taktiks

I've been into the car scene since the late 90's, and even more when I got my first car in the early 2000's. I understand the economy had a huge role in the money people had to blow on their cars in 2008, but since it's recovered, I feel like I see fewer and fewer modified cars floating around where I live in the CA Bay Area.

It doesn't help that every car show on TV now only features old/new domestics, and the rare euro/import car.

Has import culture simply evolved into what is now the hellaflush/illest/stancyboy scene? Even then, since those cars can't be driven normally on the crap roads around me, I never see them. The cars and coffee meets are all exotics/classic/muscle cars and anyone with an import gets scoffed at by the majority of attendees. We have car week in Monterey, and Sonoma Speed Festival, but those are dominated by the old folks and tech millionaires with garage kept exotics or track cars. The regional forums here barely see any traffic, and I wish that wasn't the case.

Maybe I'm just being nostalgic and remember something much greater than what it was. What do all of you think?

/rant

KYLexusMkr

I think you hit the nail on the head as to the evolution of the scene. Imports are still there but it has changed, too the cost is up more than back in the day to make a proper import tuner car. Muscle cars will always be, same as the classics, and deep pockets...well they remain deep. The imports though are still there, just in a different form. Around here at our C&C events, there are still your Honda’s, Mitsu’s, and Nissan’s representing as well as the stanced and static cars. I think the fast and furious movies may have had something to do with it as well. Also the ricers with the fart can the on neon green with a black hood del-sol rolling around on 13x7’s slammed to the ground bumping baby got back. Nobody wants to be compared to that guy, so it’s changed up a bit. That’s what I think though, just my opinion, I could be wrong. 🤷*♂️

Tungstn-IS

I think many people from that era have simply grown up, have families, make more money, etc. This has led to the desire to buy nicer cars and just add some simple, tasteful mods that accentuate the car and make it stand out slightly as opposed to heavily modifying cheaper cars. Having come from the same automotive time frame as you mention, everyone I know have much nicer cars and are more reserved with their modifications and most of us have multiple vehicles so the cars we drive everyday are not heavily modified. It just seems younger generations just didn't get into to the degree some of us did. So while our "insert cars here" spend most of their time in the garage, you mostly see many of us daily driving vehicles that are better at toting around business clients, grocery shopping, traveling, kids, trucks for hauling our toys, etc. That's what it seems for myself and most of my friends anyway.

E46CT

Yep people grew up. I do not want to be associated with any car scene now. Sometimes I have friends who want to do car this or car that... i'm like uh.. pass. just not into it. I don't want to be standing in a 150 degree parking lot with 89 other dudes sagging their pants, mad ******* eachother while they stand next to their hard-parked rusted stanced hoopties. such a huge waste of time

Blaque Diamond Wheels

I think it's a few different factors. One definitely being the majority of that crowed has grown up. Like E46CT said, no one really wants to go stand in a lot where people are being judged by the car they pull up in. Little cliques and groups divide what was once a collective group of enthusiasts. I feel like it has been becoming a pissing contest on who has the most power and who spend the most on their build.

As we get older, our toys tend to get more expensive. I have noticed a lot of the guys in the JDM scene are moving up to the Euros. True enthusiasts will always be car guys and enjoy being around other car guys. I don't think will ever change. I just think the style of car has evolved. Plus there is no true performance sports cars coming from the JDM and if it is, its super expensive.

E46CT

I do check out classic car shows from time to time.The last time I went everyone was chill w/ their classic cars. everyone talking to eachother. old timers.

then this young douche nozzle in his lamborghini w/ black wheels started trying to show off, revving his engine. he got an earful and as asked to leave..

the culture of actual enthusiasts clashed w/ young bros thinking the point of the meet was to show off and one up every one.. they missed the point before they even got out of bed.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

TORC long beach this year had a really good turn out at the show and in the parking lot. I've read and followed the prices of homes for the past year as we were going to buy another home and noticed that the bay area had ridiculous home prices compared to socal and esp the rest of the nation. generally speaking, given that, i dont expect anyone up there to pick up a JDM 90s project car, fix it up nor daily it given a lot of $$ goes to housing. Even if they did have the disposable income, they probably wouldnt spend it on a 90s or 2000s vehicle and hence the euros/exotic/muscle cars that you see. Plus, a lot of people that started modifying cars in the late 90s and early 2000s are probably enjoying that family life where they need the 4 doors and reliability of a newer vehicle and saving for their kids' college education. But, a select few just might and have been lucky enough to keep their daily/project car.

TonyN

iTrader: (1)

Age, income, and social responsibly.
I have been in the car tuning scene since the late 90s. Started off with Honda, then went to suros, sport bikes, suv. Etc.. basically I did a bit of everything, as I got older I went for more power, I had a 500+hp rx7 and 600+ MKIV Supra, at the same time I also did the Euro things with M3 and other AMG cars, everything was loud but got more expensive as time went. Now I'm in my late 30s I'm more about comfort and power, long gone are the days of loud cars with no power, now it's low noise cars with big power.

As we age and are considered professional, we tend to not want to stick out for the wrong reasons, we tend to carry ourself in a different manner then we once did in our twenties.
Some of my friends still do the import stuff but in a different spin, it's about the older imports like MKIV supra, FD3s, 300zx, that looks relatively stock but packs a punch. Then there are some friends who went exotic and have lambos and such as their weekend cars. Still the same guys with passion for cars but with different priorities and social responsibility.

Just thing of the 90s import scene with bodykits and such as today's hella flush kids. Remember how older guys thoughts the 90s kids were stupid, we are now the older guys thinking the hella flush kids are stupid lol.

taurran

Well... to be frank - you live in California. The state is a cesspool of ridiculous laws and authoritarian control (SMOG checks, street-side inspections, extreme anti-street racing laws, etc). Look at the lengths you have to go through to do the most basic performance modifications. It only makes sense that people go for looks or factory performance rather than heavy modification. Let's face it - California is extremely toxic toward the import scene, because imports typically require significant aftermarket FI mods to make big power, and all those mods are illegal to install and drive.

I spent about 10 years in FL after I left CA (mid 2000's), and the import scene is a lot better there. I could drive a built motor aftermarket turbo car with straight 3" exhaust and no cats, and the authorities didn't care. There are no emissions checks. There are regular gas stations all over that sell 100+ octane at the pump. Hell, you can drive a street legal dragster on the street and no one will care. Maybe someone can speak up on how it is now, but the scene was ridiculous there and I don't see a reason why it would have changed. I'd say it could also be decent in other states that don't have laws, but that's the best car culture I ever experienced.

Sure, my taste has changed over the years, but living in a place that isn't toxic to someone who enjoys your hobby makes a big difference.

ABGLexus

Cali laws are getting out of hand. That new exhaust law in 2019 got a lot of people converting their cars back to stock because a lot of cops are enforcing the $1000 fine that's associated with it.

I live in OC down here in soCal. Plenty of car meets here still, especially cars and coffee. Not sure if anyone watches daily driven exotics on Youtube, but they have a lot of stuff going down here in soCal.

Bay area cops are not cool btw. Every time I drive up there, I literally put my front plates back on and pray I don't get a tint ticket LOL.

taktiks

While the scene in the CA Bay Area has been rough due to recent laws and being generally frowned upon by most law enforcement, I believe the idea that we all "grew up" seems to be the most plausible. I had a hard time trying to justify the purchase of an RC350 or RC-F, deciding in favor of something with 4 doors and putting money into my house. That didn't stop me from doing as much modding as I could get away with, even if it was just wheels and exhaust. I will have to chalk it up to the nostalgia of the era I grew up in with import360, mischief, and hot import nights being the prominent markers of the import culture.

The thing is, I totally understand the idea of growing into the euro scene and the status that comes with it, but it's less about the cars and more about the culture of meeting up at somebody's house to build a motor, install some coilovers, or paint some new body panels. Again, maybe it's just the cost of living pushing these hobbies to the wayside seeing as how expensive it is to build a modern car these days. It just stinks that there are fewer and fewer places for gear heads to gather and commiserate, and it becomes more difficult to get the community to gather.

Damn how times have changed.

unioncorps

I completely agree. I think those that were participating in the "Fast 'n Furious" era, the intriguing aspect of tuning or modifying import cars lost its drive as those folks grew up. Granted there probably are still some import meets like HIN and other regional meets, but you're right - the vast majority of the larger scenes have definitely died down. Just as others have said, there's a stigma to the import scene (regardless of how true it is) that it's synonymous to fueled egos and partially fitting Autozone parts installed on a lower end import car with ridiculous looking wheels. I've always been a fan of import cars and the tasteful modifications of them to make them slightly unique or aggressive, but always shook my head in dismay whenever I see someone driving a bubbling tinted car with a giant wing, Walmart hubcaps and non-fitting "chrome" exhaust tips to make their Honda Civic sound like it's got more horses under the hood.

As far as the classic/muscle cars, that's been a staple for ages and I feel will always remain timeless. There's a more pronounced feel of achievement (and skill) for showing off or restoring a classic/muscle car, than it is to tastefully modify an import. The money put into modifying or restoring these older cars hold significantly more value than any mods done to an import. With most original import scene folks now with kids, homes and other priorities, I think it's just the changing of the times but will always do a double take when I see a modified import done well.

E46CT

I'm all for the restrictive laws when they make sense. I report any and all cars that appear to be de-catted or other gross pollution. California makes it easy. You can anonymously report any car that's suspected to be a gross polluter and they'll investigate the owner right away. Grand!

I don't know about you but I like to breathe clean air? People making the air dirty just so they can run the quarter mile in 14.2s rather than 14.7s (usually on the street) are ridiculous. That should be controlled. That should be banned.

You talk about restrictions, you're trying to restrict the majority of the population from breathing clean air so a small minority of dudes can grab their jocks and rev their gross polluters? The majority should win, not the minority.

It's not authoritarian simply because you don't agree. Nation of laws and all that, right? Can't have it both ways.

Flash5

This is true, people are way to hypocritical about "laws". When it inconveniences them it's the end of the world for them, but when it is advantageous for them, but not for others it's perfectly fine. Not everyone will ever be happy, but at least cater to the general public. Cali laws are pretty damn restrictive, but they need to be considering the population in such small areas. In Georgia, we have super relaxed emission laws outside of Atlanta and Metro Atlanta we don't even have to do emissions tests (about the same as Smog tests) and this is because there aren't a bajillion people in a small area.

taurran

The small percentage of modified cars won't make the air quality go back to 70s-80s pollution levels. Back then, every car on the street reeked of exhaust and the sheer quantity led to poor air quality. Nowadays, the US is the world leader in emissions by a long shot. Focusing on harassing car enthusiasts and requiring tens of thousands of dollars to have parts approved is just another money grab by the state of CA. No wonder everyone is leaving in droves.

This is why I will never move back. Stating that restricting a vast minority equates to overwhelming polution and the lack of clean air is a false dilemma. Pushing an opinion based on false dilemma doesn't compute.

You might not be an authoritarian, but you worship authority. Stating that you can force everyone around you to think the same because you have a popular "opinion" proves as such.

The fact that everyone in California thinks one way means its right is why no one is happy there. Enjoy!