[crazypete]

Driving the parts go getter, though, I do have to say that the imports have 2 major advantages: manuverability and their sheer light weight. The corolla is like 2200 pounds. Adding 50 hp to that little car makes more difference than adding 80 hp to my big 3000 pound musclecar. But...

1. I HATE working under the hood of japanese cars. You need to be a contortionist to reach anything. I rebuilt 2 302 engines and an AOD in my life but gave up trying to replace the starter on the family corolla.

2. They dont leave much room or provisions for improvement. My saab was pretty much jingling with all the pimp engine nicknacks stock. Maybe a bigger turbo and a port job but thats about it.

3. Parts for foreign cars are SO EXPENSIVE. If you drop 5K into a civic, you might get faster but if you drop 5K into a musclecar, you have a hands down @ss kicking machine.

4. There's no replacement for displacement. You can turbo and nos till the cows come home but you'll hit the wall pretty fast and have to start spending exponentially more and more for each hp you want. Now a nice 454....sigh.

5. front wheel drive. It's not meant for launches. Unloads the front wheels right away. It's neat for digging the car out of a snowbank though. Pancake transmissions......GAH! The horror!

I did know a kid who had an eclipse but it was a "sleeper". It had a set of low key alloys but otherwise looked stock. No guages, no stickers. It was a rocket though! I respect that. Cost him the left half of his manhood though =P .

Ok enough babbling

Have fun burning rubber all!