Originally Posted by jfairladyz

I'm going to stay out of the whole JDM craze thing but I will step in abou the manufacturing of japanese parts vs american parts. To say that the parts made in Japan are the highest quality is nothing more than Bullshit. First of all the whole reputation of japanese aftermarket parts being better only comes from the days when there wasn't much R&D into imports on the part of our american parts manufacturers. I'm sorry but how many of those suspension companies listed do you thing actually make their own parts? Very few. A good deal of those parts are manufactured in the same Taiwanese plants as a good deal as those cheap knock off parts.

The JDM craze HAD a point. And that point was back in the ninetys when the only place you could get a part for your import was either from Japan or someones ghetto rigged fabrication from their garage. Now all the major american aftermarket manufacturers have stepped up to the import car culture and are making parts equal to or superior to their japanese counterparts. Most of our american companies have infinte more resources then some of the bigger japanese aftermarket companies. You dont honestly think a company like HKS can make a better camshaft then a dedicated stateside cam grinder do you? That foolish. Japanese parts aren't all they're cracked up to be. Especially now we have the know how over here. Now JDM is just about being different. Which is cool. But anyone who makes the mistake of thinking that going JDM with their ride is for the purpose of better parts or better quality is sadly mistaken. Who dominates import racing? Companies like Skunk2 (american) dominate all motor import racing) How about real time dominating in their integras on the road courses. These are american companies putting american parts on their race cars.
I'm not saying that Japanese parts are no good. I'm definitely not saying that. I'm just saying that the american aftermarket is now on a level playing field (if not a superior level) with their Japanese counterparts and it just no longer makes sense to pay 10x more for a part that you can get for far cheaper and get the same if not better performance.

Originally Posted by iluvJDM

Thanks for that man, I appreciate it. Yeah I guess I kinda went off a bit but it was becuase I've been kind of down about my car and how my Honda friends are already dropping in B16Bs in their Civics (yep my friends have hondas but they are not ricers! Everything they do to their cars is strictly performance related, no usless junk!). I'll gladly take anyones advice here and that is why I come here: to learn more about my Z and I wasnt meaning to start anything. Again yo, I appreciate the kind words and the support from before, really helped me out when I was down, and I apoligize if I bothered anyone. (BTW I got to keep the Z even though my dad forced on me a non-GTI Golf!)

Originally Posted by Bleach

Of course, I didn't know better when I bought my triangular front strut tower brace, but I will tell you that thing cut down a lot of little vibrations in the front end. Driving down the freeway was much quieter and going over bumps was not as 'rattley' as before. Maybe my car is just falling apart.