Prepare for my rant...

OK, I need to ask. What's Hellaflush? I'm pretty sure I don't want to know but I asked anyway.

-Rob

Something like this...

hellaflush blog: http://fatlace.com/hellaflush/

ddavidv wrote: Now that I'm into BMWs I'm finding its moved into that brand as well. The ability to take a perfectly tuned car from the factory and make it worse knows no bounds. And the message boards....ugh.

I'm kind of curious about something here...how many others actually started participating more over here when that stuff started hitting their favorite marque forums? What ddavidv says is remarkably similar to my own experience, the only difference being that I was already into "my" marque when the "invasion" started. I notice that I spend a lot more time over here, and hardly ever go to vwvortex anymore (only when I'm looking for a DIY thread for a procedure I haven't done before, really).

neon4891 wrote: I just deal with a street racer wanabe type at work. The other night he was dead set that my CARBED '88 accord had a computer. After all, his friend had a '91, that was EFI and they are the same car...

It DOES have a solenoid controller. Go to the junkyard, and they're called computers. Matter of fact, I've heard of a lot of people call them "computer controlled carbs."

Personally, those things run so much better with all of that stuff removed or a Weber installed.

EvanB wrote: Something like this... hellaflush blog: http://fatlace.com/hellaflush/

...and this:

http://stanceworks.com/forums/index.php

Soon to be this:

friedgreencorrado wrote: I'm kind of curious about something here...how many others actually started participating more over *here* when that stuff started hitting their favorite marque forums?

BIngo. The BMW boards are pretty much unbearable at this point. Miata.net seemed like a bunch of whiny old dudes who get mad at you if you don't want to use the most expensive possible product for every situation. I'm guessing most of their cars look like the Moss Motors catalog barfed on it. Clubroadster is basically hella flush plus a huge boner for anything JDM.

I like JDM.

EvanB wrote: Something like this... Hellaflush blog: http://fatlace.com/hellaflush/

Well now I know. Don't get it, but I know. I'm glad I didn't know before...

Oh, Foxtrapper, I'll admit to smiling a little when I see a Gabriel Hi Jacker sticker in the quarter window of a musclecar. And we called those "frisbee" front wheels pizza cutters.

I didn't run them but knew guys who did. ...And needed to be towed home when the wheel collapsed or the VW Bug tire it was wearing failed under the weight of the big block.

"Only rolled once"

So "hellaflush" is basically making the car look like a euro touring car?

DTM or BTCC?

In reply to turboswede:

Well, yeah, except for the whole stretched tire thing and making the car handle worse with ridiculous alignments and suspension settings to make huge wheels "fit" without rubbing.

Yeah, okay now I know what the Hellaflush and Stance cults are all about....but what's the little green/yellow arrow thing? I totally missed that while I was at the races....

I think that is the sticker the student or beginner drivers have to put on their car in Japan. So apparently people thought it was "JDM tyte yo" to put it on their cars.

SilverFleet wrote: In reply to turboswede: Well, yeah, except for the whole stretched tire thing and making the car handle worse with ridiculous alignments and suspension settings to make huge wheels "fit" without rubbing.

That's what happens when you stop focusing on the engineering behind the solutions presented and just go for the "look" of the engineering without the engineering.

Sort of like industrial design versus engineering.

EvanB wrote: I think that is the sticker the student or beginner drivers have to put on their car in Japan. So apparently people thought it was "JDM tyte yo" to put it on their cars.

Certainly fit their driving "skillz" Yo!

When I see those "kids" they look like this to me:

http://www.cracked.com/video_18189_how-to-be-tight-every-show-mtv.html

Makes it hard for me to try and help them focus on sound engineering principles when they can't even pull their pants up all the way....

turboswede wrote:

SilverFleet wrote: In reply to turboswede: Well, yeah, except for the whole stretched tire thing and making the car handle worse with ridiculous alignments and suspension settings to make huge wheels "fit" without rubbing.

That's what happens when you stop focusing on the engineering behind the solutions presented and just go for the "look" of the engineering without the engineering. Sort of like industrial design versus engineering.

Yep, it's all about looks. It's funny when these idiots try to defend this. I've heard everything from "F1 cars have stretched tires" to "If you don't respect the 'movement', then you suck", like it's some sort of cultural phenomenon. It's called stupidity.

These people seriously think it's a lifestyle choice to adversely affect the handling of a car. Check out fatlace.com or Google Us Vs Them or wrong Fitment Crew. Yep, I definitely agree that it is a lifestyle choice. They are choosing to live dangerously by repeatedly attempting to kill themselves or someone else every time they drive ther MaD TyTe, Hella-Flush-It-Down-The-Toilet POS.

Can you tell I don't like the Hella Flush trend?

NYG95GA wrote: "Only rolled once"

Maybe I'm being naive, but is that legit??? Sadly, it's believable (and hilarious), but I just wonder how they posed it next to the curb like that.

I too like JDM (still). It seemed like the last time clean, performance-oriented, well-built cars were hip. The hellaflush thing sure looks cool, but the impracticality of super-slammed, wacked-out geometry-laden and insane rear camber/camber wear sort of relegates it to the hardparker crowd.

This is much better than the hella flush crowd

Funny my Scirocco tends to elicit a different kind of response, usually drawing more middle aged gent remarking how its been forever since they've seen one.

Its on a proper set of H&R Races and Bilstein sports, but my 195/50 fit over better my 15x7's when I was running Hankook RS2's, but I'd hardly call my current BFG G-Forces stretched.

One of my mechanics at my shop wanted me to test fit one of his 15x7.5's et 0 stretched over 195/45. I declined as politely as I could, I wanted nothing to do with such a "lifestyle" even if it was just for dress up.

I had to snicker a little today when the same mechanic pulled back into my shop on his day off asking to use the lift. The cops didn't think much of his "mad tyte" wheels sticking out past the fender wells.

YOu knolw what< I'v ecome to expect a lot of these comments from the sports car crowd. i'ts been that way forever. Apparently the ONLY reason to modify a car from stock is to make it faster or handle better. And the only valid way is to spend money on name brand parts that have been proven on the track. becaeu building a road race car is the only valid form of automotive expression. Custom cars are something to be ridiculed, denigrated and shat on.

Something I've hated about the sports car crowd since I started dealing with them in the '70s.

"OMG! It's not race car perfect, so you've made it completely unuseable. Because now if I owned it, I couldn't use it for what I want it for."

I grew up with sports cars, muscle cars AND the '50s custom car scene. Cars that were specifically built for looks, not racing performance. At the time, they were simply late model cars that were lowered, smoothed, and given custom paint and trim/mods from other cars. Much like modern customizing. I've daily driven on cut springs wiht no issues. On my last RX7, I bought Tokiko sport springs, but the rears sat too high, so I cut them to sit level. On my custom lowriders, they were cut to sit low. I took 5 inches out of a Super Beetle front suspension, and 4" out of my A1 Jetta. I also cut 4" out of my '62 Falcon.

hell, I even cut the springs 2" on my little Fiat:

If I want to build a race car, I'll build one. If I want to build a custom car, I'll build that. But suddenly holier-than-thou sports car guys talk about how it's undriveable because it hasn't been optimized for the track. So what?

friedgreencorrado wrote: I'm kind of curious about something here...how many others actually started participating more over *here* when that stuff started hitting their favorite marque forums? I notice that I spend a lot more time over here, and hardly ever go to vwvortex anymore (only when I'm looking for a DIY thread for a procedure I haven't done before, really).

I started reading the mag, and joined the GRM forums because I was looking to take my car in a more performance-based direction.

I like the hella-flush look, and would have no problems driving a car like that if I had the money/patience to do so. But for now, I'm putting my efforts into a well maintained, sensible daily-driver, with enough performance to satisfy my autocross addiction.

Vortex still has good info if you dig deep, and know who to talk to. GRM just has a nice mix of folks who really are interested in the performance of cars, no matter the brand, or application. It's nice here ;)

I started reading GRM when some friends started telling me about the Challenge and how the mag covers just about any car I'd be interested in, from V8 powered craziness to quirky imports with DIY fuel injection with junkyard turbos bolted on. And they praise the DIY guys, which I identify with, because I'm a DIY guy.

Then, I went to the Challenge last year, met other readers, met staff, and had a great time. I actually joined up on here either on the way down there or at the hotel in my room.

I still hang out on many other boards (NASIOC, 78TA, Trans Am Country, etc) and I still participate. I've voiced my opinion on NASIOC before about some of the trends, only to be flamed for "offending their lifestyle". I just can't see how this stretched tire, slammed stretch and poke trend is even safe! I just figured this board would be a refuge from all the trendy garbage that goes on elsewhere, like the Hellaflush trend, new age rat rod stuff, etc. that I have zero interest in. I like functionality, and I'm a strong believer that looking good and being functional can co-exist.

If I want to look somewhat ridiculous and gawdy, I just hop in my 1979 Trans Am with the screaming chicken on the hood, the shaker dancing around, and the fat BFG Radial T/A's sticking out. But at least it's somewhat functional, being that it has a built .060-over Pontiac 400 and the WS6 package.