aside to rice vs american (long)

[0h n0 5.0]

guys I posted this on another street racing site an i'm going to do the same here.

There are some legit imports that are nice lookin, and fast, but they are few and far beween the everyday sticker buzzzbombs being driven by the stoner with the backwards visor in the next lane or in your local high school parking lot.

They are usually highdollar, money monsters only bought out for show duty or crusin on nice days: the same philosophy as any other high dollar speciality muscle car of any make. Does any one else just think this (import scene) may be a changing of the tides? A new generation of hot rodders clashing against traditional ideas of ol skool rodding?

I'm willin to bet had the internet been around in the 60's, the ol skool guys in the street rod lincolns, merc's and chevys would have been bitchin at the muscle car guys in their big block gas guzzlers: not wantin to change from tried an true methods in favor of the unknown.

We all see how that turned out. Both have survived to become huge at shows, rods next to musclecars next to 80's strip burners next to late model street monsters. Its the knowledge obtained through acceptance and implications of other ideas that have keep this hobby alive since the 1950's. I think its incredible the power obtained from these inline 4's, the suspension and tweaking have produced some awesome corner carvin suspensions and their lighter frames make the potential for speed incredible. ( see the DEWlite platfrom for the 04 Mustang concept )

Rice is a mentality, a "holier-than-thou" perception of the world, one's car and a blatant state of denial of 2 simple facts: (1) that you don't admit there are cars faster than you. and (2) I want to be one so desperately that I'll do anything to make it look fast. Ever seen rusted-out ghetto chevy caprices with 20's, tints, and low hangin side exit exhaust?: Domestic rice!

Our local tint and audio place is primarily an import hang out, but I had to get a CD player installed so I went in.. (90 percent of what they sold is dress up, lights, strobes, exhaust). There was one guy buyin a cold air kit, but it was $800!! The market is still relatively small for imports in certain areas, so there's the reason for the price fluctuations.
but rice is imitation. (see 5.0 Mustang - July issue) Rice mimics the autocross look formula cars dealing with suspension, cornering and race car handling abilities.

Domestic V8's have been forever associated with the 1/4 strip of sheer power and brute acceleration of dragsters. We' re both imtating another breed of car and we both fail and succeed where the other one dosen't but Rice works both ways. Guys, if you don't admit there is such things as fast imports out there, or ya claimin 7.5 liters of tire-shreddin power under a fake cobra decal, then you're no better than rice boy with his type R sticker. you've already lost because you've become a hypocrite of everything you deem wrong with automotive performance namely the immitiation of something you are not. (I have a big pet peeve with cobra r rims on every GT I seem to run across) plus you've thrown out any possible notion of one beating you before you've even turned the key.

Racing is in the mind. not the hands, or eyes.

Keep a clear mind on the Battlefield

oh no 5.0

[Mercury]

Hmmm...A very good statement. Something I forgot completely about, the 50's and 60's Low Rider/Cruiser culture. True True, just look at American Graffiti. The Pharohs and there lowred, nosed, shaved, decked 49 Merc. Then in contrast, you had John Milner in his Yellow, Small block Chevy powered 32 Ford.

The Import scene is more like an adaptation of that Cruising/LowRider scene from teh days of Hot Rod Glory, and we are just the John Milners, and Harrison Fords charector, of today.

[Tod]

it will take a while if the import scene (TRUE import enthusiasts) ever overtakes the hard-core muscle-car/domenstic scene. at least around here anyway. everyone in here i'm sure has seen their fair share of wannabe's and look-a-like Civic Si's. i have even been able to notive numerous times when i've seen Cobra clones trolling the streets. Cobra badging, Cobra spoiler, Cobra rims, sounds like a Cobra, but with a GT front end and the letters "Mustang GT" debossed into the rear bumber (he might have wanted to change those first). as you said, the domestic scene is not in any way lacking in posers. i for one don't mind when i see Cobra R's on a GT or even a 6-banger, they're very nice rims that can really spice up a Mustang, chrome or not.

but the import scene is really a big trouble area. kids' formula to make their car fast is loud paint scheme+20" rims+fart can+big wing+tinted windows+stickers+800lb, $4000 sound system+bad attitude = fast car. when actually that equals up to a lost race, bigger attitude, and usually getting made fun of in the process. while there are a handul of true import enthusiasts who have cars that rocket by alot of things on the road, they are not easily found. until they outnumber rice, our world will just have to put up with them.

[Mr 5 0]

Oh nO:

Most of your statement is factual and has been discussed here many times.

Yes, there are fast imports. There are also a lot of fast Mustangs (and Camaros). Difference is that most 'fast' imports on the street are 15 or 14-second cars, while the fast 'Stangs run 12's and a few 11's. But this is old news.

Your analogy of the '50's hot-rods resenting the '60's factory muscle cars is a bit off. The '50's hot rods had OHV V-8 engines from Cadillacs or Oldsmobiles or heavily reworked flathead V-8's and while the 'older' guys may have resented the (then-new) factory musclecars (like the GTO, then the big block Fords and Chevys) that could outrun most of them off the showroom floor, they gradually appreciated those cars because the factories were really just imitating the 50's guys by putting big V-8's in light Ford and Chevy bodies. Aside from that, both the 50's hot rods and the '60's muscle cars were all-American iron. Big difference.

Sure, we have posers in the domestic ranks but when we get newbies on the tech board at Mustang Works they usually ask about exhaust, gears, intakes, pulleys and ignition and fuel upgrades, not where they can buy some really neat stickers or a giant wing. Noticable difference in attitude.

Modified imports have some value but they're not doing anything really new, even with the suspension work some have. Road racing was popular in Europe since the turn of the 20th century and even in America since the 50's before it took over in Japan.

Your correct about one thing: Rice is an attitude. A bad attitude.

I can live with Ricers but I can't see them as being big contributors to American racing history. They drive little Japanese cars that look silly. A few are actually fast, granted, but they all look dumb, in my opinion. They'll always be tension between the two camps, unless the Ricer thing dies out. Maybe, maybe not. I don't care. I drive a Mustang.

[Crazy Horse GT]

i can respect a import that looks great , not 500 stickers & a picnic table on it's trunk , even more tha i respect some moron with clear tailights & 500 stickers & same picnic spoiler on a mustang, camaro ,etc, there is a difference, it's a stupid road rally look that just does not work on the street, it's a punk attitude, no more, no less, just like wearing a ball cap sideway's, or your pants halfway down your a-- , it's ghetto,know what im sayin

[polara7777]

I appreciate alot of imports! I like the newer supras. I've seen a couple of them cranking out 900+ horsepower. My personal favorite is the 50's-60's volkswagen beetle. A potential wolf in sheeps clothing. A buddy of mine had one that we built the motor in and for daily driving he kept several cinder blocks in the trunk to help keep the front wheels on the ground. We smoked so many unsuspecting musclecar and import drivers in that thing. My dad has a 64 bug sitting beside the house and is moving soon. can't take it with him either....hmmmm.....

[MidNiteBlu 5.0]

i agree with what you guys say. There are fast imports. hell there are a couple turboed civics around here that run in the 11's. But over 80% of the ricers are all show and no go. Especially the ones at my school that think there car will beat mine and my friends (muscle car friends) just because they have a big ole fart can, a cold air intake and they lowered it almost as far as it will go (you will know these guy from how they have to drive sideways over the speedbums at school) lol. I respect Supras, 300ZX's 240SX's (Silvias) etc.

Later,
Nick