Import Tuner Scene – World’s Car Capital

Southern California is the home of the Import Tuner Scene; yet another reason the region is the car capital of the world! Sorry Detroit, Southern California is the automotive capital of the world for many reasons - and here's another one, SoCal is the home of the Import Tuner Scene. Personally, I didn't grow up in it.  But iDriveSoCal's Professor, Clinton Quan, experienced all of it. From the first tuned Japanese imports to the seemingly neverending blockbuster movie franchise - The Fast and the Furious. Click play below to hear how the Import Tuner Scene developed and evolved here in Southern California and then took on the world. ***Transcription*** Recorded in Los Angeles, CA Home of the Import Tuner Scene Clinton Quan: You're talking about the Japanese cars, which really made the import tuning scene. The Toyota Celica, the Toyota MR2, the Honda Prelude, even the Honda Accord Coupe, the Nissan 240SX, the Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Mazda MX6.  I mean honestly, who would ever thought that there'd be seven Fast and the Furious movies? Tom Smith: Welcome to iDriveSoCal the podcast. All about mobility from the automotive capital of the United States, Southern California. Tom Smith here with our pal, the Professor, Mr. Clinton Quan. Say hello, Clinton. Clinton Quan: Hi, Tom. Tom Smith: Hey! Today's podcast is a continuation of our justification of that little saying that I throw out there at the beginning of every podcast, what makes Southern California the automotive capital of not only the United States but also the world. Today's podcast is another justification for that. The Professor was pointing out to me something that makes a lot of sense. It predates my living here in Southern California, but he experienced it, he lived it and that is the import tuning scene, right? Professor, why don't you kind of take it away because I have a bunch of kind of yes and to add, but as I mentioned, I wasn't here for it so I don't have that firsthand experience that you do. "I mean honestly, who would ever thought that there'd be seven Fast and the Furious movies?" Clinton Quan: Yeah. It really started in the early to mid-90s and I remember growing up in... when I went to junior high and high school, if you look back, these were some of the most popular cars back then. The Fast and the Furious - Import Tuners & Drifters You're talking about the Japanese cars, which really made the import tuning scene. Cars such as the Toyota Celica, the Toyota MR2, the Honda Prelude, even the Honda Accord Coupe, the Nissan 240SX and they had both a fastback and a coupe version of that. The Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Mazda MX6. Tom Smith: You're talking early 90s, the beginning. Clinton Quan: We're talking, yes. Tom Smith: Does that include the late 80s? Clinton Quan: Yeah, we could include the late 80s as well. Tom Smith: The cars at that time, the Japanese cars anyway, and I guess the other cars too, they were kind of getting smaller. Clinton Quan: Yes. Tom Smith: In the Midwest, I had a buddy that had had a Toyota MR2 and man was that fun to drive. A little go-cart. What about the... was it the Honda- Clinton Quan: Civic? Tom Smith: Yeah. The first Civic that... the first, the two-door Civics, remember they had the kind of bubbly blacktops or bubbly- Clinton Quan: Oh, you're talking about Civic hatchback because- Tom Smith: Yeah, yeah, yeah. "Cars such as the Toyota Celica, the Toyota MR2, the Honda Prelude, even the Honda Accord Coupe, the Nissan 240SX and... The Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Mazda MX6." Clinton Quan: Well, speaking of that,