I know almost everybody that is a member of this forum hates imports and I'm certainly one of them. When I mention to some of my car buddies that I avidly read import magazines they look at me like I've just commited some mortal sin. Think about it, these import guys meticulously go over every part of their motors, I mean you have to when your only working with four cylinders right? The power they are able of acheiving out of some of these motors is incredible, not to mention that the tech articles for the most part are amazingly detailed. As most of you know ricers (the quick ones anyways) swarm all over turbos and they are constantly improving and staying on the leading edge of technology so that they can be quicker than, well lets face it US! There's almost always a tech article on turbos. The way I see it I'll just stay one step ahead of them by applying the same techniques and technology to my car. Using their own gun against themselves so to speak. I mean I do have eight cylinders and they at best have six, if I do the same to my engine they can't beat me. Im not saying that every import mag out there is good but there are a few. Assuming you can endure standing in line at your local grocery or bookstore holding an import magazine you might find them informative. I suggest wearing a cap with a low brow. lol. Cant hurt to keep tabs on the competition right?

 

i dont think that everyone on the board is against imports. i think that we are against ricers (some one who makes their car look ridclous in hope's of it being fast) thats the way i look at it at least. i mean i personally own a sport compact (daily driver) and i love it, an 88 grand am 2.0 turbo thats pretty much stock.when i take my friends (who own imports) for a ride they cant believe how quick it is. and as far as domestic car companies being behind the technology curve thats not true at all, if anything the were leading it. i mean assk your self which car company came out with electronic fuel injection first, answer GM. who sucessfully put turbos on there factory cars first again the answer is GM. i mean take the grand national its been around since the late 70's and im willing to bet that an 88 gn could hang with newer supras, rx-7, 3000gt in the quarter mile that is. dont get me wrong i do like imports just not ricey ones.

 

Well I understand reading there mags....but the simple fact they are so fast (the big hitters) is because they weigh nothing at all and run gangs of boost and still are for the most part slow? If my car weighed 2600lbs with my motor and boost and if I weighed 120lbs not 195?oh gosh it would be like "Dropping bombs on Hiroshima" But I really would not say I don’t like them I would say Import guys don’t like us? We are the wild ones driving cars that lay tread of black rubber all the way down the block…we are the guys having the hot girlies (at least in my car it is very simple) on our side…we are driving one of the best American made sport cars and we have the attitude that goes with it! But I have come to find out Ricers don’t like us…? Just my 2 cents!

 

There are lots of imports I like. :) Its the posers in the cars who pretend to be something they are not that I can't stand.

 

Ok sorry, I should have been more specific. I mean imports as in the little bastards that run around with their cars six different colors and have an air cannon jammed up the rear. I also never said that the domestic scene was behind in technology only that I thought the ricer mags posted more tech info on a regular basis. I just seems to me the domestic mags are still holding on strongly to naturally aspirated motors for big power(and it can be done), but in my opinion the real power nowadays is with turbos. There have been some great articles in domestic mags on turbos, but they are usually few and far in between.

 

this is very true.
but has any one read the last issue of hot rod magzine with the 650hp pontiac sunfire that runs 11's, this thread just reminded me of it. those are some pretty sick numbers for a sunfire or any GM 4 cylnder.


[Modified by comp94, 5:47 PM 4/29/2003]

 

:lurk:

 

Wow 11's from a sunfire! thats amazing

 

I'll be honest...Some of them (the "real" ones) impress the hell out of me. One of my best friends owns a big import tuner shop, they specialize in turbo conversions, Electromotive TEC setups, etc... All of the cars they turn out are first rate and most will impress the crap out of even the most diehard domestic guy. He runs a low 9 second AWD Mitsubishi (Ichipussi??); 2.2 litres with a monster Majestic turbo and a shot of N2O combine to put over 700hp to the wheels!! Turbo Supras, RX7's, Ichipussis, 300's, WRX's, they're not my cup of tea because they don't make the "right" noises; but a lot of them will run the number and embarass the hell out of a lot of domestics. The thing about the import crowd in general is their unrealistic "stickcharged" notions... Most care more about the wattage on their stereos and how many bugs they can scrape off the pavement with their ultralow ride height than they do about laying down a good number at the track...But, for the few that do give a damn about the performance I give them as much respect as I do ANY domestic racer!! They're out there doing the same thing we are, they're just starting with a lot less! BTW: My buddy Don Polk (Polk Performance) with the import shop came from the T-type ranks...He's an old school turbo Buick and largely domestic guy that realized both the true potential and the profitability to be found in the import ranks. With his turbo background with the Buicks you could say he was a little ahead of the curve. He's also an excellent head porter who's done some great LS1 heads; he was the chief porter for Kuntz & Craft Racing back in the early/mid 90's before they split to become Keith Craft Racing and Kuntz and Co... Like I said, though, some of these imports are very impressive!! I'm toying with the idea of building a turbo Ichipussi powered MG or Triumph...
-Jeb

 

The whole import craze makes me laugh. I understand you can get big power from a little motor but, this is nothing new. Everyone has just jumped on the band wagon. If you read VW World mag. you will see VW's from the '60's and '70's running 12 sec. 1/4 miles. MG, Lotus, and Auston Healy were all four cylinders back in the '50's and '60's. These were considered some of the fastest cars of the day. To me, there is nothing new here, nothing but ground effects kits and large wings that do nothing. Don't get me wrong. My hat is off to those who do the job right, but there is nothing being done today that hasn't already been done in the past. Just flashier.

 

I agree with 86vetteman, this is nothing new! Buick V6's 3.8L make 1200hp @ full tilt 10 years ago, today 3 liter supras (imports) with all their Hi-Tech stuff still make the same horsepower! Comparisons are usually being made between Imports and Domestics that usually aren't fair ones. My friend owns a 500hp Acura Integra that goes 12.00's @ 123mph all day, with a 1800 cc engine with a turbocharger, this my fellow friends is still a four cylinder, but with that turbo on there it's no longer 1800cc it's more like double that! Not to mention it weighs 2400lbs! Education my friends Education! The only problem I have with the Import crowd is that most of them think they have "discovered America" with their Hi Horsepower 4 bangers and it's no different than 30years ago. The new technology is their for all makes and models and we are all doing the same thing, it's just that we choose to do it in different ways.

 

I heard a few months ago that Shelby was working on the next Mustang and was supposed to be naturally aspirated putting out 2000 hp on regular street gas! :eek: I haven't see any articles on this though and only heard through word of mouth. Anyone have any facts on this monster? If it is true and it does exist, I would love to find out what they're doing to get those numbers.

 

theses guys are stupid as all getup. but the ones that are actually fast and dont have the obnoxious body kits and that kind of crap are pretty :cool: .

 

Its not that I dont like the import crowd. Its that they dont like us. I remember telling a college co-ed I worked with that I race a Corvette, and she was like 'ewww, a Corvette, ummmm its American'. And then she went on to tell me how she was getting a Supra Turbo, which to my knowledge she still hasnt got. That was the first time i ran into an import crowd driver who openly did not like sportscars that have been around Loooong before their time.

A local tricked out Supra TT driver has a license plate labelled 'V8 KILLR', so its clear that most of this 'tuner' crowd doesnt like us.

I also know a 99 Supercharged Honda Civic driver who swears up and down that his car would blow mine away.

Its like they see us as a threat to their 'ego-mobiles'.

That movie Fast and the Furious made things worse too.

 

I'm not so sure I like where this post is going......it's never been a them against us thing. So what if he puts V8 KLLR on his plate, I know some vets that do VIPR KLR. What about the MCAA??? It's all about pride. We think we are better because we have Vette's(and we are), and they think they are better because they took an awefully slow car and made it some what fast. They like to be able to say their honda beat a corvette. Why? Because we are one of the high standards!

I've got a bunch of friends that run imports and they are great guys, and it's been a very eductional experience listening to them talk shop about turbos and the such. Heck they even inspired me to try one on my car. They are a great bunch of guys, much better then most of the domestic crowd running around town. If 1,000 nice people can walk by you but that one A-hole that give you the dirty look and spits on you is the guy that sticks in your mind.

Alot of these guys don't have the money to buy cool cars so they end up making the ones that they have faster or better looking(debateable). I remember when I was in collage I was thinking of how to convert my Ford Escort stationwaggon(nicknamed the "shaggn waggn") into a rwd with a mid mounted sbc. Not that I ever tried it, but the desire was there. I'm sure some of these guys do have a chip on their sholder from the not so nice V8 owners that don't give them ANY respect because they have a 4cyl. I'm sure there are people on both sides that cause bad feelings.

Ok, I think I'm done now. I love driving my vette, but if someone offered me a 9 sec supra, I think I might have to trade. Just my opinion, perhaps I'm just too nice of a guy, but thats just me. Just remember, respect is earned, but thier gain can also be your loss! Beware! There's always a car faster, somewhere.

 

:iagree:


I hate to say this but the Supra with the V8 KILR plate probably deserves one...I can't name any other vehicle out there that has a factory shortblock that will handle 950rwhp... I have a buddy with a big single turbo Supra and it will WALK almost ANY car from a roll; it has the fastest top gear acceleration I've ever seen!

Look, like I said in my other post on this subject; I respect them if they respect me. Got news for you: all of these ricers (even most of the dumb ones) KNOW a Vette will spank the **** out of their Civic but that doesn't mean they have no pride in ownership. Don't get offended...I have yet to find even a dumb ricer that didn't at least like one of my Vettes...And all it takes is one ride in my '90 and they want to cram the biggest hairdryer and the most 'NOS' they can into their 4-banger. It's all about the hobby, I don't care what the other guy is driving as long as he can't beat me!!!
-Jeb

 

First of all Supras are nice, but I would never trade a Chevy for a Toyota! Second I'm constantly around Import guys and I work on alot of their cars. No one is doing anything better than the other, both domestic and Imports have the technology to make the same hp/ltr whether it's an 1.8 Honda or a LS1 Chevy. 950hp SUPRAS with stock shortblocks is very questionable???? Biggest problem I have with Import guys is all these outrageous HP numbers!If you check, most 700hp Hondas and 950HP Supras never really run like they should.When they go to the track they're much slower than their HP would indicate and you put 500-600hp in a mustang or camaro and you get better results . Anyway, much respect to everyone modifying cars and like jburnett said, as long as they don't beat you , your Ok! As owners of vette's or any Chevy powered vehicle you should never worry about the Imports beating you because they are only trying to do what Chevies been doing! :iagree: