In Defense of RICE

"Kyle D." (kyledblog)
04/16/2015 at 10:30 • Filed to: RICE, modifications, mods, customization, race inspired cosmetic enhancements, Honda, Civic

Most car guys don't go out of their way to compliment the guy driving the 1998 Civic with wheels worth more than the car and a two-tone plastidip job. The shiny aluminum rear diffuser modified to fit within the rear bumper doesn't seem to take the cake either, and while it may have been cool back in the days of the original F&F to paint something wild and crazy on the side of your car, such as flames or tear marks, that trend just doesn't seem to take the cake any more.

The fact of the matter is this though: Many people do exactly this.

For every post on the interwebs of a modified Civic, there are three posts that fail to explain the physics of downforce, claiming that wings on FWD cars are more inefficient than Italian public transit. While most modified Civics do look pretty atrocious, there are some really wonderful gems out there. Some of those are probably products of trial and error.

I'm not a fan of RICE, (race inspired cosmetic enhancements for those who have been bombarded with this acronym but never offered an explanation) but I don't think it is as bad as so many internet warriors make it out to be.

First, ricers have an interest in their cars. Some of them may make their cars substantially worse, but everyone starts somewhere. Eventually they will learn that style only goes so far.

Or they could become a part of Stancenation. Some of the cars on their are automotive eye candy.

Second, those that do take an interest in performance seemed to get slammed harder by real car guys than Honda S2000's on Craigslist. Take the "fart cannon" exhaust for example. Does it sound terrible? Absolutely. Does it also allow for more airflow; therefore, does it add more horsepower? You bet it does. These guys cannot catch a break. Cosmetic enhancements with no function and functional enhancements with cosmetic hindrances both result in pointless bickering.

Don't be the high school senior that torments the freshmen on the bus when you were in the same position just a short time ago. I'm looking at you. Yes, you. We all know that you were the person who used a garden edger as a front splitter on your 1970 Dodge Dart when you were 17.

Lastly, these guys and gals will not be driving Civics forever. They'll move on to bigger and better things. Those BBS wheels won't look so stupid any more because they'll be on an M3 or a Toyobaru. Their exhausts will blare a deep note to compliment the performance of the car, and the air vents near the intake will serve a legitimate purpose. Those are cars that we will all be complimenting in the future.

Not just any kid's dad has a Nissan Fairlady, a Mercedes S Class, or a Shelby. Today, most kids grow up with not much more than the Need for Speed games. The drive and passion to learn the skills necessary to properly customize a legendary machine starts for some with a modified econobox.

And you know what? That's okay.

DISCUSSION (19)

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 10:36

What you're defending is enthusiasm.

RICE is indefensible. There is no excuse for poor taste.

crowmolly > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 10:36

Best defense of "rice" is that their money is still green.

So if they buy parts and accessories it helps boost the health of the companies making stuff.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 10:36

I always thought that rice was a derived from rice burner.

E. Julius > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 10:39

I'm not a fan of RICE, (race inspired cosmetic enhancements for those who have been bombarded with this acronym but never offered an explanation)

Do people actually say this?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/16/2015 at 10:40

I thought it came from the fact that most of them are Japanese cars, and the rice crispy sound of the fart cannon.

Rainbow > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 10:41

I actually go out of my way to compliment cars like this. I mean, I try to avoid starting a conversation about it, but it must suck to sink a ton of money into something you truly love, only to have it ridiculed by everyone else.

I still remember the one and only time somebody sincerely complimented my (previous) car, and it meant a lot even though I had done nothing to it.

crowmolly > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/16/2015 at 10:42

It is. Was pretty popular among Harley guys back in the day to describe import bikes. Back when the stigma surrounding Harleys was different. LOL.

Rainbow > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/16/2015 at 10:43

It is. People hastily came up with the dumb acronym in order to insist that it isn't a racist term, but it is.

That said, it's lost its racist connotation regardless, so that's fine. But it is absolutely derived from rice burner.

Rico > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 10:51

Lastly, these guys and gals will not be driving Civics forever. They'll move on to bigger and better things.

Yep like slammed Accords and Acuras.

Cosmetic enhancements with no function and functional enhancements with cosmetic hindrances both result in pointless bickering.

I'm the opposite, I appreciate and respect a really clean Civic, Accord etc. with tasteful cosmetic additions that really class it up. The straight piped, fart cannon droning 128 HP Civic with the ridiculous negative camber and stickers that say gas, grass or ass still won't get my respect.

TheHondaBro > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 11:01

Preach it. I'm not the biggest fan of rice either, but those guys still love their cars, whether it's a Supra or a 90's Civic.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 11:03

"Does it also allow for more airflow; therefore, does it add more horsepower? You bet it does. "

A backbox alone (like most ricers bolt on) will do very little since the pipe diameter of the rest of the exhaust is the same. Plus on modern cars you need a tune to account for a different exhaust (whether you do a full exhaust and headers or just a back box) or you might actually lose power.

The World of Vee > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 11:05

End of the day I've always maintained that the person driving the car has to live with it and if you try and appease other people all the time you'll just be unhappy. Drive what you love and not what others think is "cool".

You could apply the haters of rice to pretty much anything else (badge slaves?, stance haters?) it all comes out in the wash really.

Stef Schrader > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 11:06

Y'know what? I couldn't agree more.

Most rice I see is on younger dudes' cars. They don't know any "better," but the enthusiasm is there. Who am I to quash that?

Obviously, it's always good to point out better, safer and more tasteful ways of modifying a car when you can. But you know what? A lot of my friends had hella ricey rides in high school. Rice is usually a phase—a stepping stone to learning how to work on a car. And "I have this sweet Civic I've installed a bunch of stuff on myself" ought to be encouraged, not automatically ridiculed.

Textured Soy Protein > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 11:17

RICE, (race inspired cosmetic enhancements for those who have been bombarded with this acronym but never offered an explanation)

I'm fairly certain this is a backronym where someone (maybe you?) tried to make an acronym out of an existing term.

Zohaibman72 > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 11:29

I mean personally, I think that stuff typically looks bad, but thats my opinion. Aleast they took money, time and care to make their cars look how they like and pay more attention to it. Atleast people who rice cars don't think of their cars as appliances.

If I lived somewhere with half decent roads I'd actually VIP or stance my Camry or (when i get it) my Civic. I'll probably get flack for doing it on this site because stance is cancer or something, but I wanted to cosmetically enhance my car, I want individuality, and to me, it looks good.

Why do I have to care what others think about my car, all that matters is that if I like what I did and enjoy my car.

TheHondaBro > Rainbow
04/16/2015 at 11:40

Didn't it come from "Rice Rocket?"

wiffleballtony > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 20:11

I used to hate rice. Now we need all of the enthusiasts we can get regardless of their taste.

NJAnon > Kyle D.
04/16/2015 at 21:55

Your defense is appreciated Kyle but doesn't hold. The misguided and blockheads out there that never complete their "project car" or "show car with ugly paint schemes" outnumber the ones that actually complete their car upgrades and know how to match colors on a automobile. The misguided don't know what a dyno is, and they don't want to know [rebellion].

They will go to the ends of the earth with impossible aspirations believing that their miscolored door paneled, uncleaned interiored, crappy sound systemed, improper wheel aligned, bubble tinted project will get done before they die and they will show the world how awesome it is.

Remember that photo of that all bondo car in FL? SOMEONE DID THAT. Even if it was a joke (which isn't funny), someone put time into that which could have been spent better by actually making the car look good.

jkm7680 > Kyle D.
04/19/2015 at 09:43

They drive like tools, race, wake people up at night and think that their Mother’s old 2001 Accord is fast. There is no defense good enough for them.