Import restoration...the hobby of the future???

[wytbishop]

I've been thinking. Historically, most import cars have kind of been looked at as "disposable". Particularly by those outside the community. Other than a few "special" cars, most imports get the tuner treatment rather than getting restored and when they get old they're discarded. Much like the muscle cars of the 60's and 70's were "Hot Rodded" by the youth of that era and then parked in a barn.

Now that I have an MX-3 that is really in nice original condition, it occurs to me that it's more vaulable in it's stock form than if I swapped the engine and modded it. But it also occurs to me that parts are going to become less and less available and people will laugh at me for caring this much about a 15 year old "Jap Car". Nobody laughs at the guy who restores a 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix now, even though it's not particularly collectable, but I bet in 1985 he would have gotten some strange looks from his friends. People of every era have gone back to the car they had or loved as a kid to try to recapture the feeling they had when it was new. For the most part till now, the car was a 56' Chevy or even a Fox Body Mustang but maybe in the coming years restoring an MX-3 or a Honda Accord won't be so uncommon.

I'm not saying that the MX-3 or the majority of other sport campact import cars will ever be considered collectable the way a 69' Camaro is, but as our hobby gains more and more legitimacy I can see a future where people like us, in many small market import car communities, will continue to keep our favorite cars alive for years to come and over time the restoration mindset will begin to take over from the "Tuner" mentality. Could there even be a market eventually for a business like Year One which caters to the Import Tuner car market, supplying new old stock and reporduction original parts? Could our hobby one day be elevated to the status that the American Muscle Car hobby enjoys today?

Who's to say? I'm curious to see what everyone thinks.

[Stablo87]

You know I've had both import and domestic cars and to tell you the truth i prefer import. My last project before the Mx3 was a 1983 Celica, and yeah a few of my friends laughed, but a lot of them actually knew how rare and awesome the car was. I guess its just like a lot of hobbies out there, they are for some and not for others. Im just glad that we have a comunity like this to help each other out, cause tell you what i would be lost without this site.

[bubsy83]

I can see imports get involved in the collector hobby in the future, because for the most part it seems untapped, by the majority of american muscle enthusiasts and and will most likely remain so. I also own a 1984 Monte Carlo SS, and that car isn't an old 60's Camaro, or Mopar, but it is unique in the muscle car domain. They are also still affordable for newcomers to get into an old V8 and fix up without hurting the pocketbook too much...well still stings a bit, but not like say a rusted out 69 Charger let's say. Anyways, the general census from these muscle enthusiasts, is that the imports are a joke, (I am not saying this, but I sense it on the other boards that are meant for muscle cars). Anyways, that's why I say it is for the most part untapped and people like the members of this forum are actually ahead of them in many ways.

I was attracted to the MX-3 body style and got lucky to find one in relatively good shape and it is dependable. Who knows, I may just restore it as well once my Monte is done, and I can have the best of both worlds. I followed the general consensus on this board before I bought it to get a V6 GS and am glad I did. My odometer is 306000K and counting and she isn't quitting anytime soon, can't say that about my Monte..she was 230000K and I swapped out that tired motor this past winter. There's really no comparison between domestic and import collectors imo and I would prefer to celebrate their own unique qualities that make them special to me.

Will the imports be the hobby of the future, for sure, but look around on this site and you'll see it's become the hobby of right now. My hats off to them for clearing the way to making imports be accepted by the masses!

[mitmaks]

who's gonna inventory all the parts to restore cars? Let's say that some junk yards will carry a few wrecked cars from 90's era lol but where will you find all the other necessary items like electronics, sensors, computers, etc. Unfortunately I dont see imports being restored in future as much as people restore muscle cars right now. You look at the muscle cars and its tremendous work to restore them (I know as I have 68 Charger Im working on) It would be triple as much harder to restore mx-3 with all the things new cars have in them.

[fowljesse]

Yeah. I think what kept the cars alive long enough to become classic, and restoration material is: A. Lots of thick metal, B.Many interchangeable parts C. They were made to last, not be efficient.
Also, the aftermarket parts are cheap enough to make, and similar enough to eachother (An Intake manifold, cams, etc.. for a Ford 351 is made exactly in the same process as a Chevy 350, or a Mopar, etc.).

[wytbishop]

Didn't Year One start in some guys garage? I'm not suggesting that restoration will ever be as popular in the foreign market as it is in the domestic muscle market, and I know that modern computer controlled cars are much more complicated, but I think the trend will move more and more towards preserving these cars rather then modding and tuning. If you look at Year One or Summit, they have every kind of part for many models of car both past and present. It's certainly feasible for a company of that magnitude to appear in the import market. Whether ro not they can be convinced to stock MX3 parts...who knows.

It's like anything...as we grow older our priorities and values change. Mine certainly have. I appreciate a clean, stock example of my favorite car much more than I did when I was 25.

[fowljesse]

I think you're right. Also, with there being an aftermarket as soon as a car is released, the companies are set up to easily make OEM replacements, too. Speaking of which, I wonder if you can build an Accord, or such with completely aftermarket parts? That would be a cool project for an import 'zine.

[Nd4SpdSe]

I know that modern computer controlled cars are much more complicated, but I think the trend will move more and more towards preserving these cars rather then modding and tuning. If you look at Year One or Summit, they have every kind of part for many models of car both past and present. It's certainly feasible for a company of that magnitude to appear in the import market. Whether ro not they can be convinced to stock MX3 parts...who knows.

YOu know, I've thought about that too. I met the guys back when they had their cars at the same age ours were, they never though there would be the aftermarket like there is now, as well as their worth.

About the electronics, you can get whole generic electrical systems for old cars, but with the newer ones, who's to say systems like Megasquirt will become more popular, simpler and easier to use and impliment. It's possible I'm sure, the older muscle car market will tap out eventually, not soon, they'll need something else to get into eventually. I'll believe these cars will have their place in terms of being restored and even "hot rodded", but not for a few decades.

The only benefit to the domestic restorers is they can piece and build a car with all aftermarket parts from scratch. With our unibody cars, that's pretty much impossible.

[PushnFords]

The restoration hobby will change a lot but I 100% believe it will eventually include imports of all kinds. Parts are going to be hard to find because there are so many different makes and models now but it will happen. Also, so many of them get crushed that the percentage left in a junkyard for 15-20 years is going to be WAY lower than old muscle cars. Combine that with EPA regulations on salvage yards and ordinances on parked cars and we'll probably be stuck restoring what happens to have been left in a garage or is still on the road. But it'll happen.

Derek

[jason5151]

As i see this is the more rare a car become's the more collectable it is,the same hold true for many objects,(stamps,coins,cars,etc).
And the better shape that a collectable object is in the more valuable and desired it becomes.
So restoring any vehicle of the aforementioned status will eventually become of one of two things,restored for investment or restored for the passion of this car we call the mx-3!

And hopefully just for the joy!