Is the era of "Ricers" over?

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Clevy
I saw some pics of cars,typically 70s-80s model big boats with like 24-26 inch rims with tires that have almost non existent sidewalls. I forget what they are called but it's hilarious to see.


Those are Donks...



That's it. Thanks eljefino. The name alone says it all.

 

[NHGUY]

They wrecked them all or got killed when they did wreck those flimsy 90s Hondas driving them at speeds they were never supposed to attain.(Remember Top Gear when the VW pickup rearended the CRX,and the CRX was nearly destroyed? It scared the heck out of them.The K car won that 3 car "challenge").

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: SkyActivG
Maybe the endangerment of Ricers is due to the Economy?

They're still there, but they've moved on to a new and different fad called "hellaflush". "Hellaflush" is considered more tasteful than the style that became known as "rice".

Link to Google Images for "hellaflush"

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
They wrecked them all or got killed when they did wreck those flimsy 90s Hondas driving them at speeds they were never supposed to attain.(Remember Top Gear when the VW pickup rearended the CRX,and the CRX was nearly destroyed? It scared the heck out of them.The K car won that 3 car "challenge").


Yeah K-cars are so cool they are the best.

I wish I had one.....

 

[sciphi]

The "ricer" era has given way to the "rolling coal" era of jacked-up diesel pickups. The ones that dump a giant cloud of black soot out the 6" tailpipe on command, and have the accompanying flattus-like sounds.

A lot of the ricers have also grown up and started modding their practical cars in practical ways. Things like headlight harnesses or HID projector retrofits, snow tires, and dog/kid-proofing the rear seats of the cars.

Younger folks these days also have no money to buy a car with, much less modify it. The ones who do have money have far more practical things to spend it on than pointless appearance/sound mods. Hmm, $100 on a flattus-like exhaust or on a headlight harness?

 

[rjundi]

My personal opinion is the following.

Cash for clunkers + downturn in economy killed the cheap car supply used which ricers sought out. Also something I notice many kids either delay a license or moreover driving their parents vehicles let alone their own.

For example a fine carpenter working at my house was driving his kid to college. He used a VW Passat wagon bought for kid(sat in driveway) but not used by kid as he just got his license.

My nieces(16,17) both with a license have their mom or boyfriends drive them about. They actually have a 1998 Yaris at their whim.

 

[KrisZ]

Around Toronto I mostly see cars that are decked out, mostly Civics, Eclipses, some VWs, with all sorts of sporty looking stuff like skirts, spoilers, diffusers (all with bad fittement and misaligned) big alu wheels filled by tiny rear drum brakes

but the car can barley pull its own weight and most of them spew out smoke from the exhaust (probably due to revving the snoot out of the engine at red lights).

In other words it's all show, and really bad one at that, and absolutely no go.

 

[Propflux01]

Around here it's not a Spoiler Wing. We call them Park Benches.

 

[exranger06]

Wasn't there a thread on here a while back about how kids don't care about cars or driving anymore and are much more concerned with having the latest smartphone? That could have something to do with it...

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: Trav
You forgot the cool satin paint job, flat black primer.


I see a lot of those. Compacts, sedans, Mustangs, SUVs, etc. I like to study them when stopped in traffic and try to guess how much effort went into the paint masking and painting - if I see overspray on the taillights, license plate or rear window, I know it wasn't much effort at all!

 

[SHOZ]

In my Genesis Coupe crowd what I consider rice is the Hellaflush trend. Frog out the wheels with spacers and excessive camber with 20" wheels and as little ground clearance as you can get.

The engines coming from the factory and warranty issues stop a lot of mods in the power train. Still a tune can result in tremendous gains HP wise, to the point you need to beef up the motor.

On my 2010 2L turbo a simple IC upgrade and a flash tune gets you an easy 50-60 HP over the stock 210. The 2013s came from the factory with these improvements at 260 HP or so. But some have gone onto 400 HP on the factory bloc. This is not exactly a long term reliable motor though when that is done. 500HP is attainable with the tunes and engine build and still be quite street able.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: Tegger

They're still there, but they've moved on to a new and different fad called "hellaflush". "Hellaflush" is considered more tasteful than the style that became known as "rice".


Its interesting how styles change. Todays "hellaflush" driver would laugh at a 2001-era "Fast and Furious" Civic with its park-bench wing and abundance of stickers (bonus points if they're printed in reverse on the passenger's side). But the "Fast and Furious" guy would laugh at an 80s-era lowrider with 13" gold rims or the guy with the triple wiper blades and pink and green decals all over (Miami Vice style).

 

[WANG]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Around here, the ricer mentality has been passed onto diesel truck owners.



Quoted for truth!

I'd add many H-D riders to that, but they were ricers before ricers were ricers.

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

Originally Posted By: Truckedup
"Ricer" cars have been replaced by Diesel pu trucks with big exhaust stacks, AKA, "The New Ricers".



Coal Rollers

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

Originally Posted By: WANG
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Around here, the ricer mentality has been passed onto diesel truck owners.



Quoted for truth!

I'd add many H-D riders to that, but they were ricers before ricers were ricers.

Yo Dawg

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: CHARLIEBRONSON21
Originally Posted By: WANG
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Around here, the ricer mentality has been passed onto diesel truck owners.



Quoted for truth!

I'd add many H-D riders to that, but they were ricers before ricers were ricers.

Yo Dawg


Just the other day I saw an early 90's Ford F-250. Blue headlights. Huge chrome rims with skinny tires. Etc.. you all get the picture.

As a kid I was absolutely in love with old diesel fords. The neighbor (who acted/ still acts like my grandfather) had a 1992 F-250 with a manual gearbox. He used it for work the way they were intended. (Half the diesels you see around today don't even have a draw bar installed.) I wanted one so bad when I got older. Now he has a little S10 that he dropped a Datsun diesel in and it gets about 35 mpg. That engine is pushing 400,000 and all he does is change the oil. I wish he could have found a mated 4x4 tranny/ t case for it, but they have a little suv for the 4wd.

 

[supton]

I'm not sure that diesel trucks replaced rice, those trucks are too expensive to buy, whereas the typical rice car was vastly cheaper. I also tend to think of rice as being more in the city, and obnoxious truck not, but I guess you can get both in the 'burbs.

I'm not sure i see a lot of either around here. High fuel prices, high auto insurance, and high smartphone costs. If anything, I wonder with the general trend to delay adulthood means kids don't have enough money to burn on autos like they used to; when they finally have the money they are either more mature or at least have a bigger picture to pursue than a "cool" set of wheels.

Did kids pine for their own horse and buggy back in the day?

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: Olas
after reading this thread I'm starting to think the term is used to describe distastefully modified vehicles regardless of where they come from.
Exactly. The word "ricer" applies to the vehicle, not the driver.

Originally Posted By: Olas
Is it possible to 'rice' a Mustang? Camaro? or would there be a different name given to people who do 'rice' type modifications to US built cars?
I once saw a '94 Thunderbird SuperCoupe (supercharged V6 engine) with [censored]-can exhaust. It looked and sounded ridiculous. I've also seen riced-out Mustangs...giant wing, useless ground-effects panels, Altezza taillights, Kanji lettering...it hurt my eyes.

 

[FFeng7]

I agree that the new "ricers" are driving diesel pick up trucks. A few years back the high school parking lot would be filled with Civics and Integras. Now you see a lot of Super Duties and Duramax Diesels. I suppose it's just what is in style today.

 

[Brybo86]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Wasn't there a thread on here a while back about how kids don't care about cars or driving anymore and are much more concerned with having the latest smartphone? That could have something to do with it...


I think this definitely plays a big role in the downfall of the ricer movement. iphones, ipads, etc they can and are used starting at 2 years of age.

There is no longer that light at the end of tunnel(the day you get your drivers license) All a license does is allow you to drive to BestBuy to buy the next ipad.

I would also add that a lot of the mods to cars today can't be done as easily as in the past. Nowdays cars are all controlled by ECU, rather than vacuum passages, mechanical valves/cables, Now its all electronic throttle bodies. In order to mod a car today you need to be more computer hacker than mechanically inclined.