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Muscle Cars for a New
Generation
The Steady Growing Tuner Market Fuels
Demand for High Performance Products
When most people think of muscle cars, they generally think of
American makes like Chevrolet, Ford and
Pontiac. Classic cars such as the Pontiac GTO, the Ford Mustang and the Chevy
Chevelle come to mind.
However, the hot rods of the new generation are not GTO’s, Mustangs or Chevelles.
They are modified, midsized imports like Honda Civics, Toyota Celicas and Nissan
Maximas.
Actually, these modern-day hot rods are usually combinations
of different makes and models. The body
could be manufactured by Nissan, but a more powerful Toyota engine could be
under the hood. They’re
called “tuners,” and the scene has been steadily growing since its underground
beginnings in southern California more than a decade ago. The blockbuster 2001
movie The Fast and the Furious, centering
on highly modified import cars and street racing, helped launch the tuner
lifestyle into mainstream public consciousness.
Typically a youth-dominated market, it features moderately
priced mid-size import vehicles juiced up with
expensive performance modifications, flashy body work, custom paint jobs and
expensive sound systems. “Tuner car enthusiasts express themselves using their
vehicles,” says Dick Messer, museum director of Petersen Automotive Museum in
Los Angeles. “The car is the focus of their lifestyle, and it’s a lifestyle that
transcends ethnic, gender and socio-economic barriers. Tuner cars bring together
a group of enthusiasts that is not defined by a specific make or model, a
geographic boundary or niche market.”
According to Motor Trend magazine, “‘Tuner’ cars are
traditionally sport compact models equipped with highrevving, small-bore
engines, race-inspired suspensions and bodywork. They represent a modern-day
approach to performance-based motoring and they have many parallels to the early
days of hot rodding.” The tuner scene has no set rules, and creativity is
encouraged. Some tuner enthusiasts focus almost exclusively on
exterior appearance, others are more concerned with performance and others
strive for a balance between
the two.
An April 2003 article by Don Fernandez in the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution profiled some of Atlanta’s local
tuners. James Park of Lilburn, Ga., owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer that boasts
two-tone seats, custom
exhaust and “suicide spoiler,” and he’s looking at adding a turbocharger. “Any
import lovers . . . once you
start, you can’t stop,” he says.
When Edgar Moreno of Alpharetta, Ga., bought his new 2003 Infinity,
he wasted no time with the modifications. He removed the wood grain interior, installed a PlayStation 2 in the
glove compartment and a
DVD player and monitor in the air conditioner space and added fifteen-inch rims
and a lowered profile for
aesthetics.
Performance is extremely important in the ever growing tuner
market, and tuner enthusiasts invest a lot of money in their vehicles. Don't use
a second rate lubricant. AMSOIL
lubricants are the perfect fit for today’s hot rod generation. AMSOIL
synthetic lubricants offer second-to-none protection and performance for all
makes and models of vehicles, keeping equipment running in top condition.
AMSOIL will reduce friction for increased horsepower and improved fuel economy.
Get the edge over your competition by using
AMSOIL
Lubricant.
You can see a list of Specific AMSOIL
products for
Performance and Competition here.
The interiors of tuner vehicles are often
modified as extensively as the exteriors
Tuner enthusiasts typically spend thousands of
dollars modifying their engines to increase power output
T's Advanced Synthetics
Greg and Marcy Thurman
Your Nationwide
AMSOIL
Authorized Independent
Dealer
Nationwide US Warehouses,
Canada and Palm Harbor, FL
727-798-8552
E-Mail:
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
If you
experience problems or have questions or comments about
our website please email us at
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
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