"custom" car questions

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I have started to notice two "new" trends in custom cars.

One is "portholes" on the fenders. I found some of those online (not like I'm interested in HAVING any!).

The other is symbols usually on the lower fender something like ? ? II or ? 2 II
The two solid bars at the end are common to both vehicles I noticed, but the second symbol on one car was closer to a 2 than a question mark.

What are these symbols called, and are they a sorority thing or a gang thing?

And for the record, in a FEW cases the portholes don't look too bad. And the other symbols aren't too bad either. The cars, trucks and suvs that have this stuff tend to be VERY clean, have chrome big wheels 18"+ and be driven by younger folk.

 

[Arkayne]

Hmmmm, well on imports, it's usually cosmetic and doesn't really provide any performance advantage. They are just emulating the vents found on true sports cars where they are used to aid brake and engine cooling.

As for those symbols that you see, the maker of fiberglass or polyurethane body kits sometimes put their logo on it. I think Kaminari does something like that because they have a Kaminari II line of "air effects". They look silly IMHO.

 

[Empath]

"Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?"

The portholes have been an identifying Buick feature off and on since 1949.

I hope they don't try bringing back tailfins.

 

[swampgator]

I hope they don't try bringing back tailfins.

Ah, come on, tailfins are way cool.

One thing I noticed lately is a tendency for some of the younger set to install external speakers on their cars. The one I saw/heard sounded like a tweeter mounted behind the grill.

I love that, people so nice to share their music with others who may not so fortunate.

Given a choice between external speakers and tailfins...Bring on the 'fins.

 

[cryhavok]

The "22II" you saw was to identify how large the rims were...22" rims in this case.

 

[RA40]

The fender venting is taken from the MB and BMW's of from factory and after-market tuners. Although this has been a styling queue among earlier American cars as well.

The numbers on the front quarter fender panels is a DUB style indicator of wheel size. Chrome-bling also associated with ghetto styling seen often with the rap type crowds. Cars like Impalas, Monte Carlos, Chrysler 300C...also includes SUV's like Lincolin Navigators, Caddy Escalades...and others.

This site has a good representation of the Dub style.
http://rides.webshots.com/album/181444990OosxEx?start=0

A similar but different, is the VIP Style from Japan which is with luxo barges like this Lexus LS430:
http://www.jp-boutique.jp/images/celsior_mc_front.jpg

More images in this thread:
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283343

http://www.aimgain.net/products/aero/ls460pre.html

It may seem similar though each section has key identifiers to their particular styling mods.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Hmmph! The stuff I saw while nice looking was just pretending to be this stuff in the links. One was a Navigator and one was I think an Impala with the symbols.

I've seen portholes on Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler and dam near any other car or truck you could imagine. I gotta add this.... I can ALMOST understand round or even oval ports. But rectangle or trapezoid or diamond shape look GOOFY!

 

[AlexGT]

Over here I seen a trend to put what appears to be "male genitals" on the rear center underside of some cars and pickup trucks, I mean WTF! Cmon its just a friggin car!

 

[mossyoak]

ah those are truck nutz. they are awesome. we have some on our f-550 4x4 farm truck cause that truck does in fact have balls of steel.

 

[Cerbera]

They are just emulating the vents found on true sports cars where they are used to aid brake and engine cooling.

Just to add on that note, in racing cars, those vents are also used to guide air out of the front to provide more front/overall downforce.

I find it silly considering road cars are not able to utilize the downforce it "may" create.

 

[Eugene]

Those holes started way back in the muscle car days when gas prices were so low that the manufacturers could drop in bigger and bigger engines in the race to have the most horsepower so as one maker put in a larger engine so would the next. It got to where the cars started having cooling problems because a larger engine was stuffed under the hood that what the car was designed around so they started adding holes to let air flow through to get the under hood temperature down.

 

[BIGIRON]

Alex, guess what your avatar reminds me of!!!!

 

[Illum]

Over here I seen a trend to put what appears to be "male genitals" on the rear center underside of some cars and pickup trucks, I mean WTF! Cmon its just a friggin car!

not to mention theres at least 1 truck near me who made a cover for his hitch doohicky that looked...well, what goes with the balls:green:

not to say he's "small" but huge wheels on a lifted chassis and the hitch decoration I'm pretty convinced he is....

 

[fnmag]

Alex, guess what your avatar reminds me of!!!!

Ditto!

 

[RA40]

Some additional pics from a thread at the LA, DUB car show:
(56K and slow cable/DSL...take a walk. Some/too many of the females draped over the rides are :thumbsdow) Not my pics BTW.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309630

 

[BIGIRON]

Illum, I'm with you on that one. Once had a lady friend who referred to 'Vettes as "jockstrap fillers". They've now been replaced by the trucks you described. Different strokes.......

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Ha Ha! I saw a "Chrysler" (I think it was a somewhat older new yorker but I could be wrong). I know it was a Chrysler because it said so in big silver letters along the body! And it had the portholes.

And in what seems to be a theme it was driven by an african-american (not what I was thinking but what is PC to type!).

 

[AlexGT]

ROFLMAO!

Need to look for a new avatar :green:

Alex, guess what your avatar reminds me of!!!!

 

[swampgator]

ROFLMAO!
Need to look for a new avatar

Naw, keep it!

 

[Cerbera]

Naw, keep it!

+1 for keeping it