Geeto67 Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 HERE'S THE THING.... We're saying that the car culture isn't like what it was in the early 2000s (may be true), but if you go to meets, C&Cs, and watch videos, the flash of the 90s/00s has been replaced by sleepers, rat rods, and drift missles. If street racing isn't popular, then drags, drifting and autoX'ing definitely is. Haggard Garage and other YouTubers find cheap ways to have fun and go fast in cars. It's not about nitrous parts and custom paint; it's about getting the look for dirt. Roadkill/Hot Rod Garage/anything coming from TEN*? Some super-high dollar stuff, but wrenching on anything you can get your hands on. NasCarlo? Rotsun? Make that stuff run and then get it to perform. * = http://www.enthusiastnetwork.com/ Paint is still popular, but overwhelmingly REAL car guys prefer function and individuality over form....and I, for one, love it. Sorry if House of Kolor isn't selling as many gallons of pearl paint as DipYourCar is selling plasti-dip, but at least the hobby is strong...just in a different capacity. A lot of the culture has changed as a result of the financial crisis. Pre-2008 there was a lot of disposable income for toys and such so there were a lot more people with toy cars and bikes, and spending for the expensive stuff like flashy paint and lambo doors. Post 2008 a lot of the focus shifted to doing great things for very little money which changed the tastes. None of this stuff went away, just lots of people exited the hobby because they didn't have the money to keep up, and others shifted their goals to fit their budget. People never stopped building tuner cars, customs, hot rods, etc...but the tight wallets meant people had to pick and choose. Plus tech improved too so instead of expensive "neon" systems that are kinda difficult to install, you have LED's now that are easy, half the size, and cheap. Paint is always gonna be expensive because it is labor intensive and requires a lot of specialized equipment, but now we have wraps, hydrographics, plasti-dip - more options for less $$$. Pre-2008 I would have paid someone $1500 to heavy flake my sportster, but this year, I hydrodipped it in a garbage can for less than $100 and got a great result, lots of people are doing stuff like that now because there are more tutorials, more information, and more encouragement than there was before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 I have under $8000 in my supra and its 700hp capable. Just sayin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 It's never too soon to do what you want, be the trendsetter not the trend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Beard Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Not to mention new(ish) cars are cranking out a shit ton more power than they use to. Tweaking a factory car in the 90's- early 00's was much cheaper due to the fact that you only had to get close to 300hp to have an awesome street machine. Nowadays if you're not peaking 400+ then you have factory focus's and stock gt's whizzing by you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted October 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Kerry that is absolutely an extremely valid point, the days of "Easy Money/Credit" that fueled many peoples ability to work on modification of their rides disappeared with The Crash. That's a whole other conversation to be had but certainly not a piece of this pie to be considered. Clay, on the C&C and other events yes I completely agree you see some of that culture but ... and I don't mean this in a condescending way ... we took a late night, rebels against the man, illegal, "cool" cultural event and turned it into a low key car show. We used to talk shit, inspect for mods, set up races in the parking lots. Compare wheels/tires, discuss future plans and what we had done. Now we stand around in parking lots early on a weekend morning when the wild ones aren't up yet, drinking coffee and often times looking at long lines of Mopar/Subaru/Vette guys who just spent money got a cool car and that's about it. As a shop, hell yeah we appreciate the business doing modifications/upgrades for people, but it goes to the old phase "Built not bought". You see less and less of the customized rides like as Steve was saying used to be everywhere. Remember the feeling rolling up to a stoplight just about anywhere in the city that wasn't the 'burbs and wondering at the set of tail lights waiting for you? Giving the sideways glance, the rev, the nod, the grin as you wound out 1st and 2nd against someone who was likely a total stranger? That's the part I'm talking about, that's the part I miss. Cordell you know me well enough I think to know I'm not one to toe the line, I'm building this thing how I want to and to hell with everyone's opinion on the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Beard Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Remember the feeling rolling up to a stoplight just about anywhere in the city that wasn't the 'burbs and wondering at the set of tail lights waiting for you? Giving the sideways glance, the rev, the nod, the grin as you wound out 1st and 2nd against someone who was likely a total stranger? That's the part I'm talking about, that's the part I miss. If I hadn't have done that with Tim then I probably would have never met you two so... Those days still live but are few and far in between. Cordell you know me well enough I think to know I'm not one to toe the line, I'm building this thing how I want to and to hell with everyone's opinion on the matter. It's your car, you do you! never against customizing a ride (part of the reason I'm on here) as long as it's done right. I know enough about you that if you put the time and money into it, it will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted October 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 It's funny how experiences like a random run off a stoplight, then stopping at the next to chat or giving a sign of respect as you pass by could lead to friendships and connections. "Hey man nice ride", how often do you hear that phrase or something like it anymore? I'll toot my own horn here to illustrate a point. Since essentially July I have been daily driving either my '71 or '70 Pontiacs 5 days a week to and from the shop. You know how many people I've had pull up and give a rev/nod/signal? 2. Exactly 2. Those sidelong glances you give people as they pass you to see if they are looking over checking out your car? Yeah... you all know what I'm talking about. How often do you get those? You don't, people are too busy playing on their phones scrolling through Facebook or taking a selfie to notice cool shit around them. Those same people are commuting and vanilla whatevers, the drive is just a hassle between point A and point B something no longer to be enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Beard Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 I understand your point and in the city that is definitely the case. But I still get head turns, and ppl acknowledging my ride. Granted no where near the same way they did 10 years ago but they're still out there...... when they look up from FB lol To that point, most are in a modded car themselves (aka Tim) and several others tooling around. My favorites are the high school kids just getting started. Rocking around in their shitboxes. By no means am I hating on them as I was there myself. But it is nice to be on the 'omg I love your car' side of the tracks for once lol. I like to think it's nurturing that 'I'll get there one day' mindset too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Kerry that is absolutely an extremely valid point, the days of "Easy Money/Credit" that fueled many peoples ability to work on modification of their rides disappeared with The Crash. That's a whole other conversation to be had but certainly not a piece of this pie to be considered. part of this conversation was about "too early" to start looking at early 2000's cars as future classics. Well by the time the economy really recovers, those who were building candy painted b18 powered hondas in 2002 would be looking at these cars with nostalgia. I am thinking 2020. But it has to be the right car. Evos, S2000s, WRXs, supras, etc...those will always have a following, and hondas/acuras will probably see the biggest price jump for well done cars because of how iconic they are and how butchered most are. So what other cars will be of interest and why? here is what I think: F&F Cars that may become more popular in the coming years(re expensive): - miatas - Celicas - Maximas - DSMs - VW GTI MKIV and V - Scion TC Cars I don't think will move the needle: - Sentras - anything mazda that is not a speed 3 or a miata - 350z (only because the people who buy these tend to keep buying the newer versions of the chassis). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 The fiero, at least, has the benefit of being "correct wheel drive". FWD LOL. Yeah true. I must say.. for having a been in FWD cars since I started to drive, going to a RWDish platform is just.. satisfying. The feeling of being pushed rather than pulled is nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhett Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I had a 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. Probably my favorite car I ever had. Would love to find one bone stock and Just daily the fuck out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10phone2 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 It's funny how experiences like a random run off a stoplight, then stopping at the next to chat or giving a sign of respect as you pass by could lead to friendships and connections. "Hey man nice ride", how often do you hear that phrase or something like it anymore? I'll toot my own horn here to illustrate a point. Since essentially July I have been daily driving either my '71 or '70 Pontiacs 5 days a week to and from the shop. You know how many people I've had pull up and give a rev/nod/signal? 2. Exactly 2. Those sidelong glances you give people as they pass you to see if they are looking over checking out your car? Yeah... you all know what I'm talking about. How often do you get those? You don't, people are too busy playing on their phones scrolling through Facebook or taking a selfie to notice cool shit around them. Those same people are commuting and vanilla whatevers, the drive is just a hassle between point A and point B something no longer to be enjoyed. You bring up valid points honestly. This is one of the reasons why I have been honestly working on the house instead of my corolla project that I never touched the last two months. I have only seen one random car conversation at a gas station in the last few years. It's few and far between that I even come across a modded car anymore, so why chase a market that is to me on the decline. You are correct in that before, you would see or hear endless fast cars running on roads. It's unreal the excess that took place in the early 2000's compared to what is going on today and that wasn't an excess considered to the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verse Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 It's funny how experiences like a random run off a stoplight, then stopping at the next to chat or giving a sign of respect as you pass by could lead to friendships and connections. "Hey man nice ride", how often do you hear that phrase or something like it anymore? I'll toot my own horn here to illustrate a point. Since essentially July I have been daily driving either my '71 or '70 Pontiacs 5 days a week to and from the shop. You know how many people I've had pull up and give a rev/nod/signal? 2. Exactly 2. Those sidelong glances you give people as they pass you to see if they are looking over checking out your car? Yeah... you all know what I'm talking about. How often do you get those? You don't, people are too busy playing on their phones scrolling through Facebook or taking a selfie to notice cool shit around them. Those same people are commuting and vanilla whatevers, the drive is just a hassle between point A and point B something no longer to be enjoyed. See I love seeing modified cars on the street and always give a thumbs up. It really irks me that people have such an ego that they can't give a nod to other people who enjoy the hobby. I was driving on 270S a week or two ago in my AE86 and got off at Georgesville and a 240SX hatchback with wheels/exhaust passes me on the off ramp. I throw a thumbs up out the window and the guy just drives by not even glancing over. My exhaust is probably 140+db so it's hard to imagine the guy didn't hear or see me. Just annoys me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 See I love seeing modified cars on the street and always give a thumbs up. It really irks me that people have such an ego that they can't give a nod to other people who enjoy the hobby. I was driving on 270S a week or two ago in my AE86 and got off at Georgesville and a 240SX hatchback with wheels/exhaust passes me on the off ramp. I throw a thumbs up out the window and the guy just drives by not even glancing over. My exhaust is probably 140+db so it's hard to imagine the guy didn't hear or see me. Just annoys me. I just want to say something about this because I've been in these situations a few times. It is far more common for someone to be mad at me for driving aggressive in my modded car then to get a compliment. So I'm usually expecting the worse, I'm sure some people who were just trying to acknowledge me felt slighted by me a time or two because I just expected them to be pissed. I wish it wasn't that way for me, but I'm sure others have the same issue so I wouldn't take it personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC K9 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Word. I miss those days when you would see modded cars everywhere, regardless of the type of car. A lot more cars were customized back then even if it was just minor stuff. If I had $8k to spend/build on a "tuner" car, it would definitely be a 1st gen Talon/Laser/Eclipse. I always really liked those. This. Obviously I am biased. Easier to wok on than the 2G's (Though the 2G is a much better looking car, especially the 2Gb), and you have the 6 bolt motors in the 90-91. Only way i'd run a 7 bolt if it was a 97-99 with the split thrust bearing. Either way, you can make some nice power for relatively little money if you are handy, and JP has proven time and time again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I had a 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. Probably my favorite car I ever had. Would love to find one bone stock and Just daily the fuck out of it. They are actually not all that hard to find for not terribly expensive but I will warn you if you've never gone down the rebuild road on one of these things holy FUCK is it complicated and expensive! There's a reason my motor for this thing has been slowly coming together for like 7 MONTHS. On the money side of things, I don't think the typical "restoration" logic can apply to these cars. Buy car for $2000, spend $6000 fixing/upgrading/modifying and you are NOT sitting on a $8000 car (most of the time). You/I do it because you want to bring back a little piece of dying culture with hopes maybe a spark or two will catch in someone else. Any of you who has met me knows my auto interests range all over the place, this isn't just me having some sort of unnatural obsession with barely successful Japanese tuner cars. As a show of hands, how many people paying attention to this thread have built/are building/shopping to build something from this era? Will I be a one man wolf pack out there in my riced out Nissan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Beard Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 As a show of hands, how many people paying attention to this thread have built/are building/shopping to build something from this era? Will I be a one man wolf pack out there in my riced out Nissan? Riced out? Yes you're on your own. Built to perform tuner from this era? I'll roll with you any day :fuckyeah::fuckyeah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 They are actually not all that hard to find for not terribly expensive but I will warn you if you've never gone down the rebuild road on one of these things holy FUCK is it complicated and expensive! There's a reason my motor for this thing has been slowly coming together for like 7 MONTHS. well you aren't kidding about them being cheap: https://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/d/2003-nissan-sentra-se-spec/6310339094.html but curious, what makes them complicated and expensive to work on more than say a comparable year honda civic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 well you aren't kidding about them being cheap: https://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/d/2003-nissan-sentra-se-spec/6310339094.html but curious, what makes them complicated and expensive to work on more than say a comparable year honda civic? You can find them alllll day for under 3k in semi decent shape. However, the motor is a PITA, the 6 speed transmission and LSD I believe are pretty much exclusive to this car. The damn thing costs more to ensure than basically anything else I own. Things like 3 part oil pans, 2 thermostats, terrible cat placement that when it has issues sucks material back INTO the engine.. Joe, I'll make sure to turn off the undergrowls when we are rolling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_buster Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I have a 2003 civic. Am currently just planning rice type stuff for now. I don't want to throw a bunch of money into it if I would be able to get an eclipse down the road. If I were to build the Honda, I would ditch the d17 in it now for a type R motor, lower it- not slammed, new wheels/tires, brakes, intake and exhaust. Along with some appearance upgrades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 The damn thing costs more to insure than basically anything else I own. lolwut? really? don't you own a stealth R/T and a 455cu pontiac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 lolwut? really? don't you own a stealth R/T and a 455cu pontiac? Yup, costs me more per month than either of the RT/TT Stealths or any of the Pontiacs. Too many specialty parts that are only on the 02-03 models or are SE-R Spec V specific And your aftermarket support other than 2J Racing who specialized in these things for some reason is REALLY not easy to find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 I have under $8000 in my CVPI and its 700hp capable. Just sayin Werd. For real though, I love everything about this thread. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbird Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 I had a yellow 2003 Spec v with some bolt-ons. Fucking miss that car so bad, slow as it was. The Focus ST is kind of the modern version of it. Torquey and fun for a 4 cylinder, but not that fast. I'm sure you know about the butterfly valves. Also, the 2002s had shorter gear on (I'm pretty sure) 2nd gear. And I'm also assuming the header you have on is catless. If not, change it out for a catless one ASAP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS69 Posted October 22, 2017 Report Share Posted October 22, 2017 everything on that car looks great except the fender vents. then again... I agree. I wouldn't put too much more money in it other to make it run and fix the the rust. I do like it, no cheezy graphics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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