Let's start off by saying that "losing luster" has more to do with what other people think of a modification, and not why the owner did it. Some ideas are great in the moment but attitudes change over time, especially in our world of one upmanship at the car show: what have you seen that you felt did not stand the test of time?
Here are a few of modifications that might not impress people anymore, even if they are cool:
It's been my experience with the flat black and grey rides that most of the time it is hiding sub par body work.
Great topic. As a side bar..I have been out of touch lately due to the foul weather here on the gulf coast. Finally got electricity and a new computer last week and trying to get back in the swing of things. I really like the modified versions but it seems to me like we loose the feel and looks for the classics. On the topic of loosing luster.....Hood pins, Stick on window tint, stick on chrome trim, adjustable air bag suspensions, and BOOM BOXES!
No one has listed Plasti dip.
it drives me nuts to see people forever spraying dip on wheels grills and even entire cars. Often it is done to cover damage but even worse it is done over good parts and paint.
I just saw where a guy peeled a white car to a nearly perfect red paint! Why?
Even back in the day when I was shorter on bucks I would never have done this to a vehicle. I would save to get it painted, new wheels or what ever it needed to do it right.
Crazy absurd amounts of camber form “Stanced" customization car style culture.
Not sure this modification hasn’t even lost its luster yet. Maybe I'm just the wrong generation to understand it?
I don't think it's faded yet - saw a whatever-type-of-they-all-look-the-same-to-me vehicle the other day that, under any other circumstances, I would have remarked, "Hey, that guys got broken suspension or lost all his lug nuts or sumpin'!"
The dual stick on hood scoops that are likely used by "the Lund guy". It's even better when I see them unpainted on something like a PT Cruiser, or my brother in law's Tahoe. I swear my brother in law is the real living breathing version of Woody Harrelson's character on Zombie Land down to painting a number 3 on everything he drives (ok he's never actually done that, but I really could picture him doing it).