Domestic Car Owners Compared To J-Tin Owners.

whit · **Posted:** Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:38 pm

http://3tcgarage.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=13257 :td:

Camshaft · **Posted:** Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:58 pm

I agree wholeheartedly. I think brand loyalty is fun but sometimes it goes overboard and really marks the difference between someone who is a true enthusiast and someone who isn't.

A while ago I posted this to a traditional hot rod forum I frequented:

**!!WARNING!! UNPOPULAR OPINION FROM NEW GUY**

[previous post] underscores what I see as a major problem with the traditional hot rod "scene."

I hang out with what you guys would probably call "ricers." I've spent many late nights in the garage, just like you guys, tuning and tweaking. I've spent a good percentage of my adult life hanging around gas stations with other guys just chatting about cars, just like you guys. I've helped friends paint cars in their driveways, just like you guys.

My friends all drive different cars than me, but we all get along, because we like everything. Just because my buddy drives a Subaru or a BMW dosen't make him "wrong," it makes him different. I've got Mazda rotaries, a late-model Mustang Cobra, and a Cutlass Supreme. Some of my best buddies have even more diverse stables than that. What we all have in common is that we are car enthusiasts. We are enthusiastic about cars - all cars. We'll geek out over Curved Dash Oldsmobiles, chopped and channeled Model As, Tri-Five Chevy gassers, GTOs, Beetles, Pacers, Deloreans, Supras, Mustangs, Mitsubishi Evos...you name it. While it may not be our cup of tea, we can enjoy it, and appreciate it for what it is, and the work that went into it.

So when a guy like me parks his RX7 next to a clean traditional rod and tries to strike up a conversation with the owner, it's pretty damn disconcerting when he acts like you don't know squat about cars - or are a lesser car guy - or that your car is a pile - because you have a different badge than him, because you drive "ferrin junk," "Jap scrap," because "you can order the whole damn car outta a catalog"...I've heard it all.

Maybe the next time you're sitting around, wondering what went wrong, wondering who will carry the traditional hot rod torch when you're dead and gone, just remember that you had your chance and blew it. Maybe the next time a kid pulls up in a neon-colored import showing genuine interest in your hot rod, be a car enthusiast and tell him about your machine. He'll listen. And maybe one day, the kid with the RX7 will sell off a few projects and build himself a proper jalopy.

banzaitoyota · **Posted:** Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:50 pm

The traditional hot rod forum I hang out at is notorious for that type of attitude

82bosolude · **Joined:** Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:21 pm **Posts:** 59

I own a Chevy cobalt as well as my 82 prelude.. but I also have a Toyota symbol tattooed on my arm.. I love toyotas and have owned so many of them from 70s to the 90s.. I loved all my toyotas but I also love my Chevy and my Honda...

But I agree fully I know some hot rod guys that are deadset on sticking to there company

crown_mad · **Posted:** Sat Jan 26, 2013 3:27 am

Sounds like you frequent H.A.M.B

OkieRA29 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:46 am

Sometimes, H.A.M.B. reminds me of the old SNL skit, 'who's more grizzled?' Everybody trying to prove they are more traditionalist than the other. Still, lots of good stuff over there.

Mr.Vengeance · **Posted:** Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:34 pm

The way I see it..

Cars are like being able to be with multiple women(without the headache).

so if a 1970 Datsun S30 is Yuna Ito

and a 1967 Camaro is Scarlett Johannson

and a 72 BMW 2002 is Sarah Brandner

so tell me..

If you COULD have all three..

wouldn't you?

regardless where they are from... hell they break the bank just the same.. and you still get happiness and letdown on a regular basis.

and this coming from me.. My girls..

familycar · **Posted:** Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:29 am

holy shit Mr. Vengeance :shock:

I can appreciate any well built car. I don't consider those one and only brand loyalists to be true car enthusiasts. It's juvenile to think only one brand is worth even looking at. Of course everyone has their preference, but not at least accepting another brand makes some quality vehicles is just ridiculous. Definitely see that a lot in the American muscle crowd.

Kuroneko · **Posted:** Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:09 am

I get my panties in a bunch over both of these big time. Neko.

Akio · **Posted:** Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:32 am

Well, my opinion is that, we as jtin owners have no what's right or wrong. There is no traditional restoration or traditional way to do it. I mean yeah, flares, fender mirrors and slim bumpers, but from there the sky is the limit. No "maching number" superiority complex. No those are not oem, issues, it's do what you want and like it or don't like it everyone kinda keeps there opinions to themselves for the most part. We offer ideas but no "your car sucks because its different" nonsense. My build is a perfect example. It's probably going to piss of mx32 purists but its my car and its a resto-mod anyways and ill do what I damn we'll please with it.

Skellington · **Posted:** Sat Feb 02, 2013 7:27 pm

Interesting topic. I have a stable of a:
1974 Chevy Crew Cab truck
1976 Toyota Corolla
1986 Honda Accord Hatch
1992 Dodge W150 4x4
2007 Toyota Corolla S
and a few vintage Honda bikes.

I too see the animosity towards cars that aren’t like theirs in people. Some of my older co-workers are American car enthusiast. When I bring my car for the typical Friday BBQ days they all look at it like “why did you drive that?”

rickgrimes · **Joined:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:57 pm **Posts:** 29

I guess it's the culture I suppose. I love Japanese performance cars, but I also love the American Muscle cars too. I don't get the hate myself.... I owned an '06 Mustang GT and it was a fun and reliable car. It wasn't the fastest thing, but it's very hard to beat the 'bang for the buck' value of this car and making a car that can piss off Corvette owners is very possible. Yet I was "supposed" to hate imports, hate Chevrolets....yada, yada. Why? The new Camaro isn't really my cup of tea, but I'm just glad it's around to keep Ford and the Mustang from resting on it's laurels like it used to. The new era Challenger is sexy and I like it's retro look.... remember Vanishing Point? The Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo kick ass, and are practical. WIN in my book. The only car I can honestly say that I dislike is the R35 "GT-R". Too big, too fat, disowned years of heritage by shedding the Skyline name and there's no proper manual transmission, plus it's too "easy" to drive it fast, there's no element of excitement, plus I honestly think the ZR1 Corvette is a better car to boot, and I'm no GM fanboy. You could never call the R34 attractive... I like it because it's very aggressive looking, but not attractive.... though it might as well be Mila Kunis compared to the R35.

Car enthusiasts should band together, not divide themselves.... our cars and us are an endangered species I'm afraid.

oldeskewltoy · **Posted:** Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:16 pm

This isn't just a car guy thing... this is how people choose to individualize themselves... They find a group of people they get along with, that also get along with them, and accept them. Call it a gang, or a clique, or a car club...

Now... for many of us Jtin owners, the really old car guy hates you... because you drive a car manufactured by a country that THEY view as a sneak attack warrior..a terror nation from their time...... Many men who were in the war...who lost friends... or maybe who were children of fathers who never came home.... just don't like Japanese, or anything relating to it.

moominsean · **Posted:** Wed Feb 06, 2013 8:26 pm

oldeskewltoy wrote:

Now... for many of us Jtin owners, the really old car guy hates you... because you drive a car manufactured by a country that THEY view as a sneak attack warrior..a terror nation from their time...... Many men who were in the war...who lost friends... or maybe who were children of fathers who never came home.... just don't like Japanese, or anything relating to it.

I don't think it's that so much as when you buy a foreign car, you aren't buying something that was built in America, meaning you aren't supporting jobs in our homeland...'murica and all that BS. Particularly in the midwest where the cars were built. It's something that should be pretty much moot these days as everything, or at least part of everything, is built somewhere besides here in the US. But the yeehaw hyuck hyuck ah hates them ferin cars behavior is still prevalent. "Buy American!" And throw some American flag stickers on your back window so everyone is extra aware how patriotic you are.

I think that JNC fans probably have a broader appreciation for cars from any country, generally. Me, I still want a '61 Ford Falcon someday. And an endless list of cars from all over the world.

junn · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:27 pm

I can't say i see allot of rivalry between j-cars and the classic car/rod scene. I've taken my Corona to custom car shows, and although being the odd one out and parked at the back i've had many people come up to me and ask me what it is and showing genuine interest. The way i see it is our cars rust the same, they break the same and nearly everybody owning a car before 1980 (whatever the make) wants to restore it, rebuild it then drive the hell out of it. We are all in the same boat.

I've never been made to feel out of place or different amongst the hot rod scene and can't wait to own a old 50's chevy one day. Choosing between fender mirrors one day and stretch tyres or air suspension and whitewalls the next is a time i look forward to.

RaptorReed · **Posted:** Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:42 pm

I catch flak from my older brother's friends all the time for my tastes in Japanese cars, but it's all in good fun and whenever I bring my J-tin out, the same guys give me thumbs up

. In most cases, if it's done right and not half assed, most guys will give respect where it's due. Even my brother is a example of a real enthusiast, while his pride and joys are his 66 GTO drag car and 69 Judge, he still has an stable of cars including; '31 Model A, '54 Chevy Wagon, '54 Chevy truck, '61 tempest, '64 Catalina, and a '73 Porsche 911, but daily drives a 95 Audi S6 and working for Audi.

Besides my J-tins, I rock the shit out of my '89 Chevy Battleship they call a Suburban.

moominsean · **Posted:** Fri Feb 08, 2013 6:25 pm

Yeah I think I read a lot more sh*t talk on internet forums, while in real life, car lovers are car lovers.

potatochief · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 8:46 pm

Damn straight Mr. Vengance.

The way i put it is: "There is no penalty for polygamy in owning cars." My family and friends always tell me, "why do you need to own so many? why not just build one up really nice and sell off the rest?" - why do i have several JNCs? the answer is BECAUSE I CAN.

Mr.Vengeance wrote:

The way I see it..

Cars are like being able to be with multiple women(without the headache).

so if a 1970 Datsun S30 is Yuna Ito

and a 1967 Camaro is Scarlett Johannson

and a 72 BMW 2002 is Sarah Brandner

so tell me..

If you COULD have all three..

wouldn't you?

regardless where they are from... hell they break the bank just the same.. and you still get happiness and letdown on a regular basis.

and this coming from me.. My girls..

Garant · **Posted:** Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:47 pm

ok so some older goofy guy sees me working on the colt grill at the shop and points at the horse emblem and says (in a sneering voice) "What's that? Some Japanese Mustang Knockoff?" and yeah i felt like kicking his teeth in but I say "Uh, it's a COLT you DOLT and the name predates the Mustang by a couple years."
UGH people like that make me sick...

rickgrimes · **Joined:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:57 pm **Posts:** 29

I like Mustangs myself..... BUT there's another name that considerably out dates the Mustang..... the Nissan Skyline. Yeah give me that one please. :mrgreen:

Domestic Car Owners Compared To J-Tin Owners.

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