good read....


heres to hoping we arent a dying breed...

 

I have to agree with the article for the most part. In reference to DART, the rules of the sanctioning bodies have thwarted sales. If we could run them then we would buy them. Some of the other things mentioned here are some of the same sentiments mentioned by people on here on honda-tech. We just have to continue to support the industry by buying parts and supporting events. I do disagree that most people are DIY'ers. I feel that most people are and will continue to be. There is only so much can do in his/her own garage. Who cares what the domestic side is doing, i can't be concerned. I never read anywhere that "import drag racing" was trying to put big blocks out of business(sending them on their final trip, to the crusher). Stop trying to start something when nothing is there!!!!

 

MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT IMPORT PRODUCTS ARE ALOT MORE PRICEY COMPARED TO DOMESTIC PARTS. IT IS BY NO MEANS DEAD. HONDA DOES NEED TO STEP IT UP.

 

Im in too deep....Im not going anywhere except at the track...
I sure wish it was more affordable!

 

it all depends on what you want to do....you can spend 5k$ total and run 11's....

sometimes i wish i went a cheaper route. oh well.....thats what i get for wanting to be a balleR...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostjunkie757 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> heres to hoping we arent a dying breed...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't worry, there are 119,663 people on this site. Tell those guys to find a V8 website with that many registered users. This sport is going to be around for a LONG time

 

word,

 

woo hoo an OverRev Magazine Plug !

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dome &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT IMPORT PRODUCTS ARE ALOT MORE PRICEY COMPARED TO DOMESTIC PARTS. IT IS BY NO MEANS DEAD. HONDA DOES NEED TO STEP IT UP.</TD></TR></TABLE>
that would be nice. one of the techs at my job got a COMPLETE performace long block for his 57 chevy. 2800 bucks got him a 383 stroker motor with oil pan, valve covers, intake manifold, carb, and even a starter! that kind of money could only make a basic honda short block. well maybe in 50 years or so we can flip through jegs or summit and get a honda rebuild kit for a couple hundred.
-Roger

 

the problem is hondas bearings and seals cant really be improved upon or made cheaper and still be as good. The basic parts are expensive and more than well built. I still dont see paying 400 for smaller 4 cyl rods and the same for a v8

 

bullshiet.....

ive spent close to 5k on my car in recent time...
the sport isnt dead to me.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtecmissle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I still dont see paying 400 for smaller 4 cyl rods and the same for a v8</TD></TR></TABLE>

just what i was going to say. or you pay the same price for je's for a honda as u do a SBC... which is double!

 

one of the main problems with this industry, is alot of people are short sighted and buy the cheapest crap and they have no idea what the hell they are getting in to.

domestic performance stuff has evelolved and most of the people are more educated compared to sport compact stuff.
there is still cheap crap made for domestic parts, but the domestic guys know the difference between buying good parts from a good company unlike many people in this market.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GoldenEagleMfg.com &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Don't worry, there are 119,663 people on this site. Tell those guys to find a V8 website with that many registered users. This sport is going to be around for a LONG time </TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly. I'll never race anything else .

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 2FastxEg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">woo hoo an OverRev Magazine Plug ! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmmmmmm? I wonder where my first issue is? Pm sent

Phil

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ek9t &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

just what i was going to say. or you pay the same price for je's for a honda as u do a SBC... which is double!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Jeg's sells a bottom end kit for SB/BB chevys which includes eagle crank and rods, forged pistons, harmonic balancer and bearings for $800. Thats the price of just a honda aftermarket crank.

 

I love reading this stuff. I will agree with one part of the article. With many of the rebuild shows on TV it has helped restore interest in the muscle car scene. Now as for companies like Holley, Edelbrock and even Hot Rod magazine they are in the market that has reached its size. I'm 41 and grew up reading hot rod magazine and seeing Holly and Edelbrock parts on every hot rod. My son's are 20 and 18 and neither of their cars have a Holley or Edelbrock product on them - and they certainly could care less about the current exposure in Hot Rod magazine. What this tells me is that Holly , Edelbrock and Hot Rod Magazines days are numbered if they dont' adapt to change. I think this will be a 5 to 10 year trend, but it is definately coming. Look around and see that todays youth are interested in racing sport compact cars like honda, mitsubishi, subaru etc not camaro's and mustangs. Domestic manufactures are waking up to this fact with the Neon and Cobolt and are investing in the future. Hot Rod magazine should do the same. The good old boys at Hot Rod hate to admit these 4 cylinders are kicking their butts. They need to begin featuring today's Hot Rods. My 67 camaro doesn't stand a chance against my son's prelude and I love it. The cost of sport compact I agree is too high, but until the market matures there just aren't enough companies producing performance parts, therefore those producing for this market today can enjoy high profit margins. Im tired of hearing tomorrows leaders being refered to as "Punks". I would challange the racing baby boomer generation to mentor today's racers instead of being threatened by them.
I better stop now - sorry for ranting, but this hit a nerve.

Steve Sr.

 

I think Edelbrock is smoking crack. That was an ignorant comment to make. If there was ever a buinch of do-it-yourselfers the import crowd is. You know what's ironic is Edelbrock makes these turbo kits that don't make all that much power. Guys that might be prospective customers will just piece their own turbo kit together that will make 100hp more instead of buying a kit that will increase power by 50-60hp. I would argue that the reason import sales are slow for their kits is because import guys ARE do-it-yourselfers. Since Edelbrock is traditionally a domestic name they are probably comparing the two and expecting comparable sales volume for their import line. It sounds like he expected more sales due to a lot of hype and then got the surprise and blamed it on the shrinking or unstable import market. I'm surer they are not the only company that did this. Those of us that have been around imports for years know the market expanded quickly and needs to contract a bit before it grows again. This is natural so nobody should be hitting the panic button just yet. If you look at the last statement in this article by SEMA it shows this. Its funny this article starts with "IS THE IMPORT PHASE DEAD", and it finishes sayiung "there's more money being spent this year than last". Which is it?

I think using DART as an example the fading market share of sport compact racing is strange.

I can't believe they would say that there was a lack of a grassroots base before starting the NHRA series. This things been grassroots from the late 80's. Sure it doesn't have 50 years of grassroots support but why would you compare the two?

As far as the race series go the sanctioning bodies are responsible to make sure people have a reason to travel, like larger payouts especially for the fast street classes.

My last comment: Are the folks over at Toyota, GM, and Dodge fools for jumping into the market with big bucks? I don't think they were born yesterday.

 

I think they are just referring to the nhra series running out of steam!!! As for us racing we will always have grudge nights!!!

 

I would expect something different coming from Matt King, I have known Matt for many years now... I think they need to look at where the domestic market came from in it's entirety. Then focus on the muscle car war and watch how this xploded the market (which started around 66-67 to 1973) Now, if they followed what happened during this era they would take notice that's what were in the midst of another "muscle car" war except this is a world war with cars coming from all over the globe, with more technology and smaller engines.

I think the domestic market should look itself in the mirror, the General killed the Camaro and Firebird for a reason, and I wouldn't blam it all on the Mustang. There replacing these cars with exciting new front wheel drive beasts that have been proven in race apps. to handle anything that Japan can dish out. Dodge too, the neon was once a load...now you got guys like Steve Lockett deep in the 10's!

The biggest reason I think there looking at Dart is because in the domestic market they NEED companies like Dart to make power. Stock small block chevy block will die around 700 so they need to buy the $2000 Dart block and Dart Pro 1 heads while were making 1600+ in the Toyota and over 1000hp in a Honda and that were still using factory blocks, heads, and cranks. The VG30 is probably going to make 2000hp when figured out with factory parts. Why do you NEED a Dart? They made a head that is way overpriced compared what could be had finding a used factory piece. They do no market research and then cry the blues??!! Eldebrock to.

Funny how they look at us how there parents looked at them.

Rock'n'roll didn't die
Rap is here to stay
and people in the domestic market need to realize that this IS hot rodding, imports have a internal combustion engine just like the old domestic stuff and there not going any where either!


Modified by HEAD at 1:35 AM 1/9/2005

 

.

 

I will make a prediction about Dart block if they stay around long enough. I predict that they will be the "block of the future". Nhra should allow their blocks because where I live (outside of the US) people are thinking twice about sleeving a block.
Mind you Vince I use your product presently but your company should start producing blocks if it can....heads also. Once the price is right they will sell.

 

i dont think they even realize that import drag racing has only really been around more i guess like at most 10-15 years...... domestic stuff has been around for like 50 years.... i think we are doing really good for the time given. i think another 10 years, we will have cars going as fast...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HEAD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Stock small block chevy will die around 700 so they need to buy the $2000 Dart block and Dart Pro 1 heads</TD></TR></TABLE>

this i was not aware of.

i wish more people had the same attitude as you dave. someone more open minded like yourself that has been on both sides of the fence is who should be writing articles for hod rod.
-Roger

 

Is Steve Wolcot the guy who did the World Import Challenge in Houston?

I almost beat that guys head in when he gave me a check for winning Comp 6 at that event. Check was only $150, Entry was $100. Everything advertised for that event said Garaunteed payouts so i traveled out there twice for it. I think Ed Bergenholtz was in the same boat!

Anway, i don't take much stock in what he has to say!