FMIC - Grill or no grill?

[Petrina Polo]

I have FMIC on my Polo Gti..

Do I take lower grill out and expose FMIC? looks ok...

Or do I put in grill and go stealth?

What is general consensus and what are fellow FMIC people doing?

Bra or no bra?

[Blitzen]

Grill = Stealth...
No Grill = Rice...

[Gti Dave]

I've got the Forge FMIC installed and I still have the grill . Gives it a stealth and factory look but if you look hard enough and kneel down a bit, you'll see the Forge logo. So overall in my opinion, its modded with a bit of taste, looks good and doesn't look ricey one bit. Another positive is the grill would prevent anything large from hitting the intercooler and causing any unsightly damage.

[VW GTI]

I've got the Forge FMIC installed and I still have the grill . Gives it a stealth and factory look but if you look hard enough and kneel down a bit, you'll see the Forge logo. So overall in my opinion, its modded with a bit of taste, looks good and doesn't look ricey one bit. Another positive is the grill would prevent anything large from hitting the intercooler and causing any unsightly damage.

You can order the Forge FMIC without the logo so you don't look like a skyline or WRX driver.

[mikepologti]

gotta go with dave on this one, showing a little bit of presence for the keen eyed can never be a bad thing. though i think for myself showing the intercooler off is maybe trying a little hard.

[Petrina Polo]

I took my grill off.. My car is black so you dont really see the little holes etc where the grill clips into..

The FMIC is very prominant with no grill... yeah maybe a little rice..

Do I have to pull off the bar again to put the grill back in...

I hate pulling off the bar..

What is the definition of rice anyway??

[mikepologti]

"riceing it up" or "ricer" are derogitry terms, used for people who put modifications on there car to make it "appear" faster or better then what it really is. usual suspects are huge spoilers or wings,decals advertising features that the car just does not have and over sized exhaust tips.

the word "rice" in ricer, is used because this particular phenominon, supposedly originated from people who owned japanese cars, though any car can theoretically be "riced up".

correct me if im wrong guys,......thats what ive always thaught riceing was anyway.

[JCM308]

correct me if im wrong guys,......thats what ive always thaught riceing was anyway.

100% correct IMO

[Petrina Polo]

So how can a FMIC showing be rice? It is what it is? Its not overstating anything?

It doesnt look too bad unobstructed and possibly functionally better as there is nothing in front of it..

Isnt RICE basically claiming more than it is?

[JCM308]

So how can a FMIC showing be rice? It is what it is? Its not overstating anything?

It doesnt look too bad unobstructed and possibly functionally better as there is nothing in front of it..

Isnt RICE basically claiming more than it is?

Basically cause it can be hidden so to speak without effecting the efficiency of the part it is considered rice to not try and do it.

Rice can also be anything that is outlandish or a look at me option (ie 1million inch chromies on a starlet etc).

[RhysQ]

Yeah the 'RICE' comment has got way out of control, people just don't know what it means. For you to take your grill off when using the cooler would not be 'rice' by any means.....because as you said, it is functional and in theory should improve performance (although probably not). If anything, it would be considered 'track/race spec', just like when drag cars remove their headlights for intake inlets.

'Rice' would be to get an intercooler core and stick it in behind the grill of an N/A car and not connect any piping.

[RhysQ]

Rice can also be anything that is outlandish or a look at me option (ie 1million inch chromies on a starlet etc).

Prime example of my previous post. I agree with the chromies on a starlet opinion, because it is a weighty mod on a small car, in turn slowing it down. But what about if you get an R32 Skyline GTR and kit it out with a big front mount, lightweight race rims, carbon fibre bodykit, high flow exhaust with huge race pipes out the back. Thats 'look at me', but not rice.

Taking off the grill is not RICE..... It may be 'look at me', but it is functional = NOT RICE

[VWindahouse]

Agreed, I think it looks good IMO! I personally would not go over top with the red FORGE sign however........

[JCM308]

But what about if you get an R32 Skyline GTR and kit it out with a big front mount, lightweight race rims, carbon fibre bodykit, high flow exhaust with huge race pipes out the back. Thats 'look at me', but not rice.

I agree that would be "Race spec" not Rice. But what if you took the same car added a fibreglass wide body kit, GT wing, Big chromies, FMIC and exhaust. Similar mods but different outcome

I'm not saying rice to some extent doesn't look good, what I'm saying is you should limit the amount you do and try to make it a mod that actually does something apart from make it look good.

As I mentioned in my previous post about the grill, if you can put the grill back in and make it a bit stealthy without effecting the functionallity of the mod then it doesn't take away from what the car is (a sporty european).

If you leave the grill off and have the FMIC exposed for the world to see yes it may be considered "Track/Race" spec but may also be considered a little ricey.

[RhysQ]

If you leave the grill off and have the FMIC exposed for the world to see yes it may be considered "Track/Race" spec but may also be considered a little ricey.

Each to their own I suppose but the day that weight reduction and maximising airflow to a performance part is considered 'rice', i'm gone from the car scene.