1996's Import Drag Scene | Retro Review
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Five years before "The Fast and The Furious" made import drag racing a household discussion, MotorWeek checked out the hype back in this segment form 1996. NOSSSSSSS
Show 1723 | Originally Aired 02-11-1997
Want to help keep our weekly Retro Reviews alive? DONATE NOW: mptevents.regf...
Follow us on social media:
Facebook ( / motorweektv )
Twitter ( / motorweek )
Instagram ( / motorweek
The most 90’s part of this was the camera work and editing. Much nostalgia.
Nah. It was the tank tops and bleached hair
Ed Bergenholtz, Lisa Kubo, Adam Saruwatari, OGs
I really miss seeing all the ridiculous looking cars going around…. So boring now.
They are still around, but starting to show up in different racing series. You should check out Grid Life. Their Grassroot series is actually pretty cool to watch and even hang out at their events.
@@driversatlarge4055 >Grid Life
Is that a HIV positive racing series?
@@WTC7 Actually no. It's Bank Account Negative like all racing.
Can still see some roving around in SoCal on Saturday nights.
Fun times, such great memories
Icy Hot Stuntaz!
Taking The HIGH ROAD
I’m tripping out on how someone was able to import a Skyline into the US back in 96 even if it was just for racing only
It was easier back then.
It was a company in garden grove, ca that imported them for sale. I believe they were called motorex… went under years ago
@@ramonjrusa Timing doesn't add up. Motorex wasn't in business until 1999. The car was likely imported and solely used as a race car, so no registration needed if it's not being driven on the public road.
Brought in on a temporary import visa. Basically you can import it without bringing it into compliance, but you have to export it before the visa is up. Lots of Japanese tuner shops brought them over here in the early 00’s like that. This particular car is from Signal Auto. They had an American shop at the time.
Best person to ask is Craig Lieberman. He was actually involved in this scene back in 96.
Racewars 1996
Then we talk.
I can buy my own shrimp!
Galant '94!
Wow awesome vid. I want to know who had that R33 stateside in '96. Crazy!
it was probably in the us under a law that allowed cars to be brought in for show and limited use under 2500 miles per year.
Signal Auto based in Japan. They had a business stateside in Torrance, too.
"I'm going legit, homey. Trying to get on the NIRA circuit. Heard about that?"
"hell yeah"
The RX-7 is very impressive to run 9.67s in '96.
Must’ve been a literal space rocket back in them days! It is still a beast today in the same spec!
9.6s in 96
2:49 26 years later pep boys still sells those heinous "light weight" aluminum drilled pedal sets.
Basically a LA civic meet lol
The good ole days when muscle cars and imports looked at each other and said "hey we are different but let's go fast"
Nah there was a pretty big rivalry.
@@juanc5149 I wish for the days domestic and imports and just sit down together and accept each other, than go shit on Priuses together
@@fortcrafterbossbehold9027 Some do exactly that
Still have an 87 CRX Si and a 93 Prelude VTEC
Anybody else feeling old yet?
Just wait till you get asked what life was like in the " Nineteen hundreds ".
We weren't born in a different decade to the kids these days - we were born in a different millenium !
These kids are now in there 50s.
40s
And now these Hondas run 7s in awd, we came a long way…
Then the "Ricers" came and ruined it all 😂
This brings back memories... loved my 95 Civic Coupe.... I still have my owned from new pristine 01 S2000 in my garage..... and now also own an AMG GTC Roadster convertible.... That era of Honda was brilliant!.... thats all gone
Hang on to that s2k. Gonna be worth big money someday
@@senseicorey9979 - They already are. You used to be able to find a decent S2000 for around $18k. Now you’d better have at least $30k.
To think this was unheard of at the time. Now we got Honda Civics running 5’s and 6’s in the 1/4 mile.
The videography/editing of this segment was heavily influenced by MTV. Didn't age well...
VTEC is what made Honda and Acura famous since the 1990s!
The cameraman was having seizures that day.
Makes me appreciate my B16a swapped EK even more.
Wow. I never saw this episode of MW. This could have been almost a screen test for the first F&F. I was a teenager in the 90s on the east coast and there was nothing like this. It was all in CA. I remember the Sport Compact Car magazine on the shelves and that is what introduced me.
Anyways, good to see that the first F&F movie was inspired from true events and culture.
Mid to late 90’s was like this in Georgia. I was in college back then
I was against the import scene pretty much into high school. Today though, driving a tuned fiesta ST as my daily. Me 20 years ago would hate me now.
This always gets the boomers going… import tuning is the modern true essence of hot ridding . Like the guys in the early days they are working with what they have , and doing what they can with it .
That 90's style video editing. I miss that, very nostalgic
Man, this is so cool. Thanks for sharing Motorweek
Oooooohhhhhh man my childhood all over again 🔥🏎💨
I should've been my current age back in those days of the import tuner scene. Seems like a lot of young guys having fun. I'm sure it was the same exact thing during the muscle car days as well.
Eh… then you’d be older now. But ya man, the car scene was fun at least in the early 2000s it was lol.
But now the home mechanic has way better access to cordless tools, and much better hardware and parts. But replacement engines are super expensive right now.
@@juanc5149 if only we had our own personal time machine lol
It was a fun time. I graduated high school in 1998. The Internet car forms where getting popular. Helped a lot for sharing knowledge, mods and maintenance. The first time to see a 4 cylinder beat a Z28 or mustang GT was a big deal. V8 owners were not happy
@@juanc5149 Dude, it really came out of nowhere and hit BIG. Even my lite hometown had at least two racing clubs. One LG my buddies had an STir that was modified to the 450-500 wheel HP range and was an absolute beast. Drivabiloty suffered though; no power until boost hit at which point rev limiter hitting was vortuslly instantaneous. Rinse and repeat.
Me with my American V8 cars (Corvettes mostly) BMW and Porsche thought myself too good to join. Did later get a 350Z though. It was an okay performance car. Super reliable tough
Back when honda was “sport” oriented..
Honda as a brand has NEVER been “sport” orientated. They were oriented towards CHEAP TO PRODUCE so customers could afford to buy them. By CHEAP TO PRODUCE, I mean the cars were built very simply and most models shared their chassis architecture and parts with other models in the Honda / Acura lineup.
Because they were so simple and Honda also didn’t and still doesn’t use very thick metal, they were light and the new models are still considered light when compared to other brands.
Only the Si models were sport oriented”
And the NSX of course.
But anyway Honda is now selling the fastest most badass best handling car they have EVER made - the new Civic Type R.
Even the base model Civics have turbos.
Please tell me how Honda was sport oriented “back when” as compared to now.
@@hondrta lol, simple answer they didnt have resort to stupid cost saving turbos like now a days! They had real type r back then with res line of 8k and cars like the s2k not stupid looking and weak sounding motors like the type r motor, what the hell special about that motor? Nothing!! Either ur too young or too dumb to remember how honda influenced the scene and yes they were inexpensive cara not cheap big difference but they were stupid reliable not like the type r blowing transmissions. Please bro dont say stupid shit. If you think the new type r is a real type r ur wrong.
@@gigi9467 that’s the first in my life that I’ve seen turbos referred to as “cost saving”. I really enjoyed the days of TRUE DOHC VTEC - VTEC on both intake and exhaust cam. A lot of people see they have a DOHC and it’s VTEC, but it’s not a true DOHC VTEC - like the new type r and the Civic Si 9th gen forward.
Yes I know how Honda influenced “the scene”, but that wasn’t their intention.
You still didn’t tell me how Honda was “sport oriented back then” and how they aren’t now.
The new Civic Type-R stock will smoke any stock Honda ever made that came before it, and out-handle them all too.
That’s not an opinion, that’s a fact.
So if a turbocharged car that is faster and better handling than all the cars before it isn’t “sport oriented” enough to you…. You are “ too young or dumb “ to formulate comprehensive thoughts.
@@hondrta you dont get it buddy, it was never about being fast it was the sound the feeling, harleys dont sell on the notion of being fast they sell on the notion of feel, these new honda have none of that sporty feel thats why they were sporty! U want a fast car buy a corvette. Yea turbos save manufacturers money funny how you dont know that.. No it’s not because they’re more fuel efficient that’s BS that only works in a laboratory it’s because they save the manufacturers money.
@@gigi9467 I get what you are saying about the sound and the feel.
VTEC crossover and high revs.
But now they have shit tons of torque and a turbo.
I guess to you that is no longer “sport oriented”.
Turbos save the manufacturer money?
So let’s say in 1999 the Civic Si with the B16A…. Honda decides to put a turbo on the B16A and all the things needed to turbocharge a car.
They are now saving money on the 1999 Si since they put a turbo on it, versus the same 1999 Si with no turbo?????????????????
Yea that makes no sense.
And what “only works in a laboratory”?
Turbochargers and fuel efficiency?
Man I remember those days! I used to be one of those! Mine was a Honda Civic dx suped up! Kinda like a sleeper if you will, the mid 90s was the meca of the import racing here in USA!👌😎👍
I need NOS! Two of them, the big ones!
Sorry Hector bought em all with the T66 turbos, yes along with mortec exhausts
That was the First time seeing a R33 in my TV in 1997, I thought it was Japanese Daytona NASCAR
Talk about old school! Danger to manifold!
I was there..pre f&f
You old :P
Honda needs to bring the new City hatch car to North America. It could be cheap to buy and a great starter car for young people to work on. Slap an Si engine in it and have a 200hp tiny hot hatch for 20k.
Its called Honda Jazz in Europe or Honda City in Japan
It seem like all car company teamed up and make same looking car today, those days are gone, never get it back.
Wow- Import Performance before TFAF made it a "scene". Looks like a blast.
Even back then it was crazy how quick they could run a FWD 2.0 liter engine down the quarter mile. I mean they were knocking off 5-6 seconds off what a stock 1992 Civic could do in the quarter mile.
Brings a tear to my eye
I'm pretty sure this was a cut scene from race wars in the original Fast and Furious
Probably the best vid you guys have put out
Legends… I was in eight grade reading about guys like Ed and Adam when this clip came out.
And then it was the year what, 2000 when F&F came out and that import racing scene completely and forever changed. Billions of dollars business globally nowadays with so many shops, tuners and suppliers that it is hard to comprehend.
The good old days when every other import with a fart cannon and intake thinking they were the fastest cars on the road🤣
I think this is still a thing lol
Rev limiter clutch dumps to launch, one wheel peels, and using their whole bodies to shift only to run a 17.0 @80 mph 😂
Lol somebody lost to one of them in his Ford 🤣😂
but they was for sport compact cars back then. witch was HUGE in the 90s.. everyone had small cars
Thinking??? Tuned Hondas in the 90s will dust any Big Block or Chevy, Boomer Steven.
I bet they over night all their parts from Japan 🤪
Those kind of cars might appeal to Dominic torreto, but I don't go for the baby buggy speedsters, even Paul walker eventually found out the hard way he couldn't handle a really fast car on a regular basis, and with booze becoming the norm, for a lot of sick people,who refused to wrestle with their demons, and with thousands upon thousands of bad people slowly turning the streets and highways into grave yards, but at least the masses stay loaded 24/7 with the attitude, live for today for tomorrow we die, I be damned if I will never have that type of mortuary mentality.
awesome little time capsul, 0:48 was right on the money.
9.68 in a manual? That’s fast, I don’t care what you drive or where you’re from.
V8 🦖 really bro
I always kinda wondered how or when this stuff started. I always thought it was in the early 00s after the first Fast and Furious movie. Guess it was before that.
1:42 a turbo h22 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I have a built h22 turbo in my 93 Prelude VTEC
I miss the SCC magazine with the Nopi catalog.
Man what a time!
Quick! Someone tag Brent!!
Where are they now?
Dam 90' s tho, them Viet fob was heavy in the game
The peak of the loose baggie. Been there,done that, missed it! ^^
Granny shifting not double clutching like you should
This spawned fast and the furious?
Crazy how they were chasing 10s
💢9SEC AND 10SEC USE TO BE FAST🤦♂️
9.68 in that rotary is good.
The best I ran in a rotary was 12.1 in a heavier car than the RX7 in 1992.
It's weird to see Charles with hair.
Good god the camera work 🙃
90's omg how I miss you!
Ahhh sport compact car days, mostly translated into straight pipe nearly stock Civic's with thunder cannon exhaust, rims, and a triple combat wing trying to impress DEM LADIEZ.
Ricers!
Honestly i thought the way people would say nos was because of the fast and the furious. Guess im wrong.
There were inline 4's before there was a V8's. Now who's the dinosaur
Yeah 96 to be 18 years old running the 4 bangers to death. The Fast and Furious for real. Front wheels screaming
90's where great, now days manufacture dont care about cars and same with most people
I was a Nissan guy. Such a shame to see them go they way they did as a company.
You gotta love this video.
Those guys sound and look like I remember 😂
music sounds like Devil May Cry
You can't be serious, this shit came out from Motor trend lol
What song is that around the 4 minute mark?
0:22..........LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
In 96, I was just getting out of my "it has to be a V8 Camaro or Mustang or it's crap" phase and starting to appricate the tuner scene. Now I lean heavy to the tuner side of life but still love a big V8.
What a cool video!!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Uau amigão que da hora 👍👍🎤🎤
Sempre sensacional 👍👍
0:26 lmfao
Import drag racing was NOT born in California in the 90's because it was born in Puerto Rico back in 1977. By the time this episode of Motorweek was made in 1996 , imports in California were making 13:secs in the 1/4 mile . In Puerto Rico a pro import car named "Sakura" was the 1st import in the world doing 7.99 in the 1/4 mile , other were doing 8.5 to 10 sec in the 1/4 mile. Puerto Rico is the Mecca when it comes to import drag racing , only Australia and New Zealand can keep up. Mech Tech College from Puerto Rico has the fastest imports and most of the records holders. Few are from USA others Australia but i just wanted to clarify that import drag racing was born in Puerto Rico back in the late 70's.
On which car/engine was this Sakura based?
This is true when it comes to the rotary engine scene. California was all about the Honda’s
No NOS!
I wonder if you know…
Asian vetch gang.
I love cars!
Great stuff
Oh my God it just hit me we're as far in the future from them as they are from the 1960s muscle car culture...
Time is a trip.
ಠ_ಠ
Show 1723 | Originally Aired 02-11-1997
love this scene back in the day, I remember reading Sport Compact Car hahah, so many clean rides here and Adams RX-7 just legendary
why does this music remind me of the monster truck madness theme
Dang, even back then, Adam was way ahead of his time.
Hector and his dam spoon engines.
Lol the guy saying v8s are dinosaurs how’s the future look bud v8 engines slay all comers
Always remember: There is NO replacement for displacement!
It was relative to the time when even the 95 Mustang GT still only made 215hp.
Well in the next 10 years or so, ALL gas engines will be going extinct, or will be extinct. Better to enjoy them and/or preserve them while we still can, regardless whether it’s a 4 banger or V8.
SO MANY DUTCH ANGLES
Road Test John Davis
Is that AZN at 1:49?