It's not going down, it's increasing. However the "scene" is littered with stupidity due to social media clout chasers doing street takeover & nohesi driving. Then I also blame social media giants for making these older fun cars crazy expensive. Letting everyone and their mom know about these cars increases demand, and increases the prices when the supply is low. How the hell is my old $1700 s13 now worth $20k?
The prices are ridiculous bro.. even tho a have two. Most of people wants to have one just to say they had one... they drive it for a little while then try to flip the car or trade it
Tuner culture will never be the same as we have such easy access via the internet to all the forums and information that we only used to do it in a meet. But the modding culture will never fade
The internet has made modding better IMO. A regular kid can have access to information to be able to build an insanely fast and cheap cheap car with basically no prior mechanical knowledge.
@@joshsuelto That came after wards with the hype inflation. But before the Instagram car kids became popular, prices for JDM cars were very affordable. Just a few years ago clean Miatas and 240's could be had for less than $4,000.
Kinda late to this but you’re right. Modding will never die no matter how hard the manufacturer makes it or the epa tries to kill it. The show cars of the early years may have passed but “tuners” are always around.
Because tons of morons are buying them up and drifting them into a light pole and laughing about it on tiktok for clout. They're becoming more rare and will only continue to be more rare, which will encourage collectors to buy the best models and stuff them away in storage as an investment, further tanking the availability of these models. It's a downward spiral that will only continue to drive prices to insane levels.
@@FiendTheatre I'd say yes. When the s15 silvia was set to be able to be imported this year, I know several people who put up the outrageous cash necessary to buy a 26 year old car. Me speaking personally, I'd buy an FD RX-7 if I had the cash and not think twice. Now $70k for a mk4 supra seems a bit over the top, but I can understand why. I'm definitely not happy about it
I feel like the tuner car drought from the early 2000's to the early 2010's really affected the tuner scene today. Automakers up until the late 90's would have 2-3 or even more models of sports cars to offer which helped express individuality among car enthusiasts as well as offering sufficient supply to keep prices low second/third hand etc. Skip to the tuner car drought and automakers were lucky if they were offering even one model of sports car. Look at Toyota who used to have the supra, celica, MR2, and thats not to even mention the Japanese only market models. After the 90's toyota wouldnt even offer a single sports car until the FRS/GT86 in 2012. Supply of tuner cars just cant keep up with the demand of the second hand market, which drives prices arbitrarily high. With such high cost of entry, it makes sense that people dont trash their tuner cars now. Repairs arent like what they were in the 90's when a s13 costed less than 2000 second hand. Now just trying to have fun in a tuner car represents a potentially crippling financial mistake.
Exactly, people are driving their tuner cars very conservatively and trying to put as little miles as possible. It's why it's rare to see them around, even a simple Miata.
That's absolutely true. A spun bearing due to inadequate oiling capacity of my RB ended up costing about 16k to build a new bottom end that could handle the power and sufficiently oil everything.
From what I understand Alex the fast and furious franchise didn’t get a Corona sponsorship the original movie had them cause that’s what they thought street racers drank.
Normie cars got too fast (and too complicated), and the tuner cars got too old (and too rat-bagged). Tuners are still out there, but it's a rich man's game now.
We were cleaning some stuff out recently after our move, and I came across a whole box of "Sport Compact Car" and "Import Tuner" magazines from 1999-2001. My daughter (who is a current GTI tuner) was in awe about them and the trends from before she was even born.
As a 40something, i can clearly say that the stance world killed the "tuner car" there are some of us still around who actually care about performance and general fun with cars and not just bouncing and scraping everywhere. I mean when you get stuck behind an ek hatch that can only do 20mph around the corner because "they ll rub" is painful.
This has always irked me. Tuning scene used to be all about performance until it became more widespread and suddenly people were slamming their cars to the point they couldn't even enter a garage that was used for a car-meet, at least not without keeping a pair of wooden boards in their trunks "just in case".
It became a race to the bottom that turned popular because all the stance ricers realized they could get positive reinforcement from other likeminded ricers, and thus the community is the size it is now.
@@alexbarn3841 He's saying it siphoned potential tuners away from that scene because ruining your car's suspension, putting an anime wrap and a huge wing on it is much easier than tastefully modding a car, especially if you want to participate in the rat race that is the online car scene.
The tuner scene never went away. It just moved away from imports to domestics. Here in the US, Mopar, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, and muscle trucks/suv's dominate. In my city you see tons of tuned and modified muscle/pony cars. For the last decade, JDM stagnated and the American brands improved their speed and handling, while offering a cheaper price.
There was always a muscle car scene. What you're saying makes no sense. If people stopped doing tuners then the scene literally went away. They didn't transform into the muscle car scene, that scene has always been present, way way before the tuner scene
The comment about tuner enthusiasts is spot on. They grew up. As much as I still like the Gen2 Eclipse and the FC/FD Mazdas, I love my Italian and German counterparts just as much. If not more.
And here i am going back into that early 2000s and late 90s tuner culture rebuilding a 2g GSX and having it be a mild period correct build. What a journey it has been.
I would note that the level of performance that you receive from even the base model of a non enthusiast vehicle continues to decrease the need for tuning and performance modifications. If a completely stock vehicle handles quite well or provides cheap power then the urge to increase the level of performance may not be as relevant as it was back in the day. In other words, modern vehicles are engineered and balanced so well that many people are satisfied with just cosmetic changes.
I don't think it went anywhere just the medium it was presented in changed and also the the taste. It's definitely still alive and growing with a different generation although global supply chain is holding back builds
Tuner market enthusiasts were literally priced out of the game. All those cars we loved back in the 90s and early 2000s cost like 5 times as much as they should now. Its unfortunate, but its just the way it is. Its nearly impossible for an average, younger person to get into one. That is why the market for domestic muscle cars is so strong - the manufacturers keep pumping them out at a reasonable cost. Polar opposite of the Japanese car market save for a few examples.
My first car magazine issue that I bought was an issue of Sport Compact Car in 2002 when I was 12. I miss the old days when magazine racks were full of tuner magazines.
You forgot "Altezza" tail lights on everything, and people cutting their springs because there were only a few popular makes/models that actually had lowering springs.
Tunner car culture isn’t dead, it lives on through the Dodge Charger. Neon glow, large spoilers, crazy wheel combos, speakers, crazy wrap/paint, stickers, erratic driving… it’s all there.
I think it's people growing into different markets. I started in JDM, moved to Euro, and now into USDM. The older we get, the more we want variety. It's the spice of life.
@@TROY_MK6 that’s cool, we all have nice little niches we want to join. I’m a Euro Baby but I started with more Japanese, but my Dads Old M3 changed that for me. There’s a whole new world to explore
It's pretty simple the wrx and evo happened, they where more expensive up front but compaired to a full build smoked. Then the builds just kept getting more and more pricey and people stopped doing it for fun and just to one up someone, people that's couldn't afford to compete at that level lost interest. VW has also had its own cult and some cheaper fun build/swap options...still to this day On and ya know A billion civics with nothing but cut springs and fart cans didn't help the image much lol
Majority are all still here. Pick something unpopular and keep it unpopular meaning don't rant and rave about how amazing a platform is and how is a bargain or worse "the next collector car" and the value will stay low.
That sounds like the formula for inflating the value of your product and then selling it at a premium. I bet you this is what those Instagram dudes were doing. Buy a POS Ford Pinto, rice it out and then make a BS video of how that car is better than a Ferrari, watch the price increase, then sell it for a nice profit, lol.
@@SI0AX all of these guys on TH-cam do that, they'll say things like "I can't believe this car is priced this low, if you come across I'd get one before they're all gone" or "if I was in the market looking for the next car to invest in for future returns". Some will talk the car up to the stratosphere while leaving others in the shadows i.e. supra vs soarer, chaser, altezza, gs300, caldina. Seems to me that if a car doesn't come with a straight six, 4 banger or V8 TH-camrs will tell you to avoid it or they'll just 2j, ls, ka swap everything while being overly loyal and biased to the nsx, Mk4 supra, R34, fd RX-7
@@LOVE-VIBES-X-PROJECT-CARS I mean. This channel is super guilty of it. Don't get me wrong, I love fitment industries. I love watching their content. But I noticed, whenever i see a "so you want" video, prices on cars they talk about jump up
I think the issue now is that fun cars aren't cheap for someone who's young. If you were a 16-20 year old in the 2000s cars from the 90s were cheap and cool, but if you're like me and 18 right now there's nothing that's cheap and good. There aren't a lot of cars that are around 10 years old right now that you can get cheap that are still fun
You might find something cheap at auctions. I agree a honda civic typer being priced at $40k is out of order when a newer 400z will start at that price. A lot of people in the city have resorted to riding pit bike and 125cc like the honda grom. We're turning japanese but in a different way..
@@anythingbutASIC truth be told I'll probably end up doing the same thing. I cant afford a 2005 sti but I sure as hell can afford a 2005 cbr 500r so why would I not do that
@@ayoitsyayo It's one thing to be optimistic...it's another thing to ignore what's in front of you. Correct me if I'm wrong: But isn't the only way to tune an EV, by tinkering with the ECU? I'm not claiming to be knowledgeable about EVs or anything, but I do know they don't gain power from air and fuel like an ICE. Eh...maybe you're right, and some day people will hang out at car meets with their totally silent EVs and talk about computer/ECU related stuff? I'm not holding my breath though.
@@tizodd6 Besides the typical more import stuff people like to skip over(Wheels, tires, brakes and suspension), you can upgrade the batteries and battery cooling system, maybe some engine electrical system parts/motors to make the electric car faster but you will obviously have to adjust the ECU(maybe more than 1). But the same has to be done with ICE cars. You can't upgrade a turbo and run without modifying the ECU.
@@SI0AX When I think of tuning...I'm thinking of power. I owned a '93 rx7 back in the day. I upgraded the turbos and intercooler, intake, downpipe, got rid of the cat so I had a 3" titanium exhaust all the way to the back, Apexi Power FC that Steve Kan tuned for me during a tuning session in West Palm. Upgraded my injectors, got the engine street ported with better apex seals, the list goes on. The car meets you see in the first Fast and Furious...were real. And they were fun and loud. I say all this nerdy car stuff just as an example for you to compare to a Tesla Model S, for instance. There's nothing to do with the Tesla, power-wise. It's already stupidly fast, since EVs have full torque as soon as you touch the pedal. They're essentially at peak torque 24/7. The platform isn't there to modify and make it your own. It's just not. Maybe somewhere down the line, "tuning" will take on a different meaning. But if EVs are the future of automobiles (which is very likely)...tuning, as we know it...will be a thing of the past.
@@tizodd6 Well tuning is already getting banned in California, it probably won't take long for the ban to spread to other states. There are even going as for to preventing street cars from being modified even if they are track only trailer cars. There are some companies that make power mods for Tesla, even ECU power tunes. Honestly I'm waiting for Tesla's competitor to get up and running(Lucid Motors) because Tesla is doing a lot of stupid things like disabling fast charging on cars that were sold used, making it difficult for people to repair the car and flash the software, etc. Tesla needs competition in order for them to stop their customer screwing business practices.
What I feel happened is aftermarket parts manufacturers don't see it profitable anymore, as overall interest in car tuning "diminished" Then less access to parts turns people away from the tuning world
The regulations are becoming stricter in almost all countries and there are fewer and fewer cars being manufactured that are suitable for modifications.
Personally, I believe it's mostly due to the whole JDM tax from pretty much every "JDM legend" and the increase of people wanting the power/entertainment from a car without doing the work to get it there. Not only those but the increase of people discouraging others to add the things that THEY _(the owner)_ want.
Almost all of the good track cars are old and they're getting taxed heavy in the last 10 years. But a few of my friends have found out a bone stock new Porsche will run the same lap times cheaper than modding an S2000 [that they have to wrench all weekend]. They also don't need to trailer it in order to make it back home. Drive in, beat it up and then drive home.
@@anythingbutASIC Exactly, I believe that people with money that never drive their cars fast should just buy a fancy luxury car like a Rolls Royce or some other stuff that is made for maximum comfort and not sports performance.
@@MistahLogi I kinda want to build a fit because I love small cars, but they just cost too much for what you're getting. A GTI or civic SI is the same price by me
@@j_mars_cars yeah I sold my k20a2 swapped EP3 civic si and got a 13 fit sport manual with the 1.5 sohc vtec. The one thing about the fit is they are driven so softly by past owners unlike the Si. I’m not a fan of unreliable FWD cars so gti isn’t really my cup of tea. I left Audi and went Honda and I’ll probably never go back unless it’s a turbo 5cyl Audi engine. But they all have huge aftermarket support and these fits thrive with K swaps. The GE8 chassis is something else for a front wheel drive platform, extremely nimble and the stock motor is bulletproof
Everytime I watch your vids it the intro gets me hype so much and also the outro so I’m leaving this comment, this is for you ma dudeeee that made that clips 💙💙
Seeing how JDM cars are overpriced and modding is getting banned in some states, I think the cars to get used are going to be the 700+ HP American and European cars like the AMG Mercedes, M Series BMW and Hellcat V8 Supercharged Muscle cars since they are cheaper than used JDM car right now. Now forums are going to be on how to get the over-complicated maintenance and repairs done on those cars and diagnosing electronic issues rather than how to modify the engine to get more power.
when it comes to cars everything comes full circle, you might "grow out of it" but nostalgia brings it back and 90s early 2000s style will solidify into "traditional tuner" cars and having a traditional tuner will be a cool thing, body kits custom paint and all. Having original 90s wheels and accessories will be in high demand and worth alot of money. for example ive been in the classic car/lowrider scene since the late 90s. The golden era of that scene was late 1970s to about 2000, so NOW a set of wheels from that era that between 2004 and 2016 you couldnt even give away for free are now $2500+ wheels, old head units, amps and eqs that 04 to 16 youd see at the swapmeet for $5 are now $800, and paint jobs that everyone thought was tack and ugly so no one did it is now $10,000+ paint jobs with a 8 month waiting list. why? nostalgia turned it all to what is considered original and traditional so the saying now is TRADITION OVER TREND and its traditional style that gets the most respect. give it time, its already slowly coming back you will be seeing body kits and graphics, everything you remember from that era will be respected and admired. Even if you think all of it is ugly, theres a term for that that the hardcore traditionalists will go by and that is "so ugly its beautiful" which is a phrase we use often in the classic car scene. tuners will be come classics, and everything classic has alot of value especially cars with the impact it had in the 90s just give it time itll happen
One word, regulation. Look at CA, first they use CARB to get rid of competition and drive out most manufacturers, those that comply with CARB make subpar parts because they are the big companies that don't have interest in developing something specific to that car model, now they are basically making almost anything fail visual inspection, that's a big market and a lot of enthusiasts that threw in the towel and now just buy the latest inline six turbo every few years in lease trade in and only does a reflash that is reversible. All this and tuners weren't the problem in terms of the environment if you look at the numbers.
I agree that most of the tuner people, myself included, grew up and our income became larger. I started with civics and preludes, then S2000, now to supercharged mustangs. I still enjoy modifying it and the mustang crowd seems to be filled with alot of former tuner guys that have a little more money now and want a car that can be fast, reliable, and still have air conditioning lol.
Idk, I think tuning culture moved away from the Japanese stuff because of the inflated prices. I think they moved to the Euro stuff, and more recently, the Korean stuff because it’s cheaper to get into some of those cars. There are a few American tuner cars now too. So I think tuning culture never left, just switched focus.
Do a W.H.T on the F&F movies. They used to be about racing and tuner cars...now it seem like they are about space exploration. Also, Alex I'm making you a Wikifeet page...be on the lookout!
Tbh, the tuner scene is still there. It’s just the older generation of enthusiasts who prefer to stay indoors building their cars for themselves away from this stance widebody bagged sideshow flying human bodies era.
I'm a 90's baby I'll love my JDM Legends I know once I have kids electric cars will be normal but I'm keeping my cars. Those will be my pieces of history 🙏🏿💕
392s,hellcats,camaro ss,zl1,zo6,5.0,gt350,gt500 happened so people didnt find a need to build their own "tuner" cars anymore. You can go to the dealership and buy a 700hp car fresh off the lot now
Here's why... Guy in my neighborhood has a 2000 s2k. It needs a radiator, soft top, windshield, mirror, hood, front bumper, headlight, and fender. He hit a deer and it flipped up into the windshield and rolled over onto the top caving it in on top of the driver. Long story short....he wants $25,000 and that's stupid crazy price
Big, fast and kinda boring....looks good sitting still and comfortable on a road trip. It's a sports car for the person that has never driven a sports car.
Tuners were the last generation to have to go outside and get dirty for fun! Everything is online video games from around 2007/8 and beyond. Be grateful if you even touched a Honda, Nissan or any other Japanese sports car and enjoyed it.... because kids and young adults these days will never know the joy of LSvtec swapping your tiny hatch or integra and getting your 1st win on the streets in Mexico. Jdm tuning was the equivalent of Legos to the whole generation that had the regular, square Lego sets with yellow melon head and the wheels that came with any Lego car build.
Bro you’re saying it like it’s 2089 and nobody has tuned a car. It’s just that none of the “affordable” car are affordable at all, for the price of a nice S13 or S14 just buy a nicer condition E92 or E46 M3. Or others
Its been over 20 years since I lowered a car or driven one. Installed some Tein coils last week on my IS250 and feel like I was in college again with my lowered Z31 & Z32 ZX’s.
Thanks guys for making me feel old. I used to subscribe to Sport Compact back in the day. I just tossed a bunch of them as nobody wanted them. If I find more, I'll ship them to Alex so he can drool over the pics, lol
Why the dislike of 70s and 80s cars. Their looks is what makes them unique in their own sense. You're missing out if you can't cruise down the street in a box land yacht.
We are still waiting for the "so you wanna build a base model lancer" for some people like in Canada it's almost impossible to find a evo for under 30k while we can buy lancers for 4-6k...... we can outnover 20k into our lancers before we even have enough for an evo
Very true. 90s guy here and I bought all my tuner cars cash from auctions. They were relatively new and everywhere at insanely affordable prices. I never financed a car until my mid 30s. It may be faster stock but I wasn't able to afford tuning it until after 3 years of owning the damn thing. Which unfortunately meant I turned into a bought not built guy.
I was just thinking about this again earlier. I started thinking about this when I saw a post on r/civics asking what the deal with a "weird Civic" was, best way I can describe that thing us as what used to be a "popper build" at least from the body mods. Was a kid at the time and still kinda remember the tail end of it, it was a trip. Kinda want to do something similar with a eg hatch knowing it will be called rice but at least it will have a good story.
I think that it's a smaller community, bit necessarily a dead one. For example, I'm 19 and I'm starting to play with tuning my miata. I have a mate who is building a miata with a fully forged motor, big ol' turbo and is tuning it himself. I know someone who's collecting parts to build a 2jz-gte Toyota altezza. And someone who wants to procharge his V8 Ford falcon. It definitely is making a comeback
I think it’s a matter of opinion who you ask if the scene is “coming back” or not. As mentioned, JDM cars date way back into the 80s and growing up in urban Chicago I was able to learn about rotaries vs pistons. Puerto Ricans (especially on the island) have and still pride on tuner cars. I think access to the internet just highlights it to a bigger audience more than before. I think you guys can drive down to Great Lakes Dragway on nights the Import Wars dates to see the culture through the eyes of some of the local old school builds. Last event is this Sunday Oct 10 2021
I've been building my cars "tuner style" since before it was even a thing.....still am.....It used to be called "tastefully modified". Modifications that dont improve the driving experience are....well....a bit ghey
What is YOUR favorite tuner car? Comment below! Looking to get a NEW SET of WHEELS on YOUR ride? bit.ly/2XyJ8Ij
POV: Fitment industries pins your comment
NSX
MK7 platform. A simple ECU flash gets you + 85 hp and 100ft lbs of torque. No other platform comes close.
I have to say Miata.
1981 Ra44L Celica GT liftback 22R carb life #Ra44!
It's not going down, it's increasing. However the "scene" is littered with stupidity due to social media clout chasers doing street takeover & nohesi driving. Then I also blame social media giants for making these older fun cars crazy expensive. Letting everyone and their mom know about these cars increases demand, and increases the prices when the supply is low. How the hell is my old $1700 s13 now worth $20k?
The prices are ridiculous bro.. even tho a have two. Most of people wants to have one just to say they had one... they drive it for a little while then try to flip the car or trade it
@@MrDrag1on sadly when people like things there will always be someone looking to use that against you for a profit
Literally has nothing to do with no hesi at all 💀 companies literally just aren’t making cars like that anymore
@@SinFullRexon55 I’ll explain like I’d explain to a kid. Less things+ More people want= Prices only go up
@@Justin-zl6dm yea of course
Tuner culture will never be the same as we have such easy access via the internet to all the forums and information that we only used to do it in a meet.
But the modding culture will never fade
The internet has made modding better IMO. A regular kid can have access to information to be able to build an insanely fast and cheap cheap car with basically no prior mechanical knowledge.
@@SI0AX internet made everything expensive
@@joshsuelto That came after wards with the hype inflation. But before the Instagram car kids became popular, prices for JDM cars were very affordable. Just a few years ago clean Miatas and 240's could be had for less than $4,000.
Kinda late to this but you’re right. Modding will never die no matter how hard the manufacturer makes it or the epa tries to kill it. The show cars of the early years may have passed but “tuners” are always around.
modding is getting banned all over the place, also petrol engines are going extinct and banned as well.
I should be doing school right now, but ya know... Fitment Industries just HAS TO POST. jk you guys are great
You should’ve been in smash
@@miataenjoyer2786 Ah yes, a cultured person
ayy, where are you in smash bros?
its ok. wheels tires suspension is all you need to know lmfao
At work with this playing in my airpods 😂
Fact: Much of today’s tuner market population was literally conceived in the backseat of a tuner car during the late-90s and early-00s.😂
I’m still trying to figure out why a s15 is 45k when the last time I checked it was 17k
Because tons of morons are buying them up and drifting them into a light pole and laughing about it on tiktok for clout. They're becoming more rare and will only continue to be more rare, which will encourage collectors to buy the best models and stuff them away in storage as an investment, further tanking the availability of these models. It's a downward spiral that will only continue to drive prices to insane levels.
Lol for 45k I'd buy something else
@@SRT_VILLAIN like ae86?
It’s not completely gone, it’s just suffering from the insane hype tax that all Jdm car’s suffering from
This. I remember when you could get JDM cars at a relatively affordable price
@@ZX-es9zw people are asking top dollar but are people actually buying them?
@@FiendTheatre I'd say yes.
When the s15 silvia was set to be able to be imported this year, I know several people who put up the outrageous cash necessary to buy a 26 year old car.
Me speaking personally, I'd buy an FD RX-7 if I had the cash and not think twice.
Now $70k for a mk4 supra seems a bit over the top, but I can understand why.
I'm definitely not happy about it
@@ZX-es9zw wait s16??
@@everegenx s15. My bad. It's been a long morning already lol
I feel like the tuner car drought from the early 2000's to the early 2010's really affected the tuner scene today. Automakers up until the late 90's would have 2-3 or even more models of sports cars to offer which helped express individuality among car enthusiasts as well as offering sufficient supply to keep prices low second/third hand etc. Skip to the tuner car drought and automakers were lucky if they were offering even one model of sports car. Look at Toyota who used to have the supra, celica, MR2, and thats not to even mention the Japanese only market models. After the 90's toyota wouldnt even offer a single sports car until the FRS/GT86 in 2012. Supply of tuner cars just cant keep up with the demand of the second hand market, which drives prices arbitrarily high. With such high cost of entry, it makes sense that people dont trash their tuner cars now. Repairs arent like what they were in the 90's when a s13 costed less than 2000 second hand. Now just trying to have fun in a tuner car represents a potentially crippling financial mistake.
Exactly, people are driving their tuner cars very conservatively and trying to put as little miles as possible. It's why it's rare to see them around, even a simple Miata.
That's absolutely true. A spun bearing due to inadequate oiling capacity of my RB ended up costing about 16k to build a new bottom end that could handle the power and sufficiently oil everything.
From what I understand Alex the fast and furious franchise didn’t get a Corona sponsorship the original movie had them cause that’s what they thought street racers drank.
Normie cars got too fast (and too complicated), and the tuner cars got too old (and too rat-bagged). Tuners are still out there, but it's a rich man's game now.
@@lynnmckenney1987 sleepers…🤫🤫
2 words. V8 Prius
@@jongordon5048 You mean hondas
We were cleaning some stuff out recently after our move, and I came across a whole box of "Sport Compact Car" and "Import Tuner" magazines from 1999-2001. My daughter (who is a current GTI tuner) was in awe about them and the trends from before she was even born.
I have a 95 silvia, full livery, underglow, mesh grill, and flame thrower. Sr20det. 300hp. It’s fun, and I adore that era
As a 40something, i can clearly say that the stance world killed the "tuner car" there are some of us still around who actually care about performance and general fun with cars and not just bouncing and scraping everywhere. I mean when you get stuck behind an ek hatch that can only do 20mph around the corner because "they ll rub" is painful.
This has always irked me. Tuning scene used to be all about performance until it became more widespread and suddenly people were slamming their cars to the point they couldn't even enter a garage that was used for a car-meet, at least not without keeping a pair of wooden boards in their trunks "just in case".
Im all for slamming a car, just with bags though. Gotta have function with form.
It became a race to the bottom that turned popular because all the stance ricers realized they could get positive reinforcement from other likeminded ricers, and thus the community is the size it is now.
The stance scene is completely unrelated to the tuner scene, what are you talking ab?
@@alexbarn3841 He's saying it siphoned potential tuners away from that scene because ruining your car's suspension, putting an anime wrap and a huge wing on it is much easier than tastefully modding a car, especially if you want to participate in the rat race that is the online car scene.
ESPN 30 for 30: what happened to Tuner cars, a true sad story
I can dig it 😂
The tuner scene never went away. It just moved away from imports to domestics. Here in the US, Mopar, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, and muscle trucks/suv's dominate. In my city you see tons of tuned and modified muscle/pony cars. For the last decade, JDM stagnated and the American brands improved their speed and handling, while offering a cheaper price.
Couldn’t disagree more
There was always a muscle car scene. What you're saying makes no sense. If people stopped doing tuners then the scene literally went away. They didn't transform into the muscle car scene, that scene has always been present, way way before the tuner scene
The comment about tuner enthusiasts is spot on. They grew up. As much as I still like the Gen2 Eclipse and the FC/FD Mazdas, I love my Italian and German counterparts just as much. If not more.
And here i am going back into that early 2000s and late 90s tuner culture rebuilding a 2g GSX and having it be a mild period correct build. What a journey it has been.
I had a 1992 GSX and 1999 GSX
I'm here to show support to the W8 guy. Keep it up. 👍
I would note that the level of performance that you receive from even the base model of a non
enthusiast vehicle continues to decrease the need for tuning and performance modifications.
If a completely stock vehicle handles quite well or provides cheap power then the urge to increase the level of performance may not be as relevant as it was back in the day. In other words, modern vehicles are engineered and balanced so well that many people are satisfied with just cosmetic changes.
Right if you take the 45 air bags and infotainment console out of a v6 camary the wieght saving will get you close to a 4000lb fat pig mustang level.
I don't think it went anywhere just the medium it was presented in changed and also the the taste. It's definitely still alive and growing with a different generation although global supply chain is holding back builds
Everybody just buy a charger /challeger/ Mustang or camero, throw some rims on, change the tail lights and call it a day..
Tuner market enthusiasts were literally priced out of the game. All those cars we loved back in the 90s and early 2000s cost like 5 times as much as they should now. Its unfortunate, but its just the way it is. Its nearly impossible for an average, younger person to get into one.
That is why the market for domestic muscle cars is so strong - the manufacturers keep pumping them out at a reasonable cost. Polar opposite of the Japanese car market save for a few examples.
My first car magazine issue that I bought was an issue of Sport Compact Car in 2002 when I was 12. I miss the old days when magazine racks were full of tuner magazines.
I'm loving all this Dodge Neon tuner talk😏
IceMan Intakes, Racing Hart Wheels, BF Goodridge Scorcher tires, JC Whitney Catalogs, Burned CDs… O what great times they where!!!!
You forgot "Altezza" tail lights on everything, and people cutting their springs because there were only a few popular makes/models that actually had lowering springs.
🔥
I use to buy import tuner mag. Totally forgot about it. Thanks for sparking the memory
Shoutout to the guy who keeps asking for the W8. Eat a pic of Alex every day until he makes it.
Craig Liberman also touched on this subject. And he got way way in depth into the dismantlement of the tuner scene.
Tunner car culture isn’t dead, it lives on through the Dodge Charger. Neon glow, large spoilers, crazy wheel combos, speakers, crazy wrap/paint, stickers, erratic driving… it’s all there.
You're Drew Peacock in disguise lol
I think it's people growing into different markets. I started in JDM, moved to Euro, and now into USDM. The older we get, the more we want variety. It's the spice of life.
I’ve grown up in the jdm scene and I’ll always stay in the jdm scene
@@TROY_MK6 that’s cool, we all have nice little niches we want to join. I’m a Euro Baby but I started with more Japanese, but my Dads Old M3 changed that for me. There’s a whole new world to explore
@@Indskretan expensive world. That's nothing like a tuner car
It's pretty simple the wrx and evo happened, they where more expensive up front but compaired to a full build smoked.
Then the builds just kept getting more and more pricey and people stopped doing it for fun and just to one up someone, people that's couldn't afford to compete at that level lost interest.
VW has also had its own cult and some cheaper fun build/swap options...still to this day
On and ya know A billion civics with nothing but cut springs and fart cans didn't help the image much lol
This channel has grown so much! You guys have improved so much with making videos
❤️
Majority are all still here. Pick something unpopular and keep it unpopular meaning don't rant and rave about how amazing a platform is and how is a bargain or worse "the next collector car" and the value will stay low.
That sounds like the formula for inflating the value of your product and then selling it at a premium. I bet you this is what those Instagram dudes were doing. Buy a POS Ford Pinto, rice it out and then make a BS video of how that car is better than a Ferrari, watch the price increase, then sell it for a nice profit, lol.
@@SI0AX all of these guys on TH-cam do that, they'll say things like "I can't believe this car is priced this low, if you come across I'd get one before they're all gone" or "if I was in the market looking for the next car to invest in for future returns". Some will talk the car up to the stratosphere while leaving others in the shadows i.e. supra vs soarer, chaser, altezza, gs300, caldina. Seems to me that if a car doesn't come with a straight six, 4 banger or V8 TH-camrs will tell you to avoid it or they'll just 2j, ls, ka swap everything while being overly loyal and biased to the nsx, Mk4 supra, R34, fd RX-7
@@LOVE-VIBES-X-PROJECT-CARS
I mean. This channel is super guilty of it.
Don't get me wrong, I love fitment industries.
I love watching their content.
But I noticed, whenever i see a "so you want" video, prices on cars they talk about jump up
I think the issue now is that fun cars aren't cheap for someone who's young. If you were a 16-20 year old in the 2000s cars from the 90s were cheap and cool, but if you're like me and 18 right now there's nothing that's cheap and good. There aren't a lot of cars that are around 10 years old right now that you can get cheap that are still fun
You might find something cheap at auctions. I agree a honda civic typer being priced at $40k is out of order when a newer 400z will start at that price. A lot of people in the city have resorted to riding pit bike and 125cc like the honda grom. We're turning japanese but in a different way..
@@anythingbutASIC truth be told I'll probably end up doing the same thing. I cant afford a 2005 sti but I sure as hell can afford a 2005 cbr 500r so why would I not do that
Sadly...it's only going to get worse as EVs take over. Not like we can slap on an intake and exhaust for more power 😭
It’s a new generation man relax 😂 just like how injectors were first introduced, times change, please don’t be a boomer
@@ayoitsyayo It's one thing to be optimistic...it's another thing to ignore what's in front of you.
Correct me if I'm wrong: But isn't the only way to tune an EV, by tinkering with the ECU? I'm not claiming to be knowledgeable about EVs or anything, but I do know they don't gain power from air and fuel like an ICE.
Eh...maybe you're right, and some day people will hang out at car meets with their totally silent EVs and talk about computer/ECU related stuff? I'm not holding my breath though.
@@tizodd6 Besides the typical more import stuff people like to skip over(Wheels, tires, brakes and suspension), you can upgrade the batteries and battery cooling system, maybe some engine electrical system parts/motors to make the electric car faster but you will obviously have to adjust the ECU(maybe more than 1). But the same has to be done with ICE cars. You can't upgrade a turbo and run without modifying the ECU.
@@SI0AX When I think of tuning...I'm thinking of power. I owned a '93 rx7 back in the day. I upgraded the turbos and intercooler, intake, downpipe, got rid of the cat so I had a 3" titanium exhaust all the way to the back, Apexi Power FC that Steve Kan tuned for me during a tuning session in West Palm. Upgraded my injectors, got the engine street ported with better apex seals, the list goes on. The car meets you see in the first Fast and Furious...were real. And they were fun and loud.
I say all this nerdy car stuff just as an example for you to compare to a Tesla Model S, for instance. There's nothing to do with the Tesla, power-wise. It's already stupidly fast, since EVs have full torque as soon as you touch the pedal. They're essentially at peak torque 24/7. The platform isn't there to modify and make it your own. It's just not.
Maybe somewhere down the line, "tuning" will take on a different meaning. But if EVs are the future of automobiles (which is very likely)...tuning, as we know it...will be a thing of the past.
@@tizodd6 Well tuning is already getting banned in California, it probably won't take long for the ban to spread to other states. There are even going as for to preventing street cars from being modified even if they are track only trailer cars.
There are some companies that make power mods for Tesla, even ECU power tunes.
Honestly I'm waiting for Tesla's competitor to get up and running(Lucid Motors) because Tesla is doing a lot of stupid things like disabling fast charging on cars that were sold used, making it difficult for people to repair the car and flash the software, etc. Tesla needs competition in order for them to stop their customer screwing business practices.
Manufacturers killed it, they make cars with everything on it with an extra price
What I feel happened is aftermarket parts manufacturers don't see it profitable anymore, as overall interest in car tuning "diminished"
Then less access to parts turns people away from the tuning world
The regulations are becoming stricter in almost all countries and there are fewer and fewer cars being manufactured that are suitable for modifications.
My car at 18 was a MR2 turbo, my car at 34 is a MR2 turbo and a r32 Gtr and a brz. JDM FOR LIFE
I want an mr2 so bad but they have so much jdm covid tax now
Personally, I believe it's mostly due to the whole JDM tax from pretty much every "JDM legend" and the increase of people wanting the power/entertainment from a car without doing the work to get it there.
Not only those but the increase of people discouraging others to add the things that THEY _(the owner)_ want.
nothing like alex screaming to help me start my afternoon off right
The younger generation happened. Lol. The clean movement and stance movement, the make fun of actual mods movement
Can't say I have an absolute favourite, I see something great in them all!
Crazy how much in value the srt4 neon went up in value good video
It is a good day when you guys upload..
That intro is dope as usual. Never grows old.
Perfect timing for my lunch break 🔥
Man Alex you have the gift of gab, keep up the good work!👍
Almost all of the good track cars are old and they're getting taxed heavy in the last 10 years.
But a few of my friends have found out a bone stock new Porsche will run the same lap times cheaper than modding an S2000 [that they have to wrench all weekend]. They also don't need to trailer it in order to make it back home. Drive in, beat it up and then drive home.
Yeah, the Euro cars are the way to go now. It's just that they are a PITA to maintain and repair especially the electronics.
Right seat time is keep.. what the point of having fast cars if you don't use that speed?
@@anythingbutASIC, so true!
@@SI0AX, e36 M3 owner here.
They are a pain, but it's so much joy when they are sorted out.
@@anythingbutASIC Exactly, I believe that people with money that never drive their cars fast should just buy a fancy luxury car like a Rolls Royce or some other stuff that is made for maximum comfort and not sports performance.
Here for my Honda boys
Fit gang
@@MistahLogi I kinda want to build a fit because I love small cars, but they just cost too much for what you're getting. A GTI or civic SI is the same price by me
K is the way
@@j_mars_cars yeah I sold my k20a2 swapped EP3 civic si and got a 13 fit sport manual with the 1.5 sohc vtec. The one thing about the fit is they are driven so softly by past owners unlike the Si. I’m not a fan of unreliable FWD cars so gti isn’t really my cup of tea. I left Audi and went Honda and I’ll probably never go back unless it’s a turbo 5cyl Audi engine. But they all have huge aftermarket support and these fits thrive with K swaps. The GE8 chassis is something else for a front wheel drive platform, extremely nimble and the stock motor is bulletproof
For tha gang! 😂🤘
Everytime I watch your vids it the intro gets me hype so much and also the outro so I’m leaving this comment, this is for you ma dudeeee that made that clips 💙💙
with great cars comes great irresponsibility
Best video you’ve made by far Alex, I felt your pain for the lost Japanese car beauties Of yesterday. They will come back again soon.🤜🏽
It’s still here… just not many can afford the crazy prices anymore!!
Seeing how JDM cars are overpriced and modding is getting banned in some states, I think the cars to get used are going to be the 700+ HP American and European cars like the AMG Mercedes, M Series BMW and Hellcat V8 Supercharged Muscle cars since they are cheaper than used JDM car right now. Now forums are going to be on how to get the over-complicated maintenance and repairs done on those cars and diagnosing electronic issues rather than how to modify the engine to get more power.
Hellabroke millienials.
I love watching your channel and it keeps me focused like yall are amazing
when it comes to cars everything comes full circle, you might "grow out of it" but nostalgia brings it back and 90s early 2000s style will solidify into "traditional tuner" cars and having a traditional tuner will be a cool thing, body kits custom paint and all. Having original 90s wheels and accessories will be in high demand and worth alot of money. for example ive been in the classic car/lowrider scene since the late 90s. The golden era of that scene was late 1970s to about 2000, so NOW a set of wheels from that era that between 2004 and 2016 you couldnt even give away for free are now $2500+ wheels, old head units, amps and eqs that 04 to 16 youd see at the swapmeet for $5 are now $800, and paint jobs that everyone thought was tack and ugly so no one did it is now $10,000+ paint jobs with a 8 month waiting list. why? nostalgia turned it all to what is considered original and traditional so the saying now is TRADITION OVER TREND and its traditional style that gets the most respect. give it time, its already slowly coming back you will be seeing body kits and graphics, everything you remember from that era will be respected and admired. Even if you think all of it is ugly, theres a term for that that the hardcore traditionalists will go by and that is "so ugly its beautiful" which is a phrase we use often in the classic car scene. tuners will be come classics, and everything classic has alot of value especially cars with the impact it had in the 90s just give it time itll happen
One word, regulation. Look at CA, first they use CARB to get rid of competition and drive out most manufacturers, those that comply with CARB make subpar parts because they are the big companies that don't have interest in developing something specific to that car model, now they are basically making almost anything fail visual inspection, that's a big market and a lot of enthusiasts that threw in the towel and now just buy the latest inline six turbo every few years in lease trade in and only does a reflash that is reversible. All this and tuners weren't the problem in terms of the environment if you look at the numbers.
I agree that most of the tuner people, myself included, grew up and our income became larger. I started with civics and preludes, then S2000, now to supercharged mustangs. I still enjoy modifying it and the mustang crowd seems to be filled with alot of former tuner guys that have a little more money now and want a car that can be fast, reliable, and still have air conditioning lol.
Idk, I think tuning culture moved away from the Japanese stuff because of the inflated prices. I think they moved to the Euro stuff, and more recently, the Korean stuff because it’s cheaper to get into some of those cars. There are a few American tuner cars now too. So I think tuning culture never left, just switched focus.
Facts
Your rite bought a stinger intakes exhaust and a Jb4 I’m at 500 Hp. Plus i got the car new in the $30 k.
Do a W.H.T on the F&F movies. They used to be about racing and tuner cars...now it seem like they are about space exploration. Also, Alex I'm making you a Wikifeet page...be on the lookout!
They were always supposed to be action movies, how do you explain the truck hijackings and random yakuza kids
4:43 that launch was rowdy as hell!!!
I haven’t been to a hotimport nights since 2000 wonder if that show still lives on
no point in going to them anymore really
Right fun times before the safety culture creep. Now its just stance wars and plastic whamen
Tbh, the tuner scene is still there. It’s just the older generation of enthusiasts who prefer to stay indoors building their cars for themselves away from this stance widebody bagged sideshow flying human bodies era.
I'm a 90's baby I'll love my JDM Legends I know once I have kids electric cars will be normal but I'm keeping my cars. Those will be my pieces of history 🙏🏿💕
Me too and I never throw anything out as well. I'd rather get it fixed than get a new one.
392s,hellcats,camaro ss,zl1,zo6,5.0,gt350,gt500 happened so people didnt find a need to build their own "tuner" cars anymore. You can go to the dealership and buy a 700hp car fresh off the lot now
The bro tax thats on Japanese cars has me looking into German cars for a project.
anyone know the music that starts playing at 5:30ish ? it actually slapps
Here's why...
Guy in my neighborhood has a 2000 s2k. It needs a radiator, soft top, windshield, mirror, hood, front bumper, headlight, and fender. He hit a deer and it flipped up into the windshield and rolled over onto the top caving it in on top of the driver. Long story short....he wants $25,000 and that's stupid crazy price
Alex, can I get the name of that funky tune starting at 5:30? By tune I mean song :)
It's all challengers and chargers now
Big, fast and kinda boring....looks good sitting still and comfortable on a road trip. It's a sports car for the person that has never driven a sports car.
Tuners were the last generation to have to go outside and get dirty for fun! Everything is online video games from around 2007/8 and beyond. Be grateful if you even touched a Honda, Nissan or any other Japanese sports car and enjoyed it.... because kids and young adults these days will never know the joy of LSvtec swapping your tiny hatch or integra and getting your 1st win on the streets in Mexico. Jdm tuning was the equivalent of Legos to the whole generation that had the regular, square Lego sets with yellow melon head and the wheels that came with any Lego car build.
Bro you’re saying it like it’s 2089 and nobody has tuned a car. It’s just that none of the “affordable” car are affordable at all, for the price of a nice S13 or S14 just buy a nicer condition E92 or E46 M3. Or others
Social media hype made them expensive
Saw the notification and came running to TH-cam faster than that S2000 at 4:40.
alex wearing socks and sandals reminds me of the typical character you would find of a level 12 gta online player
Its been over 20 years since I lowered a car or driven one. Installed some Tein coils last week on my IS250 and feel like I was in college again with my lowered Z31 & Z32 ZX’s.
Supporting the W8 guy! We need a W8 video
I'm confused... Most of this stuff is still here
Thanks guys for making me feel old. I used to subscribe to Sport Compact back in the day. I just tossed a bunch of them as nobody wanted them. If I find more, I'll ship them to Alex so he can drool over the pics, lol
I'll take as many as you would want to get rid of man! Give me a few please!
@@shannacollins4741 I'll look thru what's left
Ok thanks
It's so easy to buy a fast reliable factory car used or new. Plus the younger generation don't even know how to change a flat tire. No offence.
8:03 I felt that man😞 I have my modded 350z ready to be put to hibernation since I’m growing in on an m4 this month
Y’all should do a euro tuning video -Audi,bmw,VW,Mercedes,others
Waiting for my rims Alex, Gallery here I come
For us in Cali where is all began… the EPA is where it all started!
Still got my copies of SCC. They're over at my mom's.
You guys put some serious thought into the titles of these series lmao
The intro music sounds straight up from NFS, a baller every time! Also "So you want a Peugeot 206 RC" prettyy pleaaase
What killed the Tunerscene in Middle Europe?
TÜV
Why the dislike of 70s and 80s cars. Their looks is what makes them unique in their own sense. You're missing out if you can't cruise down the street in a box land yacht.
On the website that you guys promote, by any chance is there a way I can find some rims for my 03 GMC Sonoma?
We are still waiting for the "so you wanna build a base model lancer" for some people like in Canada it's almost impossible to find a evo for under 30k while we can buy lancers for 4-6k...... we can outnover 20k into our lancers before we even have enough for an evo
I still see it in my city. Long Beach CA ...... still young kids and some old guys like me...
The car scene has gone from what you can build to what you can finance
Very true. 90s guy here and I bought all my tuner cars cash from auctions. They were relatively new and everywhere at insanely affordable prices.
I never financed a car until my mid 30s. It may be faster stock but I wasn't able to afford tuning it until after 3 years of owning the damn thing. Which unfortunately meant I turned into a bought not built guy.
Everyone tryna get a hellcat now😂 gas engines are leaving fast so ppl tryna go all out
I was just thinking about this again earlier. I started thinking about this when I saw a post on r/civics asking what the deal with a "weird Civic" was, best way I can describe that thing us as what used to be a "popper build" at least from the body mods. Was a kid at the time and still kinda remember the tail end of it, it was a trip. Kinda want to do something similar with a eg hatch knowing it will be called rice but at least it will have a good story.
That new intro is fire tho
I think that it's a smaller community, bit necessarily a dead one. For example, I'm 19 and I'm starting to play with tuning my miata. I have a mate who is building a miata with a fully forged motor, big ol' turbo and is tuning it himself. I know someone who's collecting parts to build a 2jz-gte Toyota altezza. And someone who wants to procharge his V8 Ford falcon. It definitely is making a comeback
Euro cars since 2014-15 are now what Japanese cars were in the 90s-00s
The tuner market is an energy I was never spent or destroyed just transformed.
I love the tuner community, but in Brazil everything is so expensive, is rare to see a jdm car in Brazil because we dont have
We need to seriously revive tuning cars.
I think it’s a matter of opinion who you ask if the scene is “coming back” or not. As mentioned, JDM cars date way back into the 80s and growing up in urban Chicago I was able to learn about rotaries vs pistons. Puerto Ricans (especially on the island) have and still pride on tuner cars. I think access to the internet just highlights it to a bigger audience more than before. I think you guys can drive down to Great Lakes Dragway on nights the Import Wars dates to see the culture through the eyes of some of the local old school builds. Last event is this Sunday Oct 10 2021
I bought a 3 series and a Z4 and then went back to my eg civic roots.
I've been building my cars "tuner style" since before it was even a thing.....still am.....It used to be called "tastefully modified". Modifications that dont improve the driving experience are....well....a bit ghey