Street racers’ souped-up cars crushed

AP via MSNBC ^ | 6/20/2007

[Ready4Freddy]

Nick Ut / AP

Manuel Hernandez reacts after his car
and other impounded vehicles were crushed
at Ecology Auto Parts in Rialto, Calif., on Wednesday.

Southern California authorities crack down on illegal hot rods, street racing

RIALTO, Calif. - Charles Hoang winced when the whoosh went out of the tires. Daniel Maldonado took pictures with a digital camera as glass exploded and rained down to the ground.

The cars the teens had so meticulously souped up and tricked out were crushed Wednesday as part of a crackdown on illegal street racing in Southern California.

"That's my heart, my dream," said Hoang, 18, of Chino, who was surrounded by friends as his 1998 Acura Integra was put into a compactor. "That's my girlfriend, the love of my life. The cops can crush my car, but they can't crush my memories."

Authorities destroyed six vehicles Wednesday at an auto graveyard, hoping would-be racers think again after looking at the mashed machines. Illegal street racing is responsible for or suspected in 13 deaths in Southern California since March.

The thrill-seeking, adrenaline-pumping activity is rampant in Riverside and San Bernardino counties east of Los Angeles where rows of tract homes line wide streets that attract racers.

Nearly 1,000 people — drivers and spectators — have been arrested for investigation of street racing activities over the past two years in San Bernardino County alone. Police need a court order to destroy the cars. They must prove that the serial or identification numbers on a vehicle or its parts are removed, altered or destroyed.

Police said they have managed to reduce illegal racing and related fatal collisions, but know the underground hobby still thrives.

[Ready4Freddy]

"The cops can crush my car, but they can't crush my memories."

A racer, and a poet! ;>)

[mylife]

Oh Nooooh! a fast and furious rice burner destroyed?

Say it isnt so.. Not! :0)

[jazusamo]

A racer, and a poet! ;>)

*sniff*

That's because it came from the heart. :-)

[Names Ash Housewares]

I hate rice rocket jack asses.
These fools are always pulling their crap in traffic and have ruined the street scene forever.

Smash em!

[mylife]

And those exhaust systems sound like a coffe can full of washers!

There is one jackass in town here whos sounds like a feekin weedwhacker!

[Names Ash Housewares]

Oh yeah, those “fart cans” they call a muffler.

I have no mercy for these fools.

Nothing but hate in my heart. They are not like the street racers of old, this ain’t American Graffti anymore.

And the gangs and drugs are involved with it too.

[mylife]

L0L They are very annoying

[dalereed]

I used to street race 7 nights a week but that was before helicopters and the cop cars wouldn't’t go over 100.

[Dumpster Baby]

Better than ending up like this:

[OKIEDOC]

I get a big laugh every time one of those kids in a rice burner comes down the street making more noise than a Semi.

The Hispanic Priest down at the local mission says you can tell who is driving the car simply by looking at the size of the tail pipe.

He tells the kids that the cops don’t look at the person driving but are still profiling simply by looking at the tail pipe.

The bigger the tail pipe the more likely it has a Hispanic driver.

[The KG9 Kid]

Typical Kalifornia answer. Glad I'm leaving.

When they start crushing illegal aliens, call me back to this thread for approval.

[xp38]

The Fast and Furious...California Crush

[HereInTheHeartland]

Can’t they afford real American cars?
Why spend money to soup up a moped?

[DakotaRed]

What next, burn down your home because you advocate conservatism?

It amazes me to see so many ardently opposed to emminent domain, yet approve of taking someone’s vehicle, also privately owned property, and destroying it.

While I too don’t like these little rice burners and feel something must be done (kind of like they had to back in the 50’s when Drag Racing came into being on a large scale), government just taking personal property, of any type, to “teach a lesson” or make more taxes off of it, or just because, isn’t the way to do it.

Kiss your property rights goodbye if you approve of this. You know they will take it a step further.

[mylife]

LoL.

Hey, it wouldnt hurt my feelings is flowmaster and all the others were told their product is not street legal and IMHO they arent

[Names Ash Housewares]

These guys are not the same breed as most of us gear heads of even 10 years ago.

I had a 69 Camaro with a 454.
I drive a Vette now.
I am no stranger to laying power down.

And I am incredulous at the dangerous idiocy of some of these punks today. Not to mention incredibly poor taste. Giant spoilers that are larger then a Cessna wing!, and other silly accessories they “decorate” their cars with.

They have a lot more smashing to do if you ask me.
A lot more.

[mylife]

Oh, and they can take their Thump Thump woofers and stick em in their ear too.

I got nothin against tricking out your vehicle, but can we enforce noise ordinaces?
That exhaust system gets you jack for increased performance unless you alter the fuel injection and valves as well.

It doest make you go faster, its just obnoxious noise

[dalereed]

My street racing days were back in the 50s.

I had a 40 coupe with a big Olds that topped out at 150 and if some serious money came along we drug out the 32 fuel roadster on a
the trsailer that we held the drag and lakes record with in 54.

[Dumpster Baby]

Had one of these, in silver:

[gcruse]

It’s not often Rialto gets in the news. I imagine it’s become a bad place to be.