Phantom Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 I have thought long and hard about this and come to the conclusion that the "ricers" don't deserve the derision they receive here. Basically those kids are the new wave hotrodders and the Honda Civic is the new '27 bucket T roadster. I remember my dad telling me how I'd ruined my car (a '49 Cadillac) when I took off the full-face shiny chrome hubcaps and exposed the blsack steel wheels, and removed the fender skirts to show even more of them, and removed the external sun shield from over the windshield. How the car was now noisy and lost its aura since I'd pulled off the oil bath air cleaner and stock muffler and repalced them with an oil soaked piece of panty hose and a glasspack. That the ride had stiffened up too much becasue I'd put STP in the hydraulic shocks. It didn't matter that the car had shed almost 200 pounds, had a lower CD, handled better and the gas milage improved from 8.5 to 11.5 mpg. It wasn't his kind of car any more. It was, however, my kind of car. I grews up in the era of the pony and muscle cars and remember the grief we took from the Buick and Lincoln drivers for our smaller, rough rising, less comfortable cars. These "ricers" are the next generation of enthusiast. We need to embrace them, teach them, learn from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Well, I'll state right up front that I'm not into rice. Well, not completely anyway. I'd still take a WRX STi, but I'd remove the ridiculous rear spoiler. Most newer 'rice,' like you said, is 'just not my kinda car.' There was a long debate months back about what, exactly, is the definition of 'rice.' I think most guys on this board would agree that the guys tuning their Civics, Sentra SERs, Lancer Evos, etc., etc. ARE the hot rodders of the next generation and don't deserve to be ridiculed. Personally, I don't consider these guys 'ricers' or their cars 'rice.' I have to respect the 'kids' (I'm really not THAT old) who are taking the time to learn the intricacies of fuel delivery, turbo charging and high tech engine management systems. They are building/modifying some REALLY cool rides! They do have my respect. 'Ricers' and 'Rice' to me, are the posers that have no clue about what is under the hood, slap 'R' and 'V-Tec' stickers on their base-model Ford Focus, spend idiotic amounts of money on crap that does nothing but make the cars a visual eye-sore. On top of it all, they usually claim to be drivers of legendary skill. These guys definitely DO NOT have my respect. my $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest smoov280zx Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 I agree with wagz, (and since you made your car faster phantom, you too) when i say "ricer" im not talking about a tweaked car. If its a 65 VW bug with some mod that makes more horsepower than stock, then the mod is worth it and it's not rice to me. Rice = bodykit + stickers/badpaint + fartcan/conefilter + love of 2f2f - any kind of engine knowledge that would dictate a better mod. Oh, and APC always = RICE As for bodykits, i dont like them personally unless they provide downforce or better brake cooling or some function, and even then i wouldnt get one unless it was for a badass ride that could smoke anyone that laughed at it. MMmmmaybe like a z with an LT1 or something . (not my car definitely). Gotta go check the polls, see if arnie won. BTW, if there were no ricers, who would us with the n/a zx's smoke on saturday night in front of the ricer's "crew" Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperZ Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Oh' date=' and APC always = RICE [/quote'] Hey now, seriously, have you seen and sat in the APC "racing" seats they sell in PepBoys? I'm seriously considering getting one - it has a reclining back, fair covering, and has slots for a 5 point, and is actually comfortable. Of course, I'll remove the stitched in "APC" logo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zguy95135 Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 i want to get some of those seats too. you can leave the logo on as long as you dont add a undercar neon kit and a fake turbo noise box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moridin Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Phantom makes a good point. Those guys are taking an interest in there cars. Many of the guys on here and many other forums cited examples in the muscle car era where they made their 6 cylinder ride look and sound like a high powered V8 dragger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nic-Rebel450CA Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 cosmetic modification is not the making of a hot rod. when ricers start dropping in V8's they can be called hot rodders. sure, I agree that they shouldnt get quite the flack that they get, but I would hardly call them the next wave of hot rodders. what they do to their cars is their preference. i have great respect for the fact that they modify their vehicles to suit their personal taste and that they go to such great lengths to do so. however, i sure as heck wouldnt give an S-10 xtreme the same "hot rod" moniker as my 65 GMC. What's next, are we going to start calling old civics "classics" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted October 8, 2003 Author Share Posted October 8, 2003 Well, actually, the Civic DX(?) - the sportwagen looking one is actually starting to attain that classification. There will always be posers. Like they say though, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Even those guys have a love for their rides - they just put their money into making them look "cool" rather than putting a lot of go into them. It's merely a question of priorities. Yup, some of them have attitudes that stink - look at the posts on this forum - some of us haven't entered into that category? I drove my car into the middle of a group of 40 local FnF types here a while back, popped the hood, and had an instant crowd. They were inquisitive and respectful. My type of car guy. I'll be back to see them next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruez Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 'Ricers' and 'Rice' to me' date=' are the posers that have no clue about what is under the hood, slap 'R' and 'V-Tec' stickers on their base-model Ford Focus, spend idiotic amounts of money on crap that does nothing but make the cars a visual eye-sore. On top of it all, they usually claim to be drivers of legendary skill. These guys definitely DO NOT have my respect. my $.02[/quote'] Ditto wags... If people can pull loads of HP out of a small displacement engine, I can respect that.. Its the other rediculous crap that I consider "ricers" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMS Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Phantom, I think you're missing what "rice" seems to be, to the people of this board. "Rice" does not infer any Japanese car, even though it started with that. "Rice" does not infer any particular modification to a car (although a nose-wing comes close...) "Rice" infers an attitude of the driver. It's little boys pretending to be big men. It's trying to impress people with who you wish you were, not who you really are. It's making your car LOOK fast, but not doing a darned thing to the internals to MAKE IT fast. Image is more important than reality to them, and that's what makes them repugnant to many of us. If you had told all your friends that you swapped your stock air cleaner with a performance item and beat dozens of Corvettes to 100 mph with it when in reality the stock airbox was firmly in place, THEN you'd have been rice. See what I'm getting at here? They're the poseurs of the automotive world. They want to look fast and sound fast, and they could care less about actually being fast as long as they can fool you for a few hours into thinking that they're authentic. That's a good word, come to think of it... Authentic. Ricers are not authentic. If you have a couple of thousand bucks to spend on your mom's old Accord and you elect to put in an airbox, an injection controller coilovers and urethane suspension bits, you're authentic. If you spend that same money on a wild body kit, big wheels, and color-shifting purple paint, and then tell people you run 9's, you're indisputably RICE. Myself, I have great respect for those folks who manage to wring performance out of late model Japanese iron (excuse me - aluminum). It's tough, and I admire when someone can do it and keep a car streetable. What gets my dander up is the blatancy with which some of them attack cosmetic modification. It's just plain vulgar, and I'm not that sort of "all show and no go" guy. As usual, just my $.02. Thank you for allowing me to get on my soapbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Here is my similar view of what is "Rice" and what is an "Ethusiast". An Enthusiast is someone who makes modifications (or pays for modifications) to their car because they love the car and want to make it better (though better is often in the eye of the beholder). These people usually don't care what other people think of their cars, only that is pleasing to them. A Ricer is someone who makes or pays for modifications simply for the image it bestows on them, not because of love for the car. These people have built a car simply to impress the people around them. Occasionally, though not often, a Ricer becomes an Enthusiast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Z-rific Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 When I think of Rice, I picture a Honda Accord that's been lowered, 18" bling bling wheels, a huge wing on the trunk, and a Playstation 2 with monitor, and a fart can. An 800 HP TT Supra is defintely not Rice. If a kid replaces a stock intake on his Civic with a better flowing afternarket piece, well good for him. I can respect that. My major hangup with kids who work on front wheel drive compact cars is WHY?!?! There are a number of rear wheel sports cars from years past that can be had cheap, and have more potential than a FWD 1.3L car specifically designed to be inexpensive (ie Cheap) and extremely fuel efficient. Not the best staring point for a hot rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 ...I would hardly call them the next wave of hot rodders. Why not? Just becuase it isn't 'our kind of car'? They're doing the same things we did as kids and still do now. The only difference is in what they are working on. Mind you, I'm talking about the kids that are making mechanical changes and actually trying to learn something as they go. NOT the kids slapping on stickers, neon underbody lights and other crap. Although, there are lots of rodders from the past that spent a lot more money on frenched tail lights and tangerine paint jobs for their '49 Mercs that I don't like either, but they are still considered 'rodders.' They are into cars from their generation. Just like we are/were. ...What's next, are we going to start calling old civics "classics" No, you and I won't consider them classics (EVER) but, the kids today will. They will be nostalgic for cars from their youth, just like we are. Like it or not, they ARE going to be classics to these guys. My dad will never consider a '68 RS/SS Camaro to be a classic, but he believes a '41 Willy's certainly is. It's all in what you consider 'your kinda car.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Ricer to me is a state of mind, its not whether you drive a Honda or a Z or a Vette. It has little to do with the car, the car is simply one piece of the ricer persona. The car - regardless of type - has to have both stereo and exhaust be as loud as possible, so that you will be noticed. You want to piss people off because it is so loud, but then get in their face if they say anything about it. In ricer terms this is called "gettin' respect." The car is supposed to be fast, but in actuality it doesn't have to be because you are too cool to race anyhow. In addition to the car, you need a bimbo girlfriend (preferably with fake boobs) and a wild hairdo (preferably 4-5 inch spikey type) that takes at least 1 hour of preparation every morning. The girl and the hairdo are much like the car. They have to be as "extreme" as possible. Fake boobs and huge hair are the human equivalent to a giant spoiler and painted interior trim pieces. You must walk around like you've got a chip on your shoulder at all times to get as much "respect" as you can. The end result of ricerism is to create the most anime-like existence possible. If being an enthusiast is as easy as installing decals and different color turn signal lenses and mufflers that were ONLY designed to be obnoxious on your car, then they are enthusiasts. That doesn't make any of them any less a ricer, or any less an a-hole. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 cosmetic modification is not the making of a hot rod. So, chopping the top, frenching the headlights, channelling the body over the frame, etc. on a '49 Merc does not make the car a rod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 cosmetic modification is not the making of a hot rod. So, chopping the top, frenching the headlights, channelling the body over the frame, etc. on a '49 Merc does not make the car a rod? I think if you 'bolt on/stick on' to the beginning of that sentence, then it would be more accurate? Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 I think if you 'bolt on/stick on' to the beginning of that sentence' date=' then it would be more accurate? Tim[/quote'] I agree with that. There are thousands of hot-rodders out there making outrageous cosmetic modifications to their rides. Chopping, frenching, lowering, painting, artistic metal and fiberglass work, etc. They are hot-rodders. These guys put in hours of thought, blood, sweat and tears to produce unique rides. Personally, I think a rod has gotta have 'go' as well as 'show' but, that is probably debatable. Simply bolting on mass-produced fiberglass, stickers and pretty Pep-Boy accessories does not make one a hot-rodder. Very little thought, creativity or owner sweat goes into it. That is the definition of a ricer in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maichor Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 I hate to point this out, but isn't RICE just something to eat? You know, not too tasty unless you add lots of butter, salt, pepper, etc. or stir fry it with veggies and serve it in a buffet. It is amazing how much the topic of rice arouses so much emotion. Personally, I like fried rice, or Lipton packets. Now that is rice that I can stomach. So, in conclusion, I like rice ONLY if it is prepared the way I like it. Therefore, I think we can discuss rice forever and still disagree. However, rice will never be as good as real food. You know, steak, or eggs, or ice cream, or cheese . . . mmmmmmm. The power of cheese. I have to go eat lunch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 i sure as heck wouldnt give an S-10 xtreme the same "hot rod" moniker as my 65 GMC. well i ahev a buddy o mine he has an older s-10 not the xtreme just plain old ordinary s10 plain red lowerd (<== that looks wrong) 1.5 in WITH a chev 350 small block v8 roller moter with corvette roller cam and corvette 4 spd gear bax with tq. conv and OD he and squeak with tires thru all 4 gears and he also to my heaping approval put line lock in can u tell me that he is NOT rodding that car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Iceickle Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 350rx7 i dont think anyone would doubt your friend isnt a hot-rodder, i think Nic-Rebel450CA belives that his 65 GMC has more hot rodding potential than an S10, but i think that the potential to hot rod a car is only limited by its owners imagination (and of course, wallet) =) Lowered with stock wheels? I bet it looks wrong, heheh... My Z looks kinda goofy because of the wheel/tyre size compared to the rest of the car (they are huge!) only 15" wheels i think, though, the Z is a small car (no low profile tyre crap for me, haha!) ahhh... im so poor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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