Hello ladies and gentlemen.

Im an obvious newcomer to this particular board. I have been reading it since I placed an order for a 2003 Lightning a few months ago. In my brief time as a memeber of F150 online, I have noticed an overwhelming dislike for those people who choose to spend hard earned money and time to make fast car out of an import.

I see to many of you refer to them as "ricers"

Im just trying to understand why there is such profound dislike for, what is now, an ever growing US subculture.

Now, dont get me wrong, there are the guys and gals out there who do things to those imports that are just plain laughable at any level. But then there is the other half. The half that I belong to.

You see, I own a 93' Toyota Supra. I have spent many hours and dollars to make the 5M-GE motor turn high 8's in the 1/4. Do you know what it takes to squeeze 900+ horsepower out of a motor like that? Wanna race? heh.

Have you ever attended an import show? As I mentioned earlier, there is a whole new subculture in the U.S. that revolves around these cars. The comraderie is greater than even the relatively small group of Lightning owners you find here. The shows are downright FUN!

I just get the feeling that many of you fellas/gals have, for some reason or other, turned on a community that is very simmilar to your own Lightning community.

Its all about speed isnt it? (And in some case the blingy!)

Hey, listen. Im excited to be a new owner of an "L". This board is amazing, and I look forward to meeting some of you Jersey boys when my new toy arrives. Just needed to throw my 2 cents in pick the collective brain about what I have witnessed!
Be good!
Turtle~

 

OK, first off, I'm an old coot, so I have been thru the 50s, the Muscle Car era, and now own a 2002 Lightning. I took my driver's license exam in my dad's '55 Nomad (white over turquoise); owned a '62 Chev SS convert; '66 Charger, etc. I loved cars, and now that I've raised my kids and can afford to indulge some of my "real" interests, I bought a Lightning because it harkens back to my youth: there is no substitute for the sheer, brute power of an American V8. I have owned imports, but the only one that interests me now is the Nissan 350Z (excluding impo-exoticars, which I can't afford).

That being said, on one level, I have no ax to grind with "ricers," as they represent the continuing legacy of "a guy and his car." Everyone likes to personalize their vehicle, play with performance tweaks, and "belong" to a group. It's harmless fun, and part of being young. More power to 'em. And the rivalry between "groups" is part of the fun. I also think that the "affordability" of the (used) import vehicles makes them the only realistic option for many kids these days, much like the flathead Ford crowd in the 50s...they could be had for a song, and that's what became the "in" thing.

So, I don't take the Ricer thing too seriously. I appreciate tasteful mods that are well-done. If that's what turns your crank, go for it.

But, I'll stick to the Lightning, because of the legacy it has and because it makes me feel good whenever I drive it.

...and besides, squealing front tires is still hard to accept!

 

My first car was a 1962 Rambler three on the column inline six. Spent all my time and money on that car. Fast forward 40 years and I would probably be doing the same thing with a Honda or something if I was a teenager. Now I'm an old coot with a very fast truck. And I still spend most of my time and money on it.

 

Nice job on the 8s. I don't have an issue with imports. I don't care what you happen to be driving. I do however have an issue with kids who sit in the staging lanes at the track with their subs bumping loud enough to drown out a top fuel dragster at wide open throttle. Setting their rev limiters every two minutes while blue smoke pours out of the exhaust 'can' (won't use the derogatory effect usually used to describe them). It particularly annoys me that I can't leave my truck and go look at other cars in the lanes (looong wait in the lanes @ E-Town) because one of them is SITTING ON THE GUY'S TRUNK IN FRONT OF ME And NO, he DOES NOT KNOW THE GUY!! Being that there's 5 kids hovering around this ONE car (God forbid they go anywhere by themselves...no.. they're too immature and insecure to do that..they need a f&#ing posse to travel around!!), I'm thinking that one of them might get the idea of sitting or leaning on MY TRUCK. And guess what? Just as I'm thinking it, one of them motions as if he's about to..but because I'm being vigilant (instead of enjoying my trip to the track and walking around the pits and checking out the other cars), I stop him and say, "You really shouldn't lean on other people's cars. I put a lot of time, hard work and money into this truck. I keep it immaculate. See that shine? That's protected by clear coat. You lean on my truck with your FUBU jeans (thinking...BTW..you're a white kid...do you know what FUBU stands for, yo?) with the snaps and buttons on them, and you scratch my clear coat." And of course he puts on the hard guy routine (the kid weighed maybe 110..but his other 4 friends added up to probably 500 lbs collectively yo!) so I say, "Look. I'm not busting your chops. You just shouldn't be doing that. Lean on your friends car is you're tired. And you (kid sitting on the other guy's trunk) should get off that guys car. It's not yours." So he jumps down and doesn't say anything. Now other people have noticed what's going on and we all agree that these kids need a beating. But we try to brush it off and have a laugh about it. Long story (already) short...the kid runs a 17.xx @ 80.xx MPH in his brand X car (it was an import).

You see, you're putting the emphasis on people hating imports and calling the owners 'ricers'. But you know what? In my book, you're an import enthusiest. These kids were 'RICERS'. Get my drift?

Enjoy the Lightning!! You're gonna love it.

See ya'

Dan

 

As was pointed out, there are import enthusiasts, and there are ricers. The ricers are what I call frauds, and they've been around forever. Honda Civics with Type-R emblems, F150s with Lightning emblems, Camaros with SS emblems, etc. Cars that can not even be driven above 80MPH, yet they have so many brightly-colored brand-x performance parts, that you'd think they're race cars. While the REAL fast cars look practically stock.
Nowadays, it's populated mainly by young people that have large egos, and a constant need for attention. They want to be noticed everywhere they go, and don't care if it's positive or negative attention. So they'll decorate their vehicles in the most brightly colored graphics, throw on 100watt blue bulbs, LEDs and neon all over it. And if that doesn't get your attention, the 100db fart pipe and the 5,000 watt ear-deafening bass system will. And they're not all import owners. Rice is a state of mind that exists within all car companies, and all vehicles.
I used to have a picture of a Lamborghini Diablo, colored neon green, with huge 5' vinyl stickers on it that said "Diablo" at all angles... definitely not a sleeper

 

Screw 'em....

 

i just like the sound of a v8, but what defines rice is that half azzed honda with a half painted body kit with nasty exhaust, now with full exhaust a tasteful body kit and everything done right, looks clean as hell. supras are nice as well as rx7's

 

I have a freind with a 600hp Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo that looks stock. That is not rice. 98% of the crap you see on the road, ie...civics with shopping cart wings, clear lights, god awful ground effects, neon, stickers, fart pipes, extra guages, stickers, and a stock motor...that's f'ing rice. I point at it, and I laugh at it. I do not respect it and think lowly of the people that do it and drive it. I think it's hillarious when chicks are conviced that Civics are sports cars.

Don't like my opinion...think that we should all hold hands and join the celebreties in their bid for "peace" with Iraq? Bite me fanboy!!!

 

You just answered your own question right their.

Really no one on this board hates imports. In better words, we hate "POSERS" or "FAKERS" or "WANNABEES". As you said above, you can relate

 

I couldn't agree more with danSS2471, "ricer" refers to the punk kids with the bad attitudes. And it is a pain in the as$ to go to the track and have to sit by your truck or car or whatever the whole time because alot of them have no respect for other peoples property...And god forbid you ask them to watch it or be careful around your vehicle, the next thing you know, they want to start a fight with you...Alot of them need a serious attitude adjustment. Drag racing is about fun and friendly competition, and alot of those punk kids don't see it that way....

My hat goes off to the guys that can turn a 12, 11, or even 10 second or less 1/4 mile times with 4 or 6 cylinder domestic or import cars. That takes some serious tuning ability and mechanical knowledge, not to mention a ton of cash....

To me however, nothing feels better than gobs of V8 torque burying you into your seat, and the rhythmic rumble it makes while doing it....

 

Ok, im seeing the distinction.
Import enthusiasts are NOT ricers =)

Thanks for your input folks!

See ya in the summer with my new toy!

 

I have quite a respect for hi tech imports making big power...however you just don't see those cars. Every punk that has seen fast and the furious thinks that they can make a race car out of a grandma honda. They CAN be made sick, but it takes more than decals and wings!

 

I doubt that even 10% of import owners fall into the category that you include yourself in. That 10% has my respect and, on occasion, my envy. There are some very desireable imports out there. They are generally very expensive vehicles though........ even used.

 

Well, all I can say is...Read our license plate and assume our opinion.

By the way kudo's to those who pump can ring 900HP from those 9000RPM motors. That is a true automotive feat.

But the ricers I think we are taliking about seem to save their money to buy bazooka bass boomers that distort like crazy, then saw off their perfectly good mufflers to install an exhaust tube you can land F-117 or B-2's in and still turn them around for re-launch.

Long live American V-8 power....

 

My biggest beef with ricers is how they roll right through the waterbox, drag water all the way to the 60' mark with their rear tires and then you can't get traction for sh!+. IMO if it's not rear wheel drive then it shouldn't be on a dragstrip. There are a lot of bad *** rear wheel drive imports out there that are definitely worthy though. As for the front wheel drive cars, all I can say is WHY??? The huge fart can exhaust pipes are ridiculous as well especially when they don't need anything bigger than a soda straw. Just my .02.