My definition, for what it's worth:
Muscle Car: An American-made production car manufactured between the years of 1955 and 1975 designed (and usually modified) for fast acceleration; usually involves a V8 engine with a displacement over 300ci...
This ropes in many cars due to their inclusion of a "performance" package back in those years.... I.e. the Satellite and Sat Wagon both count because of the Sport Satellite, Roadrunner, and GTX; the A-bodies because of their 340 and 360 packages, the Coronet and Coronet wagon are included due to the Superbee, etc etc etc...
This way, it EXCLUDES crap like the Neon, which is mostly of foreign origin anyway, the Shelby Omnis (though quick as hell, they are not a "muscle car"), etc., but INCLUDE some of the more muscly designs. Just because your car is a year too old or originally came with a /6 doesn't mean it's not a muscle... The original definition excluded the non-specifically-designed faster cars, but as the years go by and the cars become more and more rare, I think the definition should include all of a certain era, since most of the engines are, by today's standards, quite "muscular..." After all, a '57 Cadillac powered by even the biggest baddest Honda I4 is going to take six weeks to hit 30mph. ;)
^ Owners of these shop at the very back of the parts stores or online, and usually have their own shops where they do pro-level work.
Tuners: Any car of foreign manufacture, badging, or design, usually utilizing an I4 or V6 engine, usually with some sort of forced induction, specifically designed for "sport" driving and specifically modified for speed and agility.
^ Owners of these shop online at Japanese websites. Some even read and speak Japanese! Often have access to a shop of some sort either through employment or family.
((More on low-displacement imports at the bottom of the list))
Sports Cars: Any car excluding muscle cars and supercars that are manufactured and advertised to be fast and/or agile with a sporty look. Usually a 2-door coupe or hatchback, but can also include 4-door coupes, hatchbacks, and sedans.
^ Owners of these shop at the dealership when they visit their car and take it out of the shop for a drive every six months or so. Usually cry themselves to sleep, but brag all day about the superiority of "German Engineering..." They do not dare modify them in any way, for fear that they'll both ruin the resale value AND cause even more mechanical problems.
Hot-Rod: Any car, usually 1920's to early 1950's specifically modified for speed and show. (I.e. T-buckets, Willy's Coupes, 40's Chevy trucks, etc)...
^ Owners of these shop next to the Muscle car guys. They are nearly one in the same. Again, usually have their own shop.
Rat Rod: See also Hot Rod, but without the concern for bodywork, paint, chrome, or any other "pretty" aesthetics. Instead, these vehicles substitute "pretty" aesthetics for a more "business" aesthetic... Further, these vehicles do not necessarily have to be old vehicles, and usually are a "grab bag" of parts made to work with each other...
Non-old Rat rod:
^ These guys are sort of an intermediary or diplomat between the Hot-Rod and Muscle car guys and the Lowrider guys... They are more or less a Hot-rod guy with a focus moreso on speed and personality than pretty paintjobs, and admire intuitive designs and ingenious contraptions which the Mini-truckers are known for.
Supercar: A vehicle designed for insane speeds and acceleration, above and beyond most other production or even modified cars. These usually have a VERY high price tag and are usually wedge-shaped. Protip: NEVER refer to the Fiero or DeLorean DMC-12 as "supercars." Their designers wanted them to be the "supercar for the average guy," and they ended up just being generic 80's crap.
^ These guys have their paid servants do all their shopping because the car's owner is simply far too well-to-do to be seen in any place as dirty and unwashed as an auto parts store!! Seriously, grease SO clashes with my 600-dollar Louis-Vuitton polo and 50,000-dollar Rolex. They do not DARE modify their vehicles, for fear that the IRS will slap them with even BIGGER fees when they come to repossess everything for failure to pay...
Lowrider: Any non-Rat Rod CAR specifically designed with suspension that is adjustable on-demand, usually through the use of hydraulics. This vehicle MUST sit approximately 3" off the ground or lower at its lowest point. A stigma of Mexican-American culture and also African-American Gang culture...
^ These guys usually shop at parts stores in "da hood," or "la raza," depending on which neighborhood they are from. They also usually have a "cousin" that is selling the parts you need.... Usually can be found wrenching away in a garage, back yard, or driveway.
Mini-truck: See Lowrider, except applied mainly to small import pickups but also when larger full-size or even 1-ton duallies are modified in such a manner. The main difference, technologically, is that mini-trucks are often powered by an airbag suspension, more designed for a smoother adjustment of the ride height as opposed to a lowrider's hydraulic system's jerky jumping motion.
Non-Import (1-ton) Mini-truck:
^ These guys usually shop online or at hardware or plumbing stores, and are usually VERY skilled with a welder and frame work, as frame notches and bag setups can get exceedingly intricate and well-designed!! They are like the Lowrider in that they are not afraid to build a mini-truck in a garage, but often find themselves utilizing shops with a more complete tool inventory for more intricate work.
Ricer: Any 4-cylinder or basemodel foreign-designed car (usually an import, but can also be "domestics" such as the Neon, Cavalier, Cobalt, Escort, etc) modified solely for outlandish looks, usually following the scheme of cars found in "Fast and Furious" movies. These cars usually have more pounds of fiberglass, vinyl, and bondo than they do horsepower. Further, they usually sport neon lighting and performance part company stickers regardless of whether or not the company's parts are in use on the vehicle in question. These vehicles can usually be quickly identified by their ugly catfish-looking and almost always incomplete or non-matching aftermarket bodykits and outrageous rear-wheel-drive-designed wings on front-wheel-drive cars... The owners are usually douchenozzles and will be more than happy to race you and lose just so they can make up bullshit excuses such as "I missed 3rd gear" or "my clutch is slipping..." They want all the looks and sounds (fake turbo sound muffler tips, etc) of an expensive and extensively-modified car, without any of the actual work.
^ These guys shop at the very FRONT of the auto parts stores, and are usually seen purchasing stick-on scoops, ornaments, and emblems, and lights for EVERYTHING... They do not DARE pop the hood unless they are going to spraypaint something in a neon or day-glo color. Any "parts" they add to the car are almost always adhesive-backed.
:glasses7:
- CK
