California Crackdown on Modified Cars
08-09-05, 01:42 PM
#61
Zombie Slayer
Originally Posted by lkirchner
I think someone should break this clowns keyboard.Don't be too hard on the guy! Think back to when you were younger (my guess is that Celicamaro is in his early late teens/early 20's - correct me if i'm wrong celi), what was your train of thought then. I know mine was somewhat similiar to his. We would drag our cars (1st & 2nd gen Camaro's, old Stangs, GTO's, even a couple of guys with Full 6-71 blowers on the streets!!), down on a desolate dark road one town over that was no longer used by the public. Of course we got in trouble with the cops but we kept doing it. We just never went as far as racers today that have moved to the highways. God forbid I even tried to turn my '72 Nova at 65 let alone 105!!! Today's cars are MUCH more responsive and I think that translates to a false sense of security for alot of thesde racers out there. I don't agree with Celicamaro's views on street racing today, and neither do a lot of people on this board. But chastizing him will never get the result you desire.
08-09-05, 01:52 PM
#62
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Originally Posted by lkirchner
Did you and your fellow racers ever hear of a drag strip??? Hang out with other car guys, talk about cars; you can do all the above legally. However most of the cars who are street racing would never pass the safety rules.Have you ever been to a track and observe their conditions? The last one I went to ain't even safe. Pot holes all over the pit area, I'm scare to go under my car to make adjustments due to soft, uneven and deteorating ground. The runoffs after the drag strip ends is so freakin short some guys with fast cars end up in the weeds and destroying expensive body panels. This particular track doesn't even care if you don't wear a helmets or requiring rollcages for vehicles faster than 12sec.
If you want a nicer or safer track, pay more money. And if the closest "nice" track is 350 miles away, better get a truck and a trailer to toll your ride in case you blow something. Bottom line: Tracks don't make any economic or practical senses. A speeding ticket(if you get caught) is cheaper than a 300mile towing charge. Tracks not open when you want them to, unless you're in vegas where they open them for midnight racers and the entrance fee for spectators are cheap. Don't know if that's still the case today.
Did I mention the ridiculously expensive but crappy track food and some of their stupid rules?
08-09-05, 01:56 PM
#63
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Originally Posted by lkirchner
I think someone should break this clowns keyboard.
08-09-05, 02:16 PM
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Originally Posted by mkorsu
I agree with you that the cops are insanely ridiculous with their attitude towards anyone that has an even remotely modified car. It's assinine! But some of these "racers", and I'm not pointing a finger at you. Your car is more than likely done correctly, eg: no cut springs, tires are in good condition, etc. and that you at least know the principals behind driving properly. BUT, you must admit that a lot of people that get into that scene now are doing so in substandard cars; they have little to no driving experience; these people are the accidents waiting to happen! Unforseen events can happen to anyone of us at anytime. When you through shoddy equipment and lack of training/experience into the mix, the outcome is inevitable.
08-09-05, 04:18 PM
#67
Ok, first of all, car enthusiasts modifying their cars and street racing are almost entirely different things.
With the implementation of this program, I can see Honda drivers being the first ones to feel the persecution. Do u guys with higher end cars such as the guys in the E46 or M3 forum would be targeted as well? Most of their cars are on deep-dish 19" wheels. It seems that by driving a tastefully AND conservatively modded luxury sports car ur able to slip under these **** cops radar. I never really hear of an tuned Benzes n Beemers having to open up their hood like Hondas.
With the implementation of this program, I can see Honda drivers being the first ones to feel the persecution. Do u guys with higher end cars such as the guys in the E46 or M3 forum would be targeted as well? Most of their cars are on deep-dish 19" wheels. It seems that by driving a tastefully AND conservatively modded luxury sports car ur able to slip under these **** cops radar. I never really hear of an tuned Benzes n Beemers having to open up their hood like Hondas.
08-09-05, 08:27 PM
#69
Originally Posted by xknowonex
Ok, first of all, car enthusiasts modifying their cars and street racing are almost entirely different things.
With the implementation of this program, I can see Honda drivers being the first ones to feel the persecution. Do u guys with higher end cars such as the guys in the E46 or M3 forum would be targeted as well? Most of their cars are on deep-dish 19" wheels. It seems that by driving a tastefully AND conservatively modded luxury sports car ur able to slip under these **** cops radar. I never really hear of an tuned Benzes n Beemers having to open up their hood like Hondas.
With the implementation of this program, I can see Honda drivers being the first ones to feel the persecution. Do u guys with higher end cars such as the guys in the E46 or M3 forum would be targeted as well? Most of their cars are on deep-dish 19" wheels. It seems that by driving a tastefully AND conservatively modded luxury sports car ur able to slip under these **** cops radar. I never really hear of an tuned Benzes n Beemers having to open up their hood like Hondas.
08-10-05, 05:49 AM
#71
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Originally Posted by Lil4X
In what was termed “The K-Mart Raid”, 270 teens were arrested nearly three years ago (8/18/02) in the early hours of an otherwise quiet Sunday morning. The police raid on the large parking lot shared by a Super K-Mart and several fast-food restaurants near one of Houston’s largest club scenes was intended to capture a large number of “street racers” who had been congregating in the area for months.
The problem with the large police action was that it was conducted while some of the restaurants and the K-Mart were still open, netting a number of shoppers and families stopping for a late-night meal. All were cuffed and stuffed. The result was chaos. Perhaps the most wrong-headed police action in Houston’s history, the raid conducted with all of the zeal of a major drug raid ended with the suspension of a dozen police supervisors and the firing of more than one senior chief. Had the mayor not already been term-limited, the half-bright political puppet (and former Houston and NYC police chief) sitting at the head of City Council would have lost his job too.
All of those who were arrested spent the night in jail, being released to their families the next day. Many, if not most brought suit against the city and the cases settled out of court with undisclosed compensation – in an attempt to minimize the political fallout from the fiasco. Like cockroaches fleeing the light, police officials scrambled to cover themselves and point fingers at others both up and down the chain of command. It was not the HPD’s finest hour.
Perhaps SoCal officials can take a lesson from this. Heavy-handed tactics by law enforcement have far-reaching consequences. Before conducting any large-scale effort to curb modified cars, they should consider Houston’s example. We know how to do it wrong.
The problem with the large police action was that it was conducted while some of the restaurants and the K-Mart were still open, netting a number of shoppers and families stopping for a late-night meal. All were cuffed and stuffed. The result was chaos. Perhaps the most wrong-headed police action in Houston’s history, the raid conducted with all of the zeal of a major drug raid ended with the suspension of a dozen police supervisors and the firing of more than one senior chief. Had the mayor not already been term-limited, the half-bright political puppet (and former Houston and NYC police chief) sitting at the head of City Council would have lost his job too.
All of those who were arrested spent the night in jail, being released to their families the next day. Many, if not most brought suit against the city and the cases settled out of court with undisclosed compensation – in an attempt to minimize the political fallout from the fiasco. Like cockroaches fleeing the light, police officials scrambled to cover themselves and point fingers at others both up and down the chain of command. It was not the HPD’s finest hour.
Perhaps SoCal officials can take a lesson from this. Heavy-handed tactics by law enforcement have far-reaching consequences. Before conducting any large-scale effort to curb modified cars, they should consider Houston’s example. We know how to do it wrong.
08-10-05, 05:51 AM
#72
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Originally Posted by rominl
i agree, the kind of cars you have, i believe that does have to do with how cops will pull people over. but still, to me it's about the principle of the idea being extremely stupid. i don't have a honda, but still i would hate to see a honda person getting pulled coz' of this stupid law
I totally agree. It's just another step towards a Big Brother society!
08-10-05, 06:09 AM
#73
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Originally Posted by Celicamaro
You know what I mean don't you? My point is that if cops leave the racers to do their things way out in the boonies where there's hardly ever been any problems for decades or just leave car guys to hang out with other car guys to talk about cars all night long or install mods to their vehciles without fear of getting a citation, people wouldn't have to resort to higway racing as an alternative. It's wrong and dangerous to race at those speed at night, but our law makers and the cops who enforces their stupid opinions didn't have to push the people like that. I think everyone here agrees that there are better things cops could be spending their time, effort and money on. I'm just reporting on what the racers here are doing. There's nothing I can do to stop it, if I tried, I'd probably get my azz whooped.
Dont go to the highway.. besides thats so one dimensional.. doesnt really take consideration to cars handling abilities, just pure horsepower, drivers abilities being limited to down shift then up shift a few times at right time and just keep the gas pegged on the floor. No worries about weight transfering, available grip management, finding the better line to use, and being able to appreciate the meaning of balance in a car, or what I call a fully dimensional vehicle. Highway racing.... sounds zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. And very high risk especially... besides high speeds runs dont feel much different then normal speed runs except... higher wind noise... more tunelly vision.. Now compare this to a road course experience. Ok so a track days are stupid expensive I agree thus were very limited to how often we can go there. But ever considered autocross? The excitement there yes at 2nd gear speeds is 100 times better then what youd find on just highway runs. ANd the sastifaction of a underpowered car beating that rich guy with his 400 hp CTS caddy is.. well great! Or in particularly funny case a 505 hp viper... in which the guy got out of his group, a grown man in around his 50s or 60s, did a burn out in the parking lot walking drivers and spectators be damned... and got out of there.. with his eyes red from anger and frustation. What was he so upset about? His driving on the viper got completely schooled by the young kid driving the G or H stock class (i cant remember) Dodge Neon. Funny thing is this guy was super confident at tech, checking in time, eyeing other more humble cars even class leading corvettes like pos compared to him and his viper duo. Dont get me wrong viper is a very capable track car he just had ways to go on how to put its abilities to use.
And we should kick out california out of USA.
Last edited by Inabj2; 08-10-05 at 06:21 AM.
08-10-05, 09:01 AM
#74
Lexus Connoisseur
Originally Posted by Inabj2
And we should kick out california out of USA.
BTW, we're all getting a little bit off topic here.
08-10-05, 10:05 AM
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Bottom line is the "MAN" is imposing his will, taking control and our rights at the same time. Laws and policies are passed in legislature without our vote. The man wants to create $$ and jobs for all branches of government. Our government is a joke. They'll react to the media that makes them look bad or any interest group with $$.
In the meantime more drugs hit the street while ther're out giving tickets for an exhaust mod..what a joke. Our government and police don't really want to "CURE" problems with drugs or crimes, then they'll be out of work. There's not job security in doing that, so they just chip away at problems a little at at time while they're not eating dounuts.
Just a conspiracy theory..IMHO.
In the meantime more drugs hit the street while ther're out giving tickets for an exhaust mod..what a joke. Our government and police don't really want to "CURE" problems with drugs or crimes, then they'll be out of work. There's not job security in doing that, so they just chip away at problems a little at at time while they're not eating dounuts.
Just a conspiracy theory..IMHO.