“Come on....Nothing deflates ego when you pull up to the limit line at an intersection and some 80 year old pulls up in the same exact vehicle...This is certainly not the custom car era of days gone by. It’s not even debatable.”
Obviously you are not aware of the aftermarket! In fact many more thing are capable of being modified!
Factory cars are designed to emission and warranty issues. Name a part and I will discuss how mods are rampant!
I recall when neighborhood garage doors in half the neighborhood were open until midnight, with mostly young people working on their cars. The car was everything....Nowadays, most young people in their 20's prefer skateboards and the only people buying these expensive car appliances are old guys in their 70s and 80s because they're the only people who can afford them. For the most part, young people today have little or no interest in cars. It's very different today, whether you admit it or not.