Nine Ball

iTrader: (38)

I've been attending SEMA and PRI conventions for the aftemarket performance industry for the last few years. I remember a few years ago, the "import scene" was the hot buzz item at those shows, and the floor was sprinkled in overdone import cars at the show. It seemed like every major manufacturer had something to unveil for the import performance scene.

However, in the last two years, we have noticed that the import fad has somewhat fizzled at these major conventions. Nobody is really trying to jump on the bandwagon anymore. More and more vendors are focusing on their roots, the V8 performance car. Now musclecars are the big thing, and every booth wants a badass 60s-70s musclecar on display.

How many of you readers were former import performance enthusiasts? What did you drive, and how much did you spend on it? Care to share with us the reason you left that market?

Please keep this thread mature, we want honest feedback. Anyone replying in a non-mature manner could end up getting banned.

bad2000z

iTrader: (4)

I went from a 93 Turbo Talon to a 93 Z28 M6 after high school. Now I'm on my 4th f-body and I can't wait for the 5th gen!

lastcall190

iTrader: (36)

89 Supra Turbo that I put far too much money into and ended up selling the car, 87 Supra Turbo just a few bolt ons, 94 T/A, 89 Supra with motor swap, single, fuel, cams, blah blah blah (bought the car already done, that was a mistake and boring as sin, for me at least), and now on my '00 Formula and I love every minute I drive it. The only import I see myself going back to is a 4th Gen Supra, but at that point, I'd just rather go find a C5 Z06 with 1/8 the mileage and 1/4 the age. I left that scene because to me at least, I didn't feel like pouring money into an aging platform, too much **** can go wrong on an old Japanese car, and I really wanted another f-body

-J

steveo346

iTrader: (18)

I Used To Drive My Gf's 00 Jetta Before I Bought My 99 Camaro....and Well I Always Drove My 72 Ss But The Jetta Was Better On Gas And Had A Radio...haha

PMCSPIDER

iTrader: (1)

I hear of a few people that have those older Porche's (911/928's) drop an LS1 drive train in it.

LS1T/A4

iTrader: (3)

Dumped about 15k into a 91 MR2 Turbo, it was a nice show car, fast in its own right but couldnt hold up very well against american power. Sold it for ~9500 and bought my 98 Camaro. I would go back to the import scene but I would leave the car stock and just drive it.

Killer_Bluebird

iTrader: (23)

Never was in the import scene. I daily drove a toyota corolla that I replaced with my 02 WS6. My wife at that time drove a Subaru Legacy Outback that when the lease was up was replaced by a 00 Z28.

'Trust'

iTrader: (24)

My first car was a 98 Eclipse, not really modded by any means, it had a shifter, intake/exhaust. Probably ran a 16. It was my first car and I can honestly say that it was influenced by the Fast and The Furious wave, it was wrecked pretty badly (fence hit it...). After that I didn't drive for a year to learn my, I mean the fences, lesson. During all of that my friend had a 94 white TA, I loved that thing, I dunno why I just did. My senior year I found the car I drive now (in a lil worse shape) at the dealers auction (a friend of my dad's is a car dealer down here) so I picked it up, and the rest as they say is history. If I were to ever drive another import it would be a Supra, or EVO. There is a road race EVO here, isn't incredibly fast (ran a 12.64) but isn't built for the straight away, its just a NICE car.

slw ls1

iTrader: (6)

My first car was a 92 AWD talon. I was wanting something that was AWD because I had a heavy foot and liked smoke so I didn't want to be putting on new tires ever 3 or 4 weeks. I also needed something cheap and got decent gas milage. I was never really into the import sceen becasue I've always loved good old american muscle. My favorite muscle car is the 70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6. Ya I wanted to make my talon faster but I got pissed off because I'd fix one thing with it and something else would go wrong. I put 17000 miles on it and sold it for 500 more than I bought it for. I still have my DD Nissan pickup, but I got that for free, it use to be my grandpas before he died. This trucks been in my faimly its whole life and hadn't been driven since my grandpa died so my grandma gave it to me. It still runs good for its age and milage. I've been thinking about puting it on air bags and dropping in an LS1

98BirdLS1

My first performance car was a 98 T/A. Miles got high so I sold it and bought a 95 240sx, swapped a rb25 in it. Kept it for 4 months sold it and bought an 01 SS.

Just didn't like the way the 240 drove, powerband, and look.

Luke

bad6as

iTrader: (17)

i had a 1995 civic 2dr ex 1.6L sohc vtec 5 speed
i had a cai, header, cat back, best was a 16.06 lol then i got the camaro had both a while un till a buyer stole it. got it back sold it, then 4 days later an impulse buy got me a 1990 mustang lx 5.0 auto black with black int. but i didnt have enought to get my trans built so i sold the stang.

4150

iTrader: (13)

My last car before the SS was 1996 R33 Skyline GTS25t w/RB25DET, I spent way too much money on it. Mods were the basic Skyline mods(front mount intercooler,oil cooler, suspension, brakes, etc etc..) I bought her with only 19K miles on her and sold her 4 years later with around 28K, being on deployment all the damn time helped keep the miles off. Before that I had an A31 Nissan Cefiro with an RB20DET.

Why did I sell it? no choice in the matter since I had orders to leave Japan and after 12 years there they wouldn't let me stay any longer. I loved that car and I wish I could have it back It was ultra reliable and never ever broke.

I didn't really "convert" to V8's though, before I moved to Japan I had a couple second gen Z28's, '70 GTO(owned for 10 years), '54 Chevy w/327 swap, and few other assorted V8 GM cars. I'm still into the import scene, I'm actually thinking about picking up a '97-'98(sharkeye) S14 240SX or a nice/non-abused S13 hatchback as a daily driver for whenever the wife stops letting me DD her Scion xB.

ErikElvis

iTrader: (1)

Always wanted a camaro but in 99 I got my eclipse. Was a quick lil car. Always had probs. I still like driving it. It sucks in the 1/4 but when rollin its a beast. oh yeah its got a bigger turbo and front mount intercooler and yadda yadda yadda... I always hated bodykits and big wings. Mine is just stock looking and lowered with 17's.

sundaydriver

Never really into the imports but had a few turbo 4 bangers for the handeling...Have you hugged a curve today? Still have a 96 Talon TSI AWD for the curves and the Camaro for cruising.

BrandonDrecksage

iTrader: (1)

started off with a 91 rx7 non turbo. It was slow..really slow and stock. Sold that and got a 04 ford focus zx3, loved the car, but it was slow too. Did a cai and exhaust then traded it in on a 04 sentra spec v. Liked the car a lot, but had problems with teh tranny. had only 8k on it and second would grind badly. that had a cai and catback. I then traded that in for my 01 SS. Its not so much that I left that scene. I still like a lot of the cars that are produced(evo, sti, s2000, gti, civic si), I just think that the scene got oversaturdated with the "ricers". By ricers I mean the all show, no go, but brag to no end about how fast their car is and can't back it up. I'm planning on picking up a evo or srt4 for a daily driver soon though. Either car will stock fairly stock though.

2000badbird

iTrader: (5)

had a 02 vw golf gti 337 edition basical the 180hp instead of the 150hp version had front mount intercooler turbo upgrade ecm upgrade all the goods bout 10 grand in sold to buy my dads 00 formy bout 3rys ago never looked back

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

Converted is the wrong word for me, I did a v8 first, got an import with no intentions to mod and pre import entrance to cars really.

It just happened, I still have and dearly love my Honda, all motor B series 4th gen, makes stocks ls1 nervous even with out slicks over 1G on the skid 30 mpg around town.

It's my baby I learned so much about cars from it, and learned heck you don't need a v8 to go fast like I thought at 16 and younger.

I wanted my next car to be a flat out cool car the ls1 z28 is, so i got it.

I like cool cars, import domestic what ever.

As far as money into my Honda, probbly including cars price 10k lots of trades used parts and setups I tried and changed.

Due to the "JDM" trend now, alot of my parts gained worth back in the day you had to order go fast parts from japan as Crower wasn't making cams for us.

To copy my car would cost less then I put into it.

I never really left the market persay i'm still active on HT helping people learn and learning myself, what's really cool as it's a smaller market I got to know some of the people i've looked up to starting. I just daily a camaro.

Dead honest and i'll get flak but if i have to pick what car I kept I'd kiss my camaro good bye. Nothing makes me happier then my little rattle trap track ***** that still can play on the street.

EliteSS

iTrader: (3)

I bought a 94 3000GT my senior year of high school because I liked the look of the car. It drove well, but I knew it wasn't fast.

About 5-6 months after I bought mine, I started seeing them everywhere. Even one of my best friends one-upped me and bought a VR4 of the same year. I debated installing the stock 9B turbos from his car on mine when he upgraded, just to see what it was capable of.

Eventually I grew too tired of the scene and everyone and their mother trying to race me, so I stripped the paint, installed a 99 front end, sold it for much more than it was worth and bought a 2000 SS.

I'm much happier now, and for some reason less people try to race me... Oh well, I'm not a street racer. Some day I do intend to pick up another 3000GT or a Dodge Stealth, because I'd like to see what an LS1 with the AWD could do.

ErikElvis

iTrader: (1)

People def try to race more when im in the eclipse. Cant figure out why

PowerShift408

iTrader: (44)

First car was a 66' Chevy C-10 (Hugger orange, 12 bolt, th350, 350 cid) It was cool but pretty slow (15.4 @ 85ish) and terrible gas mileage (8 mpg). The gas mileage made me go the import route, but it wasn't an import. Couldn't bring myself to buy anothing not american, so I got a Dodge SRT-4. Went 13.7 @ 100 bone stock. Had the basic mods (Turboback exhaust, big front mount intercooler, boost controller, etc.) Got tired of fixing the **** all the time though and went with what I got now.