There is a pit thread right now, so if you’ve come in to say how much better your American muscle is, do it there.
But I see a lot of ignorance about the Import scene. I’m here to answer it.
Before we go much further, I will state right now that I don’t even have a car… but I’ve been actively involved in a club for around 4 years, and am pretty versed in the Import Scene.
First one to talk about how cool “The Fast and the Furious” was gets hit in the head with a nitrous bottle.
OK, I’ll play.
I can understand the allure of making your car look cool. Everyone wants to look good. But here’s something that never made sense to me:
Why would you buy the cheapest, most piece of garbage import or whatever and then proceed to spend thousands of dollars to put on potentially unreliable aftermarket parts when you could just buy a better car to begin with?
I’ve seen some of these clowns with rusted out bodies and snapped aftermarket axles and stuff, but they sure do have nice aero kits. :rolleyes:
I just think it’s annoying, personally. However, and I sincerely mean this, if it’s what you like, then by all means, have fun. 
I’ll follow this thread with interest.
Have you ever had a car of your own? (Import, that is)
If not, or if what you had wasn’t what you wanted, what would be your dream car?
In this context, does “import” just mean Japanese? Or do they soup up European cars too?
OK, I get the BBC programme “Top Gear” here. Is the Westfield XTR street-legal in the US? I know it is allowed in the UK.
The web site is not clear on this.
airman- for what it’s worth, me and mine agree with you. What’s the point of having a $500 part in your engine if your car has rustcancer or mismatched door colors? Often times if you see something like that, it’s either been bought that way and the owner is going to fix it, or the person is an idiot.
maybel- Right now I’m driving a Camry, and other than a few toys from TRD, there’s not much I can do with it. While I would love to own a TT Supra, or get an Integra Type R with a Greddy Turbo and all the bells and whistles… what I’m planning on right now is a Civic hatchback and then swapping out the engine for an Integra or JDM b16 engine.
Coldie- While the import scene for euro tuning is growing, it’s pretty much dominated by Volkswagon. I honestly don’t know much about that. We’re (my friends and I) are into the Japanese cars. Other euro cars, such as Fiat, Vauxhall and Cosworth just don’t get over here. There hasn’t been a new Fiat or Peugot in the US since the early 80’s, AFAIK.
Paul- based on the pictures you linked in the pit thread (if that’s the same car) no, that car would not be street legal in the US. You could import it, and pay some heavy user fees, and you could only run it on tracks.
Sweet! I am involved in the import racer scene too. I got a 2000 Civic Hatch that I am dropping an ls/vtec into this month, and a 91 Accord. The accord is basically my daily driver with a few mods…
Seriously go with the hatch, but do not - - I repeat, do not get a b16. They have practically no torque, and everyone has one. Try originality. Alot of people are getting into ls/vtec and lude motors. Those might be a better option. Especially if you are going to run forced induction, because of the lower compression ratios.
Have you considered older Porsches? 911s from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s are often very inexpensive. They look great, there are a bunch of aftermarket parts, their flat sixes are powerful and durable, and there are a number of companies that offer steel, fiberglass, and/or plastic body parts for racing or for just “dressing up”. Plus they’re fast “out of the box”, and have superb maneuverability.
The much scoffed-at 924 is actually a decent little four-banger with excellent balance. (When I got my 924 I sold my MGBs because it was a much better car.) It grew into much more capable 944. Either model is fairly inexpensive. The Recycler has 944s ranging from $600 for one with a blown head gasket, to $15,900 for an immaculate 1990 convertible. Lots of room for customizing or rebuilding to your specifications, with many of them going for just $2,000 or $3,000.
There are a lot of “ricers” (if you’ll pardon the term) around where I work, and in my opinion none of them look as good as a box-stock 944. (But then, that’s why they make different kinds of cars.)
Well, since you don’t have a car…
What kind of mods do you *plan[I/] for your car? Basically, do you want show or go?
Will you get a “fart can” exhaust?
I think the “in your face” posers and the exhaust are the two biggest things that annoy the anti-import folks.
I have to second the 924/944 as underappreciated cars… but then again, they do automatically outclass anything on the road. Makes you look a bit snooty.
Where I live, the autocross has a lot of BMWs, too. 2002s and early 3-series.
(Personally, minimally modified New Beetle. There’s no space to work on the engine. At the time, though, it was a good deal. Currently, thinking of the new Neon or a Focus SVT as a replacement)
My 911 outclassed my 924. (But I know what you meant. 
)
I like the old BMW 2002. They just look so cool!
About 15 years ago I bought a BMW 2002 for $350. Ran great but someone had vandalized it, broke all the glass, slashed the interior, flattened all the tires. I intended to fix the car to drive on the street. Then I saw a sign at a local race track.
Compact class demo derby at the Tacoma Dome, $1000 to win.
Early in the action I was hit in the right rear tire and it broke the half shaft. Done for the night and I still got $200. The car sat in a wrecking yard for about 10 years then was crushed.
Call me wacky, but I’ve always wanted [url=“http://www.velocityphotos.com//images/stk/1969/ty1969corona01.jpg”]one of these*, greyish-blue with a creamy white interior. I don’t know why; it just looks so… something.
Sorry for the hijack.
Stccrd- I would, but our mechanic has seem a lot of ls/vtec engines that constantly have problems. If I can find a way to do it with no oil leaks that is “stock” reliable, I may look into it. However, smog is a concern for me, as I live in California.
ikBR Kid- in the Import world, there is a lot of ‘one or the other’ kind of mentality. Within our crew however, we strive for the best of both worlds… I will be going for speed, with either an engine swap or a turbo of some sort, then follow up with a mild body kit and other “look” inhancers.
As for exhaust… it’s a hard one to call. The problem with a lot of the “bumble bee” exhausts is that they are poorly designed, and rattle. I’m looking out for an exhaust that will give me the airflow I want, with the mellower sound that I admire so much… not always easy to find. However, I’m patient, and will take my time.
everyone else- part of the advantage of using cars like Civics or Integras is that the insurance tends to be cheaper than if you are driving a Porsche. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t kick one out of my garage, but money is always something to be looking at for me.
I really like the looks of the 944 too. Porsches are pretty.
E-Sabbath- if you want, there’s a Canadian company that swaps the Audi Quatro engine into the new beetle. Really fast.
And aftermarket support for the Neon is pitiable… there are engine mods, but none of them really give a significant boost. Go either with the Focus, or look into a late 90’s Integra.
Yeah, but I’m bugged by the quality reports on the Focus. You hear if the SVT is noticibly better?
The Audi swap makes sense, but I think it’s too much of a good thing, especially for a car that I am lighting on fire and dancing around in six months. There’s nothing… exactly… wrong with the car, we have just had long disagreements about human proportions and the door frames and windshield.
I was thinking of the Jackson supercharger for the SVT, of course. Not too expensive and a nice bit of oomph. What else do you think I could put on it?
Neon:
If this kind of thing is true, it’s effing bizarre. And, I admit, I like the Q-Ship. I drive down the road, I see one, two, three ricebois pulled over in a row. I pass 'em at 85, and the cop never notices… because everyone knows the Beetle only has a 60 horse engine. (Most common comment, as I open the hatch: “The engine’s in the back, right?”)
Do you live your life a quarter mile at a time?
Wrong sport, Scylla. One apex at a time.
Please tell me how you can conceive of a front wheel drive race car with a huge weight distribution problem which is specifically designed to way understeer (so that the women who the Civic was originally marketed and designed for wouldn’t freak out if the rear end broke free)? Please explain to me how you can conceive of a race car that loses traction as it accelerates? That you can’t throw into turns hard?
Who SERIOUSLY races front wheel drive cars?
Well, in a magazine test, Mustang GTvs. Integra Typr-R, the Integra was faster through a slalom course and faster on a roadcourse. It stopped faster, but the Mustang was faster on 1/4miles.
Front wheel drive cars are not optimal for racing, but people do race them, against other front wheel drive cars.
