When does styling become RICE?

[Glasgow 911SC]

As my Porsche is a dailly driver, relliability is obviously important to me. I have therefore been looking at late model Carreras (G50)and early 964's on the basis that newer should be better. However, it seems that all the cars for sale are either white or red. These colours are ok but there is just so many and they dont stand out the same. I was thinking then, if I looked for a white Carrera and styled it to look like a Club Sport model (Red Fuch centres and Carrera Side sticker). I'm worried that this would be too flashy. I respect your opinions so what do you guys think?

[island911]

I prefer minimal "Flash" on a 911.
Are you having relliability issues with your SC?

[Milu]

Fine as long as you don't include the "CS" on the side from the Clubsport. THAT would be tacky!

[pbs911]

That's not rice. That's race. Just be sure to back up like MMARSH.

[Kurt B]

What pbs says is right. In fact, if you make a car that looks like Marsh's consider me an instant fan. As I always find a way to say, I like those easily as much as I like the 993 look. And if you get the weight down to 2400 lbs or so, you'd really have something that could back every bit of it up.

[Saffs]

It's a tricky question. Ultimately, anyone who owns their car can do whatever they want to it, of course. Also, racing is different from the street: race cars are, and look, functional for their purpose.
Aside from concourse, I think there's a contingent of Porsche owners who want their car looking standard. And, there again, there's a lot of owners that modify the appearance of cars. So, hopefully, there's a balance there: if everyone changed the appearance of their 911s, in the future, there would be no original 911s left, and that would be a tragedy. However, if no one modified the look of their car, well, the outcome wouldn't be that bad, and that's where my opinion is based: I like original looking cars!
Therefore, I would say leave it as Porsche intended. I think most cosmetic appearance changes, e.g., different coloured instrument gauges, date quickly and look tacky, fast. Plus, they can devalue the car when, and if, it comes to resale. That is to say, the red Fuchs and Carrera stripes will look fine on a genuine car. Of course, it will look "unfashionable" at times, but that is what the car is. A standard 3.2 Carrera isn't a Club Sport, and the fact that it is dressed up to be will look tacky, ultimately.
All my opinon and not meant to offend anyone with coloured instuments etc.

[Nader]

I myself am partial to that look, and think it's cool. There was a picture of a blue 996 (GT3?) similarly styled, and it looked great, too. I'm considering that look, but since getting the rear spoiler last week, I already have to fight the women off with a stick. Decals and painted rims would get me mauled.

[epbrown]

To me, ricers want to look fast more than they want to be fast, and in general the car always bears this out. Racers put the money in the car, ricers put the money on the car.

A friend of mine has a rather seriously upgraded Honda Civic, similar to this one but red and my pal upgraded the brakes which this kid didn't for some reason. Note the absence of decals, the "Fear This!" sunshade, and so on.

My car has that big old tea tray turbo tail with the turbo script on it, and that's totally rice to me. A turbo tail with no front spoiler and 15" wheels at US spec ride height with a totally stock engine? Hell, the PO didn't even upgrade the spark plug wires! Even a K&N air filter would have show he was trying...The car barely gets away with this, and only because it's a Porsche; even then, the first thing Porschephiles asked was "where's your front spoiler?"

A white 964 can look cool without any sort of kit - get a nice set of wheels and tires, keep the paint and interior up well, maybe a new muffler with chrome tip for good audio and a bit of flash, and you'll be fine. Less is often more. Your car's appearance shouldn't write a check the engine and suspension can't cash.

Emanuel

[Glasgow 911SC]

Thanks for your replies guys.
Island, In terms of reliability, I seem to be getting a series of niggling faults occuring from annoying electrical bugs to worn shocks.
I had the bodywork restored about a year ago now and feel, as the car is a dailly driver, that possibly the value the restoration added to my car is diminishing with every 10k miles I add each year which in turn brings the inevitable stone chips etc. My plan in Porsche ownership (I think) will allways be to have the best car available to me and at the moment I may be able to afford an 87-92 car (up to £17k). I feel at the moment my car has a strong value compared to other SC's available and it might be time to cash in!
On another note, what car (3.2 or 964 C2/C4) would you guys opt for in my situation. Assuming both models were clean, solid cars. I know the 964 costs £££/$$$ to service compared to the Carrera but as I see it, I'm already paying £400 per service of my Sc as it has a full Porsche history and I dont want to be the on to end that. If, however, I get a 964 serviced at a specialist, the price would be much the same.

Sorry for the long post guys.

[Glasgow 911SC]

P.S
I should have said in my original post that I wouldn't get the CS sticker for the side (just the Carrera). I wouldn't be pretending the car was something it wasn't.

[HawgRyder]

Rice around here is rampant.
Because of our large asian community, big protruding mufflers are everywhere.
Extremely big wings on little cars are normal.
I saw one last week with 4 layers of wing on the back of a white something-or-other.
I visited a showroom with a friend looking for a new car...we entered a Honda dealership...saw one on the floor that was already "riced"... turbo engine...big wheels with 30 aspect tires...the whole nine yards.
My buddy asked if it was available in a 5 speed..answer - salesman had never seen one...after all...most asian customers don't know how to shift!...LOL
We all had a good laugh.
Bob

[pwd72s]

There once was a heated judicial discussion about what constitued Pornography, how to define it. The quote I remember, though I can't remember from who, was: "I don't know how to define it, but I know it when I see it"....well, "Rice" is like that...right?

[Jim T]

Carrera side stripes on a Carrera doesn't seem ricey to me. Nor do factory spoilers.

The latest Rice phenom is definately messing around with the lighting. Lights in the windshield washer nozzles, strobe lights in the headlights, super-bright parking lights, lights drilled into the side of the car (very "Euro, ya know) and blazing all the time, etc.

My wife and I saw a Ricer getting pulled over on the 10 Fwy last night. Since he wasn't speeding or anything, I assumed it was because of the bright blue lights on his hood, and various other lighting infractions. Either that or some good old fashioned profiling. I guess "style" has its price!

Glasgow911

Find a good 1989 Carrera 3.2.