I'm sorry they, just did. The latest printed copy of the Crutchfield catalog arrived, and they've crossed a line that I'm not comfortable with.

I mean, they hinted at carrying these kinds of products a little bit in the past. But now they've just gone overboard and there's a whole section devoted to it.

Henceforth, in my correspondence, Crutchfield shall be referred to as "Ricefield".

OK, I just flipped through it (got it today). I guess you are referring to the last two pages. Yeah, ricefield is more like it.

This isn't the first catalog they have done this in. At least one back had this stuff too.

You know what would be really funny would be to start a line of "performance" accessories and kits under a "Rice" label. I'd love to see all these cars driving around with "Rice" stickers slapped on next to the phony "Type R" stickers.

A few months ago I was at a light and I saw an Accord with "Accord Type R" plastered all over the front window... it ticked me off. I almost got out of my car to go knock on his window and let him know how stupid he looked.

I live in Charlottesville which is home to one of the two crutchfield retail stores so I am able to go listen to stuff before I buy it and not have to worry about shipping and all that. I was in there about a month ago and was looking at some of the "rice" things they had in there. I couldn't even keep a straight face because it is all so dumb. They even had a demo car in the store decked out in all this crazy stuff. It was the ugliest thing i've ever seen. Why would anyone want a bazooka tube that looks like a nos bottle?

Perhaps someone thinks a Bazooka tube disguised like that is less likely to get stolen from the car.

IMO, it's more likely to get the whole car stolen.

LMAO. I saw one of those in a local Circuit City and i laughed uncontrolably for a good minute. I couldn't F'N believe that anyone would possibly buy that POS.

You mean that lit-up exhaust and stuff? This is going to sound naive as hell, but do people really put that crap on their cars? I haven't seen that at all around here. Guess you learn something new every day...

Awww. Too bad.

I've seen the lit exhaust, the spinny lights on the tire spokes, and the "hovercraft" under-car lights (which was actually pretty cool the first time, and ONLY the first time I saw it).

Ah, I have a new lame thread idea. Hahaha...

I haven't seen that at all around here.

I wanna move to wherever it is that Tim lives.

I wanna move to wherever it is that Tim lives.

The Phoenix area. Last time I went out shopping (about a month ago, then I disappeared for a 3 week trip), I saw 3 Ferraris, (F40, 512TR, and 355 I think), a McLaren F1, and countless BMWs and Porsches (it was a gorgeous day to be out). I guess the 'ricer' demographic doesn't really live in this area.

For people unable to see the delights, Google is your friend.

Gareth

So people actually drive the McLaren F1 on the streets? It's not just another caged-greyhound-on-speed that never gets to leave the garage, is only for show in the home, and probably doesn't work anyway because the belts and gaskets have cracked due to lack of use because no road is flat enough to prevent bottoming out and tearing out the underside of the beast? Man, I love run on sentences.

All I can say is that I was thrilled to see a Smart Car (battery powered, by Mercedes?, popular in Germany) driving on a local road by me. Wanna look original but still have some class, import a Smart Car (if you're rich enough to bribe the EPA to let you have it).

The Smart is petrol powered and related to the A-Class in design, although I don't think Mercedes is actually involved in the company any more. The engine is a 3 cylinder 600cc turbo, and not particularly fast according to people that have driven it. It is also pretty expensive when you compare it to the smallest "normal" cars that some close - eg. Hyundai Atoz, Ford Ka etc..

There are quite a few in the UK now, my dad mentioned today that the train stations are putting special 1/2 price parking spaces for them.

FWIW I think the front looks pretty ugly - they could have done something a lot nicer yet still kept to the "minimal space" ethic.

Gareth

Man, that don't crack me up nearly as much as this one:

http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/BAZNOS8

What part of Phoenix is this rice-free zone where the Ferrarae roam free? There's no shortage of rice burning out in the east valley, pretty much inversely proportional to your distance from ASU.

Those cars were all spotted on a recent trip up into Scottsdale (they were all on Shea - must've been trying to out-cool the others). The F1 was in this month's R&T. I'm in the east valley, but I swear I haven't seen anybody putting that kind of aftermarket stuff on their car.

ROFL at the pluralization.

Looks like they hired a new mascot too:

Those cars were all spotted on a recent trip up into Scottsdale

You must mean Snotsdale... I used to work for Coca-Cola doing a route up there. Totally different world than Tempe was... My hometown, never moving back, it's getting too much like Los Angeles...

Yeah, they drive like a sack of, wll, not very fast or motor related things. They don't corner well. People laugh at you. In fact the main use round here is as marketing - lots of logo-wrapped smart cars which just pootle up and down the streets going nowhere.

Even the bottom end A-class Merc drives better.

Same here. They're all used for takeaway deliveries around here. I guess because it's small so it's easier to park the thing.

- Trevor

train stations are putting special 1/2 price parking spaces for them.

Them spaces can't have moved very far north yet. Maybe it's the train operating company in your father's part of the world.

I've long commented: Why would you put up with all that discomfort, when, unlike a motor bike, you have no advantage in traffic and a Rolls Royce(or more topically, a Maybach), pays the same for a parking bay, not that I've ever had trouble with a 23ft. Hymer motorhome.

I'm a fair man, I tried one out for the day in Majorca, out of 10: Ride:1 point: Vibrating beds tone you up better,
Noise level 9 points: surprisingly quiet,
Pulling power=norwegian eurovision entry. But then maybe it's because I'm old and ugly,
Fuel consumption: piss in the tank and you can go three times round the island.

Not all bad, if you never ever have to make a journey outside the immediate city centre - but then you might well be able to find something battery powered.

Snotsdale is a good description for parts of it, but it really depends on which part you go to. I tend to like the bars in Tempe and the clubs in Scottsdale. They just opened up a new bar called 'The Library' (no relation to the one that burned down in Glensdale) which is pretty groovy. Especially if you dig the librarian look. They also have a bar that opened up a few years ago that was supposedly had the bar built in Ireland, ripped apart, shipped here and reassembled. Nice place.

I've said it once... I'll say it again.... FINS FINS FINS!!!! why do you need a fin that stands 4ft high on a car that won't break 100 mph?????? Arrrrgggg

What car doesn't break 100MPH these days? I had a Suzuki Sidekick that couldn't do over 95, but that was a non-aerodynamic truck. I would imagine the common Civic would go over 100. Maybe I'm wrong?

I guess that was kind of an exageration... I just think it's humorous that people slap the huge fins on a car that would never reach a speed in which a fin of such enormity would be needed.... thats just me though...

OK, I guess I took you too literally. Yes, I agree with you. Some of those wings are just way too big and moronic looking.

Yeah. The Volvo S60R I'm looking at it has a spoiler where the regular S60s do not. However, it's almost indistinguishable. Which implies that one needn't do much in order to counter the lifting effects at high speeds. Those big spoilers are doing nothing but creating additional drag.

Don’t get me wrong... I'm all for a nice looking OEM spoiler and even some aftermarkets are ok (not many). I'm talking about that car you see driving around town with the airplane wing hangin off the back of his car I saw a guy the other day driving around with, no kidding, a 3 tier spoiler.... that’s right 3 spoilers stacked on top of each other it was frickin ridiculous!

Can't remember if this has been posted here before, but check out the Hall of Shame on this page:

Rice Boy's page

Hehe, speaking of multiple spoilers...

Well, at least those won't significantly increase the drag.

They also increase the weight. I guess it is kind of like filling the bed of a pickup truck with bricks (saw that in ND all the time during the winter) to keep the back tires from losing grip. Instead of bricks, they go for non-function pieces that look like they should be functional that could be accomplished with a bunch of bricks

Well, at least those won't significantly increase the drag

No, but it will add 15-20 horsepower to the car.

And then there's all them car audio freaks who think that they can soup up their sound by adding translucent illuminated buttons to the front panel of their "high fidelity" mp3 player.. ROTFL!

Cheers

My biggest fear with the aftermarket wings is what happens when they flutter or are simply improperly installed and get torn off at high speed. I would hate to be hit by one while traveling at 70 MPH. That fear might be unsubstantiated but I fear it non the less. I guess I have trouble trusting the mechanical skills of a person that installs a device on their ride that is non-functional and in fact counter productive to the handling characteristics of the car. Unless you have access to a wind tunnel or you use the poor mans method, brightly colored lengths of yarn taped to your car so you can watch them at 80 MPH(while someone else drives). You won't have a clue what effects that wing is going to have or what forces are acting upon it.

Yeah, Mark, you have a point. I was given this comment recently...

"How can these people that waste all this time tweaking their empegs complain about the ricers?"

Bahahaha... for the record, I have regular buttons - still waiting for my place in the queue to come up

In my own personal defence, I have not changed the apperance of my empeg in any way. Any changes I've made have improved its functions.

I'm still waiting for the proper (for me) solution to the upper-left corner bug.

I know you are all kidding (maybe). But having spent some time on this recently, I would like to point out that it is slightly different mentality to try and make your Empeg blend in than make your car stand out.

I realize it is just a matter of personal preference, but I prefer this:



over this:

I realize it is just a matter of personal preference, but I prefer this

I had to do a doubletake there for a minute... I'm thinking "Hey, wait a minute, it wasn't 38 degrees at the Cincinnati meet" and "Hey, wait, the buttons on my empeg aren't modded!".

Nice car. And I agree with your point, too.

I forget if I posted this site before, but check out this site

it is slightly different mentality to try and make your Empeg blend in than make your car stand out.

Agreed, that's also the reason why I wanted lighted buttons : my Empeg blends better in with my dash now.

Besides, it's looks really pretty, no?

Niiiiiice lighting match-up.

And yes, it's one thing to put stickers on the outside of your car when you don't have the parts inside, and it's one thing to put aftermarket parts on your car that only end up making it worse. But it's a whole different thing to increase the functionality of a player by adding lit buttons (not that I have... yet).

Now, hacking the kernel.... that's a different story..... Haha, kidding Mark. I'll hijack someday.

No, no no - you should hijack today. The extra functionality is sooooo worth it! And you can look at it this way - extra goodies, no reduction in playback performance, much easir maintenance/updates/messing about.

Go on. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on. Go on!

At least take down the "Hijack" sticker on your car if you aren't going to install it on your player.

HAHAHA!!!!

Yeah, I have the "HiJack" sticker right next to the "empeg" sticker and the "STEAL ME" sticker.

One o the funniest things I've seen on a car was a "riced out" BMW with a big sticker on it that said "Got Rice?"