Donks

[Artemis Entreri]

Have any of you seen these things? I started seing them a couple of years ago and laughed my ass off. Recently I've seen more and more of them and I've realized that it's becoming a fad.
http://www.donkmag.com/cars/1975.Chevy.Caprice.jpg

I know this is primarily a black thing but man does it look REDNECK!

[livius drusus]

It just looks like a pimped ride to me. What does "donk" refer to? The entire car or the paint job or...?

[RareBear]

Thou shalt not fuh-shizzle thy neighbor's nizzle.

[ms_ann_thrope]

Many enthusiasts agree that the term "donk" was orginally shortened from "donkey," because the Chevolet Impala logo resembled one. The donk label has been applied to other cars, but the only true donk is an Impala.Fascinating.
:spock2:

[Artemis Entreri]

What makes me laugh are the wheels. The car is actually lifted several inches to clear the ridiculously huge rims. Maybe it's not as obvious in the picture but on the road I've seen cars that are higher than most trucks and suvs.

To me this
http://www.donkmag.com/cars/1972.Chevy.Impala.jpg
Is not too far from this
http://www.canadianredneck.com/photos/albums/userpics/10001/4x4-Camaro-Red-Neck-Mullet-Car.jpg


Yeeeee Haaaaaw my Nizzle!

[livius drusus]

To each his own, I suppose. I love Pimp My Ride and think some of those paint jobs and re-designs are nothing short of brilliant.

Some of them are ridiculous -- like the truck whose bed was completely filled with giant monitors, covered with protective plexiglass, and fixed with some kind of hydralic lift so it could act like a drive-in movie screen but never again be in any way a useful truck bed -- but raised or lowered tires don't make me no nevermind.

The car in your OP and the purple one look good to me. I think the length of the car counterbalances the lift and the large rims in a way the monster Pinto or whatever the red one is does not.

ms_ann, do you have a link to the Wiki entry? All I could find was a Samurai Duck reference.

[Puck]

Ah, so they have a name. Bobby hates them. I think they are fun.

[Artemis Entreri]

Well as a car guy, my dad was a mechanic for most of his life and I started working with him when I was a kid, I find Pimp My Ride ridiculous and really a poor demonstration of car customization. Some of their ideas are interesting, if impractical. But it's all show and no real quality. I've seen several of their shows and I've never seen them actually work on, or even mention, the drivetrain of any of the vehicles. What's the point of slapping 20grand worth of gadgets on a car that has a 4 banger with 200,000 miles on it that's in desperate need of attention.

On the other end there is Overhaulin'. That show is one that I really think is a true example of auto restoration and custimization. They leave no part of the car untouched. Everything is replaced, improved, or restored. And the designs are tasteful and beautiful.

[livius drusus]

What's a drivetrain? Anyway, the point is that for once some people who actually need their cars brought back from the dead get it.

As for what's "tasteful and beautiful", I'm sure you're not suggesting your standards or Overhaulin's are objective. The owners on PmR are kids raised on low-rider videos. They obviously have an entirely different aesthetic than someone who's had some fancy car in the second garage for 20 years but hasn't gotten around to restoring it yet, which was the scenario in the one abysmal episode of Overhaulin' I saw.

The mechanics are tightasses, too. Nowhere near as much fun as Xzibit and the West Coast guys.

[California Tanker]

The red thing is a Camaro or Firebird. At least it looks practical for offroading.

The massive wheels don't do anything for me.

What's the point of slapping 20grand worth of gadgets on a car that has a 4 banger with 200,000 miles on it that's in desperate need of attention

Top Gear Magazine did an editorial on the car modding scene. "Kick off with a 20,000 pound Vauxhall Astra, add another 20,000 pounds worth of modifications like spoilers, big exhaust pipes, lights, etc, and you end up with a particularly hideous 40,000 pound mediocre car where for the same money you could have bought a Porsche"

I'm inclined to agree. Some mods, however, are just remarkable.

http://www.carbodydesign.com/tuning-specials/2005-08-19-sq-plus-citroen-c2/2005-08-19-sq-plus-citroen-c2.php

NTM

[Artemis Entreri]

The drive train is the thingy the makes the car go. Basically it's the engine and transmission. Anyway, I watch that type of show to see the work that’s being done. Also the PmR guys "kinda" build the car around the person that owns it but it's silly. If the person likes pool they build a pool table in the back of their truck (cool idea if done right, but without a leveling mechanism it's practically useless). On Overhaulin they talk with people closest to the owner and build the car to be as close to the owner’s ideal dream as they can. on one build Foose painted the car an awsome green color, even though he said he didn't want to, because the owner loved that the car was green. I've heard that they also did an episode where they fixed up a celebrities car, but for the most part the people on the show are average working class people who have a classic car which they don't have the time or money to fix up they way they want to. I know there were a few episodes where the owners were young (early 20's) that drove their old cars everyday.

You're right the PmR guys are fun, because it's over the top and funny. I was watching a marathon of it one day with a friend and we were just ripping them apart. So much of the stuff they do is poorly engineered and basically jerry-rigged. I actually made a joke that "Next thing you know they'll be putting a hot tub in an SUV." The VERY NEXT episode that came up they were putting a hot-tub bath in a van. That was by far the most impractical thing I've seen them do.... that and the TV they mounted under the car.... which they mounted in the spare-tire holder, thus removing the spare-tire permanently.

[Dingfod]

Aw, who needs a spare tire when you can't tell if your tire is flat or not because it's only got a 1" sidewall?

Anyway, in this Top Gear video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGEg0H1oJsA) a pimped up Pugeot 306 3.0L V-6 (230 bhp) hatchback goes up against on old school 1961 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite sports car at a hillclimb track and gets spanked even though the old car has 100 horsepower less.

[RareBear]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/RareBird0/new94.jpg

My own nizzle. 02 Stang in the Photoshop clouds. Don't think it's quite a "Donk" though. Needs stilts and a Louis Vuiton handbag paint job.

[California Tanker]

Not bad. How many horse?

Anyway, in this Top Gear video a pimped up Pugeot 306 3.0L V-6 (230 bhp) hatchback goes up against on old school 1961 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite sports car at a hillclimb track and gets spanked even though the old car has 100 horsepower less.


Did you catch the 'Bling' segment on Top Gear?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5W6rZ05Roo

NTM

[livius drusus]

The drive train is the thingy the makes the car go. Basically it's the engine and transmission. Anyway, I watch that type of show to see the work that’s being done.

I've seen them totally replace engines and transmissions, and there was one time when they just plain gave the kid a whole new car 'cause his Honda was like four cars glued together.

Also the PmR guys "kinda" build the car around the person that owns it but it's silly. If the person likes pool they build a pool table in the back of their truck (cool idea if done right, but without a leveling mechanism it's practically useless).
Oh I agree, and the new garage is even worse about that sort of thing than West Coast. Remember the guy who was an music/electronics buff so they tore out his back seat and put in a 300 lb subwoofer the size of airplane engine? I'd have eBayed that piece of shit so fast heads would be spinning.

I've heard that they also did an episode where they fixed up a celebrities car, but for the most part the people on the show are average working class people who have a classic car which they don't have the time or money to fix up they way they want to. I know there were a few episodes where the owners were young (early 20's) that drove their old cars everyday.

That's cool, then. The episode I saw the couple in question were not at all what I would call average or working class, and the car was basically a white elephant they dragged with them everytime they moved. The whole thing annoyed the shit out of me -- from the surprise my husband gimmick to how immensely seriously the customizers took themselves. I'll give it another try on your recommendation, though. :)

[Artemis Entreri]

The main thing I like about it is that the finished cars on Overhauling are, in my opinion, just awesome. I would actually like to have them do my 67 Fairlane, my first car and baby. (Because I know that they would build it the way I would) But I wouldn't let the PmR guys touch my car if you paid me.
My baby
http://www.geocities.com/circle_pack/garage/fairlane2.jpg

[Artemis Entreri]

Remember the guy who was an music/electronics buff so they tore out his back seat and put in a 300 lb subwoofer the size of airplane engine? I'd have eBayed that piece of shit so fast heads would be spinning.


Oh I've had thoughts about getting the most ridiculous piece of crap car I could find for like $200 and then try to get them to "Pimp My Ride" so I could sell it on ebay. But don't they also just do cars for people that live near the shop or do they actually ship them out to the shop from wherever?

[ms_ann_thrope]

Whoa, the Wiki entry has been edited since I copied-n-pasted from it. Here's the link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donk_%28automobile%29) , and in case they edit it again, I'm "archiving" the current entry below.

Donk is a slang term referring to a type of highly customized IMPALA OR CAPRICE (1971-1976). Donks originally grew out of the Dirty South hip hop subculture but the trend has spread across the United States. Vehicles customized in the donk style are distinguished by their rims, ranging from 22" to 30" , as well as fanciful custom paint-jobs and expensive audio hardware. Suspension modifications similar to those employed on lifted pickup trucks are made to give adequate clearance for the large rims. Often the suspension is modified so the front end sits slightly higher than the rear end, giving the car a swaggering appearance. Because of the almost comically exaggerated look gained from installing a lifted suspension and enormous rims, donks are also known as "hi-risers" or "sky-scrapers." The donk label has been applied to other cars, but the only true donk is an Impala or Caprice 71-76.

ETA: Google cache brought this back for me:
Donk (automobile)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Donk is a slang term referring to a type of highly customized automobile, typically an inexpensive American-built sedan from the 1970s,1980s or 1990s. Donks originally grew out of the Dirty South hip hop subculture but the trend has spread across the United States. Vehicles customized in the donk style are distinguished by their outsized (even disproportionate) rims, ranging from 20" to 30" or more in diameter, as well as fanciful custom paint-jobs and expensive audio hardware. Suspension modifications similar to those employed on lifted pickup trucks are made to give adequate clearance for the large rims. Often the suspension is modified so the front end sits slightly higher than the rear end, giving the car a swaggering appearance. Because of the almost comically exaggerated look gained from installing a lifted suspension and enormous rims, donks are also known as "hi-risers" or "sky-scrapers."

Popular vehicles for these types of modifications are full-size Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler models. Two of the most popular models to modify are the Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Many enthusiasts agree that the term "donk" was orginally shortened from "donkey," because the Chevolet Impala logo resembled one. The donk label has been applied to other cars, but the only true donk is an Impala. There are several sub-types of donks, although the distinctions are blurred and open to debate. However, most hi-riser enthusiasts agree that a traditional donk is a 1970s-era car with a sloping rear end. A "box" is a sub-type of a donk, usually a 1980s-era car with a boxy or squared-off front and rear end. A "bubble" is another sub-type and is usually a car with smooth, streamlined lines from the 1990s or 2000s.

[Widget]

"you could have bought a Porsche"

I'm inclined to agree. Some mods, however, are just remarkable.

http://www.carbodydesign.com/tuning-specials/2005-08-19-sq-plus-citroen-c2/2005-08-19-sq-plus-citroen-c2.php

NTM

Porsche... never.

But I will agree on the Citroen, they have come a long way since the ID 19.

[RareBear]

"you could have bought a Porsche"

I'm inclined to agree. Some mods, however, are just remarkable.

http://www.carbodydesign.com/tuning-specials/2005-08-19-sq-plus-citroen-c2/2005-08-19-sq-plus-citroen-c2.php

NTM

Porsche... never.

But I will agree on the Citroen, they have come a long way since the ID 19.

A friend of mine in high school (circa 1971) had a Citroen (dude's parents had bucks obviously). I have fond memories of cruising in that curious looking car.

[Dingfod]

Unless the Citroen is a CX-SM with it's Maserati V-6, fuggedaboudit.

http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/100-greatest/03-large/29-citroen-sm.jpg