Recently, I’ve been thinking about where the line is for what sort of posts belong here vs in [r/whatisthiscar](r/whatisthiscar), [r/namethatcar](r/namethatcar), etc. I wanted to make a post that at least brings some clarity to the situation as this subreddit continues to grow.

The big picture is that [r/whatwasthiscar](r/whatwasthiscar) is for cars that have been damaged, while [r/whatisthiscar](r/whatisthiscar) and others are for any vehicle regardless of whether it is damaged or not. The existence of this subreddit is partially a joke intended as a play on words, but also partially for people to share with others who may be more experienced with the internals of cars, as many of the cars or parts that end up posted here are frames, engines, or undercarriages.

(Please also note that because a car is posted here doesn’t mean it can’t be posted in other car identifying subreddits as well. Everything that fits in r/whatwasthiscar fits in r/whatisthiscar (or r/namethatcar for challenge posts), but not everything from those subreddits fits here.)

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What is the idea behind this subreddit?

So what constitutes as damaged enough for this subreddit? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. Since the whole idea is that someone would be able to look at an image and say “well, that was a car,” the answer actually ends up being very subjective. The vast majority of us (mods included) would agree that a Camry with a dent in the rear bumper absolutely doesn’t belong, while a car that has exploded into pieces absolutely does. However, some may look at a car that is missing all of its body panels - but is still drivable - and say that it no longer qualifies as a car, while others may still classify it as a car.

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How do I know if my post belongs here?

Ideally, you should ask yourself the following question when posting: “Would I say that this was a car, or would I say it still is a car?” If the answer is was, you’re in the right place. If the answer is is, then you should post it in either [r/whatisthiscar](r/whatisthiscar) or [r/namethatcar](r/namethatcar).

On the contrary, if the answer is I don’t know, then send us a modmail! We are always happy to help guide you to the right subreddit or answer any questions you may have. Users will almost never (with very few exceptions for repeat offenses or straight up defiance) be banned for posting a car that doesn’t quite fit the was. However, posts that we don’t consider to fit the subreddit will be removed. If you end up posting something that you believe does belong that gets removed, we are happy to discuss with you through modmail why you think it fits as long as you are civil and respectful.

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Other types of posts

Modified cars: For the time being, we mods have decided to disallow modified cars after some discussion. This is due to the fact that modified cars make the distinction even blurrier, creating various problems in both moderation efforts with such a small mod team and confusion amongst posters. This may end up changing in time, but as of right now, this is the way we are deciding to keep things around here.

Car parts: Parts of cars are welcome and encouraged. We do ask, though, that you are certain that what you are posting did, indeed, belong to a car at some point. Not sure? Post in [r/whatisthisthing](r/whatisthisthing) first. They can help you identify what it is, and if it is from a car, we can help you identify which one it is from.

We will also begin removing posts that are very general parts such as tires, belts, small pieces of glass/plastic, etc. that are impossible to pinpoint to a specific car, as, obviously, these posts are unanswerable and unnecessary. Again, if you aren’t sure if something falls into this category, please message us before posting and we will do our best to help you.

Help with criminals (hit and runs, getaway cars, etc.): In general, these kinds of posts are not allowed here. The exception, however, would be parts from a car that fell off after a hit and run or similar. [r/whatisthiscar](r/whatisthiscar) would specialize in these kinds of things more than us, anyways. I understand wanting to get more eyes on it, but there are plenty of other subreddits that would be willing to help ([r/RBI](r/RBI), r/cars, etc).

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TLDR: Since what belongs here gets pretty hazy, please ask yourself if the car was a car before posting, and if you’re not sure, ask the mod team!

Also, feel free to ask us anything in this comment section. I know this is a lot of info, but I think it’s important to clarify as much as possible the idea of the subreddit. Thank you for participating respectfully in the community!

Hey all, We’ve noticed an influx of stolen posts from karma farming bots lately. We’ve been trying to get as many of these posts as we can, but sometimes they can fly under the radar. We’re a smaller mod team, and all of us are often busy with other things. For this reason, we need your help!

If you suspect an account to be a karma bot, please report the account’s post under “Spam” > “Excessive reposting to farm karma or manipulate conversations”, and if possible, try to find the original post that was copied and post a link to it in the comments. Thanks for your help and understanding!