Soup Up a Car and We'll Guess How Old You Are

AUTO

By: Zoe Samuel

5 Min Quiz

Image: Colin Anderson Productions pty ltd / DigitalVision / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Modifying cars is as old as buying them. Still, it was the generation of World War II veterans who returned home with the technical expertise to modify cars that really changed the culture around customizing cars. The 1950s saw two major changes in the U.S.: the Interstate Highway System, with its arrow-straight, freshly paved highways, and American car manufacturers producing ever larger and more potent car engines. Back then, cars were simple enough that changing a carburetor was usually enough to give an engine a serious power boost, and with cheap gas, speed was no longer reserved for the rich.

This culture continued to grow unabated until the fuel crisis of the 1970s, which changed car modding culture. Some mechanics still focused on speed alone, but others focused on other aspects of the driving experience. By this time, manufacturers were selling cars with "trim levels" that mimicked the effects of a mechanic customizing his or her car, with different engine types and seating arrangements available for purchase, before ever taking a blowtorch to the frame.

How you modify your car says something about your formative years, your priorities and your assumed reflexes. Tell us how you would soup up a car, and we'll guess how old you are!

What style of car would you start with, in your car-wrenching adventure?

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Which country would you turn to for the source of your car-canvas?

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What image would you hope to project with your choice of car model?

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Which of these frame and body mods would you want to make to your new car?

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How would you seek to modify the profile of your car?

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What kind of seats would you want to swap into the car?

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What kind of suspension system would you want for your car?

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How would you modify your car's suspension?

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How big would you like your rims?

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What type of tires would you wrap around your wheels?

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What accent would you like in the bodywork of your car?

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What type of engine would you want as the base for all your modifications?

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How would you tune the natural horsepower of your engine?

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What would be the aim of turbocharging your car?

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What cool trick would you build into your engine?

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What kind of rear wing would you get?

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Which of the following would you add to the engine?

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What would you do to mitigate airflow issues in the undercarriage?

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What would you be willing to live without, in order to lighten the car?

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What would you like as the dominant material for the passenger compartment?

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What style would describe the way the interior of the car is set up?

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What special thing would you add to the gauge cluster?

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How would you configure the infotainment system?

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What would you put in the trunk?

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What would you do to the windshield and other windows?

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What would you do to the grille?

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What kind of exhaust setup would you add to your car?

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What kind of brakes would you prefer?

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How would you paint your masterpiece?

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What signature exterior item would people remember about your car?

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