Rice rockets and gas guzzlers.

:TU:

Some parking lots in town are lot of fun with a stock 455 exhaust. With open headers I could set off alarms from ground level!

The wheels are already turning on adding a set to the Wagon this spring...:Brow:

 

I live in AZ and I cant stand Rice burners there everywhere and travel in packs that sound like swarms of bees driving by with there fart tips. Whatever happened to buying american cars and supporting our ecconomy no wonder it sucks so bad. I try explaining things to ricers boys i always tell them theres no substitute for cubic inches but they cant seem to understand what i mean or they try to say technology, ok technology well take the same technlogy and put that on a big block:grin:

Im sorry and im probably gonna lose a lot of friends but new cars just dont have any charcter to them they all look the same especially Jap Crap there all beer cans on 20 inches wheels as far as im concerned. Oh yeah and another thing NOS sucks. Bottles are for babies all throtle no bottle is the way to go theres more skill in makeing hp without NOS. Anyone cant bolt on NOS to there honda with a few adjustments but it takes skill and always a since of pride when you rebuild an engine and start it for the first time. So to everyone who likes Ricer Rockets:moonu:

 

One theory behind the reason why people started buying Japanese cars was because in the 80s, a lot of American cars sucked big time. Take a look at Consumer Reports and you'll see that most Japanese cars in the 80s were more reliable than American cars. That explains why Chevy had to get Toyota to build the Nova and the Prizm. And they got Suzuki to build the Tracker. And they got Isuzu to build the Storm. That's why Ford got Kia and Mazda to build the Aspire and engineer the Escort. The Big 3 didn't know how to build smaller, fuel efficient, reliable cars, which is what more Americans wanted.

I don't think people who buy Japanese cars are un-American at all. I think GM, Ford and Chrysler were un-American in the 80s for building crappy cars and not paying attention to the market. Actually, I have no problem buying a Toyota Camry or Nissan Maxima (or a number of other Japanese-engineered cars) because they're built with pride here in America by Americans.

I think it comes down to attitude. There is no question-- the sleeper will always be much cooler than any flashy car. That's why I'm cool with Japanese cars and American cars, as long as the owner has some taste. It's fun to blow by unsuspecting Camaros in my Nissan, and it's also fun to rattle the nerves of some dork driving a lowered Civic with a fart pipe in my Buick.

The one thing that I think ruffles the feathers of some of the rocket-haters is that it's so much easier to mod a Civic or an Integra than anything else. There are a ton of companies that sell the parts. There are a ton of bolt-on solutions. Most of the mods that I see on compact cars are easy mods, not much skill involved. But if you know your ****, you can actually make a Civic incredibly fast.

 

80's what about the 90's

I have a 97 buick skylark. Its a piece of crap. No two ways about it. If it was built like my 72' GS, there probably wouldn't be a problem. Don't believe me, go to consumer reports and read the ratings of some of GM's finest.

:blast:

 

Yeah well thats why all my cars are old, back when they made a car. I own a new dodge truck just to tow my other cars around but as far as buying new cars I dont. One thing is for sure they dont build them like they used to.

 

You dispose of a new car when you're done with it these days. You don't rebuild anything. It's not worth dumping another $3000 into a car that's not worth half that.

That's why I like my tanks in the driveway....they just keep going and giong and giong.....

 

Yeh, ricers suck, but I also understand their existance. They are mostly daily drivers and you have to admit, that's what they're good for. Most of the kids that drive them either couldn't afford to have a muscle car at home in the garage or don't have the knowlege needed to build one.

Really, they are just modifying whats available to them and for this I blame the automakers. If there were affordable v8 rear wheel drive cars available then they would probably be modifying them.

In the 70's you had the van craze. You also had the 4 dr Plymouth with air shocks, N-50's and a hood scoop. These guys were like the majoity of ricers today... they weren't serious hot rodders. When these guys get older they'll forget about cars. The serious ones will either get into muscle cars, street rods, or will seriously race imports.

I equate the ricers of today with the hair metal bands of the 80's...loud, rediculous, and extremely popular but in 10 yrs they'll be as laughable as "Poison". So let the mainstream have their ricers and techno music. I'll take the rebelion of true underground rock & roll and V-8 powered hotrods anyday!

 

msc66, very nicely said i agree with all except the part about v8 cars not being affordable. I would rather take a new mustang over a jap car and i hate mustangs with a passion. There are american cars with v8's that are affordable you just got to do research to find a car that would fit in your budget. But everything else i agree with you 100%.

 

I usually keep quiet on this subject but Adam you hit it right on the head. Your horsepower per dollar is much better spent on a 5.0 Mustang rather than a compact japanese car. In most cases a V-8 configured engine will always make more torque and horsepower than an inline four. The only four cyl. engine I see out there that makes any descent power and torque in stock form is the Boxter Four ( opposed four cyl.) that is in the Subaru Wrx and the inline four in the Eagle Talon. Just last weekend out at Pac. Raceways here in Seattle, I saw a Subaru Wrx run consistent low 13's all day. Most all the other ricers out there were running from 18's to 15's at best. :boring: :boring: V-8s (imho) just sound better. Who would want their car's sound to be mistaken for that of a bodily fucntion anyway?
John

 

Adam, Yeh, the Mustang. I didn't forget about it, but it is only one car. The 5.0 cars are plentiful and affordable and I do see a lot of younger guys driving them. Too many of them actually. There needs to be other options. There needs to be cars that someone with little knowledge or experience could go to the dealer pick one up and modify it and learn as they go. But, it needs to have the image and performance potential to lure them in.

People in general have a sheep mentality. Most of these guys are driving modified ricers because their friends are. Its a trend and like all trends this too will pass (although the SUV thing is lasting much longer than I hoped). What will the next trend be however depends on what is readily available to the masses. Build readily available, affordable, V-8, rwd cars and they will come.

The thing that really bothers me about the whole ricer thing is the reactionary way in which auto makers and after market suppliers are jumping on the band wagon. To me this threatens our end of the hobby more than anything else.

Oh well, maybe if we ignore them they'll just go away!

msc66

 

MSC, you can get a decent fullsize BOPC coupe from the 70's and 80's for under $2,000. I rarely see even stock civics go for less than that. My car was $500, and by the time it was roadworthy, I'd dumped about $2,000. So $2500 for a decent car that I'd trust to California and back. It takes less knowledge to rebuild a carburated dinosaur than a VTECH thingy, IMO

 

Matt,
I know what you're saying and you speak the truth. However, you and I might see the potential in these cars but to the majority of the ricer crowd they're just old boats. To get them out of the 4 banger/front drivers they need access to something with a performance image that is of their generation. Something that can be driven coast to coast when they buy it and then they can slowly build it up and learn in the process.

That's all I 'm sayin'...but then what do I know?

msc66

 

I see what ya mean. Maybe that's why Olds needed the phrase "It's not your father's Oldsmobile." They need a sporty-looking car. camaros and Mustangs are still pretty expensive, and G bodies are climbing into the stratosphere, especially turbo buicks. Cutlasses can still be gotten in decent shape for $4,000 for a 307 powered one.

 

Yeh man. The worst thing the big three ever did was to axe their mid-size rear drivers. A camaro or firebird could be hell for a young guy/girl to insure but a regal, monte ect. is just a passenger car right. Offer a sport package that is short on luxury items but offers good handling, nice wheels and a basic but peppy small V8 and you've got a great base for a fun but affordable modern hotrod.

Yeh, I know that they still make the monte but its dog ugly and its a lame dog dragging it self around by its front paws.
Come to think of it, Thats one of the reasons that I hate NASCAR. None of the cars even remotly resemble what comes off the showroom. If NASCAR would require that the cars be raced in the configuration the they are produced (if its a 4 dr front drive 6 cyl taurus then it has to be raced as such) then I'll bet the outcry from fans and racers alike would change thing pdq. If Nascar said that in 2 or 3 yrs they would enforce these rules you know that the big three would have new 2 dr, rear drive, V8 cars in their stable by then!

You know, they're really startin' to piss me off !!! (whew, I feel better know)

msc66

 

i had to register just to reply to this...
these numbers came from a sport compact car magazine "ultimate street car challenge" article.
that tiburon was not exactly a front-wheel drive. it did have an engine driving the front wheels, but it ALSO has another engine sitting in the back seat driving the rear wheels. yes, its actually all wheel drive. two engines, two (automatic) transmissions. both engines were turbo-charged and the car ran on methanol.
(i skimmed through the rest of the thread, but if i missed a similar reply already, i apologize)

 

Yes, that's very true... All of those compacts are HIGHLY modified... I can't imagine how much $$ went into those!

 

I know this is an old thread but...

I'm interested in both. I'll take a RWD/AWD Import any day, I'll take just about any car pre-73 as well, and a select few 73 and later.

I.E. I've got my beater Honda, which may become a Beater Subaru 2.5RS depending on what job I can land for the winter.

Another Example: My contemplation to find a non-running 91-93 240SX and swap in a Turbo engine... 13 second car for a little under 3 grand.

Whats keeping me from doing these import-oriented projects? The up-and-coming 455 swap for the Skylark, as well as a small bit of frame rebuilding on said car.

 

I've owned a Buick for the last 21 years consecutively, and I prefer them above all other cars, but I'm not ashamed to say I like my little 98 Mexican/German VW Jetta. Call it Mexican rice if you like, but other than going through a few power window motors/regulators, I love my Black, tinted VW as a daily driver. It packs a little punch for what it is. ALMOST every option available(PW, PS, 4 WHL DISC, SUNRF, SPOILER, CRUISE, ALLOYS, CD,DUAL PWR MIRRORS, REAR DEF, REMOTE TRUNK, 6 DISC CD, CASS, AM/FM,TRIP ODO,FOG LIGHTS, ETC, ETC except leather, heated seats , and V6, (STD GLX OPTIONS). BUT, VW offered plently of options that year.
Anyway, LOVE MY BUICKS, but also like alot my little 2 liter 5 speed.

 

Re: Am I kool ?

This thread has been going on forever and this is the first time I've seen this post. :laugh:

That is HILARIOUS! :grin:

I would LOVE to see pics of that! :TU: :Comp: p

 

Nope. Don't have any respect for each other.