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economist sunsuntribune news saturday july 12 2003 when approximately 40000 custom car enthusiasts gathered at the markham fairgrounds for last weekends darknights automotive festival they had plenty of company about 75 york regional police officers stopped 1800 motorists during the twoday event officers wrote 756 tickets including 43 offences under the environmental protection act 252 equipmentrelated charges such as illegal modifications and 283 speeding infractions bruce lim 19 found out the hard way as he drove his heavily modified silver ford escort through markham over the weekend he was hit with six tickets totalling 2100 for modifications not speeding tonka cars owners of modified or tonka i cars in the region are crying foul even going so far as to suggest police are profiling drivers h u york regional police staffsgtr doug hall who heads the erase eliminate racing activities on streets everywhere program has little sympathy for those who choose to soup up their cars to some extent theres profiling going pn its like walking down the street nude youre going to get attention he said if youre going to say look at me you cant complain you want attention you got attention he said- he noted an acura stopped on mccowan road last weekend was clocked at double the 70 kmh limit firas esso a 19ryearold con struction worker fromvaughan paid 2500 for his 1990 acura integra piece by piece he added a fibre- glass skirt kit rims and tires and custom lime green paint job and for that 7000 in modifica tions his car isnt any faster we dont speed its all for show mr firas said at a parking lot in a popular doughnut shop on hwy 7 in woodbridge its one of the popu lar hangouts along with the colossus movie theatre and big box power centre parking lots regardless mr firas received three tickets amounting to several hundred dollars earlier this month for nonspeedrelated offenses his battery was loose his exhaust too loud andhis body kit too low to the ground police carl ticket car enthusiasts for breachingthe highway traffic act the enykbhmehtal protection act or guidelines set under the ontario ministry of transportation but areas such as tinted win- f clows ground clearance and noise afelbfteh left to the discretion of officers i think theres an education process that has to happen for enthusiasts but police need knowledge top on parts and specs said david brewda hes a 28yearold aurora man- whose 1998 honda prelude sports an ih- dash video screen custom paint job 18inch wheels and after- market finely tuned 22litre fourcylinder engine capable of producing a mindboggling 350 horsepower its frustrating when police police look for mufflers heavy tinting on altered cars oppsgt cam woolley said officers have the authority jinder the htyay traffic actio stop and inspect vehicles suspected of unsafe modifications hereane some guidelines for anyone thinking of rri6dityingihsvehicle buy ing a car that has bllfered tinted or covered tail lights are illegal i windows cannot be tinted tbwepbint where vision inside and outside thelitel cle is impaired headlights must be white or amber blue lamps are not permitted unless they part of the cars original equipment as with some european cars tail lights must be red only popular afters j market tail lights with clear housings are permitted so long as the bulbs are red vehicles lowered to the 1 point where any part of the under carriage drags on the road are deemed unsafe owners can be ticketed or have their vehicle impounded its ijlegal for vehicles wheels to rub againsttjieme j 7 f deenjed to be too small fgr a veru 4cle are ntrt permitted everyjenicte must be equipped with a rriufrlerwrtcfi may not make excessiveor unusual noise aftermarket seats and seat belts must bepropeily installed in the vehicle and display a mark of approval from thesae societydf automotive engineers and tv moniffirs are forbidden in the front seat of a vehicle staff phbtosjoerbsvltteveen dave brewda left and benson pedoriiquott spend alot of time and cash to hype up or modify their highly per sonalized sports or tonka cars these enthusiasts draw the eye of passersby and york regional police officers arent familiar with the law when theyre enforcing me highway trc act you dont have the right to hnctimize people when you dont know what youre talking about mr brewdasaid staffsgl hall admitted ticketing modified car owners can be subjec tive a lot is really a judgment by the police but ultimately it will be deterrriined by a justice of the peace he said anyone hoping to clarify what does and doesnot constitute- av street legal vehicle need only refers to the legislation on the internet staffsgthallsaid mr bfewdas friend benson pedohiquott of newmarket has a 16litre honda civic that can reach- nearly 300 kmh with 300 horse power under the hood but both men insist their need fqr speed rarely beyond the racetrsiclc ilmayjmodified car ownprtv t trend is defined morejs fytile individuality of the cars than she horeeppwer under the hood i dont want to look like every- body else mr brewda said twant to drive down the street and have people say hey there goes daves prelude modifying a car is often a reflec tion of the drrverhe said ifs an expression of self its alsa a crossover of art such selfexpresi sipn does not come eljieaply how ever -hgg- mr brewda and mtfpedoniquott estimate the combined value of their vehicles at approximately 250000 ili however both are in the rare position of sustaining their auto motive habit through corporate sponsorship to some extent theres profiling going on ilfslike wmingdown the street ude youre going id get attention canadian tire and meguiars specializing in carcare products have their logos emblazoned on the bright vehicles which cpntain more fibreglass and lightweight compos ite materials thanmetal j the idgaibehiiid sponsorship is the yehiglesi seryg asmobile bill boards for anyowmterested in cus- tontizingfheirrf mr brewda and i mr pedoniquotts cars boast some of the best aftermarket products and rarely pay for the goodies for instance mr brewda has a rare set of titanium rims valued at 10000 and aiiaftermarket engine imported from japan its not simply a free ridei though the two attend about25 shows ech year to promote their spon sors answer questiphs offer advice pose for pictures and even sign the odd autograph the noil question people i ask us is how they can get sponsored mn pedphiquottsaid its no wonder as both men agreed the sky is the limit in terms of what one can dpto a yemele1 if attendance atautpsl and the success of movies such ts fast 2furiousae anyihdication auto- mpjtie pdification or iiiods cpntinutheir cermirftrnain stream ctufes- the 1 dispfopdrtipnately large rear spoilers body lowering kits and aftermarket tail lights bnce thought to only be availableat high performance shops in yorks indus- trial areasycan now be found at canadiantire f ipeciauy shoipsf but mumcipalitiesin mn- f the proceeds from his jobs as a con struction worker and bartender into his automotive creation which now has approximately 37000 in nipdifications- modifying cars became an interest then it became a hobby it has turned into an obsession fresh start ah purpose iooacrylic latex primer primes arid seals most surfaces hides most problems including smoke water stains and graffiti interior alkyd pearl a durable and decorative enamel finish dries overnight to a scrubbawe pearl luster exceptional hiding and leveling for a smooth finish hours mon fri 7ooam 700 pm thurs b 7ooam 800 pm sat i v vi 9s60rams00pm sun 1000 am 400 pm paint store mmm xypm 6605 fflghwat 7 east 7 next to weallcullen 9te728977 a hwy7 t vv fcv wvkvvlfv4i s w jjjjj t