Import tuner scene - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TTaM · #1 03-26-2003, 08:55 PM

What do you all think of the import tuner scene that has popped up here in the states? I think you all know what I am talking about. The slammed civics and such, coming out of SoCal. Personally, I like it. I know a lot of the cars out there are no more than the run of the mill civics, eclipses, and celicas w/ trick paint and ground effects, but there are a lot of guys out there that actually have real hot rods. Today us 18-25 year olds can't afford the insurance on V8 muscle car, so the appeal of tuning a 4 banger is very nice. Example: A friend of mine after graduated was going to treat himself to a Mustang Cobra Convertable. He was 22 w/ a clean record. Insurance was going to cost him $6000+ a year

I'm interested in what the MB enthusiast [Read older] crowd thinks of it.

rickg · #2 03-27-2003, 12:52 AM

I enjoy the cars when some restraint is used. Too many bolt-ons are being used. Seems the rear wings I see on Hondas ect just keep getting bigger

The car I had before the benz was '93 Mazda MX-6. Was a damn fun car to drive! I was going to go with a blower, rims, & lower the suspension a bit. But the car had a few too many hard miles and too many squeeks and rattles. Long story short, I now have a Benz. But I still would like to get another one someday, but with way lower miles.

Glen · #3 03-27-2003, 01:21 AM

While I don't necessarily like certain modifications I enjoy the import tuner scene. It's cool to see people's interpretation of their "dream" car.

The funny thing is that in the last 5 or 6 years we've been calling it the "import tuner scene" when in reality it's been here for at least three decades...it's just more organized and commercial now. So what else is new?

4NDELIT · #4 03-27-2003, 01:27 AM

import tuners... that's a nice word for rice rockets! I live in san diego, so I see the best and worst of everything every day, and I'll tell you... it get's pretty bad! Without incriminating myself or others, the street races were popular, and when "one" went to them, "one" would see all kinds of weird garbage. From 2-3 row bleacher seats to coffe can exhausts lit up wtih blue LED's, to BMW's less than 2 inches off the ground, to any and every type of car with altezza style taillights, to neon EVERYTHING on the car, to cardboard bodykits (some fool decided to cut out cardboard and tape it on the side of his car like side skirts!!!). I've seen it all, and seriously, I'm disgusted.

speedy300Dturbo · #5 03-27-2003, 01:46 AM

For those of us that customize our Benzes, aren't we technically part of the "Import Tuner" scene, given that our cars are imports?

Anyway, as with any genre of cars, there are those that are well done and very nice, and those that are well.... less so.

4NDELIT · #6 03-27-2003, 01:56 AM

well, thinking back on what I wrote, there is definatley a difference between Import tuners and ricers. The main difference is functionality. If somebody buys a civic, then slaps on some altezza tail lights, buys some hyper blue plazma xenon halogen bulbs and LED winsheild washer nozzles, gets an underbody neon kit, and gets some ugly 14's with rubber band tires so they can show off their drum brakes and flashing LED valve stem caps, they are rice. If on the other hand, they get a good intake/exhaust, chip, suspension, HID's, a sleek body kit (not obnoxious or huge), they would be an "import tuner" by my book. I say, if you can't afford something good, don't try to imitate it by buying something cheap. Save your money, then buy something quality and upgrade one thing at a time. I had a friend with a focus who put an APC cone filter on his car. It wasn't really meant for a focus, but he eventually jammed it on, and it didn't really make the car go any faster, in fact he lost power due to hot air from the engine compartment , but he kept it because it "sounded good".

G-Benz · #7 03-27-2003, 09:47 AM

I had a Conquest when I did my contract in Colorado Springs. A lot of Eclipse engine parts bolted on that car, so I kinda got into the import tuner scene (even though the MBs stayed back in Texas).

The shop I went to for work did "tuners", not "ricers". Yeah, a lot of ricer wanabees came by to gawk at all the laterst goodies in the shop, but the "real" work was being done behind the shop in the garage.

The co-owner had a tiny Civic with all of the exterior goodies to qualify as a "ricer"...but he also dumped a motor from an Acura, polished the intake and installed a turbo...it was as much "business" as it was showy!

I watched him race that car at the track, and it did consistent 12-second runs!

So I think the tuner scene is pretty legit. But with any car hobby, there will be wanabees who just want to "look" the part.

I grew up in the 70's when muscle cars were cheap (but gas wasn't). The wanabees would simply pick up a set of Cragar mags and Mickey Thompson tires (rears only) jack up the rear end, install a "Cherry Bomb" (fart mufflers for V-8s), and presto! You were part of the scene. If you were so inclined, adding one of those huge hood scoops would complete the look.

And those ricers stickers were not a new trend...we would sport them on the rear windows...just not on the body!

TTaM · #8 03-28-2003, 01:02 AM

I was of course talking about the real tuners, not the posers, as featured on this website: www.riceboypage.com I ask becuase a friend of mine is heavily involved w/ this scene [supercharged Honda Civic] and he gets a lot of grief from people, mostly older, about how they aren't "real" performance cars. His car is lowered [for handleing], has the big exhaust [Borla] and large rims. Nothing he has done to his car was solely in the name of apearance. I feel bad for the guy

Frank X. Morris · #9 03-28-2003, 09:35 PM

Howdy All,
Deja Vu all over again

In the 60s you had muscle cars. Some people would work on them to make them go faster (tuners). Others would make them look cool and put performance stickers on them (today we call it rice). In the 70s we had the van conversions. If you went to car shows you would see the truely outrages (more rice). Someone here can comment on the 80s. The 90s of course is the import tuner scene and rice scene. Mixed in there is te 4x4, off-road scene. Again you have two different philosophies. The person that fixes up his vehicle to be a better off-roader(tunner). And the guy who fixes his vehicle to look cool for cruise night on the street ad at the show(poser). To each his own

#10 03-28-2003, 11:19 PM

Arrrrrg! Since the sale of the Modena I yearn for some back slamming fullfilment. My quad is definitly a rush and I have been contemplating a Ferrari 456 GT. The wierd thing is, my local Ferrari Club pals say get a Supra Twin Turbo or an NSX with some mod's is the band-aid for exotica.

rickg · #11 03-29-2003, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Frank X. Morris
Someone here can comment on the 80s.

Ya got me thinking there Frank. What the heck was the hi-po scene in the 80's?

Not much that I can remember. The Mustangs, Camaros & Firebirds were just getting started again after the lamo models of the 70's. I remember reading the reports on the Mustang in about 1980 when it was trying to become the Mustang again. Got great raves.
I do remember the big thing was to slam a V-8 into a Pinto or Vega (what else was there to do with those cars

) I worked with a guy that had a built up 302 in a Pinto. Was a pretty wild ride

We have a good time with the ricer scene, but what the heck. Like has been said, each generation has had it's equivalent.

TTaM · #12 03-29-2003, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by w126
The question is, in 32 years, will a modified Honda ever fetch the equivalent of $100,000, as say a Yenko modified '69 Camaro!! I doubt it. :p

You can't compare a Yenko Camaro to a modified Civic. The Camaro was already a potent car when Yenko got ahold of it. The Civic on the other hand is just a sensible commuter car that some modify the bejesus out of. I can see a pristine Roush or Saleen Mustang fetchin $100,000+ in 32 years. That would be more of a fair comparison.

TTaM · #13 03-29-2003, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rsbiomedical
Arrrrrg! Since the sale of the Modena I yearn for some back slamming fullfilment. My quad is definitly a rush and I have been contemplating a Ferrari 456 GT. The wierd thing is, my local Ferrari Club pals say get a Supra Twin Turbo or an NSX with some mod's is the band-aid for exotica.

I agree with the Ferarri Club. Though the lines of a Supra and NSX aren't as sexy, they aren't as common place [around my area] as Ferarris and, with some mods, they will be much more fun, but cost less to maintain. You could always just get an M3 to...

Frank X. Morris · #14 03-29-2003, 07:51 PM

Howdy All,
The price of old/classic cars is not driven by people who don't like the car but by the people who do like it. If it was the other way around we wouldn't have Edsels(sp), Nash Metros and other cars going for the prices they go for. The likelyhood of a shade tree mechanic building a car that fetches big bucks in 30 years is nill. You look at the cars that are not stock that are getting big bucks are done by the factory as special editions or a shop that has the reputation for building quality machines. Now talking about the guy that is working on his car at home. I feel he has it harder than the guys back in the muscle car days because the guys back then had the big performance from the factory. Also now days you have to work around the computers and try to get a whole bunch out of the small engines.

Frank X. Morris · #15 03-29-2003, 08:16 PM

Howdy Ted,
So why don't we find some undistinguished type car and start a club then create a market