New car and body kits

The only car that you can get that looks good and has good performance for $10 - $15k is probably going to be a "rice rocket," as you put it.

Mitsubishi FTO GPX? That price is Australian dollars, incidentally, so it works out to be about US$11,500.

Wow, I really wish they sold that car in the states. Looks like a really slick version of the last gen. Toyota Celica.

What's a "rice rocket?"

A modified vehicle of Asian manufacture. Usually a Honda Civic or Honda CRX, but also includes various Kias and Hyundais (SP?), Toyota Celicas, Nissan Sentras, Mitusubishi Eclipses, and also American cars like Chevy Cavaliers, Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Escorts, etc. The main defining factor in a rice rocket is the fact that the car looks souped-up, but does not actually have many performance engine modifications. Common modifications include body kits/hoods/bumpers/spoilers, decails, tints, rims/wheel covers, neon kits, and exhaust tips. The problem most people have with these cars is that the owners try to make them look fast, without actually making them any quicker. Basically, some people pour a lot of money souping up an entry-level car, when they could have taken the extra money they spent and just purchase a better car in the first place. Also, the drivers tend to be punk-asses.

actually, around here the rice rockets really do go faster, but you're still talking about a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder, so though they may be fast for a civic, they're still not truely fast cars. for under $15k, i'd look into a used bmw, say a '96 or so. it also depends on how much maintenance you're willing to do. one could get a nice old porsche for that price, but you'd spend a lot maintaining it. if you want the hot rod look, how about a used vw gti? or you could get a golf, lower it, change the turn signal covers, get a racing exhaust, etc...

Yeah, usually the hardcore "rice rocket" fans take a motor and do some work to it, mainly putting a nitrous oxide system on it andsome other mods.  This will make it faster, but you have to hit the nitrous 3 or 4 times.  It's not like a Hemi Cuda or a Shelby Mustang where the engine itself produces the torque and the horsepower.  One other thing- the cars usually sound like a suped up blender or weed whipper.  It has to be one of the most annoying sounds on the planet. Now, kids who want to look "cool" (if that's what you can call these people) but don't know dick about cars just get the decals, ground effects, God-awful looking spoilers, and a K&N air filter and an after market exhaust.  And let's not forget about the decals and the 20 LCD screens w/ DVD players and a 10000 watt sound system, all bass. If you can't tell, I can't stand these cars and the "culture" around them.  I went to a car show about a year ago, in between a classic Mustang and a sweet Dodge Charger was one of these cars, DVD's playing and bass bumping.  It was very out of place.  I second Versaceman- the owners are usually punk ass kids. I usually hate PCing things as you can't make everyone happy and trying to usually makes you look like a fool, but instead of calling them "rice rockets," the people who are part of this culture call them "tuner cars," as they've "tuned them up." Go figure. *EDIT* if you want to see a Hollywoodization (is that a word?&#33 of this, see "The Fast and The Furious," but don't say I haven't warned you of the pain it will inflict on you.

Mike: You clearly have excellent taste in cars. Cudas, Chargers, Mustangs, etc. are wonderful. My very first car was a 1971 Dodge Challenger Convertible. Been a muscle car fan ever since. In fact, in response to the original post, you can pick up a muscle car for under $10,000. More class than a rice rocket. The engines on the old muscle cars are simple enough that a mechanically inclined person can work on them himself, if that's your thing. Some ebay listings to give you an idea of prices: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot....ry=6198 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot....ry=6198 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot....ry=6161 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot....ry=6236 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot....ry=6161

Not sure what you're talking about man. Most tastefully modded cars do not have Nitrous in them. A turbo or a supercharger perhaps, but only rarely do they have nos that I've found. Perhaps you are mistaking nos for the blow-off valve sound that many cars make now that have a turbo on it. Unlike American cars, a good Japanese engine will put out a ton of horsepower for very little engine size, maximizing efficiency. The B18c (1.8L Integra Type R) puts out 200-220hp depending on the year that it's made. The s2000 engine is 2.0L and 240hp (120hp per liter), the most horsepower per liter of any car sold today. Compare that to the Z06 engine 5.7L 405hp, which is a laughable 71hp per liter. Do you not consider the engine to be producing the power if the exhaust, intake, headers, etc. are modified? I've always heard rice rockets used as a term for fast, Asian-made cars. I suppose you could buy a muscle car for $10k if you want to have it break down on you, have horrible hardware integrity and a deliciously wasteful engine.

True, I neglected to mention the superchargers and turbochargers, as many of the punk ass kids in my area don't do this. They usually get nos and a few otehr aftermarket things, stuff they can get with the money they make at Sbarros or some other mall job. A supercharger is usually out of their range and skill level to install. I'm not saying this is always true, just some times. Also, the key word there is "tastefully" which means usually done by professionals. Mostly, here in the Detroit suburbs, its done by kids with a few semesters of auto shop, or by one of their friends who happens to have a tuner. What I meant was that the BASE engine is not producing the power. You have to put thousands of dollars of aftermarket parts on to make it get that horsepower. I, for one, like the sound of a roaring, throaty engine to that of a wizzing blender sound. Also, with good preventable maintainance, you shouldn't have too many break downs or problems, and if you do, its usually a part and not some computer chip causing the problems. Obviously you're not a muscle car fan, and I'm not trying to change your mind (too much ), but they have a culture around them too, one that has gone on for 50 years now or so. I'd like to say more, but I have to go to class now.

Okay, I understand what you mean now about base horsepower. I actually am a muscle car fan, I just think it sounds like a poor choice for the situation, because of bad gas mileage and the need to repair it often. In the same way that I am generalizing muscle cars, it sounds like you are doing the same for tuned cars, because there are some things that I could argue differently... I don't know what moronic white boys get those horrible exhaust jobs that make your engine sound like chainsaw (a buzzing civic is whirring past my window as I type this), but they are giving a horrible name to car tuning in general. A nice exhaust will make even a 1.6L Civic sound quite nice - loud, throaty and refined, not that blender sound you speak of (which I despise as well) Other common retardations that I seem to see are those horrible razor-looking spoilers, overly aggressive body kits that that haven't been painted yet, complete with a pisspoor assembly job, Altezza rear lights, and a bunch of random black lights in strategically rediculous places (liscence plate, windshield fluid shooters, etc.). Add primer onto body for an even greater retarded effect. And chrome wheels. I HATE chrome rims. So, that all being said, when it comes down to it, I think some people do some amazing work with their cars. I saw an Integra that was so slippery-sleek at the race track down here... had a streamlined, simple yet flashy body kit, no spoiler and awesome darkmetal wheels. It really made me love ITR's. Although I would never get one (why Honda makes a fast car with front-wheel drive is beyond me), still gotta respect it. Another car that can look amazing with some work is the 1991 - 1995 (6?) Toyota MR2. On the subject of culture, I think nothing has more culture than a car that you personalize yourself. Except maybe Porsches and BMWs. Those have hella culture.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Unfortunatly, where I'm at, that's about all you get. Not much amazing stuff, which as you've said can be really cool when done right. Nice to see we're on the same page after all. No disrespect meant at all.

I live about 2 miles away from a race track and I go there often so I get to see some really amazing cars (and of course really shitty ones too).

Saw a purple SSR today, up on the lot's pedestal where it belonged... Must...resist....