What is Rice?

[Pir0San]

I have a '71 240Z and a '72 510 tudor. My wife has a 2003 Acura TLS (260hp). This Acura is very quick. Looking at the post that a stock 240Z is quicker than an RSX baffles me. Here are the specs:

RSX: 155 hp, 6 speed with a 6500 shift point

I believe the 6 speed gearbox will be a huge advantage for the Acura over the 4-speed in the Z (Oh, you have modified the Z? 5-speed? Engine Mods?)

Then you should be competing with the Type 'S'

RSX Type 'S': 201 hp, 6 speed with a 8100 shift point.

I believe this vehicle is very fast regardless of your mods. It is a hotrod!

35 years of technical advancement really do make a difference.

Maybe I should have elaborated. My 240Z is bone stock, with the exception of a Pertronix Electronic Points Condenser Kit, and I removed the a/c and smog pump. Nick's RSX is the base model, and his is bone stock too, with a manual tranny. I've driven both the '05 base RSX and the '06 Type S. The S would probably be a good race for the Z, but the base RSX is slightly sluggish.

I don't want to argue about it, because without solid numbers, there's no way to really describe it. As LWW said on Zdriver.com, street racing is a crock to compare cars.

[EScanlon]

Stephen got it.

The girl with the wind blowing behind her (there's a pun there if you look hard enough), is an unexpected sight. Not something you go out planning to see or find, but when it happens....you smile and savor the moment. That's Eye-Candy.

A beautiful car, modified or not, accesorized or not, and as pleasant as viewing it may be, IMO can't possibly give you the pleasure that the young lady in the first picture does. (With respectful apologies to those who DO derive such pleasure.)

But as to modificaitons, is that sometimes they are not only unnecessary, but sometimes downright oxymorons and sometimes they DO look good.

I recently saw a late 80's Buick Century with extra wide rear tires with flares and thinner tires in the front. The car had a retro back to the 70's look to it, with the raised rear end, lowered front etc. In general, the car DID look presentable and acceptable.....except it's a front wheel drive car. Which renders the whole of his modifications in the "Huh?" category. BUT overall, the car did look good. So while this would ~technically~ be rice, it did look acceptable.

However, some modifications are blatantly....wrong. Four foot tall air wing on the back of a Civic? Hood Scoops on a VW? Six inch exhaust tip surrounding an 1-1/2" muffler pipe? These are the ones that didn't make the grade.

And although people are ribbing Prox about his Home Depot Air Dam....I think it looks ok....at least in the pictures he sent in. Maybe he's an excellent photographer and he's not showing us the bad shots.....

It isn't WHAT the mod is made from, it's what it ends up looking like. Granted, I hope for his sake that he never encounters any streets that are less smooth than a billiard table, but maybe that's why he went with the Home Depot stuff...it's cheap and disposable.

FWIW

E

[TomoHawk]

That's great, E.

Stephan, I got it, but I see so much of that stuff through emails, online, and otherwise that I'm used to it and I'd have to see something really pleasing to notice. I'd still prefer to see my S.O. do something like that instead of (some chick).

[TomoHawk]

What do you think about using exhaust tips (dual tips) that have the same total outlet area as the input ( as in 2, 1 1/2 outlets with a 2/1/2 inch inlet, actually 120% bigger outlet, but still 'reasonably small.')

Refer to the exhaust section...

[240rust]

what rice isn't. I parked my 86 MR2 next to a 1957 Chevy Belair in primo condition and he appreciated it in all it's original japanese conditon with a few mods. my goal is to get my 71 240z to have that same respect! Rice is any rediculous crap people do to ruin the cars, especially the step ladders on the deck lids!

[TomoHawk]

The MR2 was quite a different thing when it cam out. It pretty much still is. I drove one of those 86s for a few days.

BTW, was your MR2 in primo condition or the Belaire? (j/k)

[hls30.com]

Bravo!:classic:

But are you saying all those Z cars with the GTO conversions are riced because they didn't upgrade the engine too? It was originally intended to be with some lowering springs & wider wheels. That was in 1980- something when the Z was still pretty much new, with probably low miles on the car & engine.

thx

Not entirely. Most Ricers only put front and rear parts on their cars, not complete kits, The GTO conversions cover everyting but the roof and the panel below the front windshield. If the entire kit is used, and/or accessorized with appropriate(period pieces used on the original cars) accessories, then the car in question would not be rice. If the owner chose to badge it with Auditt/350Z emblems, well, you get the picture. The line becomes more easily defined when interior and mechanicals are made similar as well.

On another related tangent. I am going to use some JDM parts on my car-does that make it rice?

I would say no for one reason, I am not trying in any way to make my car look like or represent a JDM model.

I am using the parts(Headlight covers, some switches, and an internal panel or two) because of one of two reasons:

1) I like the headlight covers, I would like them if they weren't JDM parts, it just so happens they are.

2) I want to add function to my car that can be accomplished with factory parts(from another country) under a different use-I don't need to engineer something to look like it belongs in the car-Nissan did that for me. All I have to do is make it do what I want it to.

Rice is about the manipulation of appearance to imply performance, my use of JDM parts is mostly about manipulation of performance to achieve appearance.

Will

PS, I added Lawn edging to my second Z after adding a plenum between the airdam and the radiator core, done well it doesn't look bad, and does boost cooling and downforce performance, making it not rice...

[VaGuS510]

Rice is the result of a few different types of people when the associate with an automobile.

1. The first type of person lacks the money and/or knowledge to create what he desires of his car. This person then, in overconfidence, attempts to create his dream car without the proper knowledge and/or budget. Signs of this ricer: different color body panels, insecure body panels, unsanded filler/cracking filler, mix-matched wheels.

2. This type of ricer has too much money for his own good. This type of ricer often lacks the knowledge and/or taste to create a great car. The result is a very brightly colored car with large speakers/spoilers/exhaust and many stickers. Though it is bright colored the paint and bodywork were likely not completed well. This driver often wants the showcar/daily driver/racecar. Resulting in a car that would be faster/cleaner/or more streetable if he would have prioritized. Brightly colored interiors with racing seats, roll cage, and carbonfiber overlays everywhere.

These are the main catagories of ricers. I don't mean to put all ricers into these categories but these are the types that tend to stand out. Ricers are all about following trends and overexaduratation of trends. Trends come and go, but a beautiful car will never die.

By the way the stock RSX may have that six speed but it also has at least 500 more pounds and not much more power then a 240Z. In the twistys the RSX would win, but at the drags it would be close. But then again transmissions do make a big difference.

[TomoHawk]

Rice is...

2. This driver often wants the showcar/daily driver/racecar.

Hey, my 280Z is a daily driver & showcar, and I sometimes go auto-crossing with it. Are you suggesting it's rice??? (j/k)

In 2008 (during the national meet) we're supposed to go to Mid-Ohio for some laps too.

It shows the versatility of the Zed!

[sblake01]

Maybe we need to define some other terms here. You used a partial quote, out of context. My car has been in shows. Does that make it a show car? No. But since I'm going to the show anyway it's just easier to enter. I've also autocrossed it, but it's not a race car. It's just a former daily driver that is kept clean and running. IMO, show cars and race cars are purpose built and used for strictly that purpose.

[TomoHawk]

Did you see the (j/k)? The humor comes from mis-quoting things!:classic:

It sounds like your idea of "race car" means you need to go all-out and spend megabux on performance parts & modifications. One good thing about the S30 Z is that it's fairly good at some kinds of competition just as it is. Rice? I think not, because it's a sportscar to begin with, complete with looks, and has some performance equipment already on it stock. If you coax the horsepower & handling of the new car back out, then it's even more fun. Not rice- good maintenence and/or restoration!

Show car? Sure! Again, you don't need to drop megabux on it to make it beautiful and ready for a concours show for the first time you go. You do it in bits as you go. At every Z show I've been to so far, I've done well, and the competition is getting tough because everybody else is also fixing things up on their cars.

IMO, if it's purposely built and only use for race or show, then you're missing out on the big picture-fun.

[EScanlon]

Ok, here's a perfect example of RICE:

This is an obvious attempt at a modification that sadly....didn't make the grade.

This is from e-Bay UK, and here's the Auction URL. (Thanks to the Mail-List)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220017232204&indexURL=2#ebayphotohosting

Now, since the pictures and auction will eventually go away and lurk in shame, here are the photos.

E