blackout

With the impending sale of my car looming over the horizon, I can't help but feel a little nostalgic for all the good times the car scene has brought me throughout the years. And also it's brought to my attention how vastly different the car scene is these days compared to when I first got in it. So I decided to make this thread to kind of stimulate you guys to think about what's missing in today's market for car enthusiasts in hampton roads, and what might be better about it. I'll start off by listing some things that were commonplace back in the day but I honestly believe will never happen again, at least not in this area.

-Weekly night meets consisting of 200-300+ cars. I can't remember ever driving past Walmart on the corner of Lynnhaven and Princess Anne since those days and having the entire parking lot filled from end to end with cars, and more lined up to get in. This was probably back in 99-00. Good times.

-Racing every one of those nights, in droves of 13-19 second cars, in what we thought were indiscreet spots, 97% of the time getting ran out by police after 20-30 minutes tops. Yet going out and doing it again the next night, or next week, in hopes of the dream night where you find a spot and run until 3 or 4 in the morning. Back then it really didn't matter if your car was fast or not, as long as you were racing someone in the same class. Even then the mismatches were fun too. I can honestly say I had 100x more fun racing my 15 second 240 against the typical gamut of IS300's, integras, civics, e30 bmws, non-turbo supras and 3000gts, etc., than I have EVER had with my respectably quick mid-13 second 240, that now is considered run-of-the-mill. Which brings me to my next point.

-When rice was cool. There sits a pink integra/accord/whatever across the street from my house that these days would be considered 'rice'. But if that same car were to pull up in walmart, home depot, or even kroger from the years of 98-01.5, it would have been some hot biz. I remember honestly admiring some of the ugliest damn kitted, neoned, big-winged monstrosities back in the day. And then you have something like my car now, which gets its share of compliments, but would have been revered as a chariot of the gods if I drove through the meet spot a couple years ago. I actually remember trying to curb my enthusiasm to not let myself act like a giddy little schoolgirl the first time I saw Greaser's white S14 with the license plates SR20DET. Back then nobody knew what that was. Can you fucking imagine that shit?

-When there were actually hot chicks on the cover of Import Tuner. Back in the days of Sasha Singleton, Aiko Tanaka, Sharon Sotto, etc... I actually looked forward to seeing it on the stands every month back then. Now I just have to take a peek to see what kind of crack whore sucked enough dick to earn herself a spot on the cover of the most uninformative joke of a magazine to ever defile a newsstand.

There's so much more. For anyone who's made it this far in this long ass post, you probably have some similar experiences and can relate. Take the opportunity to share them, and discuss what could possibly change to bring back the golden days of illegal street racing in hampton roads.

JayDM

Yeah, who the hell decided to put those ugly ass white girls in Import Tuner? I thought Truckin' Magazine had the monoply on ugly white chicks.

Slooby

Can't say i know how it was being as i wasn't here back then. But i remember back home how it was. Parking lot at the Mall was pack to wee hours in the morning (typical dumbass in there big ass trucks getting drunk) Big parties, racing during shift change in the early mornings. Taking the trips out to the back road and racing all night long back to back. And the occasional drunkin fights.

SlowLS

Amen Brother. I can remember everything you stated. all the way down to seeing Greasers sr20det S14, that I thought was so cool cause it would shoot a flame out of the exhaust.

D.Nick

I say you get out of the street racing game and join the LEGAL racing game. You will appreciate your car just a little bit more.

MAD_DOHC

Never ever was rice cool. Ever.


Agreed.

It all depends on where you're at too and the cops have become way more anal in the cities. Me and my buddies get together all the time in the country and have no problems. Go out on some nice deserted back roads and race. The rare time a cop does happen to be called or run up on us, its usually just "Nice cars, slow it down" or "Be on your way". No hassles. The area is becoming a lot more populated now too which could have something to do with it. More stupid people are moving in, the roads are becoming more and more chaotic. Organized street racing is just retarded. Running up against somebody on the street and running is one thing, but to go out and setup runs is retarded. Yes I've done it before and probably so have a lot of others, but like you said, its different times now. This was back in the late 90's in Hampton. We don't live in the carefree society we used too. Fucking terrorists. Just something else we can blame on them.

I also don't remember ricers being nearly as bad back in the day as compared to now. I think that has something to do with it. I've always been a domestic guy and hung out with a primarily domestic crowd, but there are way more imports/tuners/ricers out now than 5-10 years ago.

blackout

i completely hear you, and i tried. it would have been way easier when i was in maryland and literally 5 minutes away from a 1/4 mile track, just now with the closest track an hour and a half away, and my wife working nights and weekends it's an event that i have to map out far in advance just to go to the track. add to it the time required to actually work on the car and the money required to buy parts, equals me taking a couple steps back from racing. this thread is more for nostalgic purposes than to make any real statement or recommendations on how i wish things would be.

but this may all be just talk. i've got an eye on a 97 m3 right now that if God wills it, i might just be driving by this weekend...

D.Nick

Dude.. Talk to Cobra4b or DoingOk or some of the other guys that go to road courses. That 240 doesn't have to be a drift machine.

MA-HALF-E

I totally agree, and I think it's the people. When I first started showing interest, there were a lot of cool people out who did the damn thing. I caught the very end of what I consider "serious street racing" hey day, but what I was able to get involved with was a lot of fun. I've kind of stuck around hoping those days would return, but they haven't. Part of the reason I'm selling everything.

Terry@Fortune

I think you guys are lookin at this all wrong.
Things change....
I am 31 years old and I got into the "scene" when I was 18
At that time it was the early 90's and in Miami there where street races on every corner and huge meets. Kinda sounds like perhaps how you guys describe VAbeach in the late 90's early 2k

My point is that was a long long time ago and things have changed. But I still love the cars and wouldnt give it up. As I get older I can afford nicer cars and will buy the cars. Im never gonna settle for a fuking minivan, truck or commuter car without owning a modded import. Dont sell out man just because of the scene or lack there of.

If you just are sick of the cars and they dont do anything for you then thats another story. But I really find that hard to believe. If you guys sell your cars and turn away from your hobby and passion. You will always look back and wish you "kept" that car

Then 10-20 years pass buy and you have a family and then maybe again you buy a car that you had in your youth and enjoy it all over again. Fuck that...enjoy the cars for the next 10-20 years and then some