I had a '87 Integra and drove it for about 120K miles before selling it to my sister in order to get an Eclipse GSX. She drove the Integra for another 8 years or so before salt damage finally forced her to get rid of it. But that was a great driving car and for it's day looked pretty cool.
I had a blast with my mid 80's Isuzu Impulse. The engine lasted forever. Mine hit over 250k. It was prone to some electrical problems (3 window motors and a few switches) but the engine ran perfect with proper maintainance...when my front axle broke, I put mine out to pasture in 1997...but 13 yrs and over 250k...and I loved it.
Oh and by the way, an awesome 80s car (And into the early 90s) was the Toyota Celica alltrac turbo... ST165 = 80s .... ST185 = 90s (Speaking of pop-up lights of course)
The 88 to 91 Honda Prelude (3rd gen, the last gen with popup headlights) with fuel injection, 4 wheel steering and a 5 speed was very fun to drive for a front wheel drive vehicle. Its the only Honda ever to come standard with a power moonroof and had steering so light you could steer with your pinky finger. Its amazing!
Regarding the integra, I was surprised the 1992 integra GSR was not mentioned.this car was rare for its time and had a DOHC vtec engine called the b17a. This car had a 160hp that handled amazing.
Steven James DeBlasi yeah, good point! In college I got pulled over with my best friend in the passenger seat and my girlfriend across the back area (no seat!). I’m surprised I didn’t get a ticket for that.
You put your girlfriend in that back "seat"? Haha. (I've done that too, but never with a girlfriend.) You're a brave man. I'm willing to bet that your relationship with your best friend lasted longer than your relationship with your girlfriend! LOL
My cousin had an '88 Acura Integra with a 5 Speed, he would burn the tires off that little car! It wasnt very powerful and it was FWD but it was such an awesome car! That car hands down made me love cars.
I REALLY tried to convince my dad to get a Gen I 5 door Integra. Alas, he went for a Subaru GL wagon. Still surprisingly fun to drive, despite being slow, but that was a serious letdown for my teenage self.
The problem isn’t not knowing what 80’s or 90’s Japanese classics are but to find them clean (no to very little surface rust), well taken care of (or modded properly to modern standards) and at a reasonable price.
Another cool car from the '80s (but rare these days) was the Mazda 323 GTX. AWD, turbo, and manual - most have been commissioned to rally racing by now.
Wow, I owned 2 cars on your list. I had an Eagle Talon TSX AWD Turbo and an Acura Integra RS. Both were tons of fun in totally different ways. The Talon was fast and had amazing grip with the AWD and the Integra was nimble and quick and had great gas mileage.
I had an 89 HF CRX that got 50mpg during high school. I loved that 69hp car. Taught me how to momentum drive and use the most of the power. Tough to find an unmolested one now
The preludes with the pop-up headlights were turds no after market for that engine. None of the other Bseries parts fit. Its the basturd child of the b's
I bought an ‘87 Integra 5-door new and kept it for 13 years. That was such a great car. It handled well, was reasonably quick, had a wonderfully low cowl height, and that big hatch made it very practical. The 1.6 was a smooth little jewel and the manual transmission was as good as a front-wheel-drive, cable shifter can be.
Rx7, 300ZX, Starion, Mk2Supra. I loved all of them! These cars really take me back to high school! Almost bought an '85 300ZX , but couldn't afford it at the time. So a couple of years later, I got an 88 Maxima which had the same engine. It's hard to find these cars from the 80s though. And the 90s version of the 300ZX, Supra, and MR2 have gotten pretty expensive. It would be really cool if some of these cars were brought back though. ☺️
Agree with Roman. Prefer the stock look myself. Love to have an 84-86 Supra with the in-line 6. Another one I thought was cool was the 85-87 and 88-89 Honda Prelude Si. Always thought one of those would be cool to have.
And yes. To your point guys, to most people, these are just a bunch of old and outdated cars. But to us generation X folk and young car enthusiasts, they're time capsules and pieces of automotive history.
Oh man, I miss my 1989 Starion ESI-R ... 1st Gen Eclipse gsx was also an awesome car. Will always love the SVX (boxer, not Boxter, Roman )... Also some of these cars you featured were from the early 90s not 80s.. Cool video nonetheless.
The first edition of Automobile Magazine in April 1986 featured an article that compared the Toyota MR2 to the Ferrari 308. The statistics proved that the MR2 WON in every category except top speed. So, yes, the MR2 was actually faster 0-60 mph than the Ferrari, which blew my mind. The writers of the article claimed the MR2 was more comfortable to ride in, the transmission was smoother, and overall a much better vehicle than the Ferrari was, especially for the price. A little extra interesting bit of info: I was given this edition of Automobile Magazine in 1993 by the father of a friend of mine, who worked for the famous auto dealer Cal Worthington (Worthington Ford, Long Beach, CA) whose commercials were a staple of my childhood (and many other people, I'm sure). "Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot! Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal!" He had multiple dealerships nationwide. My friend's dad was the one who drove the cars up onto the spinning platforms in front of the dealership, most commonly seen in the commercials. I'll always remember those awesome commercials! The commercials, just like the man himself, are truly legendary and timeless! RIP Cal Worthington 2013.
I have a 84 50th AE 300zx turbo and it is an absolute blast. An total throwback with gold one-way T-tops. The normal turbos are a great buy right now due to lack of support and very few venders (their fad came, went, came again and has been long gone for a decade). that being said there is a ton of info online, plenty in junk yards/ebay and they arent THAT hard to work on. Just replace all the 30 year old rubber with polly bushings and stiffer swaybars and you have a fun little car you rarely see on the road for $2500-$4500 all day long.
Mitsubishi 3000gt vr4....all wheel drive, active suspension, active exhaust, active aero, 4 wheel steering, 3.0l v6 twin turbo. Sexy looking car and rare to see on the road!
I purchased an 1986 Acura Integra brand new in 1986. One option. The alloy wheels. No Air. Roll up windows. One of the best cars I ever owned. Beautiful suspension. A N/A 1.6 that made over 110 h and was good for 500 rpm past its 7000 rpm redline. Change the timing belt every 75,000 miles. If you buy one change the timing belt first thing. Most Integras are destroyed by timing belts coming apart. In fact most Hondas of that time you had to be very carful about maintaining and replacing the timing belt.
I love this video! Nostalgia overload! I have personally owned a CRX Si and a Dodge Conquest (Starion), and I’ve had friends who have owned the original Celica Supra and the original Integra. Oh, and I almost owned a 300ZX Turbo (until the dealer tried to change the deal and overcharge me). Love these cars! The CRX Si was super fun to drive and had amazing handling. The Conquest/Starion was fast, but I wasn’t the original owner and mine had too many mechanical problems, so I didn’t keep it for long. Never had an MR2, but always thought they were cool too!
Japanese cars were at their pinnacle of engineering and design in the late 80's thru early 90's. Not so much the case anymore. Good luck trying to find any one of these cars in good shape and not riced-out though.
alpha7ization yes, Japanese cars are generally still very dependable, but they have lost all of that passion and soul from back in the day. Maybe an exception here or there, such as the BRZ/FRS, Miata.
I agree 100%. The Toyota MR2 needs to come back and battle the Miata. Also a good candidate is the Lexus 5 SPEED MANUAL IS300. Toyota Lexus fans will love it. Really fun RWD small sedan. go kart handling with a SUPRA engine and luxury interior
I hope you mean the 1983. I do not think there was an 82. They went from the horrible 81 to the beautiful 83. That may be the most improved car ( over one year) in the history of mankind
Memory lane..I had an 89 integra, 91 MR2, and the XT Turbo Subie.. can't remember what year it was .all super fun to drive! I also built a 79 Ford Fiesta with parts from BAT "british american transfer"..I wish I wish I kept that one! 200hp in a sub 1ton car = smashing every V8 car on the street back then.
This was a good list, my friends and I had almost every car on it. I cant count all the times I was under the hood of a DSM. Mine were a 91 CRX si, 93 Acura Intgera GS, 92 Acura Integra GS-R, 91 Subaru XT6, and a 87 Subaru XT-Turbo (that is currently for sale ;))
1989 Subaru gl 10 wagon. My mom had one in red with a turbo. When I saw that turbo light come on as a kid I felt like we were flying. I now understand that it wasn't very fast lol. But from a stop light it would scoot. Good memories!
My first car a 92 Integra swapped a jspec b16a and put it so low to the ground you couldn't slide your foot under the side of it. LOVED IT! Much better looking then the Gen 1 and came out in 89 so technically a top car of the 80s
Nissan 240sx convertible , I've had many 240sx's in the last 17 years and it has become a "ricer" or the new "honda" so as an adult I chose a vert which I own for the last 6 years !
Agreed! I am glad that I owned 2 of these 10 before in my college age, the white MR2 Supercharged and the black Integra Special Edition. Love the MR2 so much and am looking forward to own one again (non modified version)!
Between me and my buddies, we had these cars covered... Back in the day, that was. I had a 1989 Mazda Miata when it first came out. Another one had the 1988 Mitsubishi Starion ESi-R, one had a 1986 Nissan 300 ZX 2+2 (non-turbo), one had a 1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse turbo, one had the 1983 RX-7, one had a 1994 Lexus SC400, one had a 1988 CRX Si, , my dad's friend had a 1991 MR2, and another had the 1988 Acura Integra. We got them all, pretty much. I knew guys with the 1983-84 squared off Celica Supras too.
In 1986 my mom had an '85 RX7 identical to that one, learned to drive stick in that car. I owned an '89 Chrysler Conquest TSI, black with black leather and it was a really slick, quick car...it was a babe magnet. My sister had a 300ZX turbo and it was slightly faster than my Conquest in a straight line, but her Nissan couldn't even compete with my car through turns.
Decent list, I’m actually shopping for a 300ZX Turbo currently. You missed a good one though... Nissan Pulsar NX, not that quick but they handle amazingly well & are extremely fun, pretty much like driving a go-kart on the street, they are also cheap & easy to maintain, cheap on gas, comfortable even for long trips, lots of front seat room, decent rear seat for kids, large cargo area, amazing looks & T-tops!
Still have my 2001 Integra SE with 124k km on it. Thankfully no real rust no damages or problems in it's history thus far. I love it to bits. I also have a 2013 328i Xdrive and I still miss getting into my Integra when I store it away. It's just such a beautiful simple machine that puts a smile on your face. The suspension is so solid for a car of it's year and the engine is just buttery smooth and it lives up to its legendary handling. I really hope Acura/Honda bring back the Integra but without the accountants and marketing team getting involved just build a pure 2 door Integra with an updated classic timeless look and give it more natural power. Keep it simple and elegant.
Uh, you missed one boys... The SR20 powered 1991 - 1994 Nissan Sentra SE-R. There is a reason it was on Car & Drivers 10 Best list every year made. A true gem and one that is appreciating in value... if you can find one. Clean ones are as rare as hens teeth now.
I’ve been able to own 4 of these on this list. 300z, Miata, Integra, and the CRX. Another interesting car from that era... Isuzu Impulse. Very unique features.
Cool thing about the rx-7, is that it is a hatch back. I once went to a thrift store to buy some furniture and I was able to fit in a small dressed into the back of my rx-7.
I had a 89 Toyota Cressida. The one car I wished I never sold. Whether leaving it stock or swapping a manual transmission and some turbos, I miss that car. The Supra and the Cressida were highly related. Also, the Cressida was used to test a lot of the LS400 technology. I will also never forget that the HVAC controls slide out by an electronic button (I believe the 91-92 got rid of this).
Nice! I desired all of those except for three: SC 300/400; CRX; & the XT. The one glaring omission that stands above these three is the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4!
Damn,,watched this video to hear MORE about the MR2 because I have a Supercharged version. Bought it for $5000 in 2007 in mint condition. Just had it evaluated and it's now worth $17,000! So anyone reading this,,go and get one because they're awesome and going up in value!!
I know we are talking about sports car only. But Japanese cars in the 80s were the best. My dad had a 1982 Toyota Corolla Tercel. I had a 1989 Tercel myself. Both lasted more than 20 years and over 300k miles. I sold both, after my dad left the country, and mine after my 89 needed about $2500 not repair, but new clutch, timing belt, water pump, brakes, etc. really just normal tear and wear items. Car was only worth $1000 at the time. My mistakes. I wish I still have these cars today. Not that they were fast at all, but all the memories.
Another honorable mention is the first generation(1989-1994) Nissan 240SX(S13 in Nissan designation). It wasn't that powerful in stock form but the styling looked good, it was RWD, and was a good handling car during that time period. Plus the first generation S13 240SX had the cool pop up headlights.
Really loved Starion and MR2 during my teenage year back in the 80s. Looked so exclusive yet sporty. And RX7 Savanna and Prelude (1st gen) were my first crush when I was 10 yrs old ..... Celica/Supra was my coming of age crush.. wowww you really list out all my dream cars...love it . And BTW, I am a avid fan of Duran2, still have the tapes.... Miss my 80s
Nah, Integra (all years) far surpass it. Integra DC2 was (may still be) the best front wheel driving handling car ever build and the type r was (may still be) the most horsepower per liter.
In my opinion the true predecessor to the Evo is the 1991-1992 Galant VR4. It was an awd 4 cylinder turbo sedan like the Evo. Mitsubishi used it to rally as well. Good video though. Nice content!
I've just recently started looking for cars, as I'm not much of a car guy more of a truck guy. Even though my first vehicle next year may be a Chevy S10 Blazer, I really love the Nissan 300ZX Turbo with the digital gauge cluster and 5 - speed manual. I just love the futuristic look of it.
Your list only confirmed what I already knew from my own experience. All awesome cars. Si stands for "SPORT INJECTED" not injection. I owned a 86 Prelude Si and got so much ass in that car...good times.
Noticed several comments mentioning the AE86, but nobody pays attention to the TE72 cars put out by Toyota. I feel they were Very important step in development of Toyota’s well known sport cars.
Just bought a non 4ws 91 prelude si with the b21a1. Obviously there aren't many of these left especially original. I think they are still often overlooked.
I'd add Celica and Prelude! Man, I miss the days of cool sporty coupes.
YOU ARE AN IDIOT!
GET OUT OF AMERICA!
@@GeorgeWalley-fc3nx how about you get out of here idiot because there's nothing wrong with the car that he said
Owned both. Awesome cars mate.
@@korymanuel6759 these guys are trash, watch their g37 videos lmao
Don’t forget the RA64/65. The last Rear Wheel Drive Celica
Back In the Day Mitsubishi actually made a desirable car! How the mighty have fallen
Well, their vehicle subsidiary fell, but they are still a huge company with subsidiaries in a variety of industries.
To be honest even their new cars are no worse than the crap dodge/chrysler/jeep puts out and that stuff seems to sell real good
I think that's pretty much any company largely...
I had a '87 Integra and drove it for about 120K miles before selling it to my sister in order to get an Eclipse GSX. She drove the Integra for another 8 years or so before salt damage finally forced her to get rid of it. But that was a great driving car and for it's day looked pretty cool.
THANK YOU for not cutting into or molesting that RX-7!
A clean CRX is probably the hardest of this list to find. Every single one I’ve ever seen since 2000 has been mangled to death.
Eunos Roadster, Toyota SOARER, Nissan FAIRLADY Z, Mazda SAVANNA RX-7, Toyota CELICA XX, Honda BALLADE SPORTS CR-X, Honda QUINT INTEGRA, Subaru ALCYONE XT and ALCYONE SVX
All things not available in the US, where this video was produced.
I had a blast with my mid 80's Isuzu Impulse. The engine lasted forever. Mine hit over 250k. It was prone to some electrical problems (3 window motors and a few switches) but the engine ran perfect with proper maintainance...when my front axle broke, I put mine out to pasture in 1997...but 13 yrs and over 250k...and I loved it.
Oh and by the way, an awesome 80s car (And into the early 90s) was the Toyota Celica alltrac turbo... ST165 = 80s .... ST185 = 90s (Speaking of pop-up lights of course)
I'd vote for the first TWO generations of the Celica All-trac
The 88 to 91 Honda Prelude (3rd gen, the last gen with popup headlights) with fuel injection, 4 wheel steering and a 5 speed was very fun to drive for a front wheel drive vehicle. Its the only Honda ever to come standard with a power moonroof and had steering so light you could steer with your pinky finger. Its amazing!
No Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4?
Regarding the integra, I was surprised the 1992 integra GSR was not mentioned.this car was rare for its time and had a DOHC vtec engine called the b17a. This car had a 160hp that handled amazing.
Sam t smh at you, he said GSR
Great job guys. I grew up in the 80s and I know these cars. I always knew these cars would make a comeback and that is great.
I loved my old Honda CRX Si! Still the best car I ever had!
Steven James DeBlasi same here. First car and my favorite too.
I loved how it had a power sunroof, but no power windows! LOL And no back seats. Wish I had kept that car.
Steven James DeBlasi yeah, good point! In college I got pulled over with my best friend in the passenger seat and my girlfriend across the back area (no seat!). I’m surprised I didn’t get a ticket for that.
You put your girlfriend in that back "seat"? Haha. (I've done that too, but never with a girlfriend.) You're a brave man. I'm willing to bet that your relationship with your best friend lasted longer than your relationship with your girlfriend! LOL
Steven James DeBlasi you are correct, best friend lasted longer than the girlfriend. Haha.
My cousin had an '88 Acura Integra with a 5 Speed, he would burn the tires off that little car! It wasnt very powerful and it was FWD but it was such an awesome car! That car hands down made me love cars.
I REALLY tried to convince my dad to get a Gen I 5 door Integra. Alas, he went for a Subaru GL wagon. Still surprisingly fun to drive, despite being slow, but that was a serious letdown for my teenage self.
By far the best episode from this channel. Congratulations.
The problem isn’t not knowing what 80’s or 90’s Japanese classics are but to find them clean (no to very little surface rust), well taken care of (or modded properly to modern standards) and at a reasonable price.
This is what I love about RUclips, when you think you're the only one with a special interest you find a channel talking about it.
Another cool car from the '80s (but rare these days) was the Mazda 323 GTX. AWD, turbo, and manual - most have been commissioned to rally racing by now.
Wow, I owned 2 cars on your list. I had an Eagle Talon TSX AWD Turbo and an Acura Integra RS. Both were tons of fun in totally different ways. The Talon was fast and had amazing grip with the AWD and the Integra was nimble and quick and had great gas mileage.
That Honda CRX-Si is where its at!!!
I had an 89 HF CRX that got 50mpg during high school. I loved that 69hp car. Taught me how to momentum drive and use the most of the power. Tough to find an unmolested one now
Chris Dooley I had an 91 CRX Si and remember it fondly.
Had an 88 Si, was a great car but had to sell it due to a forthcoming baby.
Honda prelude si all wheel steering
The preludes with the pop-up headlights were turds no after market for that engine. None of the other Bseries parts fit. Its the basturd child of the b's
It’s an H in all the preludes, not a B. And it has a fair bit of aftermarket support
1991 Si 4WS! My father bought one brand new and it is one of the random cars I'd still buy today. I'm now 39.
Proud owner 91 si 5mt aws
@@mikedurk9439 disappointed stupid engineer . I feel so sorry for idiots like you
I'm with Roman...keep it stock!
I bought an ‘87 Integra 5-door new and kept it for 13 years. That was such a great car. It handled well, was reasonably quick, had a wonderfully low cowl height, and that big hatch made it very practical. The 1.6 was a smooth little jewel and the manual transmission was as good as a front-wheel-drive, cable shifter can be.
89 Integra was my first car. Man, I loved that thing.
Rx7, 300ZX, Starion, Mk2Supra. I loved all of them! These cars really take me back to high school! Almost bought an '85 300ZX , but couldn't afford it at the time. So a couple of years later, I got an 88 Maxima which had the same engine. It's hard to find these cars from the 80s though. And the 90s version of the 300ZX, Supra, and MR2 have gotten pretty expensive. It would be really cool if some of these cars were brought back though. ☺️
You couldnt afford it because of the unreliability choices like mr2
Agree with Roman. Prefer the stock look myself. Love to have an 84-86 Supra with the in-line 6. Another one I thought was cool was the 85-87 and 88-89 Honda Prelude Si. Always thought one of those would be cool to have.
And yes. To your point guys, to most people, these are just a bunch of old and outdated cars. But to us generation X folk and young car enthusiasts, they're time capsules and pieces of automotive history.
The Acura Integra and 1998-1991 Accord look AMAZING.
Oh man, I miss my 1989 Starion ESI-R ... 1st Gen Eclipse gsx was also an awesome car. Will always love the SVX (boxer, not Boxter, Roman )... Also some of these cars you featured were from the early 90s not 80s.. Cool video nonetheless.
The first edition of Automobile Magazine in April 1986 featured an article that compared the Toyota MR2 to the Ferrari 308. The statistics proved that the MR2 WON in every category except top speed. So, yes, the MR2 was actually faster 0-60 mph than the Ferrari, which blew my mind. The writers of the article claimed the MR2 was more comfortable to ride in, the transmission was smoother, and overall a much better vehicle than the Ferrari was, especially for the price.
A little extra interesting bit of info: I was given this edition of Automobile Magazine in 1993 by the father of a friend of mine, who worked for the famous auto dealer Cal Worthington (Worthington Ford, Long Beach, CA) whose commercials were a staple of my childhood (and many other people, I'm sure). "Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot! Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal!" He had multiple dealerships nationwide. My friend's dad was the one who drove the cars up onto the spinning platforms in front of the dealership, most commonly seen in the commercials. I'll always remember those awesome commercials! The commercials, just like the man himself, are truly legendary and timeless! RIP Cal Worthington 2013.
1992 nissan sentra SE-R.very fun car
I have a 84 50th AE 300zx turbo and it is an absolute blast. An total throwback with gold one-way T-tops. The normal turbos are a great buy right now due to lack of support and very few venders (their fad came, went, came again and has been long gone for a decade). that being said there is a ton of info online, plenty in junk yards/ebay and they arent THAT hard to work on. Just replace all the 30 year old rubber with polly bushings and stiffer swaybars and you have a fun little car you rarely see on the road for $2500-$4500 all day long.
Mitsubishi 3000gt vr4....all wheel drive, active suspension, active exhaust, active aero, 4 wheel steering, 3.0l v6 twin turbo. Sexy looking car and rare to see on the road!
mcastro089 that's a 90's car
Shawn Moses missed the intro! 80's!
mcastro089 lol, you good!!! My dad had a regular 3000GT SL.
The 3000 GT VR4 is my choice too!
Shawn Moses The Lexus is 90's car too.
I took your advise, kind of. I bought a Toyota Soarer. The Japanese version of the sc300
I had that exact same 85 RX-7, LOVED that car! Same color too
Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
Toyota FX-16 GTS
Toyota Corolla GTS (AE86)
Celica All-Trac Turbo
Corolla & Camry All-Trac
Mazda 323 GTX
Mazda MX-3
Isuzu Impulse Turbo
Nissan Pulsar, SE-R, NX2000
They’ve predicted the future cuz a lot of this is through the roof when it comes to price
A clean well taken caree of GSX eclipse is impossible to find.
I purchased an 1986 Acura Integra brand new in 1986. One option. The alloy wheels. No Air. Roll up windows. One of the best cars I ever owned. Beautiful suspension. A N/A 1.6 that made over 110 h and was good for 500 rpm past its 7000 rpm redline. Change the timing belt every 75,000 miles. If you buy one change the timing belt first thing. Most Integras are destroyed by timing belts coming apart. In fact most Hondas of that time you had to be very carful about maintaining and replacing the timing belt.
I love this video! Nostalgia overload! I have personally owned a CRX Si and a Dodge Conquest (Starion), and I’ve had friends who have owned the original Celica Supra and the original Integra. Oh, and I almost owned a 300ZX Turbo (until the dealer tried to change the deal and overcharge me). Love these cars! The CRX Si was super fun to drive and had amazing handling. The Conquest/Starion was fast, but I wasn’t the original owner and mine had too many mechanical problems, so I didn’t keep it for long. Never had an MR2, but always thought they were cool too!
This video was golden
Japanese cars were at their pinnacle of engineering and design in the late 80's thru early 90's. Not so much the case anymore. Good luck trying to find any one of these cars in good shape and not riced-out though.
They are still good cars....but yeah 80's-90's was the golden age. I still bemoan the fact that Toyota got rid of the Mr2, Celica, and Supra
alpha7ization yes, Japanese cars are generally still very dependable, but they have lost all of that passion and soul from back in the day. Maybe an exception here or there, such as the BRZ/FRS, Miata.
I believe mazda is the last one trying hard to keep the passion. dont know what happened to mitsubishi, once making fantastic cars and now......
Mk1 MR2, love em.
I agree 100%. The Toyota MR2 needs to come back and battle the Miata.
Also a good candidate is the Lexus 5 SPEED MANUAL IS300.
Toyota Lexus fans will love it. Really fun RWD small sedan. go kart handling with a SUPRA engine and luxury interior
Toyota4Life unfortunately Toyota stopped the MR2 because of the “competition”
"go kart handling" and "lexus" don't go together
Muhammed Mujahid are you stupid? Don't be stupid
Muhammed Mujahid I owned a IS300 so unless you own one don't speak on it
My favourite car of the 80s was the 1982 Honda Prelude
I hope you mean the 1983. I do not think there was an 82. They went from the horrible 81 to the beautiful 83. That may be the most improved car ( over one year) in the history of mankind
fatboy19831 Yep you are right.
edozie sylvester I'm the exact opposite. My favorite is the 01 SH.
roguedogx for the beauty of mechanical simplicity the '83 stands out
roguedogx for the beauty of mechanical simplicity the '83 stands out
Of all the videos covering this topic I think your choices make the most sense. +Prelude
Also, yes si stands for sport injection.
No, it stands for YES in Spanish
Memory lane..I had an 89 integra, 91 MR2, and the XT Turbo Subie.. can't remember what year it was .all super fun to drive! I also built a 79 Ford Fiesta with parts from BAT "british american transfer"..I wish I wish I kept that one! 200hp in a sub 1ton car = smashing every V8 car on the street back then.
Snagged my sc400 a few months ago and loving it. Would get another for tuning.
This was a good list, my friends and I had almost every car on it. I cant count all the times I was under the hood of a DSM.
Mine were a 91 CRX si, 93 Acura Intgera GS, 92 Acura Integra GS-R, 91 Subaru XT6, and a 87 Subaru XT-Turbo (that is currently for sale ;))
1989 Subaru gl 10 wagon. My mom had one in red with a turbo. When I saw that turbo light come on as a kid I felt like we were flying. I now understand that it wasn't very fast lol. But from a stop light it would scoot. Good memories!
My first car a 92 Integra swapped a jspec b16a and put it so low to the ground you couldn't slide your foot under the side of it. LOVED IT! Much better looking then the Gen 1 and came out in 89 so technically a top car of the 80s
Nissan 240sx convertible , I've had many 240sx's in the last 17 years and it has become a "ricer" or the new "honda" so as an adult I chose a vert which I own for the last 6 years !
I'd add the early preludes on as well. A well care for 1992 prelude with H22 is a blast to drive. Good list overall tho.
Had an 86, it was pretty fun but dear god was it a mofo to work on.
Agreed! I am glad that I owned 2 of these 10 before in my college age, the white MR2 Supercharged and the black Integra Special Edition. Love the MR2 so much and am looking forward to own one again (non modified version)!
Between me and my buddies, we had these cars covered... Back in the day, that was. I had a 1989 Mazda Miata when it first came out. Another one had the 1988 Mitsubishi Starion ESi-R, one had a 1986 Nissan 300 ZX 2+2 (non-turbo), one had a 1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse turbo, one had the 1983 RX-7, one had a 1994 Lexus SC400, one had a 1988 CRX Si, , my dad's friend had a 1991 MR2, and another had the 1988 Acura Integra. We got them all, pretty much. I knew guys with the 1983-84 squared off Celica Supras too.
In 1986 my mom had an '85 RX7 identical to that one, learned to drive stick in that car. I owned an '89 Chrysler Conquest TSI, black with black leather and it was a really slick, quick car...it was a babe magnet. My sister had a 300ZX turbo and it was slightly faster than my Conquest in a straight line, but her Nissan couldn't even compete with my car through turns.
The late 80s early 90s mazada mx6 is so overlooked
I was hoping you would pick the Starion -- very interesting car back in the day :)
Decent list, I’m actually shopping for a 300ZX Turbo currently. You missed a good one though... Nissan Pulsar NX, not that quick but they handle amazingly well & are extremely fun, pretty much like driving a go-kart on the street, they are also cheap & easy to maintain, cheap on gas, comfortable even for long trips, lots of front seat room, decent rear seat for kids, large cargo area, amazing looks & T-tops!
Still have my 2001 Integra SE with 124k km on it. Thankfully no real rust no damages or problems in it's history thus far. I love it to bits. I also have a 2013 328i Xdrive and I still miss getting into my Integra when I store it away. It's just such a beautiful simple machine that puts a smile on your face. The suspension is so solid for a car of it's year and the engine is just buttery smooth and it lives up to its legendary handling. I really hope Acura/Honda bring back the Integra but without the accountants and marketing team getting involved just build a pure 2 door Integra with an updated classic timeless look and give it more natural power. Keep it simple and elegant.
Uh, you missed one boys... The SR20 powered 1991 - 1994 Nissan Sentra SE-R. There is a reason it was on Car & Drivers 10 Best list every year made. A true gem and one that is appreciating in value... if you can find one. Clean ones are as rare as hens teeth now.
Amazing designs. I have two 1980 Preludes and a 95 SVX, nice cars.
I’ve been able to own 4 of these on this list. 300z, Miata, Integra, and the CRX. Another interesting car from that era... Isuzu Impulse. Very unique features.
Cool thing about the rx-7, is that it is a hatch back. I once went to a thrift store to buy some furniture and I was able to fit in a small dressed into the back of my rx-7.
Sooo Glad you included the Subaru X-T . YOU forgot the Iconic comercial ....."But Dad...it is a SUBARU!...."
I had a 89 Toyota Cressida. The one car I wished I never sold. Whether leaving it stock or swapping a manual transmission and some turbos, I miss that car. The Supra and the Cressida were highly related. Also, the Cressida was used to test a lot of the LS400 technology. I will also never forget that the HVAC controls slide out by an electronic button (I believe the 91-92 got rid of this).
Wife has a Toyota Soarer GT (twin turbo JDM of the sc300). What a comfortable, spectacular car! Not many around here and turns head
Acura Integra GSR 4 door - best car I ever owned!
Nice! I desired all of those except for three: SC 300/400; CRX; & the XT. The one glaring omission that stands above these three is the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4!
Another classic, late 80's Isuzu Impulse Turbo
Damn,,watched this video to hear MORE about the MR2 because I have a Supercharged version. Bought it for $5000 in 2007 in mint condition. Just had it evaluated and it's now worth $17,000! So anyone reading this,,go and get one because they're awesome and going up in value!!
What about the 85-88 Turbo Intercooled Isuzu Impulse?
Give me a thumbs up if you like the Acura RSX Type S.
RUST NEVER SLEEPS with most of these.
I know we are talking about sports car only. But Japanese cars in the 80s were the best. My dad had a 1982 Toyota Corolla Tercel. I had a 1989 Tercel myself. Both lasted more than 20 years and over 300k miles. I sold both, after my dad left the country, and mine after my 89 needed about $2500 not repair, but new clutch, timing belt, water pump, brakes, etc. really just normal tear and wear items. Car was only worth $1000 at the time. My mistakes. I wish I still have these cars today. Not that they were fast at all, but all the memories.
I owned a 1988 Integra EX16, l loved it and always regretted selling it.
I had a 1985 Integra with a 1.6L carb engine that went well for its day.
Another honorable mention is the first generation(1989-1994) Nissan 240SX(S13 in Nissan designation). It wasn't that powerful in stock form but the styling looked good, it was RWD, and was a good handling car during that time period. Plus the first generation S13 240SX had the cool pop up headlights.
Really loved Starion and MR2 during my teenage year back in the 80s. Looked so exclusive yet sporty. And RX7 Savanna and Prelude (1st gen) were my first crush when I was 10 yrs old ..... Celica/Supra was my coming of age crush.. wowww you really list out all my dream cars...love it . And BTW, I am a avid fan of Duran2, still have the tapes.... Miss my 80s
Oh, I had a 1990 Ford Probe LX. Pop up headlights. 3L V6. 5spd manual. Removable sunroof. Digital dash. Super cool car.
Pretty excellent choices! I would add Toyota Corolla GT, or AE86.. then again, those are extremely expensive..
I own a 1991 mr2 n/a 5speed(soon to be 2gr swapped). I daily it also(owner for 3 years now). I love this car so much, plus the community is awesome
Leave it un swapped, just love it for what it is.
Have not seen it yet but hope there is a Subaru SVX
Edit: Eyyyy!
Where’s the Honda Prelude?? That was the one I always wanted
Nah, Integra (all years) far surpass it. Integra DC2 was (may still be) the best front wheel driving handling car ever build and the type r was (may still be) the most horsepower per liter.
You forgot about the Honda Prelude ! I loved our 90 Si 4ws ALB coupe was a blast to drive especially after installing the Jackson Racing supercharger.
Nissan 240/swapped SR20. Best Japanese car ever. However, to find one now that isn’t a rust bucket is the real challenge.
+ the insane drift tax..... an sr swapped 240 used to cost 5 grand, now it's double that if not more.
Lynn Mckenney yup. I’ve done two of those swaps and currently have a blacktop sitting in the garage waiting for another good candidate
In my opinion the true predecessor to the Evo is the 1991-1992 Galant VR4. It was an awd 4 cylinder turbo sedan like the Evo. Mitsubishi used it to rally as well. Good video though. Nice content!
I would like to get a crx and do a b18c swap , all the ones I have found are salvage, beat up , ghetto :(
I've just recently started looking for cars, as I'm not much of a car guy more of a truck guy. Even though my first vehicle next year may be a Chevy S10 Blazer, I really love the Nissan 300ZX Turbo with the digital gauge cluster and 5 - speed manual. I just love the futuristic look of it.
1979 rx7 my 1st car in HS! The year was 2003 and we had a lot of snow that year, so fun in the snow
Your list only confirmed what I already knew from my own experience. All awesome cars. Si stands for "SPORT INJECTED" not injection. I owned a 86 Prelude Si and got so much ass in that car...good times.
What do you think of the 2003 mazdaspeed protégé? first mazda car to carry the mazdaspeed badge.
I love my 91 Sc300 got it for 2 grand with a new light blue paint job
3th gen MR2 is so underrated
Noticed several comments mentioning the AE86, but nobody pays attention to the TE72 cars put out by Toyota. I feel they were Very important step in development of Toyota’s well known sport cars.
First car i bought was a 1988 Acura Integra, and loved it.
How could they leave out the '85-'87 Toyota Corolla GT-S Twin Cam
livefitv livefitv because they aren’t affordable
Just bought a non 4ws 91 prelude si with the b21a1. Obviously there aren't many of these left especially original. I think they are still often overlooked.
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