Is it just me, or does the Accord get little to no respect in the automotive or even the tuning community. Lately I've been getting a lot of the comments such as these from even other Honda guys I've met. Why do they seem to look down on the Accord? It's no underdog, that's for damn sure. Stock for stock, an Accord would blow a Civic or a Del Slow away. Integras aren't much of a challenge either. At least none of these were a challenge for me and my old, tired, F22A6.
People seem to have this negative view of the Accord, like it's not meant to be tuned in any way. It get's zero respect from most everybody. The question is, why? I mean, I have put a lot of time, money, blood, sweat, tears, etc. into my CB to get it to the level that it is at. My F20A DOHC will be in soon, and I have no idea what to expect from it. I was impressed with the highway pull of my F22A6 with bolt-ons. With enough work into this car, people should at least look at it and be able to say, "Damn, nice car." No, instead, I constantly get the, "It's just an Accord..." speech from everyone.
The point is, I love my Accord. I think they hold the same potential as all of the other frequently modified cars, such as the Civic and the Integra. Why can't people view us the same as they view the guys with the modified Civics? Sure, our cars are heavier, but does that even really matter? Look at how much the Prelude weighs compared to our cars, and still they are another one of the glorified platforms people choose for tuning.
I'm tired of being looked down upon just because I am an Accord enthusiast. I believe the Accord is more practical for daily driving, and also holds a large amount of potential for tuning. You can have a fast car, or you could have a grocery getter. Why not have both? Why not choose a nice CB7 sedan to tote your kids around to school, pick up some groceries, take the wife and friends out to dinner, but then go out and hit the track on the weekends. Maybe even slap around a Mustang or GTP owner on the freeway on your way to work? These cars have it all, and with little modification, they can have even more.
A buddy of mine who is a "Civic Guy" once said to me, "You have to have an acquired taste for the Accord." This made good sense to me, and it showed me that some actually do see the potential of the Accord, they just aren't all that into the styling of them. Most others, however, know little about the Accord and therefor automatically assume it isn't anything special. This is the problem with the Honda community today. It seems like there are way more "fanbois" than real enthusiasts. The CB7 community is wealthy with real entusiasts, while other places are riddled with wanna-be, street racing, 2 fast 2 furious douchebags.
We need to make something out of the Accord, or at least the CB7.
On another note:
How am I a "ricer?" Does my car really look "ricy" at all? I don't quite understand this negative view everybody has on Hondas as well
as Japanese imports in general. I think a clean, well kept, tastefully modified Accord like mine should receive some sort of respect, am I right?
WE WILL BE RESPECTED IN THE TUNING COMMUNITY, NO MATTER WHERE WE RESIDE!