Someone please explain this "style" to me... the "SWOOSH"

[Chernobyl]

Those of you living in cities with a substantial Mexican population will know what I'm talking about. What is with all the cars with the itty-bitty-pokie-outie wheels and the white Nike swoosh emblem on the back windshield? I could understand if I saw maybe 10 of these cars in the course of a year, I wouldn't give it a second thought. But lately, I've been taking my pops to work every morning and in that neighborhood, I see about 5 cars done in this "style" every day. I can understand the wheels and the gold wheel arch molding, ok, they like the lowrider thing... but WTF is up with "the swoosh"? Is it supposed to mean something, or are these guys really that impressed with Nike's ability to make sneakers? I've even heard a few jokes about the swoosh, but I won't post these as they are pretty racially inappropriate.

So basically, I'm curious, what is it about the swoosh that these guys like so much? Anyone have any insight? Should I put a big Puma sticker on my back windshield or what?(JK) Let's hear what you think.

(Of course I'm not talking about all Mexicans, so shut yer trap if you are about to call me racist)

[Natty]

I see this in small numbers here in Tennessee. Actually, it's much more common to take a Nissan hardbody/D21 or a sentra and add those same tiny, spaced out wheels and swap it for infiniti badges.
I can't expalin either, but it sure is weird when masses of people all begin to do the same thing like that.

[nocomedown]

i've noticed the same thing around here, and i dont really have an answer for you. ive also noticed that the same trucks often have the "corvette-styled" taillights, and their last names written out in old english letters on their rear windshield.
as far as i can see, it's just a trend

[ZOLTAN]

Man, that shit is old.
The thugs here in the midwest were doing that almost ten years ago. Now I don't see it all that much.

[omen2853]

yeah...i used to see that stuff in LA alot a number of years back. now i only see them on cars that are owned by people who are a little out of date with style and stuff. used to be the baldheads...now its the ones with the marron pants and flowered shirts...anyone in LA you know who im talking about..lol.

[thelinja]

I remember back during my freshman year of HS, all of the gangsters had the Nike swoosh on their cars. I wanted one at the time, because I thought it was cool. Not now though.

[Bliss]

Originally posted by ZOLTAN
Man, that shit is old.
The thugs here in the midwest were doing that almost ten years ago. Now I don't see it all that much.

midwest thugs...lol

how cute.

[fooddude]

i remember like 8 years ago at the street races seeing racing stripes and big Adidas signs and Nike swooshes

[240trainee]

The old school lettering and tiny wheels are an offshoot of the lowriders. Kinda like ricers to real racers, I guess. I have no idea what is with the swoosh, though. A Club, perhaps?

[Chernobyl]

I just find it fascinating when something this unexplainable is performed by so many people... these "thugs" must be trend-following sheep I guess. :hammer:

[ZOLTAN]

"midwest thugs...lol
how cute."

HAHAHA, no kidding.
They're always good for a laugh.
Watch out, cause the ghettos of Fort Wayne are the roughest.

[ZOLTAN]

What they like is no more stupid than what you like.
More than likely some people don't understand what you are doing to your car either.
Look at it this way, the world would be an exceptionally boring place if everyone did the same things.


.Eddie.

[mrmephistopheles]

maybe they own stock in Nike

[nokeone]

[steps onto soap box]

it's all financially driven...

set your car apart in the cheapest way possible if you lack the funds to do it any other way...

the true origen of "rice"...it's not so much to do with taste as it has to do with the means to accomplish that which is beyond your financial abilities..

"i want my car to look different, to set me apart from the crowd, to stand out...fuck though, i don't have any money...well shit, this sticker is cheap, i can get this for free at a friends store, a friend will give me these wheels, APC has stuff dirt cheap that even I can afford...you know what, it doesn't look that bad so screw it, i'll run with it..."

and the trend catches on...people who don't know why it was started begin to think it actually looks good because the "cool" people (those who are different, stand out, set themselves apart, in each culture are often idolized) are doing it...so they follow...

so on and so forth until it reaches the states we see it in today...

this is true for everything from these lowriders, to fake spinners, to "riced" out imports, to lowered trucks with knock off wheels and spoilers...

it's the have-nots trying to emulate the haves..

anyway yeah...just look at what the financially challenged do with 240's on these very boards...and they are made fun of for it everyday...

no wonder we are the way we are..always passing judgement..we were taught it growing up..i'm sure 90% of us picked on the kid with dirty hand-me-down clothes and no money for lunch in elementary school..and some of those kids said screw you and ran with it..thus: grunge trend..

ok ok, that's a stretch...but you get my point i hope...

[steps down from soap box]

[Got Sileighty?]

<clap clap clap clap> very well said. people make fun of our cars too, so what?? hell, my own friend makes fun of how im tryin to fix up an "old & ugly" car. who cares?

oh yea, i like the nike swoosh myself, im pretty much a nike whore. in high school, i probably wouldve put it on my car as well (if i had one).

[RoNiN240sx]

it's horrible around where i live too. there's not too many nike signs anymore, but plenty of old english lettering. the worst ones i've seen were a big superman decal on a rusted out hood, and the worst yet, a spray painted happy face on a hood, with "clown killers" spray painted under that. oh man......

[S13S14S15]

most hispanics who are into car rice out their cars to extreme. i worked at pep boys for a while, and these old hispanic guys come in with their kids to buy rice stuff, and most of them look like they barely have any money to support their kids. but of course, neons and pep boys racing seats are more important.