Ok, I hate ricers as much as the next guy, but did it ever occur to anyone that the reason they're driving civics and building them up slowly is maybe because they can't afford the $600/month car payment, or maybe because they really enjoy working on they're cars. If they buy a cheap car, then they have more money to spend on better equipment.
What I hate is when they get one of those cars, put a front bumper on it (no skirts or rear bumper) and a coffee can muffler and that's all they ever do with it. I have mad respect for someone who is willing take the time and spend money take a POS civic and turn it into 300HP screamer with a great paint job and wheels and stereo and body kit and whatever else they decide to put in it.
Look at it this way, would any of knock a guy for buying a 240SX and building it up. Of course not, because for some reason it fits into some other category, but it's really the same thing. I know I had one. And with no mods, it was fun to drive, but didn't have very much power.
It's more of a culture for them anyway, not as much about how fast you can go. To each his own, I say.
BTW - I'm a Z owner, but I've had an '84 Celica GT (Big POS), a '91 240SX, a 2002 WRX, and 2000 Golf GLS prior to the Z and all of them had they're pluses, some more than others. At one point when I had my Golf I had contemplated dropping in the neighborhood of $10,000 into that, but decided not to because it still would not have "my car". But now I'm rambling, so I'll leave you with this.
No one likes a snob! Even if you are a Z snob.
