We all love cars in our unique way. There are folks who spend years restoring 1909 Ford Model Ts, others who love 1960's muscle cars. It really doesn't matter what type of vehicle piques our passion, its the enthusiasm for the automobile that is contagious. Remember, while the particular car may bring us together, its the people who bring us back for more.

 

>>In this case, I'm going to drop the "ricer" and call it aftermarket. There are a three different routes of modifications to any car. Performance, bling, and combination of those two.
>>
>>Performance is anything that raises the engine's output or allows the car to explore outter limits of handling and speed. The most common is intake and exhaust. But spring kits, coil-overs, nitrous, turbos, certain types of wheels, etc., are also in this route.
>>
>>Bling is anything that changes just the look of the car. Anything. Those bonnet stripes are bling. The "kamikazi-attack" wing is bling, most wings on cars have no purpose anyway at highway speeds. Most wheels are bling. Its a look, achieving a look, being different, and being noticed.
>>
>>Finally is the combination of the above two, which basically speaks for itself. Goes fast while looks different.
>>
>>Obviously, this is all open to personal tastes and opinions.
>>
>>My MINI is loud, has gold wheels, and sports a spoiler. Its "aftermarket."
>>
>>This isn't a hierarchy.... its either boat stock, or it isn't.
>>
>>_________________
>>-goin440 IB/IB MC

And if the aftermarket parts look like hell or is just plain ridiculous, "rice" and "ricer" are succinct terms to describe the mods, thus eliminating the need to PC together paragraphs that describe the rice-osity. It's unfortunate that the term has other connotations because it's already been adopted. "Rooster" and "Roostering" would be much more accurate because they describe exactly what they kinds of mods in question are--bling bling to attract attention, usually from the opposite sex. If Ricky Joe Bob epoxies a primer four-plane wing onto his <your_rooster_car_here>, he is most likely trying to impress Betty Sue. An anti-sway bar won't do the trick. He's roostering. His car is a roostermobile. It looks rooster.

 

TAtt realizes that this thread is pretty beat up already, but still... (chicago Mini Phreak about to chime in a tiny bit):

I thought the original 'debt to society' post was definitely a "good share" about an interesting experience... Who'd have thought you'd be "networking" while doing "COMMUNITY Service" ya know...

MINIClo, mmmm BASMATI rice, i'm so right with you there... hehe, that was a kewl comment

Oh, and Kenchan your WRX is one sweet sleepa!

Procrastinating and Loving it,
Tatt

 

It's depressing that "ricing" a car would be done to attempt to attract the OPPOSITE sex. It really only seems to attract sad, unfortunate members of the same sex who have nearly identical "Wright Brothers" wings on the trunks of their own front wheel drive sleds.

_________________

 

thanks guys.

To me, 'rice' means that something on the car is out of balance
from the rest of the car. whether it be the wing or superfast motor
without the right footwork, or even major 350whp motor plus foot
work for public roads, etc.

As long as the car is balanced and tuned for the appropriate driving/racing
conditions, it is not a ricer. colors, etc are just a personal preference.
At the end, if you tune your car correctly (aside from color preferences)
the bodywork and ride in entiretly will fall into balance. its just the
nature of building a car.

And no, I could seriously careless about girls when im on my cars.
I play to drive, not to show.

 

>>It's depressing that "ricing" a car would be done to attempt to attract the OPPOSITE sex. It really only seems to attract sad, unfortunate members of the same sex who have nearly identical "Wright Brothers" wings on the trunks of their own front wheel drive sleds.
>>
>>_________________
>>

Just that same, you have to consider that a lot of these people are kids, and that they aren't really thinking about driving for the sheer pleasure of it. The oversized chrome wheels, neon, and stickers are all to attract attention. What else would that junk be good for? The triplane attached to the back of the car is nothing more than a rooster tail to attract potential mates.

You're right that it more often just attracts more roosters.

 

http://tanetane92.web.infoseek.co.jp/20050116tas2.html

 

Kudos on your post! Glad to hear it when humanity is in good shape. We have to remember that it's the extreme variance in tastes that drives this whole wagon we call our global economy and our colorful world. Without it we wouldn't have those terrific things :
Tammy Faye Baker (whatever her name is now)
Courvoisier and Coke
A really rich bunch of plastic surgeons keeping the luxury real estate and car market alive.
Tucker Carlson.

That said ...Rice is Nice...in a bowl. Just like cheese is great...on a burger.:smile:

 

My M3 friend also refers to them as "sushi sleds."

In my opinion, if its any "sport compact", "import" "*** car" or "ricer" with an exhaust kit, its prone to embarrasment from the mini or either my parents bavarian bombers...(they are just saying "please blow me out of the water")

However, true Japanese sports cars I will respect, like S2000 and Supra.
That is, unless they disrespect me.....

 

Of course, the entire sport compact crowd aren't morons. They can get them little buggers up to some mean speed. In general though, I've found or at least heard comments that would lead me to believe, they're understanding of how to generate speed and what to do with it is less than stellar. Further, what they choose to start has also led to some head-scratching. A four-door civic? what?

A lot of them know what they're doing. Good mechanics not afraid to do their own work, either out of necessity or passion. I still can't help but laugh when I see a coffee-can exhaust making what sounds like a duck farting noise come running up my street with more body panel goo and plastic then I can describe.

I just see it as a lack of understanding. I mean, a double-blade spoiler that has as much rise as your car while have front-wheel drive? You'll be lucky to get any down-force and even more so not to actually be producing lift.

 

The link from MyPocketRocket is great!!! Like a circus freak show God help me...I couldn't look away!!

 

WOW!!!

That's like a freak'n train wreck. Just try to look away. Bet you can't do it. I was about to stop using the term "RICER" til I saw that. Check out the 2X8 sideskirts! 8 foot tall exhaust extentions!! 5 feet long splitters!!! Plywood body kits!?!?!

If you think you know what a "RICER" is you should check out this link!!!

 

Thanks for your post, ORB451. Well said.

I'd be the first to admit that there are modded cars that make me laugh... or wince...but hey, it's all a matter of taste. Many of us drive cars with way more horsepower than we can use for 99.99 percent of our driving, and add performance boosters anyway. I'm not sure that isn't too much sillier than a basically non-functional spoiler.

(let the arrows begin!)

 

How about a flaming arrow, but in another direction. I agree with you completely.

Posts that present balanced viewpoints or photo essays on customized compact cars are enlightening for their rarity. Their subject matter is an esoteric subculture based on fantasizing the otherwise prosaic subcompact car. It's as though these people have dressed their cars in drag--similar slight-of-hand although they would never admit to it. The point is that they know they are not for real and that is part of the fun. The fact that some of them can really perform is also part of the fun. It would be antithetical to begin with a performance car. Most of these customizers are too smart to debase a genuine performance car in that manner. They would not destroy a car they idolize (whether a BMW M3 or a Lamborghini Gallardo). Customizing is as harmless and as entertaining as other forms of entertainment, such as C&W music. On NAM the facile denegration of these cars and the people who created them reveals a lack of understanding. And using the terms RICER and *** CAR as pejoratives is unMINI. It hints at racism.

 

The term "ricer" is subjective. I guess some might say I was a ricer. In my early 20's I had 1 moderately modded Civic EX and 2 mildly modded Integras. I still like the look of the sport compacts but my preferences have changed. To me a "ricer" is typically a young (teens to early 20's) male (usually asian) who drives an import and mods it to make it look faster but doesn't actually do anything to make it perform better. Based on this I wouldn't consider myself a "ricer" Examples of things for me that could qualify a car as a rice rocket would be huge wings, coffee can exhausts, etc. Hope that makes sense. I wouldn't mind driving something like an Acura RS-X or a Honda S2000, though my wife thinks I would look like some young kid if I got one of those. Also everyone has their own opinion on looks of a car. My buddy has a Civic Si with a decent Tein suspension, CF hood, exhaust, etc. I wouldn't mind driving something like that but it wouldn't have been my first choice... BTW: I'm a late 20's, filipino male.