knock that cos i can relate but it obviously opens a can of worms cos some replies arent as kind as they could be despite the culture for open forum discussion.

I have asked once perhaps twice for suggestions over a part for a car ive owned and both times i came away feeling it hadnt changed what i wanted or my opinion of where i was going for the final projects look.

I think its fair to say you need to flesh out all your ideas in once form or another to learn for yourself whats good or bad.Even if several hundred people are screaming 'dont do it'!! lol,sometimes learning the hard way,is the only way.

Having chewed the fat over it im still not convinced we all modify purely for us.
Im of the belief now that you do seek some approval for what you strive for.
Even the merest recognition that you hit the right spot usually does the trick.

And yes,it is a very personal expressive thing to modify a car and christ knows why it becomes so serious but it does.From the choice of spark plugs right up to big custom bumpers and foreign wheels no one knows about.