What's the difference between "tuners" and "ricers"

[spoolin3000gt]

?

[Golfmk3_18]

the tuner owns a 400hp car that looks like its stock, and the R*cer owns a stock car that looks like it has 400hp

[CarLuvrSD]

Taste and IQ

[Harpoon]

I don't like the term "tuner". People use it in place of "sport compact" when they shouldn't. A car that is from a tuning company, like Brabus or Ruf is a tuner.

A "r1cer"....Well I'll just leave that one to the rest of TCL....

[iampakman]

Quote, originally posted by CarLuvrSD »

Taste and IQ

Zing!

[nm+]

I saw a "tuned" audi 90 yesterday.
It was completely stock looking from the outside and did the course (Amery Airport Speed Run for those from MN/WI) faster than a 998 turbo, Ford GT, and race-prepped vettes (140mph)

"Riced" audis are too low to be functional, have wagon wheels, massive stretch, and are still slower than a 330i.

[someguy123]

Tuners = fully functional

Ricers = mostly non-functional.

[e1_griego]

'Tuner' is my pet peeve descriptor for people modifying cars. Unless your screwing with fuel and timing maps, you're not a tuner.

Installed bolt-ons =/= tuner.

Alex

[2112]

Quote, originally posted by Golfmk3_18 »

the tuner owns a 400hp car that looks like its stock, and the R*cer owns a stock car that looks like it has 400hp

I'd say that's pretty accurate.

[capsaicin]

Show vs. Go

[crannky]

Tuners make cars that are (usually) ugly and fast. Ricers just make ugly ones.

[unleashedd]

ricers are posers, tuners are tinkerers with various degrees of success

[kwik!gti]

<---*****

[BRealistic]

The question of what "Tuner" actually meant came up in that worst tuner thread.

Most "Tuners" tend to focus on slathering custom crap on the exterior and interior a vehicles in the name of style. That is not "Tuning" imo. To me that's the same as what the term ricer means, where ricer is probably synonymous with "Poser".

A good "Tuner" is a company that works to intelligently expand the performance envelope of a stock vehicle. And many also do cosmetic work since anybody dropping $10k for a "Tuning" is probably willing to drop another few grand to make it look special.

And BTW-
You can fool the forum censor software by taking one letter in the word and making it italic or bold.

ricer ricer ricer ricer ricer

Modified by BRealistic at 10:30 PM 6/22/2008

[medicracer]

I think "Tuner" and "*****" is only differentiated by observed taste. It's really in the eye of the beholder, and neither are truly better than the other.

So what if the "*****" gets his ish from J. C. Whitney or Pep Boys? Is it truly better that the "Tuner" gets his carbon fiber crap from another source? A little, but not enough to get all WTFBBQJEZUZKRIZCOPTER over it.

If you're a "tuner", that's cool with me.
If you're a "*****", thats ok too. It's YOUR car.
Just be safe on public roads whichever you are.

[VWGolfA4]

Come on where are the pics! You all know pics are worth a thousand words...

[jamerican1]

This should be fun...

[beefiveafour]

Quote, originally posted by someguy123 »

Tuners = fully functional Ricers = mostly non-functional.

+1

[krautcar]

Tuners have big wings and RWD
Ricers have big wings and FWD

[B3passatBMX]

Tuner(IMO)= Clean OE styling with most concentration on performance.

*****(IMO)= Untasteful modding, gawdy body kits and parts. Generally have very minimal performance parts, cut springs, stickers etc.

[Harv]

Quote, originally posted by BRealistic »

And BTW- You can fool the forum censor software by taking one letter in the word and making it italic or bold. ricer ricer ricer ricer ricer

Well aware.

[mujjuman]

Quote, originally posted by Harv »

Well aware.

[JunkStory]

Modified by JunkStory at 12:15 AM 6-23-2008

[clutch_dust]

^^^Why does she have 12 nipples?^^^

[Spectral]

Good Tuner:

Rice:

That is the differrence.

Many professional "tuners" produce Rice as well.

Modified by Spectral at 6:26 AM 6-23-2008

[PRINCESS_SINDY]

I think everyone knows the answer to this question. Rice is useless junk on a car and tuners are more serious about the car's functions.

[VdubChaos]

Some people are either blind or Horsepower defines pretty/ugly.

Most tuner cars are uglier then rice cars....just me though

[gsrroger]

I don't like the term "tuner" when applied to a guy who modifies his car. Just doesn't sit right with me for some reason.

Quote, originally posted by krautcar »

Tuners have big wings and RWD Ricers have big wings and FWD

So I do get the joke and all, but you know that big wings can be functional on FWDs, right? Granted, more often than not, they are not functional, but you know.

[VDub2625]

Quote, originally posted by medicracer »

I think "Tuner" and "*****" is only differentiated by observed taste. It's really in the eye of the beholder, and neither are truly better than the other. So what if the "*****" gets his ish from J. C. Whitney or Pep Boys? Is it truly better that the "Tuner" gets his carbon fiber crap from another source? A little, but not enough to get all WTFBBQJEZUZKRIZCOPTER over it.

I was sort of going with you for a little bit ("fashion" vs. function is a battle that is as old as time). But then you went somewhere else... not all tuners get their parts from another, more expensive (implied) source, and not all ricers get their crap from JC Whitney. The line is drawn in that tuners do stuff to make the car more powerful, quicker, etc (engine, suspension, etc wise). Ricers change the look or sound of their car mostly (some superficial performance mods as trends allow), for the sake of fashion.

It's not a bad thing per se, It is what you like. It's just that the ricer crowd usually take their cues from the tuner crowd, so they are usually viewed as the "lesser" beings.

[Dommer]

Matters of taste are purely subjective. To quote Thomas Jefferson, "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."

[Phunkshon]

TUNER:

RlCER:

[salomonsnowboarder]

*****- mk4 gti 1.8t with painted rubstrips oem+ wheels and a chip

tuner- k20 turbo swap into a mk2 civic hatch with 340 whp.

buttt they'res good colors on either side of the board i guess?

[brad@fifteen52]

Not that it matters here, but the term tuner is derived from the act of tuning a musical instrument, i.e. taking a piano and tuning it until it can reproduce every note to the very best of its abilities.

Tuning a car follows the same principle and while some folks believe bolting on parts isn't real tuning, according to the original definition of the term, so long as said bolt-ons improve the dynamic qualities of a vehicle, IMO it has been tuned.

[Neon Washer Nozzle]

Quote, originally posted by crannky »

Tuners make cars that are (usually) ugly and fast. Ricers just make ugly ones.

sigged

[SSLByron]

Quote, originally posted by nm+ »

"Riced" audis are too low to be functional, have wagon wheels, massive stretch, and are still slower than a 330i.

This.