Thursday, March 13, 2014

Corner-Cutting Commentary

"lol wtf does it matter if their reps or real? . dont you think people are just looking to spend more money on moding horsepower than modding looks? true I'm getting reps, they are xxr 962's . why reps and not just 2k volks? . because i also want a fxcking t engine swap . wheels dont fxcking matter but id rather have reps than fxcking plastic over covers lmao"


"Lol people diss this sh!t but go ahead and get your expensive pair of volks and watch them bend and dent easier than a pair of rotas would. They're meant for racing, not driving on streets. Smh"


"I've seen volks do the same thing. Just stupid brand loyalty. People are ignorant."


"Any wheel will do that under the right circumstances. I'd rather lose a 140 dollar wheel than a wheel that cost as much as a full set."


"I think everybody takes this stuff too seriously…. If Im not at the track who cares if they are real. its a personal choice not everyone wants to spend money on actual racing wheels especially if they dont race."


"You don't need super hardcore legit wheels unless you plan to do some SERIOUS driving where there's danger of breaking them. Reps work just fine on a street car."


"Who cares go cry to your mommy and quit being a hater you're a yuppie"


These are actual statements. Real people made these comments. As absurd and ridiculous (and just plain INCORRECT) as some of these sentiments may seem, people actually think this way. That is why I am not just laughing, rolling my eyes, and moving past them. Though comical, these statements are also scary. These are the obtuse, misinformed views of people that comprise the tuning scene. Over the last couple weeks I have noticed a few automotive pages broaching the subject of authentic and replica parts. These are all responses taken from a couple different pages from actual "enthusiasts," and, yes, I use that term loosely. These comments were sparked as a result of a post by a page moderator expressing his opinion that a car modified with replica parts is "missing something" and does not garner his respect. I do not believe I am going out on a limb when I suggest this is an assessment with which many people, especially myself, strongly agree. Responses are also a reaction to a separate post with a picture of a shattered replica wheel.



Of course, it often earns those supporters of originality and authenticity the moniker of "hater" (and even "yuppie," as seen above), but those angry pro-replica personalities are, well, hypocritical. Because I respect a build that uses original parts from legitimate companies and industry pioneers, I am a snob? I am "ignorant" because I encourage people to support original designs and innovation, but the guy who buys cheap parts that are made to look like the real thing, who simulataneously bashes the real thing, is not, in fact, ignorant? Makes perfectly logical sense.

The people who rip authentic wheels in favor of replicas make it seem as though there are warehouses on the corner of every city that have signs in the window that read "FREE REPLICA WHEELS" with workers waiting patiently on a loading dock for you to pull up so they can assist in packing up your car with your newly-acquired free boxes of fake. Replica parts are not free! They cost money, too. So, whether a person earns $7 an hour or $700 an hour, he must allocate funds to buy parts. This is where the 'I have to have it now and I don't want to work for it' mentality of the tuning scene takes over. Some people are willing to save for a little longer to buy legitimate parts. Those are the people who deserve the recognition. Those are the enthusiasts with the builds that earn the respect of the page moderator who sparked some of the comments above. I give him credit for addressing the topic. Too many pages, blogs, and publications are unscrupulous and far less critical and discerning of the content they feature and praise, further perpetuating the notion that it is okay to cut corners.

The first quote above is comically mind-blowing to me. Oh, you want to swap your engine at the expense of authentic wheels? Guess what? You can still swap your engine AND roll on genuine wheels. You will just have to save your money for a bit longer. Shockingly enough, I would be willing to bet that, in the end, you will take more pride in your project. On top of that, it is actually possible to buy original designs and not spend top dollar. Nowadays one has unlimited online resources for tracking down used authentic parts. If buying used is not desirable, there are plenty of quality parts out there that are not based on hijacked designs. Replica parts are not the only option.

I understand (and expect) the "It's his car. What do you care how he modifies it?" response to these types of posts. The issue that arises often whenever the Authentic versus Replica debate ensues is quality. I know that, overall, authentic parts are of superior quality than replica parts. However, I have consistently stated on this blog that there are, in fact, some replica parts that are constructed quite well. (Generally, I am speaking of aero parts.) I also understand these fly-by-night replica companies are not going anywhere. They are going to continue to cash in on the hard work and ingenuity of superior craftsmen and manufacturers. They are going to continue to steal, undermine, pirate, and pilfer. This is the basis of my big gripe with these companies. Intellectual property theft. Sadly, the only way it can be stopped is if people refuse to applaud those projects that sport these bogus parts, if publications, blogs, and pages refuse to feature the builds comprised of these parts, and, finally, if "enthusiasts" stop cutting corners with their builds. 

Be the funk. Don't fake it.



JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

23 comments:

  1. I think the term "built not bought" also applys. I'm not the one to make the argument as to why. But quality in any product determines how well it's built. If you don't buy the quality, built, broke bought n broke again. There's no respect in yourself or your project if you're willing to risk it to save money.

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  2. Well I guess my Spoon ITR, which at one point daily driven, and tracked of 10 years on Rota Slipstreams seems illogical to your ignorant post? Please help me understand your point why my Rotas are no good.

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    2. READ the article. Your Rotas are no good because they are created by thieves who steal the intrellectual property of others. Someone sits down and spends a LOT of time, money and creativity to make a product then some opportunist comes and steals their design and you support these thieves. then you want to be respected as much as someone who supports original work. If Rota came up with their own design through their own hard work instead of copying original designs then they would deserve to be respected. right now, they do not. Find a cheap ORIGINAL product to buy or save and buy an expensive original product and stop supporting thieves.

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  4. Show guys are generally elitist butt hurt douches anyways, let them argue over wheels and shiny parts.
    The rest of us will be at the track or in the trails having fun and making friends... cheap parts and all.


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  5. Also to add, if my parents bought a knock off wheel for their vehicle are you willing to get your teeth knocked down your throat for bashing them on style because they had no knowledge of a wheel manufacturer in Japan that created that wheel style? Your post is broad and stupid because of your "JDM" lifestyle YOU live in. Can't wait to get my fake wheeled car in a magazine, oh wait I pissed off bratty Matt Rodriez (sp? Like I care for him) of Honda Tuning mag. Oh well, fuck the "IMPORT SCENE" .

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  6. Your parents aren't bashing other expensive/legit wheel companies. And I doubt your parents are going to be putting the wheels to the test. You completely missed the whole point of this write-up! And yes, why you had a supposedly "Spoon" ITR, but cut the corner on wheels and didn't buy the spoon wheels for 1500 or less is beyond me. What was so "Spoon" about it? Did you have a set of cams or something? that doesn't make it a Spoon ITR. To make it a Spoon car, you would have bought everything spoon made for it. And if that were true, you wouldn't have spent all that money and went cheap on a set of wheels. That's like buying a Ferrari, changing the oil with Penzoil conventional oil.

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  7. what i want to know is all this still relevant now that work wheels is replicating other company designs. (e.g. there new seeker line) i mean yes work is a superior quality wheel compared to most reps but it still is another company's design.

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  8. Fake wheels wouldn't even exist if real wheel companies didn't make their products. I will never by knock of parts not only because they are cheaply made but I am not supporting the ideology that is bringing down western society as a whole.

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  9. If you like condescending elitist assholes then you’ll certainly love this blog! I’m all for big baller wheels but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives made with good quality and I have seen broken wheels manufactured by respectable companies. The overall tone of this blog is hugely unappealing.

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  10. There are alot of "fake" brands out there but you do got to remember the designs arent just copied they are brought from the company that designed them, and in certain country's these real wheels cant be found found at all so you are made to resort to the non original's. Also I know a few people in the industry and sometimes the wheels are made in the same factorys by the same people so they are exactly the same but get different branding put on them.

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    1. So really end of the day they are not replica's or fakes they are the real yjing just with a different name on it, and the original designers will most likely still make money off it. Don't get me wrong but there are still fakes that are made poorly with cheap materials to a poor quality out there but they are less common then one will think.

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  11. Honestly I understand the post. And where you are coming from. I am one of the ones who cannot afford largely priced premium wheels. But still want my car to look good. I am actually buying the rims in the pic above lmao! But I'm not the one bashing people for having premium wheels. I love my car and any and everything I buy for it is a accomplishment to me and in the end that's all that really matters. Now, to the fools that are bashing the people driving around in $2,500 wheels, that's stupid to me. I like cheap wheels because I can afford them. I'd rather help my mother pay her mortgage before spending so much money on a pair of rims but I still want my ride to at least look good. Which is why I buy some of my parts cheap. There are people who cannot afford to save up so much due to living situations, family issues, and struggles. Can I save up $2,500? Yes I surely can over time but when I do, would I spend that $2,500 on some rims when I can get some for $1,000 that still "look" good and help my family out? No I'd rather help my family. So it's all up to that particular person. But like I said, I'm not the one bashing people with $2,500 rims either.

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    1. Why not just save and wait though? If you're in such a rush to get your car on wheels I can't think you're doing it for yourself, but because you want to look good in front of others. The scene isn't going anywhere. Just save and get quality parts one by one, no need to build your car in 6 months or something.

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    2. Lol, I find it funny how some people don't realise that money dosnt grow in trees... Okay, I could save up for 10-11months to buy "REAL" wheels or, 1-2months for "FAKE" wheels. I just don't like the original look. I don't do it for others, I do it for myself. If you can't respect someone JUST BECAUSE HE DOSNT WANT T PAY 2500$ FOR WHEELS, well, my friend, you will be unhappy the rest of your miserable life :(

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  12. I completely understand what people are saying about making fiscally responsible decisions for themselves. I need a family car soon and I'm stuck between choosing a WRX and STI, as the car is my personal favorite. My head says WRX (or even a Legacy or used Odyssey!), but my heart say STI. Heart doesn't pay the bills, so I am still weighing the decision. I need to be responsible now that I'm married and trying to buy a house and even considering having a family. We all have responsibilities and priorities, and we each carefully look at what works best for each of us. My point here is... if your priority isn't building a car with legit parts, why are you here... on a blog about innovation over imitation? Why do you defend your choices to people like us, who care about authenticity?

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  13. Support KnockOffs! Why because doing so means they drive high end prices lower. Competition drive prices down even amongst the cheap brands. Since there are plenty cheap brands to chose from people will I obviously go for the cheaper brands with the best reliability. Meaning these cheap brands will take the money you give them and over time make stronger and stronger wheels trying to prove they are better and eventually we'll ALL have amazing wheels at amazing prices!

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  14. I can't tell if some of the people in the comments are trolling or not. But hopefully posts like this can at least sway some people to buy the real thing. As for price, there are many quality wheels that cost about as much as fakes i.e. gram lights, enkei etc.

    More importantly, when are you going to post more FD pics?! Can't wait to see what you do to it.

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  15. Actually brett, I own 90% of their parts on my R. I chose what chose because I've beatin the shit out of these wheels and no damage has happened. I don't plan on jumping curbs or anything these idiots do and still see the same result from real and fake. If you're a shitty driver you're gonna cause this type of elitist shit.

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  16. Rim replicas talking about being stolen design obviously this kid is worried about some one steeling rims designs when there was barely any talk about dangers of cheep rims so obviously u a pissed off little boy who prob tries to have volks hire him for design and they said no
    Eather way It don't matter what people wana put on there car it's thier car it's like generic medications they got a diff name a little cheeper but still work
    Or groceries theres original brand of frosted flakes or generic brand called iced corn flakes still taste the same so does that mean cause there cheeper there not as good ???
    I mean yeah there's some wheel very cheep like don't go to Wal-Mart and buy rims cause there American racing wheels and they cheep as fuck
    Eather way there are always generic brands that's just the buisness so this thread was duumb!!!!!

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    heavy duty casters wheels & stainless steel casters

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