So hear me out here, because I'm not criticizing, but in waiting for my car I've noticed a trend in my own shopping habits that's counter to what I've believed in or been doing for years.

The Topic: RICE.

I've had imports for years. And when you mod them, anything that doesn't serve a functional purpose is considered "ricy". Body kits, stick on pieces, stickers/stripes, even rims that look nice but are heavier than what you took off (or even same weight) get this label. The highest praise you can get in the import modder world is "Clean".

So here I am browsing through AM, LMR, Modbargains, etc and filling up build lists and pricing out shopping carts and figuring out shipping costs, and it occurs to me.... my shopping cart is filled with chin splitters, louvres, striping kits, rocker splitters...

Sitting in my basement, I've got a bunch of stuff I've already bought for the car. There are exactly TWO functional items: a shifter bushing and an oil separator. There's one that COULD be considered minimally functional (axleback). Beyond that? Pass the stir-fry: hood stripes, side scoops, shift ****, coil covers, shorty antenna...

So as I look around the various Mustang forums, it occurs to me that people don't get criticized for this kind of buying pattern. It's actually encouraged. Hood scoops, louvres, side scoops, decklid panels, spoilers, lips, stripes, stickers.....there's more 3M tape than bolts!

So here's my question, and it's a serious question and I'm hoping everybody keeps it clean because this isn't meant as a show-vs-go flame war: Why is this acceptable in domestic world? Is it because we're starting out with a 5.0 V8 and 420hp, so dumping money into the show side of the argument is fine? And why is there so little division? I see guys with 600hp supercharger setups and otherwise "clean" cars complimenting guys with stock engines but a pile of stick-ons. Is it just more about execution of concept than personal inclination?

There it is. Discuss.

 

Sounds like a question you need to answer for yourself.

I personally, don't understand why someone would order a premium car with Track Pack. Track Pack is a purely track oriented performance enhancement, very contrary to the luxury of the premium package. And did you even spec the Recaro seats?

And then even before they have the car they are gathering a bunch of mods to install on their new car that they haven't even spent any time with.

 

When you turn that key and get the sound of a V8 all the rice gets blown out the window. As long as you don't over do it I don't consider it rice. Rice to me is huge wings/bumpers, and stupid annoying exhausts that make your ears buzz. I'm sure I'm missing more.

 

Easy answer to this: No I didn't get the Recaro's, I found them uncomfortable. And in Canada, the GT only comes in 400A, 401A, and 402A.

This question is the type of criticism/flame I haven't actually seen a lot of here, which surprised me since "to each his own" is not a familiar concept in the import world. But visual mods can be purchased before you get the car, since you know what it looks like and what you want it to look like. Suspension and real power mods I feel I need to spend time with the car before making that leap.

The point of my thread was that people seem (or, now, seemED) to have a mutual respect and appreciation for whatever anybody else wants to do/likes to do with their car, and it just seemed foreign to me, based on my background in the tuner industry.

 

OMG!

That is the best thing I've heard in awhile!!!

 

anything you do to these cars can always be backed up by tons of power so thats why it is accepted. However I have seen people put huge body kits and spoilers on some of the old v6 mustangs and that a whole other story.

 

I think that is the distinction in my mind. When I thought of rice, I thought of someone buying a base model Honda Civic and then adding things that made no sense and didn't help performance, EG huge spoilers, stickers and graphics (like the Fast and Furious Hermes graphics or sponsorship stickers similar to race cars, not just stripes), and/or doing things that hurt performance like cutting springs for radical drops or the whole camber "Hella Flush" movement.

I never considered imports that could get up and boogie, and backed it up, "rice". In my opinion, it was the appearance race car made from the APC catalog on a base model grocery-getter and not the big single Supra, or BPU'd R35. The look of performance without the gusto to back it, that is "rice".

BTW, IMHO the new Cyclone V6 Mustangs are performance cars. Heck they have similar stats to the 4th Gen LS1 F-Body cars (of which we owned three).

 

Scoops, panels, side stripes, spoilers, stickers? Do some research before you post. Those aesthetic elements are part of the Mustang heritage and have always been considered tasteful and UPGRADED mods.

For example: look up the introduction of the Cali special, Mach 1, Boss, Shelby in the 60s. Those aesthetic mods you mention were considered "classy" options on these cars and people were clamoring to get them. Think of SVT, Saleen, and Roush today. Those upgrades cost a lot of coin wouldn't you say?

It's the cheap kids today that try to imitate the concept by using foreign cars as a base with wal mart parts.

It's like adding soy sauce to apple pie!

That's why we snicker at them as the buzz by us to they dollar store.

 

I always thought rice = imported.

 

I don't see a problem with having performance and luxury. How many people actually track their cars? Most people just want a fast car they can enjoy every day. What's so hard to understand about that?

 

Lol. This is the best post I've read in a long time. I too come from modding European and Japanese cars. My definition of rice is similar to yours. The only difference is if you were going for sound or speed. If you were going for speed, your definition holds mostly true. If you were going for sound, visual mods were rice if it was cheaply done. Poor execution of any mod was rice.

As far as Mustang rice, I think it's all about execution. If something is done with well made parts and looks good, there is little push back. It used to annoy me how often someone called something rice on this forum when their mods were far more ricer.

 

Everyone knows what constitutes a "ricer" vehicle. Doesn't take an intelligent person to google image it and you'll see how every car make will have a Radically Immature Car Enthusiast butcher it. I butchered my mustang. Chrome wheels? RICE! Lol

 

I purposely didn't buy the track pack - wanting to stick with 18" wheels and smoother ride. But after a year or two of tearing it up on the backroads I found the stock parts lacking. Stuck with the 18" wheels, but better tires, added Brembos, next up is suspension work to stop the nosedive when braking and sway in the corners (made much worse by the great Mich PSS tires I added). Looking back I should have bought a track pack car to save a few bucks. & track pack doesn't seem to equal tracked cars. Most of the racers on the forum seem to be running all aftermarket.

Anyhow, back on topic. I my mind, rice = import with big wings, huge graphics, those too wide tires that stick out from the fender wells, riding so low they hang up on speed bumps, & body kits. None of that stuff is for me.

But I do have to admit I have one 3M taped part added. I added the side window louvers (ordered new with the car), as I always liked that look on the old fastbacks. So more retro than rice.

 

Wow, great answers in this thread. I was hoping for some good responses.

Interesting wrinkle there regarding cheap vs. done properly and absolutely should be factored into the discussion.

I'm fully aware of the heritage of adding stick on parts to a lot of domestics, and came from a domestics-dominated family...I was a bit of a black sheep in my early driving years. But by your definition, if we're imitating something that was historically desirable, it's all good, is that a correct assessment?

So now we throw the "retro" word in. Because the Mustang does carry some very retro styling cues, retro-styled add-ons are not just accepted but encouraged.

And by the way, totally agree on the Track Pack comment. It's not really that track ready, it's mostly the gears, cooling and Brembo's that can be had at a steep discount. The rest of the stuff in the pack would likely be changed out if you were a regular.

 

Nope.
All about execution.

I can imitate jordan by wearing his clothes and so on... That doesn't mean I'll ever get "air."

Ricers make it all so cheap and dirty.

 

I don't think I've ever heard a real person (i.e. not the internet) call something rice that wasn't entirely deserving of such words. If your sample is the internet at large, then I'd just stop worrying...there are also a bunch of people who insist that Jennifer Lawrence is gross looking.

Of course it doesn't help any that many imports can be had for super cheap, and have ultimately gained a following of folks who insist on shopping only at the local parts store. At the end of the day I've seen fantastic examples of modded vehicles from every segment. I pay little attention to what the internet has to say on the matter...

 

I think people are reading a degree of self-conscious feeling/behavior over my habits. That's not it at all, I was more fascinated at how my shopping habits for this particular car are completely contrary to how I've always treated previous cars, and hadn't realized I was doing it until I took a look at what I'd bought and had a bit of a chuckle. More looking for insight into two very different attitudes or approaches all under one car culture at large.

 

Let me answer that for you. The base model interior in these cars is pretty disastrous. Plastic dash trim, plastic interior door handles etc. Second, the Brembo package is nothing great. I wouldnt even call those real Brembos (even though they are) because they are 4 piston, and the rotor is ever so slightly bigger than the stock GT rotors. You'd fry those things after a few hot laps just like you would the normal GT brakes. Id rather take that 2 grand and put it toward a real brake kit and invest further in cooling components if i wanted a track machine.

As for what the OP said. You will never catch me putting window louvers, head light splitters, side scoops and hood scoops on my car. I think it looks cheap and tacky. I am from the less is more school of thought when it comes to aesthetics. The only thing i will do to my car in terms of aesthetics involves a front splitter along with a rear valance.

 

RICE = Race Inspired Cosmetic Enhancements

 

Really idiotic car enhancements