So I got me a 2001 Mustang

[DiabloTX]

It's not like how it was when you did everything yourself, Vorticon, it's now, "What can I bolt-on next?"  There's no driveway engineering, it's all credit carded out on 4 wheels.  After that come the "All american cars suXXXorz!" attitude.  I have yet to see any ricer car that isn't some sort of rolling bolt-on, import-magazine influenced frankenstein.  So end the end it isn't what's cheap, it's what's "hot". 

Put it to you this way; it's rare, very very rare to see the Camaro/Corvette owner with the 4 foot tall spoiler and the "5 hp extra" stickers all over the bodywork.  At least that's the way it is here in Houston.  And trust me, we have a HUGE and multi-cultural car enthusiast scene here.

[Grayeagle]

Always brings a smile to my face when someone starts with 'if I put better tires <or insert any mod you wish here> my <anything> will beat a bone stock C5 <or any other bone stock anything that actually runs fairly well>

What makes them think you cant bolt on that same mod on yer C5 <or anything else that can get out of its own way even bone stock> .. and really stretch them legs



Sticky tires front an back.
Suckin bikers an beemers into guardrails for years now -evil grin-

-Frank aka GE

[vorticon]

It's not like how it was when you did everything yourself, Vorticon, it's now, "What can I bolt-on next?"  There's no driveway engineering, it's all credit carded out on 4 wheels.  After that come the "All american cars suXXXorz!" attitude.  I have yet to see any ricer car that isn't some sort of rolling bolt-on, import-magazine influenced frankenstein.  So end the end it isn't what's cheap, it's what's "hot". 

Put it to you this way; it's rare, very very rare to see the Camaro/Corvette owner with the 4 foot tall spoiler and the "5 hp extra" stickers all over the bodywork.  At least that's the way it is here in Houston.  And trust me, we have a HUGE and multi-cultural car enthusiast scene here.

its very, very, rare to see a actual "tuner" with a useless 4 foot tall spoiler and stickers all over the bodywork either...
beyond that, i cant rightly comment. the limit of my experience with this sort of thing is oil changes and turning a few bolts/watching my dad on his 12 year old project sitting in the garage...and reading this and a couple other boards.

but i doubt many corvette owners do half as much work on their own cars as the 20 year olds with whatever car they can afford to own and work on sitting in the driveway.

[DiabloTX]

its very, very, rare to see a actual "tuner" with a useless 4 foot tall spoiler and stickers all over the bodywork either...
beyond that, i cant rightly comment. the limit of my experience with this sort of thing is oil changes and turning a few bolts/watching my dad on his 12 year old project sitting in the garage...and reading this and a couple other boards.

but i doubt many corvette owners do half as much work on their own cars as the 20 year olds with whatever car they can afford to own and work on sitting in the driveway.

I already answered this with my previous quote.  If you want to check out what the Corvette owner is doing check out Steve's C4.  That's where you'll see the big difference between the typical American car owner and the ricers of today.

[Grayeagle]

The corvette owners I know and run with are a diverse group .. we have several doing frame up rework, one guy just got his tremec 5-speed in (he did the whole thing in his garage at home) ..you should see the '67 roadster one guy put an LS-2 in, it is just an awesome bit of work and it runs *great* too.
He has owned the car since it was new, this is just the latest iteration

There's also a few that drop their rides off and drive 'em home when they're done.. because .. well .. they *can*
I even paid to have the plugs changed.. *gasp* .. oh the horror!

S'ok.
Wrenched on more cars than most and built more motors than most.
I don't do it much anymore .. fun to gather at a friends house and help out tho.
I just need to 'wrench up' a bit ..LOL .. I don't have anywhere near the tools I need.
(somehow just cant see vice-grips and duct tape solving any problem on my Vette

Don't you worry tho .. will wrench on some stuff here an there

-Frank

[vorticon]

I already answered this with my previous quote.  If you want to check out what the Corvette owner is doing check out Steve's C4.  That's where you'll see the big difference between the typical American car owner and the ricers of today.

 the "ricers" without any knowledge or skill will be doing pointless body modifications, and to a pontiac sunfire as often as a honda civic...

the guys with knowledge, skill and money will be doing what they want to, and can, to a car they love and are familiar with, foreign or domestic...

and i'm willing to say the guys running old british cars do more driveway engineering just to keep the damn things running long enough to get to a show and back than anyone.

[mg1942]

"What can I bolt-on next?"  There's no driveway engineering, it's all credit carded out on 4 wheels.  After that come the "All american cars suXXXorz!" attitude.  I have yet to see any ricer car that isn't some sort of rolling bolt-on, import-magazine influenced frankenstein.  So end the end it isn't what's cheap, it's what's "hot". 

start here... read and be amazed from start to finish

[DiabloTX]

start here... read and be amazed from start to finish

I was already a member there and posted to that thread many times.  Still doesn't change my opinion of it.  Has money but still a ricer attitude.  Just for the record; I am no fan of the Pro Touring craze either.

Vort, to the kids doing what you said to Sunfires and such...where do you think they got it from? 

[Cthulhu]

the "ricers" without any knowledge or skill will be doing pointless body modifications, and to a pontiac sunfire as often as a honda civic...

My personal favorites are the terms "carbon fiber" and "billet". Millions of $$$ in Bling Bling crap sells every year because of these three words. I told an aftermarket vendor once that he could make a fortune if he advertised that "each individual carbon fiber was first machined from a much larger billet of carbon before being spun into tape or fabric." He actually took me seriously and asked what I thought that would cost!!!
 

[SteveBailey]

but i doubt many corvette owners do half as much work on their own cars as the 20 year olds with whatever car they can afford to own and work on sitting in the driveway.

Well you doubt incorrectly.  Do you actually know many corvette owners or did you just throw this on the wall to see if it sticks?  Like any sports cars, there's all kinds of vette owners.  From the pasty faced office geek who couldn't find the radiator with a map and a flashlight to the shade tree mechanics to the hard core wrenchers.  I know plenty of the latter two.  I'm one.  I built my vette motor from the block up. I even had an assistant.    
also modded the car from nose to tail.(performance wise, that is, bling is for ricers)    


  So, you're wrong about vette owners, there's plenty of wrenchers out there.  Disclaimer: I didn't do the paint and body work but have a couple  of friends who do their own.

[Xasthur]

How wide are your rear tyres?

[Cthulhu]

I'd have to somewhat agree with vorticon. Although there are plenty of dedicated Corvette "gear heads" (Kudos to Steve and the like ), there are plenty of folks in them who'd be lucky to find the hood release. Remember, the Vette is easily the "Alpha Ride" of Mid-Life Crisis types in America (with Porsche running a close but costly second) who have no idea how that monster works. (yeah, I know several of those pasty-faced office geeks)

Not a slam at the passionate Corvette drivers, just an unfortunate social fact.  Just be glad that Cadillac made the XLR to distract some of the Sansabelt generation away from your baby.

[SteveBailey]

How wide are your rear tyres?

The rims are 11's,  the tires are 315 35 17's.  The back end of the c4 narrows a bit so the tires actually don't stick out the side quite like it appears in the picture.

[SteveBailey]

Hre you can sort of tell that they don't stick out that much

[vorticon]

Well you doubt incorrectly.  Do you actually know many corvette owners or did you just throw this on the wall to see if it sticks?  Like any sports cars, there's all kinds of vette owners.  From the pasty faced office geek who couldn't find the radiator with a map and a flashlight to the shade tree mechanics to the hard core wrenchers.  I know plenty of the latter two.  I'm one.  I built my vette motor from the block up. I even had an assistant. 

So, you're wrong about vette owners, there's plenty of wrenchers out there.  Disclaimer: I didn't do the paint and body work but have a couple  of friends who do their own.

i stand corrected.