What is Rice? A Perspective on Automotive Modifying Styles...

"Frosted" (frostedbuns) 10/12/2014 at 21:20 • Filed to: None

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Recently, I watched a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! from CarThrottle titled The Difference Between Actual Tuners and Ricers which seemed to be very misinformed.

Lemme start with the very beginning, where they show negative camber differences. Yes, lots of racing cars use negative camber and it can help with traction. Lately there has been a crazy of people using extreme negative camber for the sole purpose of getting their cars as low to the ground as possible. This second type of camber adjustment is called stance. Regardless of where you stand on stance, it's very popular right now.

Stance isn't a new thing though, it's been around in Japan for a long, long time. Mostly done to the old big bodied Japanese sedans, such as the Toyota Aristo and Nissan Cima, owners would often add negative camber to their car along with chrome wheels. It was called VIP and this resulted in very clean and luxurious looking builds. The first vehicle shown in the video appears to be a JDM Toyota with this VIP styling, not a ricer. Although the second car has gone too far.

The second part of this video says ricers spend more money on bodykits and references The Fast & The Furious, arguably the cause of ricers becoming a thing.

Now while I'm not a fan of big aftermarket bodykits with no added power gains, they also show old Shakotan cars pulling out of a parking lot. These cars are far from rice. I would argue that ricing is something that can be done quickly, easily and cheaply. Not one of those shakotan style cars was build in that fashion. These cars have had extensive bodywork performed with panels often being handmade from fiberglass. The style is a callback to the old Silhouette racers/Group 5 cars from the 70s and 80s mixed with a desire to stand out and be seen.

The next part shows that actual tuners build cars with good exhaust notes. Will I will admit that a noisy car that can barely move out of its own way is not great, let's just remember that how a car sounds is not really that important.

Street racing is bad, keep it on the track. I'd also argue that all street racers are ricers to some degree. But that Insight sounds like a weedwacker but ends up being wicked fast. Not everything is gonna sound like a V8 Mustang or flat-six Porsche. That doesn't make it rice.

The rest of the video makes pretty valid points. So what is rice? Rice is cheap body parts halfass installed onto a car. Rice is still the Fast and the Furious styled cars. We just don't see those as often anymore. The term rice should die out with that fad, not be used to describe every single style of modified automobile that you may not enjoy.

Now go have fun with your cars!

Dsscats > Frosted 10/12/2014 at 21:37

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That's not stance though. That's slammed/hellaflush. Stance implies sitting well. Slammed implies unusable.

This is stance.

This is stance.

This is slammed.

And Shatoken is just a different brand of rice.

Rice originally meant Race Inspired Cosmetic Enhancements, hence the explanations in the video. I think it was pretty close to spot on.

The Transporter > Frosted 10/12/2014 at 21:47

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Don't forget about Nos. One of the big ones. No, let's make it two.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Dsscats 10/12/2014 at 22:00

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"Rice originally meant Race Inspired Cosmetic Enhancements" ......Wat? I have never heard ANYONE say that that is where the term "rice" came from. In fact, everyone I know agrees it came form somewhere else.

Rice came from the 70s/80s when the japanese imports started gaining popularity after the oil crisis. They were known as "rice burners" back then as they were from japan. And no, I don't mean performance imports, I just mean these basic little runabout civics and corollas. Sure cars like the 240z and celica supra were gaining popularity but in general and japanese import was negatively called a rice-burner. When the honda builders first started getting their feet wet in the 90s, the name stuck as a built up motor form that era could run thousands of dollars but only produce a fraction of the power available from the traditional V8 motors of the muscle car/pony cars that dominated drag racing. Then, the sport compact scene went heavily into "image" and the wild body kits, massive sound systems, and more came into popularity. Thus "ricers" were the latest iteration of a negative connotation for owning a japanese import (or neon or focus or cavalier) that had way too much money spent on not a lot of performance. In modern times, turbocharging and advancements in engine building and computer software have made even the most basic of honda or toyota engines capable of impressive numbers at a reasonable cost so the "ricer" label generally does only apply to the last stragglers of the bygone "Fast and Furious" group.

Dsscats > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 10/12/2014 at 22:03

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That's what I've heard from a few sources. Fact is now a days it refers to the following:

Ridiculous/distasteful body kits

Unsafe and ridiculous modifications

Excessive body colors

N2O BRO!!!!!!

Frank Grimes > Frosted 10/12/2014 at 22:18

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Pretty sure negative camber existed before japanese VIP cars with VWs and corvairs. Also why is it that every automotive trend seems to have started in Japan? Fanboys love japan and attribute every style of car and the best builds to japan. I have read articles suggesting hot rods are better in japan and more prevalent than anywhere in the world. Ridiculous. Yes japan is cool and they build cool cars and I like japanese cars but I have been seeing way too much attention and compliments paid to japanese car builders.

Rat rods and rice are the same to me. Crappy craftsmanship vulgar overdone mods with not thought to improvement only to a certain look and getting attention and following a trend formula. Basically poser cars.

Dsscats > Frank Grimes 10/12/2014 at 22:27

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I disagree with the rat rod part, buuuuut.......

.....I don't get why Americans idolize Japanese car culture so much. America has some amazing car culture too. I know certain Americans who think that 1/2 the modified cars in Japan are "Insanely built"

Frank Grimes > Dsscats 10/12/2014 at 23:05

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Every rat rod I have seen has the same formula. Rust red spray painted stuff skulls and the crappiest welds you will ever see also if you have a rat rod you have to like psycho billy tattoos and greaser hair. They are poser caricatures of actual hot rods. Of course I hate them because of the experiences with them I mentioned. I have yet to see one I liked.

I don't get the idolization of japanese car culture either. I am not trying to take anything away from them I pay a lot of attention to what is happening in japan and love seeing the out of the box thinking with some of the builds. I would argue that America is the innovator of car culture americas very structure and culture depends on the vehicle. Maybe that is strong language but so much about america owes some credit to the car and its weaves its way through america and its history.

Dsscats > Frank Grimes 10/12/2014 at 23:08

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I think being in SoCal I'm lucky to see all kinds of builds. We have some weird Rat Rod builds though, some RHD, some diesel, some dually, some holey....

Frank Grimes > Dsscats 10/12/2014 at 23:11

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I love traditional rods but don't think I will ever like rat rods sometimes the line is quite blurry.

crowmolly > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 10/12/2014 at 23:22

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Absolutely. It stems from a derogatory term for an Asian automobile or motorcycle.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Dsscats 10/12/2014 at 23:40

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It does and it doesn't. After cars like the Escort ZX2 S/R, Neon ACR (pre-SRT) and Z24 cavalier started getting built up in the early 2000s as honda and toyota prices were higher due to the base car being better, the term rice started to fall out of fashion. So yeah rice is a bit of a catch all but it is still usually focused on the sport compacts. But really, RICE as an acronym is a very new thing and I think it's done by tuners in the current generation? I don't know anymore. You kids and your street slang. TBH trying to make it an acronym sounds like something people came up with who didn't understand that there was a time before turbochargers and ECU flashers.

Zohaibman72 > Frank Grimes 10/12/2014 at 23:43

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Simply put, Import cars are more common to obtain for the younger crowd.

They are reliable, cheap to insure, and have "boy-racer" looks.

It's not easy for a young person to own anything made before 1990 right now, espeically a hot rod or a badass muscle car. They grow up around Japanese cars and usually they have it as a first car, so they obviously take the inspiration for modifying from the home country of the vehicle.

They get so used to it, when they get older they are so accustomed to the Import scene, they only want "higher-up" imports, like S2000s, 300ZXs and so on.

I'm a 17 year old Canadian, personally I have very little interest in American Culture, but I no doubt respect its influence on car culture in general. I guess its streotypical ( i didnt know it was until joining Oppo last year) for me to like what I like.

I want a GTR. My favourite cars include current GTR, R32 GTR, 300zx, RX-7, and older models like the Toyota Soarer or Nissan Bluebird.

Frank Grimes > Zohaibman72 10/12/2014 at 23:51

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I guess maybe thats the answer old people aren't making blogs and websites about old cars and younger people are generally into imports. Which I think sucks in a sense because as mnuch as I belive younger people are generally into import cars more the racing scene as far as drag racing and autocross and stuff seems to have suffered.

So basically my point is more stuff on the internet is about japanese cars because more young people are putting out the content and are more into japanese cars.

I think this is the point where I should state I like all cars. My first was a 1961 Vw beetle I restored then came a 1964 cutlass then a 1995 camaro 1989 mustang and now a 1996 Miata.

Zohaibman72 > Frosted 10/12/2014 at 23:55

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I feel like slamming cars is way too much, making them nearly unusable and destroying their suspension, camber almost -90 degrees is ridiculous.

But I feel like this site and alot of users hate "Stance" too much. Stance is much better than what stems from Fast the Furious, with tacked on body kits, wings and tons of tickers. It's very over-the-top and doesn't look good.

Stance on the other hand is much more elegant and less obscene. You don't have stickers slapped all over the car, maybe a team sticker on a window but thats the most you'll see.

This is an example of the style influenced from Fast and Furious. Early 2000s import scene, with fast and furious being the lead innovator in this "style". Same with games like Midnight Club or Need For Speed Underground.

This civic is an example of over extensive cosmetic style while this is what happens when I google search "stance"

I get this desktop background. The car is clean. No stickers. No flashy body parts or park bench on the trunk.

This is much more appealing than what was before.

One thing I'm not a fan of is the stancing of preformance cars, specifically Impreza STis, Evolutions, Supras, s2000s etc.
What should be let off is stancing of family sedans or non-performance oriented cars. A regular BMW 3 series? Who is it harming. Most likely the original purchaser intended to buy it for status anyways. A Civic or regular Golf? Doesn't even need explaining.

I'm on the market for a Mazda 6 wagon, Legacy Wagon, or another Japanese car. I want to be able to go to local car shows with some interest in my car. I am going to modify it. I will lower it, using coilovers, and maybe get rims, a lip and a few small things. Am I a bad person for doing that?

JGrabowMSt > Frank Grimes 10/13/2014 at 00:01

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You're simply finding the wrong cars if that's the case, regarding rat rods. A well build rat rod is arguably a cleaner build than even some professional resto-mod cars, because the killer is in the detail.

Rat rods are not about looking shitty, they're about making the most of parts you already have lying around. The people that make shitty looking rat rods fall into one of two categories: 1) They're giving the middle finger to everyone else at a car show who spends at least half the time polishing their cars or 2) They don't actually have the knowledge or experience to do the build correctly.

A good rat rod probably has incredible welding all over for the simple fact that it's meant to be seen, not scrutinized. It's hard enough to take pieces of random scrap metal, and netting and all sorts of other things that may not even belong in a car and put them there. Booger welding it all together keeps it looking a ton of pieces of scrap held together with booger welds.

If you ever get the chance to go to a Goodguys show, or some other very large show, look for the rat rods that are out there. In fact, don't stay 10 feet back and try to take it in. Get up close to the car, and look at the little things. Rat rods are all about getting close and finding the little things. They're one of the few things in life where stepping back to look at the bigger picture can really negatively affect how you view them.

Zohaibman72 > Frank Grimes 10/13/2014 at 00:07

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i'd like to mention, while I prefer Japanese cars, I don't hate american or european cars. I was obsessed with the Elise. I actually have a Passat Wagon and Volvo V70 on my "next car" list right now. I'd love a charger, 300c, the new mustang, Focus ST, or any Caddillac from any year (expect Cirramon/cinnamon whatever, and the Catera).

Other than Oppositelock/Jalopnik I don't really follow any car forums, but I have noticed young people do put out a crazy amount of content relating to Japanese cars, and european cars, modified of course.

My uncle who my family has been close with own a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer base model, its been modified extensively, more cosmetically than internally (though it is much quicker than it was before, almost evo-level).

< his car, via Instagram,

He puts out images daily, as do other pages, and gets tons and tons of likes.

His car is shown through multiple instagram pages, including his facebook and twitter. It has won an Importfest Award for 2nd Place, and I've even caught my friends sharing his Lancer, who don't even know hes related to me.

One single person puts out so much content that gets tossed around in Social media, there is no wonder Stance spread so quickly and the import car scene is insane.

Frank Grimes > JGrabowMSt 10/13/2014 at 00:14

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I have been going to good guy shows since before I could walk. Seriously. I have seen plenty of rat rods and hot rods kustoms street rods traditional hot rods and lowriders.
If rat rods arent about looking crappy why are they called rat rods which was a insult given them by hot rodders because they looked ratty or crappy.

Just because I dont like rat rods nor will I ever doesnt mean I dont know anything. I was into hot rods before rat rods came along and became popular and people who had huge jeans cuffs and pomp hairdoos started taking rusted truck cabs and making ugly piles of crap.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > Frosted 10/13/2014 at 00:17

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Rice is almost always a derogatory term, and I put it on the same scale of uselessness and undefinable as "Hipster" (and annoyingly, as often discussed as if it's something that matters)

ride your fixie to your vegan co-op grocery or put a GT wing on a civic. I don't care.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Frosted 10/13/2014 at 00:18

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Ru[ice]ssian

Stef Schrader > Frosted 10/13/2014 at 00:21

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They focused too hard on specifics, which made me chuckle, but aren't exactly accurate. "Rice" is inappropriately installing a bunch of stuff for looks or cred over performance.

But ^5 for the Hoff montage. That was worth it right there.

KnowsAboutCars > Frank Grimes 10/13/2014 at 05:18

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Big negative camber in old VWs and Corvairs wasn't intentional it was side effect of lowering the car. I think the intentional negative camber thing was started by drifters trying to improve full lock grip after that it got picked up by VIP crowd.

Frank Grimes > KnowsAboutCars 10/13/2014 at 05:30

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ok

Philbert/Phartnagle > Frosted 10/13/2014 at 10:30

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let's just remember that how a car sounds is not really that important.

You jest, right?

I like cars with both visual and aural appeal. If a car looks great, but then it farts at me when it is started up, that's just disappointing.

Philbert/Phartnagle > Frank Grimes 10/13/2014 at 10:40

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There are "Rat Rods" and then there are "Rat Rods" IMO. The car you posted above is the type I like. They look almost clean, somewhat like an unrestored barn find. Now the other type that maybe has everything, sometimes even including the kitchen sink, bolted or welded to them, I don't much like those either. However, everyone has a right to their own ideas and ideals. Let them build whatever their hearts desire and yeah, I'm going to check them out anyways, even if I don't much like them, because I'm just a gearhead who likes most everything mechanical.