Ok guys and gals heres how its goin down. Lets not bash but im merely trying to get something off my chest and start a nice little conversation. as everyone knows the import craze has become extremly popular in the past year or two (thanks to The Fast and the Furious) and we (as domestic muscle car owners) have handeled it nicely. mainly its been all show and no go. civics, eclipses, etc. but now a new threat is overcoming us, import speed! Not only are these imports looking "cool" they are also getting suped up to run with the big boys. i read a post on here about the new japan cars and that sparked this for me. we are being attacked and not even realizing it. why is the fbody dying? because of honda. now a new beast is unleashed and one that can actually run with our native muscle cars. of course if two people both took 5 grand to put in their cars one had an import and one had an fbody my moneys on the fbody BUT many new stock imports are lighter, faster, and not too much more expensive than say a brand new SS or TA. many people on this website hate ricers and mustangs however i can honestly say that i respect both to a certian degree. people the mustang is the last line of defense of affordable muscle and they keep getting better. as much as i dont like them we need them. they keep getting better and im all for it. anyone on here that has beef with mustangs please drop it and support it! i can only hope that as a country we come up woith something very quickly to stop the import craze. dont get me wrong new imports are nice and we wont have to worry about too many since they will be too expensive to be on every street corner but they will be a major threat to the United States speed. i have said everything i wanted to say and stated all my opinions i just hope all this was not for nothing and..........im scared.

o by the way i just bought a 91 z28 and shes ready to take on many, many stoplights!!!!!

 

Hey guys,

I need to comment here. I have to say (although probably unpopular on this board) that the import scene is not just a "craze". Most of my friends drive imports - performance imports. After driving in my friend's 94 Twin Turbo Supra with exhaust, downpipe, midpipe, intake, boost controlller holey SHIZAT that car is fast. My other friends drive Celica GT-Four AWD Turbo, MR2 Turbo, RX7 TT.....

I have to say that they are fast cars, all of my friends kill my car (and it's a low 14 second ride! ahhh!!! Where is the rice when you need it?)

It'll be hard to say, imports can go JUST as fast as any domestic... just takes some more money and more research to buy parts. This can be proven by my friend's AWD Turbo Celica... downpipe, midpipe, boost controller, FCD, intake, ignition etc. has netted him 13 second slips.

 

Why do you have to turn this into a US vs Import thing?? The cars you are referring to are in the 'Sport Compact' class and alot of them are domestics also. Are you trying to say that we need to band together as a country and join the fight against sport compact performance?? That just sounds retarded. You need to look at the positive side of this. Now there are more young people getting into car modification. More people that will join together with us and fight politicians and lawmakers that want to stop us from modifying our cars. The sport compact scene is also developing or leading into the development of new technology that might benifit us in the near future. Maybe GM will catch on and start applying these technologies to larger displacement engines. I mean alot of the things in the sport compact scene might look/seem silly to you, but hey its just a different scene. Different way of thinking. You can hate on it all you want but its not going away. You chose a domestic muscle car, and someone else chose a sport compact. So what!! If you dont like it then race em! Anyway, I'm pretty sure this will get locked. Start the countdown fellaz ...

 

My theory on this after going to the track last night is that these cars that are in it for speed are few and far between. The only decent import there was a Talon in the high 10s. The rest of the imports were anywhere from high 14s to low 18s. They were doing huge burnouts in the waterbox, driving through the beams with both tires on every run, and then running the elusive 16.6 they were shooting for this time. It is starting to look like a Kmart parking lot on street nights because of the myriad of imports. There was everything from riced out Supras and RX7s to 4door Saturns and Mazdas. At one point between rounds when watching the other cars run, the two cars staged were a Civic and a 4door Accord, and the two cars waiting to go were a 4door Neon and a BMW. I had to remind myself that I was at the dragstrip and not at a local 4 way intersection. Now they are infesting the streets, and the racetrack. I hope this trend dies down because having to sit through ten runs all with cars in the 16s and 17s is almost boring, and it is hard to be bored at the track.

 

On a side note, the cops around here are VERY eagar to chase down the little kid with the huge exhaust tip and all the neon lights to pull him over for disturbing the peace/automotive distractions tickets, whereas they'd used to follow a poor college student (me) around just because he has a car that looks like it will eventually be going much too fast then the law allows. My friend has an 87' (I think), RX-7, convertible, all stock more or less...cool car, came with every option under the sun (speakers in the headrest, headlight water jets, in-car phone...!). It's N/A, so not too fast, but he's still a nice guy who happens to drive an import, whereas alot of the times it's the jerk-*** kids who happen to be whipping around with the attitude in their moms' grocery-getter. A perfect example is last night, out with a few friends, parked getting pizza....3 3rd Gens and an Eagle Talon. First, a kid in a CRX, lowered, blah blah blah, more neon lights then a discoteque...throws a few revs, says "...he could take any piece of sh|t sitting there." We just turned away from him, whatever, another typical teenager with no brains. A little later, a Corvette owner, much faster, much nicer ride, late 20's, goes by...slows down, gives a nod and a wave, says "Nice night for a cruise." It's typical around here, and that's what gives the importers such a bad name. Even if they ARE slow, it's the jerk-off kids with no respect (I can't believe I just said that..I'm only 20!) and huge attitudes that I can't stand.
Sorry, just had to rant.

 

Stock for stock...mod for mod there is no comparison between the two. American performance cars will win (by the american standard perfromance test...1/4 mile) every time. Keep in mind that the imports are not designed to be 1/4 mile monsters, and have a different role. Does that make them worse, certainly not. But in a straight line, yep, slower.

Japan does not offer anything in the US that will keep up. Im not dissing on the few imports out there that are good for drag racing...but Im sure everyone has gone to the drag strip and seen how most cars perform.

-Doug

 

I have no problem with imports really, it's rice that gets me. Though I would rather own a Camaro/Mustang over any import.

 

I have two problems with Imports. No displacement and front wheel drive. The Toyota Supra and Mazda RX7 took care of these problems. That is why they are fast.....civics, CRX, Eclipses, MR2 don't have either, that's why they are slow. I'll say what I always say, as soon as Honda designs a 3.5L rwd car, I'll stop complaining about it. They don't even make Supras any more and other than the Impreza and a few other AWD none of todays imports can launch for anything, that's why you always see them smokey burnouts too.
One other thing, any of you guys look at a Sports Compact catalog lately, wanna know what they sell...decalse, guages, body kits, all kinds of random interior ****. For my 90 Acura Integra, they only performance parts I can buy are TB, cold-air, exhaust, cams, and maybe a intake manifold but my options are slim. No cylinder heads are sold for these cars, nothing to increase diplacement or strengthen the lower end. No high lift cams, only "Type R" cams which are still a factory (mild) profile.
I spent less than 5,000 on my motor ans it will be pushing over 400 hp. Lets see a ***** do that.
I don't hate ricers, they do help us in the quest to keep laws from getting out of hand and they help they aftermarket, I enjoy watching two ricers go head to head and see who comes out in top. But they are running 15-17s and I'm running 12-13s. I liek ricers, just hope they don't think that they can beat V-8s (real ones).

 

Uhhh... yeah.

 

Originally posted by AspiringGearhead
I have two problems with Imports. No displacement and front wheel drive.

MR2 don't have either, that's why they are slow.



if you saying a MR2 is a small displacement FWD car......

the displacement thing I can understand but why in gods name would they put a motor behind my seat only to make it FWD?¿?¿?¿?

and as for the MR2 they can be made to go very very fast specially the turbo or SC ones

 

I disagree with that

japan has a limit on how much hp a car can produce in stock trim. but on a turbo car like your RX-7, supra, eclipse and so forth they are so easy to turn and modify, a lot more so then a SBC, and even if they where not made for drag racing a lot of them adapt to it very well..... if you disagree I can hook you up with quite a few 10-12 second daily drivers that are not very good drag cars b-c they are imports

 

You guys also gotta understand that the performance concepts for sport compacts over here is alot different than over in Japan. People in the US are starting to get the right idea but in Japan they have been successfully modding these cars for a long time. If you dont believe me then try to find a Japanese sport compact Parts catalog (they are hard to find and usually all in Japanese) and compare it to a US sport compact catalog. Like you said, the US one will mostly consist of interior stuff and bodykits .... show stuff ... then some bolt-ons and maybe a turbo kit here and there. The Japanese ones are quite different and mostly consist of real racing parts (N/A stuff even!). Thats why the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) is starting to catch on over here in the US ... people over here are starting to find out what types of mods are avaliable in Japan and they want the parts over here in the US. Watch out when people start swapping in Japanese spec motors and modding them. If you think its bad now, its going to get alot worse. So far Toyota is the only manufacturer that has given the US a taste of 'go-fast' motors they have in Japan (2jz-gte). Us Spec cars come with detuned crap engines. Most of the real fast motors aren't easily avaliable in the US, but thats changing. Watch out for rx7's with 20B 3 rotor race spec motor and upgraded turbo system. Watch out for the stupid looking Honda hatchback with a B18 and a T3/T4 setup. Watch out for the 240sx with the sr20det and upgraded turbo's ... I could go on for days.

If you guys want to fight this, what you need to do is concentrate on force feedinf our big displacement engines and start loosing some weight!! And I dont mean you, I mean the car!! hahahha

 

The real problem here is a simple one. You want to blame someone, try the big three. A vette is 45+ a ss z28 30+
a base z28 28+. When i was in college i made about 50 bucks a week. I couldn't pay for insurance much less a car. The big three make 2 count em 2 rear wheel drive performance cars. the Vette and the stang and unless you daddy is loaded no kid can afford them. If GM would get there collective heads out of there asses and build a Lightweight, ( six or eight ) high tech ( how about the new inline six ) performance coupe with a high tech motor ( 4 valves,sequential injection ) and maybe start a factory performance wing ( not SLP, 50 state turbo kit ) then things would change. if your a kid these days and want to go fast what are you going to get??? I'm an experienced mechanic and i just spent about 15G to rebuild my 84 LG4 car i had in college. I could barely afford just the gas then ( it was during the gulf war ). How many 18-20 year olds can do that sort of thing? When i got my car the old timers ( my age now, 31 ) cursed that ****ing computer crap that they use, pull it off put a holley on it, stuff a big block in it. sounds dumb by todays standards doesnt it. Just be glad that Hot Rodding is alive, I hate imports too but the guys who drive them ( not the thugs, the real tuners) are just like you and me they just came into it at a different time. BTW i would much rather have a 69. And lastly don't ever forget " know your enemy"

 

I would have to agree that this is one of the most retarded posts I have read. You can't just say that we should "band together to fight the evils of imports." What happens if you meet up with a total jack@ss in a cavalier? You're on our team, even if you have all the stickers and crap on your car. Or if you see the sweetest Twin Turbo Supra, RX7, or 300ZX, your just gonna say f-you, you drive an import. I'll admit that I don't like the show over go mentallity one bit, but it simply cannot be applied to every import owner, I've seen many domestics, 4,6, and 8 cylinders' that have been done up in poor taste. GMI Fast has a Supra and a Pontiac, whose team is he on? Who determines who wins? If Domestics win, does everyone drive a camaro/mustang/corvette/viper? Will Cavaliers/Sunfires/Avengers/Cougars be included if "we" win? Everyone says that imports are a problem, but it's ignorance and attitudes that are the problem. Ignorance that is spawned from a generation who believes media hype instead of looking at what it really takes to go fast. Attitudes that come from loss of pride and taking things too seriously.

Shut up and race.

(this was not particularly directed towards anyone, merely the topic of domestic vs imports)

 

Gee the results of the poll are real surprising.

 

the funny thing is that civics and eclipes are made in the usa

 

But headquarters are in Japan.

 

Here's how I see it:

The only Imports I like are newer TT Supra's and newer turbo RX-7's that are not riced out . But Civic's and other family or sport compact cars are a waste of time and money. The day when I see more 10 sec Imports than 10 sec Muscle Cars at a track is the day that I say that the Import scene is not a craze. When I talk to 99% of Import drivers they don't know no sh*t about any type of car (import or domestic). Sure there are 9 and 10 sec Imports but if you really want to drag race get a American Muscle car ,seriously.

 

It's not really import vs domestic its more muscle car vs sport compact. Let's face it the US produces cars similar to Civic and Accords just most people don't bother trying to make these cars fast. That's the whole problem. These people buy these economy cars and try to make performance cars out of them. There are performance import cars that are fast and were made to be such as the Supra and Skyline. We know these cars can be fast and are seen at the track to be fast. This "import" craze will probably die down some but will never go away. It's a starting of a new thing for a new generation and will continue. Am I afraid that the domestic cars will be over taken by the imports, NO! The domestic car companies will produce better cars to compete with the imports and domestic car companies are willing to use bigger engines to do so. Imagine if the TT Supra was a V8 Look at Ford they are produces some pretty quick cars now. Putting a SC on everything it seems. GM is bringing back the GTO with a LS1 and Mopar is putting Viper engines into trucks. So no the domestic cars won't go and I feel they will always keep a performance edge over the import market.

 

you guys... *rolls eyes* when will some of the die hards break down and realise that there are some quick imports out there. I'm willing to bet a lot of the people who voted for the first option have 1. no friends with quick imports 2. haven't been to a track in a while 3. have a ******.

I'm sorry but some of us need to get out of the small towns, cut the ****** haircut, shave and realise that there are some fast 4 cylinder/6 cylinder cars out there.

I'm not even going to argue with some of the board members... some of my friends cars are: 94 TT Supra (modded) 91 Celica GT-Four (modded) 93 MR2 Turbo (exhaust/intake) and a nitrous'ed integra.

I love domestics as well asi mports, both ahve their benefits... me? I am a student so I drive a domestic, cheap fun and they do look nice

Anyone else with me on this?

Garett

 

I see 2 sides to this. First, there are ricers, with 40hp worth of stickers on their cars, and import guys, with good modfications done to the cars.Around here, import guys don't look for races, they take it to the track. Second, Ricers see older 3rd generations as easy prey. Alot of 3rd generations run TBI or carburetors running 150hp to 170hp. Ricers know that their car weighs less and have the advantage even with a 120hp civic or neon. This is their downfall. A true gearhead; import or domestic knows that a good looking 3rd generation car should have some mods done to it. Import guys knows what to mess with. Ricers are suckers.

 

not all of us are that way

if I run against the testarossa, or countach in the area I would be running against it.

hehe I would even settle for a viper,z06, camaro SS, or any other cars out there that can kick my ***.... why ? cause I don´t care if I win or lose I just am in it for the fun, granted I want to win but against cars like that with my car at the moment .... not quite.

 

I voted for the #1 and I know some people with quick imports, I go to the track, and I live right outside DC. Yeah there are quick imports out there, but they don't impress me most of the time. And your friends with the Celica, MR2, and Integra don't impress me either because if I did the same mods as them I would smoke them. Trying to race regular imports are a waste of time and money unless its a newer TT supra, newer Turbo RX-7, Skyline, newer TT 300zx, or mabye a TT 3000GT. I've a civic run a 9 sec 1/4 before, but it had no interior, and all the body pieces were removeable. Then I seen Muscle Cars run 8's with full Interior and some are street legal.:hail: Imports are reliable cars to go to work and back and to the grocery store for good gas mileage, but when you go home and wanna Drag Race please pull out your 69 Camaro SS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

CamarosRUST:
You're an idiot.

Why some people NEED to start flame wars is beyond me.

How do you think people are going to respond ON A DOMESTIC WEBSITE when asked about their preferences.

Of course, there's going to be some joker that comes along, and points out that "there are fast imports, too!" And all holy hell breaks loose.

For the content of the rest of the site, I hope that there's never a truly non-technical board on this site.
Not that this board is much better.

 

Here is my opinion on the subject;

"Domestic Muscle" has been dead since the end of the fox body stang, and the end of the 3rd Gen F-Body (hardly muscle cars, but were and are the closest thing too it , most call them pony cars, a sports/muscle hybrid...) ....and had been dwindling down since the early 70s, the USA now makes some nice sports cars; Camaro SS(just about out the door ), Corvette, Viper, COBRA Mustang (most any 94+ mustang that isn't a cobra is driven by some teenage girl, or an elderly woman), and really true sports cars are way too expensive for most of us to be toying around with, and race around in. This is where the import scene comes in....cheap, with easily available mods, and most area bolt-on accessories...really not that hard to get a lightweight economy box going fast...but here's the catch: No true redblooded american dreams of driving a Honda Civic (regardless of how fast)....

will people remember the Honda Civic as the fastest/hottest thing on the streets? unless something changes, NO!

will/do people remember the "muscle/pony" cars cars as some of the best, fastest and coolest cars ever built"? of course!

ok, I'm done ranting now.

 

After reading through all of these posts, i feel like i'm in high school.

 

What if Honda came out with a Civic that was a V8 and RWD?

Not that they would....something to think about.......yeah this is a DOMESTIC TECHNICAL SITE........NOT a why do you hate imports chat room....

 

i forgot to mention somthing.....

If this is a war between domestic and imports......does that mean we are on the same side with the Ford Focus and Dodge Neon......

 

i dont like the juice-monkies that drive the imports

 

there are two reasons that the domestic seen is dwindling down. One is that parents that want to keep their kids safe are giving them little econoboxes, but the kids still want to go fast so they get what they can here in the us witch is the stickers, fart cans, and big wings. Another is that foreign car companies are coming up with ways to get more power out of less displacement. I'm not sure if it's right but I heard that the new civic si has 180 hp from a 1.8L engine. imagine that kind of technology on a V8...... does :hail: 570 hp and torque to match sound like fun for a stock car? It does to me. If chevrolet came out with a camaro like that for a fifth gen i wouldn't give a damn if it looked like a **** brick with wheels, I would never buy a thing until I had one. Done rambling.

My point is that the big three need to steal some of their technology and put it to use here, in the US.

 

I just find it interesting to read things similar to "well, if I spent that much money in mods, I'd not only be THAT fast, but MUCH faster!"...the point is, you didn't. A fast car is a fast car, no matter the displacement, the size, the look, whatever. I'm sure everyone's seen that damn minivan running 11's at some track before, right? Sure, you 'could have' beat the guy who 'wasted' money on his vehicle...or you just got beat by a minivan. People will always make excuses. Of course, if you want to ride in a nice LOOKING car, well then, I'm sure that's a whole other debate - but I like my f-body.

 

First off, I think you have to make the separation between ricers and imports. Will the rice scene die down? I think we all hope so. It's like as each day goes by you see something more and more stupid stuck on someones car. Look how popular RiceCop.com is getting. Then again....ricers are becoming such a source of entertainment, I almost don't want them to go away. To each his own, but there are some funny *** cars rolling around these days.

 

I myself hope the rice scene dies down and instead the true import racers are out there.

and for those of you who bash imports cause a guy is running 9's and your maybe in the 13's and say that if you spent that much money you would be there also.... someone else brought up a good point, you DIDN'T so quit your bitching about it. and anymore if you know what you are doing it is about as cheap to build up a import as it is a domestic IF DONE RIGHT, and a lot of rice boys don't. does that mean the rest the import scene can't do it right? if that was the case I would be bitching about how your thirdbodies suck cause many domestic cavs, focus,neons, and the likes are being riced out and they are slow as hell.... but does that put you in the same boat as them just b/c they are a domestic also?

make the seperation ok there are rice boys, and there are import guys.

THEY ARE NOT THE SAME

I'm sorry but I am really friggen tired of hearing how import suck b/c some honda civic you guys seen is running around town with 3000 worth of cosmetic mods with a track time of 18.9 at 55mph. then you race some guy with a CRX with a turbo GRS motor in there and he smokes your *** then you start bitching about if I had this or I spent the same amount of money or blah blah blah, or you just go off calling him rice just b/c he drives an import. well that little import he is driving just SMOKED YOUR A$$, he put the money in to it, he put the time, he put that effort. something most of you guys are willing to do and for that you get my respect, import or not, but those of you who don't have the time or the effort or just flat out don't/can't do it for some reason or another just sit here and bitch about how your car can be that fast if you had this or if you had that or maybe if you would have tried this to it... hey you know what that reminds me of. my little domestic friend in his cav saying if he had his turbo he would have smoked my ***, if he would have spent more money on his car like the person who has a 454 in his vette that is running 12's that beat his ***, all these IF's IF's IF's

all I have to say is if you are here to bitch about import saying they suck for this reason or that I ask of you to listen to those rice boys your are bitching about cause you and them sound a lot a like. while us the gear heads, be it import or domestic will stand here and give respect to those that give that effort, that try to make there cars fast, we will give respect to those of out there that are in it for the cars be it any car and not to sit here and gripe, bitch and moan about how everything else but what they drive sucks.

 

ok NTChrist, im no idiot but you are an A**HOLE, all i wanted to see was what other people thought about imports and different cars that will eventully compete with the domestic muscle. if you actually go up and read what i wrote i did not bash anything at all. i infact respect them as i said all i wanted to do was start a convertsation about cars nothing more and people like you come along and ruin it. if you cant contribute to this nicely please stay the he!! out

thank everyone else who actually talked about this like i had planned and i never once bashed anything.

 

listen..you have a small block chevy right..350 for arguments sake...roller cam..nice heads..nice exhaust..intake the works...is a civic with a built motor with a turbo gonna even keep up?..i dont think soooooo...lol..dollar for dollar there aint no way in hell...the real world here people..that a civic or whatever is gonna beat a juiced up american v-8....now all you ricers can kiss my lilly white ***...wooohoooo

 

obviously you've never seen or ridden in a properly modded sport compact. dollar for dollar, you are right. there is no way a sport compact with the same mods as a v8 could keep up. but this isn't about 'if i did that too' or 'dollar for dollar i'm faster' this is about real street races where you bring what you got. you can refuse to believe there are fast sport compacts all you want, but they are out there. maybe not where you live but in other parts of the world they are out there. if you dont believe me, take a look at european spec rally cars. while you might not be able to buy cars like that off showroom floors in the US, the main concepts and theory of sport compact performance still apply.

 

I ain't gonna read all the **** above, but this is my stance:

My ideal commuter car would be a honda CRX... sporty and great mileage... but I would dis the thing all the time... and I would never consider it a true sports car... I love domestics and the GM name is something I take pride in. Once I make it big I'm gonna have a garage full of everything GM... yeah it'll be a while.



mmmm

my have to have list:

'63 vette coupe w/split rear window
'70 Ram-Air Firebird Convertable
'69 GTO 400
'89 TTA or '87 GN
'84 TA 305H0 T-Tops

ahh well...

 

I wouldn't mind a 2002 or '67 Camaro SS either (or both)

 

no way in hell eh

with under 7k in my car I was running mid 12´s

that was including the 2200 price of my car

a friend of mine right now has just hit mid 11´s with less then 5000 spent on his car including a new motor

I would say that is fairly close $ for $

you can do quite a bit to imports.. I just wish half of them I saw where not the rice type. I have seen quit a few true import guys that are into there cars though and quit a few of them are running 12´s or lower in street trim...

and also if you would have read my while statement you would see you just proved my point. there are ppl out there who are in it for the cars. they don´t care who makes them or anything they just care about how fast they run and how much effort is being given to them.... those are the true gearheads. then there are ppl like you who insist that if isn´t a SBC that it sux... even if it beats your ***.....
let me ask you what do you have. I don´t see any sig so I can´t say there. or let me guess. a 69 camaro with a 500hp shot and a huge *** blower sticking out the hood that is runnin about 12 psi on 12.5 compression on pump gass with a t-56 swap and a ford 9". oh wait no you prolly wouldn´t put the ford nine inch in there cause it´s ford right and ford´s suck to prolly in your head.



and if you comment was about me being a ***** and to kiss your ***.... then you obviously have no idea how much time I spend on this board helping trying to help out fellow thirdgeners. I must be rice because I once owned a 71 camaro... oh yeah must be rice b/c I love all cars doesn´t matter if it is import or domestic. I give respect to those people who have fast cars or who are working on there cars trying to make them better and not rice them out. you on the other hand do not get my respect. most ppl here respect those that are fast and accept that there are fast imports. if you want go to www.rx7club.com talk to a few ppl by the name of pluto,crispeed,AJC13B,Boostn7,anthonyNYC, as well as many others that I did not list are hitting 10´s it isn´t that uncommon to go there and see a guy running 12´s or lower. and also if you really say that imports suck I would like to see you take your car to japan or england, germany or maybe even italy and well... lets see how you do there... for some reason I think you might change your tune very quickly

 

no such animal

 

this thread is done