ricer encounter

[dimeified]

I was at a holloween party last night, and somehow ended up talking to a kid who had his acura integra there. I asked him to estimate the power in the car. He guesses around 480hp. I asked what he did to it. He said "everything man, everything." I asked him to elaborate, then he proceeded to say "The company i bought it from hooked it up. It's a real sleeper." Then he pushes a flashy button on his key ring and the car starts up. I asked if it had a turbo. He then proceeded to say he was pushing 45 (lbs or psi i forget which one) but either or seem pretty unreasonable for a car he owns that he has no idea what is done to it. And how could he spend all this cash on a car if he has no idea what was done to it? I asked how much the car weighs he had no idea, not even a guess. Its so hard not to laugh at these people right in front of them as they make their claims.

[tsiegwart]

You can certainly make a ton of horsepower by stuffing massive quantities of air or NOS into the cylinders of modern engines. Who knows what the reality of this engine actually is. Or even it has forced induction.

mmm…. Does it really matter? If he believed it maybe that’s all that counts. Maybe reality gets in the way of happiness too often. If he believes it makes 480 hp, then good for him.

I like my 200hp 3.2 engine.... God forbid I ever take it to a dyno.


Todd, Minneapolis

[David E. Clark]

Don't know about the guy you met but I did a quick scan of the internet and found this 570 hp Acura so it sure is possible that he was truthful - if a bit clueless!

[mkossler]

I have a very good friend with a 600hp 1997 Supra turbo. The key there is Methanol injection. The power curve is more like a power spike, but believe it - these can be some seriously fast cars.

[Early_S_Man]

Seriously fast ... and seriously dead is what they can do to driver and passenger if said driver gets his driving style from watching Hollywood garbage! And, in some cities/states ... if one/both of the drivers happen to survive a fatality-involved street racing incident, they get a felony idictment to worry about after leaving the hospital!

The insanity of car advertisements on TV imitating/promoting and suggesting humor in the 'drifting' style of driving ... to is beyond irresponsible!!! It is criminal by the effect it has on the attitude of young teen [and older] drivers!

[mkossler]

Well, hmmm.

Certainly what you say is true and without question, but I have to say that I have witnessed that driving style in every Marque. It is not exclusive to Japanese cars, nor is it unknown to Porsche drivers.

While I do appreciate the undesirable effect that new styles of auto competition can have on young people, I do not believe this has anything to do with the manufacturer.

[gtihop]

we've got several vw's here ( 1.8T, 2l 16v) getting 380 wheel hp on the dyno with room for more. One guy spent about $30,000 on a 1981 rabbit to get 340 hp on the dyno. If money is no concern then it's amazing what can be done.

[Oh Haha]

I know an older feller who just recently bought what is supposed ot be the fastest Supra in the world.

At least 1000HP and it is very unassuming. This same guy sold a 2004 Turbo 911 and a 500HP WRX STi. If you go to Google and type in World's fastest Supra, you will see David's car. The story goes that the guy in Chicago couldn't get races anymore so he sold it off to David.

(oh, he has a Z06 pushing what he claims is around 650HP.)

[DanielDudley]

I have a young friend who is into Fast Japanese Cars. He let me drive one, and it was faster than my Euro SC by a long shot, and man could it corner ! I scared him in his own car! I really wasn't trying to either.

A lot has happened in the engineering world since the 80s. Check out cell phones VS mobile phones. It is hard for me to say I would want a Japanese car, but I do respect them, and that AC stuff is nice too . Old school or new school, we are all car guys.

Enjoy.

[EarlySport]

I have to agree. Anyone who underestimates the performance of late model ricer cars is nieve. Fact is, a whole lot of them are a lot faster in a straight line than most of our Porsches ( unless you're driving a serious turbo ). Two years ago I daily drove a Nissan R34 GTR with minor mods that was making 390whp, and would run an 11.9 quarter on street tyres every day. I've had friends with 10 second WRX's that are daily driven.

Fact is though, I love my Porsches. The GTR was fast, but frankly too fast for the street, and not that fun on the track. I like how everytime I get in my RS replica it's an event, and it puts a smile on my face, and I love it on the track.

Maybe guys get the same feeling from their 500hp imports, and I guess all power to them.

[dw1]

I've been involved in the building of my share of Asian hand grenade motors.

Yes, it is certainly possible to run enough boost, Nitrous, methanol, etc. to get impressive-sounding hp numbers.

But there are several major issues: getting the power to the ground, engines that self-destruct, and high hp with low of torque and thus unusable performance.

I respect some of the efforts I've seen, much as I admired muscle cars with Holley double-pumpers, 6-71 blowers, and radical cams.

I've met a few clueless muscle car & hot rod drives as well. Usually at car shows - people who bought the car as an "investment" or paid someone else to do all the work. Like the guy 3 weeks ago who tells me his '58 vette with a stock '95 or so 'vette engine and stock '58 drivetrain is worth high 5-figures, low 6 figures and could break 12 seconds in the 1/4 mile....

I'd much rather have a more mature, well-engineered, historically significant car.

911 ...there is no substitute...

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by gtihop

we've got several vw's here ( 1.8T, 2l 16v) getting 380 wheel hp on the dyno with room for more. One guy spent about $30,000 on a 1981 rabbit to get 340 hp on the dyno. If money is no concern then it's amazing what can be done.

gotta love torque steer if you go that far in terms of power on FWD

[SlowToady]

You never know. The "rice" crowd meets every Friday and Saturday at a Taco Bell by my house. Well, come to find out, it's not all "rice." Some of those guys have seriously fast cars, with seriously high horsepower. ~600HP TT 350Zs, wicked high strung turbo 240s and RX7s. Of course, some standard rice. Knew a guy with a Dinan blown M5 who decided to race a guy with an Eclipse for some large $$. Eclipse whipped his ass and took his money. After the race the guy in the Eclipse opens the glovebox and out falls time slips from the 1/4 track, super low 11 and high 10s. No body mods.

A kid that dated one the cashiers at the JLube I worked at drove an honest to God right hand drive Skyline. That car got him laid ALL the time. And it was pretty fast.

There are tons of super modded American and import cars running around my home town.

I don't know where these kids get the money, but I wish I had it...

[gtihop]

Originally Posted by svandamme

gotta love torque steer if you go that far in terms of power on FWD

You're right- a LSD helps but you'd better hold onto that steering wheel. It's especially noticeable in a Honda or Integra!
The 911 may not be as fast but it has alot more style

[berettafan]

warren i don't disagree with you.....but i seem to recall watching a lot of dukes of hazzard and smokey & the bandit.

[berettafan]

the original post is describing a 'check writer'. dw1 nailed it. checkwriters are just no fun to talk to.

a buddy saw a t-shirt that said 'you don't hunt....i see no reason to talk to you'. perhaps a 'you don't turn your own wrenches....i see no reason to talk to you' would be a good seller.

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by SlowToady

That car got him laid ALL the time.

I must be doing something wrong. Never got laid because of my car(s). Maybe it's my breath...?

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by berettafan

the original post is describing a 'check writer'. dw1 nailed it. checkwriters are just no fun to talk to.

Or it could be one of those "cumulative horsepower calculator" types...e.g. fart can adds 20hp, turbonator adds 50hp, smooth intake tube adds 30hp, so therefore I must have an additional 100hp by adding all that stuff, right?

[SlowToady]

My cars never got me laid either; and they still don't. Although I got laid IN one, but that's different.

No bull****, my ex, the one I wrote a thread about on here, admitted to dating guys for their cars.

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

I must be doing something wrong. Never got laid because of my car(s). Maybe it's my breath...?

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by SlowToady

No bull****, my ex, the one I wrote a thread about on here, admitted to dating guys for their cars.

Are we talking about a woman or a girl? Perhaps I should start cruising high-schools...