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    What got you into imports?

    I was just discussing The Fast and the Furious with a friend on Facebook, and it got me thinking about how I got into this whole scene. I was curious about everyone else! Since we now have a very diverse age range represented here... people who were into it while it was still "underground", to people that were a part of the whole mainstream F&F movement, to people that have never built a car without the help of the internet.

    I got into imports shortly after I bought my CB7. At first, I hated the car. I hated the boxy shape. I hated the faded paint. I hated the "primitive" manual transmission. But I figured I'd make the best of it. There were things people "did" to Hondas, right? So I started searching eBay for some 18" chrome wheels (ALMOST bought some Focals for $800), and a big ugly spoiler. Then, one day, an old diesel Mercedes Benz passed me... even though I tried not to let him do it. I realized I don't need wheels... I need moar power! That's when I started researching engine swaps. Within the week, I had purchased Honda/Acura Engine Performance by Mike Kojima, which to this day has been one of the largest single sources of technical information I have ever devoured. I read that book from cover to cover. Then I read it again. I understood every bit of information in it until I could pick out the numerous typos and poorly phrased information.
    To me, reading that book is what permanently set me on my path of being an import enthusiast.

    It's funny, because this all happened in 2001, as The Fast and The Furious was coming out. I almost saw it in the theater, but decided to stay at home... researching H22 swaps. I got into "the scene" at the same time that movie was inspiring kiddies left and right to join forums to ask if a Motec System Exhaust would fit their mom's Dodge Caravan. Amazingly, I wasn't one of those kids. I had already stuffed my brain full of knowledge before I illegally downloaded and watched that movie! Still, I think I picked a good time to get into it!

    So what's your story?







    #2
    i had a beretta and i hated imports. then one night i started looking around importatlanta forum and how much fun it looked like they had and i decided a honda was my next car. i was looking at eg sedan civics. but then the cb7 caught my eye. i LOVE the boxy shape of it. after i found my coupe and could actually buy parts for it to make it my own, i was hooked. started reading about how to fix certain things and do little mods inside/out. I had a blast. This was around 2008-2009. I feel like i caught the trailing end of the extreme import scene like body kits, wheels, wings n shit. i wish i could have been apart of it from the start. I kinda remember when the first fast and furious came out but i was too little to know what was going on. a couple years later, my mom had bought the movie home from block buster because it was related to cars. i cant tell you how many times ive watched it. when its on tv, it has to be watched.

    It seems like back then, people cared about the quality builds, using badass parts and coming up with their own ways to do stuff. now its like "bro how can i fit these 19x15 +2 wheels on my civic/g35/tl etc. fuck man.
    COUPE K24

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      #3
      Great Story DEV!!. Mine's pretty similar. Got into cars during the FnF days. Got more into it because of friends in high school. Got even more into cars after I got my license. The car I loved to drive the most was my Dad's 4Runner. Had too many great memories and stories behind it. I had to borrow it each time, but it was fun to drive, got to pick up a bunch of friends, and my friends even gave it a nickname..Tiger (due to the Tiger striped seat covers lol).
      I've always been a Honda fan due to most of my family driving Hondas. We had a 92 prelude, 94 accord, 93 accord, 02 Pilot. And all of those had been passed down, one way or another. Always had great memories of each car.
      oh yea, AND a big part that got me more serious about loving imports is INITIAL D. Not only I enjoyed the anime, but I had an arcade near me that had the arcade Initial D ver.3 machine. That game taught me how to drive better lol
      Last edited by buzz11; 06-22-2016, 09:13 PM.

      Members' Ride Thread :http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...82#post2939682
      My CB7 Tribute Vid..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWFstSzLH8
      Track ready EK..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoYKsoL0i7M

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        #4
        Hmm.

        Always a car nut, always wanted something fun for my first car. Originally it was a Monte Carlo SS (this was circa-2001 and they were still the ultimate high school car) followed by an 80's K10 Chevy Pickup, neither of which seemed to fit into my budget of $1,500. I found a beautiful 88 Toyota Pickup that I wanted, but my cousin knew the owner and said it wasn't worth his asking price.

        After not being able to find anything good in the Monte SS / K10 range, I started looking at Grand Prix coupes (the horror!) before I thought better of it. I looked at a local dealership that specialized in Honda/Acura but it seemed like most of their vehicles were salvage / damage repaired vehicles that had been quickly reassembled. I slowly realized if I wanted a vehicle that wasn't complete junk Honda was the way to go. I settled on the 1990-1993 Accord since it fit within my budget.

        One night while coming home from some errands with my Mom I found my CB at a local used car lot. It had just under 79K and was a 5MT, which was awesome since I wanted manual and my Mom hated the idea of me owning one. The mileage and price was right so I bought it.

        FnF came out and all of a sudden the whole import scene was "cool" and there were a lot of fun mods you could do to the car cheap as every company was making accessories for Hondas. I had the original washer LEDs when they first came out (wired directly into the battery with no fuse no less!). Then came the clear corners and clear bumper lights. At that point I started getting into junkyarding as a way to change up the car. My best friend bought a 92 Civic Si hatch that was already modified (lowered, Wings West Big Mouth, lots of random interior stuff) and we just got into the whole scene of modifying anything and everything because we could.

        I found this forum a few years later in early 2005 and then I started going crazy. I bought a few different OEM front lips from the JY, 90-91 Red/Clears and started looking at exhaust and suspension mods.

        I scored a set of OEM quarter panels from a rust free car and got the body cleaned up, and the rest is history.

        Comment


          #5
          I fully and completely blame CB7Tuner.com.

          My parent's bought me a 1993 Accord LX with 230,000 miles on it when I turned 16. As all CB7s do, it had leaking spark plug tube seals, so I got to Google searching, and wound up here! The rest, as they say, is history!
          Originally posted by sweet91accord
          if aredy time i need to put something in cb7tuner. you guy need to me a smart ass about and bust on my spelling,gramar and shit like that in so sorry.

          Comment


            #6
            This website.

            Not really into cars anymore but I fuckin missed this site.


            Burrito Bandidos: It will change your fuckin life

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              #7
              Got a PS1 in '99 and Gran Turismo 2 was one of the first games I picked up for it. That game subconsciously drills into you that GT-Rs and STIs etc will dominate all... but they didn't sell those here yet. I'd say that series is extremely influential in my worldly taste in cars, and I have a certain amount of love for everything now. I still play it fairly regularly, and even stuck a GT logo on both of my cars in some odd attempt to poke fun at the bandwagon giving Monster energy drinks free advertising.

              The Accord was given to me as a first car. I didn't particularly like or dislike it initially, but GT gave me my taste for 80s-90s Japanese and European styling, so it grew on me pretty quickly.

              Accord Aero-R

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                #8
                1998

                My dad bought a 1991 Honda Civic Hatchback. He used to drive me everywhere in that thing to go ride my skateboard.

                Turned out that the car was motor swapped and lowered when he bought it. I've never had more fun than I did in that car and I never even drove it.

                4 years later, I ended up buying an 89 Honda Prelude after I crashed my first car; also this car was motor swapped and lowered when I bought it. Ran pretty good until the piston decided to free itself from the confines of the engine block. That was when I was 16. Then had a Toyota Cressida that I used to drift in 2004-2005 (most didn't even know what drifting was). Then, I ended up getting a $600 Accord and found this forum (first forum I ever signed up for).

                So at this point, I've been into the import scene for 18 years and I'm only 30.
                Last edited by oni_cb7; 06-23-2016, 03:49 PM.

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                  #9
                  Its kind of weird for me. So when I was a kid, sex spec was all the rage, think 20" wheels on Nissan pulsars, what you guys did but then extra. It was all about giving a car it's own personality. When Iwas 10 I moved to China, and I was on an international flight every month. Every time I did, id buy a car magazine. It started out with being top gear and street commodores, and then I moved into a magazine called hot 4's and rotary's, and I distinctly remember a bright red rx-7 on huge chrome rims with this ridiculous sound system. And then I found out it only lived a street away from my granny's house!

                  I tried to spot it, but I never could. I saw it once, thatoment was glorious.

                  Fast forward three years and my mum gave me her Hyundai sonata. It had been sitting for about 5 years with a broken window so it had slime and sludge in the car. Fuuuuck. I learnt how to clean an interior and do all that great stuff. .
                  Then I tried to do the timing belt. Without realising you were meant to line the timing marks up, until I'd already taken the belt off, and moved the cam shafts independently!

                  I eventually got that car to start (albeit terribly out of time) and it blew a head gasket. I'd put alot of work into it and all my money. I gave up, and sold it.

                  Then, I bought my first car, just a Mitsubishi Magna (diamante) the trans eventually blew. Bought a crap corolla as a run around for a little. Then I moved states, got my current job, had some cash, and wanted a flashy car, and I found a white honda prelude fifth gen for $3000. It had a loud exhaust and ricer taillights. I loved that thing. Eventually I had to do the timing belt and the crank pulley snapped in half so I parted the car out,but I would say that that car is what really got me into imported cars.
                  sold! But here's my build thread for those interested.

                  http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=206864

                  Comment


                    #10
                    My first wife had a 78 Celica before we were married, a 92 Celica GT when we got married, then we picked up a 95 Celica GTS. It was a great car, but after she passed away I sold it and kept the more practical 87 Astro (2 kids). I married into CB7s. My 2nd wife owned Ruby (90 LX) when we got married in 1995. It had about 80,000 miles. It was such a great car, every time I needed another car as my children reached driving age I bought another CB7/9. Never got into the "scene", just kept them up as daily drivers. Saved a few along the way. I have now owned 9 of them; still have 4.
                    Last edited by Fleetw00d; 06-25-2016, 11:35 PM.
                    90 LX 4dr 5 spd 396,014 (sold 1/1/2022) - MRT: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=201450
                    08 Element LX FWD AT 229,000 - MRT: fleetw00d : 2008 Honda Element LX - CB7Tuner Forums

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                      #11
                      I needed a gas effiecient affordable car, so in 1988 I bought a new 88 crx si. Stock is never enough so you find Jackson Racing, Lightspeed, and King Motorsports. Those place lead Mugen, HKS, Trust, SSR, and Work. Those lead to Carmate, Hans, Robocar, Skyline and other shops. Then you find Yaohan Plaza and all the jdm magazines.

                      Down the rabbit hole with no way out.
                      Manual Belt Conversion-Variable Intermittent Wipers-Steering Volume Controls-Rear Defroster Antenna-JDM Climate Control-MDX Steering Wheel-Lighted Mirror Switch-CL Trunk Solenoid-CL Homelink-Shaved Hood Squirters-Foglight Wiring Diagram-Door Panel Removal-Puddle Lights-Ambient Lighting-Door Speaker Install-Window Seal and Regulator Cleaning-Prelude Cluster-Mirror Tweeter Pods-Illuminated Window Switch -More Coming Soon

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                        #12
                        I was in graduate school at LSU and was driving a Ford Tempo at the time. I had no intentions of buying a new car, but happened to ride in someone's 89 Honda Accord and fell in love with it. Went to the Honda dealership and found out that the body style changed and they didn't have any '89's left. So, I ended up with a dark blue 1990 EX and have been hooked every since.
                        I've always kept the cars stock so I'm not really a tuner, but I found this site when researching an issue.

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                          #13
                          I think need for speed Porsche unleashed got me into the car scene. I loved that game and the graphics were great at the time. My dad had this 92 Accord that he bought in like '03-04. I was driving it my junior year in high school and I was not allowed to do any mechanical mods to it...so I did what any high school kid would do...put some sound in it. Thus began my car audio addiction. From there I started doing minor maintenance like air filters, and spark plugs. Bought a Haynes and a socket set and found this site. Now here I am...I'm going to get another CB to finish what I started.

                          YouTube Clicky!!

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                            #14
                            My extreme hatred for a silver 1996 Mercury Tracer. I wanted a car that was more me, and not $1 car from Florida I was forced into instead of a 2001 DC Integra 5-speed.

                            Then I saw a badass boosted EF sedan with some fake J Mags at pull apart and read everything I could about Hondas. Then I got a white 93 DX coupe with a new clutch on fleabay sleeves with an aftermarket sunroof that leaked water on my passengers and loved it. I learned the fundamentals on that nasty thing.

                            I remember trying to figure out what part of the VIN the cars got their names from so I went around the junkyard looking at VINs thinking "Why the fuck is every Honda a 1HG?"

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                              #15
                              I was always into cars. We bought our first Honda personally in 1988 and it was amazingly ahead of its time. Then as we owned it and it just drove and drove and never broke, I fell in love with Honda. I remember when I saw my first 1990 Accord and I absolutely LOVED its sleek aero look. Put other cars of the day to shame with its contemporary styling.

                              In the early 1990's (about the time the DA Integra GS-R came out) I learned about VTEC and the thought of an 8,000RPM racecar engine blew my mind. It especially blew my mind because up to that point, Honda was primarily seen as a company of thoughtfully innovative and well engineered cars, but not necessarily a technical powerhouse in the US. Keep in mind that the NSX had really just hit the market and was not a well known car at the time, so VTEC was new.

                              A few years later my cousin bought a Cobalt Blue 1990 EX and I was astonished how much better it was than our 88, so in 1998 I bought my 1990 EX with 67,000 miles on it. Did my first "mod" (my RSR catback) in spring of 1999 and never looked back.

                              At that time, imports (especially Hondas) were relatively low key and clean, so I was NOT happy when F&F came out with what is now referred to as "rice" all over the place. I also didn't like the stupid shits doing burnouts in the parking lots because they thought their 1985 Civic DX with like 70HP was fast. I remember telling my best friend how badly that movie was going to affect the Honda scene, and it did, even though there weren't many Hondas in that movie. I also understand that it was a pop culture glimpse of what was going on in SoCal at the time, but I still wish it hadn't developed that way.

                              The movie was OK, and I still like it, I just regret what it turned "Hondas" into.
                              The OFFICIAL how to add me to your ignore list thread!

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