HG is just expressing his oppinion, he is not ragging anyone or trying to get the stirred up, he is JUST VOICING HIS OPPINION, and i really respect what he thinks. GJ man.

I doubt it. One reason being that it seems there are more Imports on the road than American made vehicles, at least around this neck of the woods. I own 2 Chevies and also own 2 Toyotas. The wifes is an '02 Solara and my beater truck is an '89 4 wheel drive. All I can say about them is QUALITY. Would I buy another Toyota? You bet! My '89 Toy truck has 210,000 on it and I would not be afraid to drive it cross country at anytime. I show that truck no mercy and it just keeps going. I'll always drive a Chevy but when it comes to dependability I will always drive a Toyota to. The Solara is a V-6 and for what it is...well lets just say when you need to pass someone you can leave them sitting. I'm not talking street racing but the car is quick, handles like a go kart, and has all the comforts. The positive note is that as far as I know they are just as dependable as all the other Toyotas. I need do dress it up a little but Mama draws the line at a grocery cart spoiler on the back.

Kevin

I'm new here, but I totally agree with HG. IMHO, I think everyone of us started somewhere with whatever we can afford as our first car. The dream of making it faster and giving it some personal touch to call it our's. I see a lot of bashing of the so called "ricers", from Car and Driver reader's section to bulletin boards like this. I think that I was once those kids wanting my dream car.

Happy holidays and happy motoring to all!

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But why would they post a question about a ricer, the name of the site is clearly posted just a little above where he is typing. Also, the name of the site is hotrodders.com, not hotricers.com or hotrodricers.com.
You can never understand the mind of a rice burner.

I say if they choose to come in, let em hear what we hafta say. After all, it is the truley dumb ones who come here and say their ricers are better than our muscle. I've forgeten his name at this point but we have a well respected ricer guy here who has asked questions but never said anything bad about our cars, therfore not making us say anything bad about his car.

HRK---Alex

I heard on CNN last night that Toyota is closing an assembly plant they have in California. This plant made Toyotas that were for export to Japan only. Apparently, that model was tanking BIG TIME over there!

I think its important to think about where the prejudices against imports came from. My biggest problem with them has been that Japan flooded our markets with good, reliable cars, but kept their own markets mostly closed to our products. This policy has had some changes, but is not yet completely changed.

IMO the "Ricer" debate suffers from a failed classification. For exmple, Civics, Corollas, 323's, 626's etc are all ECONOMY cars. THese should be placed in the same category with dodge Omnis, horizons, neons, Focuses, festivas etc. These are all economy cars that were never designed to have any kind of noticable styling, performance or notability on the road. They are point A to point B cars and there's nothing wrong with that. However given the fact of what they are, they'll never be as cool as something that was originally built to be a performance automobile (IMO). If they were the market would just sell performance versions of the cars from the factory that go just as fast as other sports cars. You can apply hotrodding philosophy to anything and make it go fast, that's what this tradition is about. But hopping up an import econo is no cooler in my eyes than hopping up a festiva. THey're in the same class of cars and I see it as kinda polishing a turd (not saying, however, that there aren't any nice examples of a custom job on these cars, I guess my point is its a little over-played).

Import sports cars, however, like Supras, 300Z's, RX series cars are performance automobiles and I respect them as such. I make to reservation about the performance capabilities or styling of these cars.

Just my 02-

K

The thing that most people like about the focuses, civics, neons, etc is that your taking essentially nothing, and making it into a respectable street machine (not in all cases). I've seen a lot of those class of cars that are very fast. Some of the cars come from the factory fast such as the neon srt-4, focus svt, contour svt, and theres a few others that are really quick stock. They'll never be as cool as a big block muscle car......but you gotta give them respect for what some of those cars can do.

I've discovered my own definition of a ricer. Met him in a parking lot. He had an Eclipse, weighed down with the usual wing, FX, neon, non-matching and brightly colored interior, and boom stereo. What caught my eye was a brightly neon lit intercooler in the bumper. He had the hood up so went to have a look-see. No turbo in sight. The intercooler inlet and outlet were actually capped off. In fact none of the performance parts his large collection of stickers advertised. I asked if he was saving up for the rest of the turbo kit or something. "No. I'm done with this car. I'm selling it so I can buy an Acura to fix up." Now THAT was a true "ricer." Of course dressed for complete urban success, holding his pants up (well, technically up) the whole time we talked.
In contrast. There's a young guy running around here in a rather plain Acura. Visit the local dragstrip and he'll be there. He's, I believe, on his third engine. Replaced who knows how many axles, spindles, etcetera. Very little interior, mostly just a passenger seat for his girlfriend. And at her insistence, a basic radio. Body kit and wing? Nope. Spends all his money on the engine. No money to spare for the latest in "urban chic" clothes either. Stickers? Nope. Time sheets in the glovebox? Yes.
This guy's a hotrodder. Even if he does happen to like foreign cars.
I think we used to call the other guys "squirrels". You old-timers remember? A six cylinder Nova (used to be his Mom's). Cragars, Hi-jackers and shackles, cherry-bomb mufflers, and about 12 STP stickers. "Gonna get me a blown 454" but somehow never managed to installed more than a chrome air cleaner. Traded it off for a Pinto. "Gonna put a 428SCJ in there, Seen it in a magazine."

A better definition you will not find!

True, but there's always something to be said for style. You can put all the plastic in the world on an econo ride and at the end of the day, no matter how fast it is its still an econo ride.

To each his own I guess, I'll keep the american thunder behind my garage door and between my fenders.

K

Love this talk guys











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I don't think it's 'what you drive' as much as 'what you intend to make your car do' GypsyR nailed the idea right on the head, but it's the mentality that deserves the title of 'ricer', not their choice in cars.

For instance. I drive a '97 Eclipse everday. It saves gas and is confortable to drive. But that's all I expect out of the car. My other car is a '69 Mustang. Guess which one I spend more money on trying to beef up?

MoocH

Be careful where you're treadin' malc , I drive a Peugeot and a darn fine car it is too . Maybe I should start a new category Frogcers

ok ok ok...hmmm. im absolutely new on this board. i read this post and was just curious...i have a 1995 MR2 which is an import ride. i kept the body stock, dont drag or race for slips or anything of that sort. i got the common headers and greddy exhaust / intake setup (does not sound anything like an over worked civic or anything that will wake the neighbors up!). my question is...u guys consider me a ricer?