With all the posts here anymore about members with imports or "ricers" in their garage and how they feel they are far superior to V8 American performance cars, does anyone here go to the "ricer" forums and blast them back? All I can say is ANY import makes me want to How many guys over 30 actually drive one of those big winged, four doored, 4cyl. imaginary rockets? Even if they might be quick, they won't stand the effects of age very well. How many performance imports are actually still on the road by the time they are 10 to 15 years old?

 

Ignore them. Boasting indicates an inferiority complex.

 

I'm with ya. I can't do imports or import wanta bes. I've had more than one spirited conversation about them, and about family sedans, on here.

I guess I'm old school. And proud to be.

 

http://paganiautomobili.it/english.htm

How about these imports?
Lol, I know your only talking about people with hondas and such. It's probably best to ignore them until they grow out of their little phase. Until they screw a Honda tag onto the front of your Corvette...

 

Ill always personally drive American made but imo imports are usually more reliable as a whole.

 

Just sayin....

 

I think the little cars with shopping cart handles on the backs are cute.

 

As stated in other threads, most of these cars are always in 'transition'. I can't blame teens and early 20 yr olds for getting these cars- cheap to insure and good mpg. Then they want to fix them up. It's when they start trying to compare them to a Vette, for some reason this get's them off. rolleyes to the 10th power.

 

What blows my mind is the money they spend on these things. They could have a very, very nice Vette for the money they trow into these things.

To each their own I guess................

 

Actually, there are quite a few 10-15 year old well cared for Honda and Acura's still on the road today.

It's just a younger, different Generation of automotive enthusiasts that make the Imports so, popular. I like all types of vehicles which keeps this hobby interesting.

 

In a way I think it boils down to what you are dealt. I grew up durning the mussle car era so if you were into cars and power you bought the chevy's ford's and mopars modded them and had fun. Move ahead to current time and what is there out that a working class kid can afford. And really what american made car is out there to mod? Sure now you have the camaro and the mustang but they can not afford that. The older mussle cars are brining to much or are in so bad of shape they are not worth it. So they mod their 4 cyl american and inported cars. They are doing just what many of us did just on a different format. Will they be around in 25 years doubt it but not to many american cars made it that long. Turst me I am not a big fan of them but I do get what they are doing and it is kinda cool that they are getting horsepower out of 4 cyl that most of us will never see in our cars. Sorry guys that just how I feel. at least they are into a hobby that can be a life long event cars are cool.

 

Well, said!!!

 

Well said, let them drive what they want and have fun.

 

A kid will spend 1200 on a civic that all his peers have before he spends 6k on a C4..in their eyes an old mans car.

Musclecars have gotten stupid expensive bet most kids dont have that kind of coin to jump in the game. Besides they are new to it and dont know any better.Building a 4 banger is a complete waste unless the car is light and you got plenty of boost/power adder.

 

57 here.
The car is soon to be 32.

I prefer to stay here and rag on all you "American Icon" dudes.
And I don't wave either.

 

OK... coming from both sides of this "debate".... I have run, and still own import cars. Although I drove, and "refined" the lepers of the import world. It's a different culture. Many have been brainwashed for so long that the only "good cars" are honda/toyota's. GM, Ford and Chrysler didn't help to change that idea with things like the skylark, the k-car, the cavalier, or the tempo.

Now...I was born and bred in a GM truck family. Folks have never opwned an import outside of an Isuzu P'up diesel and have no interest in them. But when it came time for me to replace my small Sonoma with somethign more "family oriented" the only car that was worth the money I paid was Korean. 8 years, 130k miles and now picked up another korean for the wife to beat up for work and I'm still sold that they might have the small-midsize car market perfected. When it's time to replace one of these in another 3-4 years you can bet I will be looking on their lots first.

Now, being that I am an auto-x'er, I've played and toyed with imports. Had a super loud and obnoxious Swift GT that I recently sold to buy my Z51. It's a different kind of performance. Where the import is a little more refined and driving them fast requires extreme precision... the vette comes across as a bit more of a sledgehammer. Brutal power, unbelievable grip, OMG brakes that gives a very violent ride when put on that edge..... It's just different.

Is one "better" than the other? Depends on the person. I took one of our ricer techs to lunch in Barbie and he was.... suprised? The instant torque of the L98, plus the 275 wide tires giving some retarded levels of grip and the 13" J55 brakes doing their best to throw him through the windshield.... he was not used to any of it. He kept waiting for the engine to "hit vtack" and rev to the moon.... he was waiting for the terminal understeer of a front driver and he was NOT ready for the *** end to kick out under power.

To me.... the vette is it. To someone else an ST prepped Cvic EF is it. Just depends on what your idea of "it" is. But we're all car guys.

 

I'm 21, and still don't understand people my age with modded family cars like that. 4 Cyl engines are meant to be economical and save on gas, unless your car weighs in the 2000lb range, is close to the ground, and was most likely made by Lotus.

I probably only like muscle cars because my dad had a '71 Chevelle when I was little, and that car was a beast.

 

You make some very valid points! I guess I'm lucky to have lived through the age of good ole american muscle cars. Old habits are hard to break.


BUT, there are cars out there that are fun and inexpensive to drive or mod a little. My son has an 01 Monte Carlo SS that still holds the tradition! And you can still buy some camaros and stangs inexpensively.

But I do see your point

 

Doing a 10 second pass in a Honda is a lot like coming out of the closet.

You're gonna surprise a lot of people, but in the end you're still gay.