Ryan Allen Scott (aka ef.shawty) blames his dad & 2000’s car culture for the way he is lol. I salute both of them though; can we get a round of applause. And I know Ryan’s just one guy – but look – he’s not just one. Because what I’m seeing, is a bonafide counter-culture punch from some of the younger generation… specifically the offspring of the OG import generation. Ryan’s basically a real life Hector, buying parts for three Honda Civics all at the same time. And this is his Inca Gold Honda CRX! Inca Gold is from the Plymouth Prowler… or PT Cruiser if you wanna be a dick about it.

The Ricer kids had kids…

And as these kids have grown into adulthood in their own right, they’ve realized their current surroundings honestly blow compared to their parent’s at their age. The age of technology lied to us. It mutated. And neutered us & bubble-wrapped us. We don’t want another simulated sports car. We don’t want AI cars, we don’t want AI media, and we don’t want an artificial experience on this planet… we want the real thing dammit!

Tired of autonomy…

The kids wanna feel. They wanna connect to something… not just wifi, but something real & raw. Golden-era Hondas are a great outlet for that. They’re not as cheap as they used to be, but they’re cheap enough by today’s standards. Plus you can learn to be self-sufficient when it comes to vehicle maintenance & modifications. And isn’t that the very foundation of America: Freedom & self-sufficiency?? And isn’t that what we forfeit when hand over too much control to technology & autonomy?? Just go ask the flock cameras & speed cameras… or the new cars that monitor you.

I talk like Ryan’s 17…

He’s not; he’s like 30… but you get the point. Ryan Allen Scott was just a kid when all this tuner stuff was originally going down. But he was there at the shows, tracks, & parking lots – soaking it up. Because his dad put him in the thick of it. And when 2000s import culture is engrained into your youth, it’s hard to accept fakeness & numbness at the level of this decade.

It’s also hard to tell the backstory of this Honda CRX…

Without first talking about Ryan’s first car. When Ryan was 14 or 15, his dad brought home a blue Honda CRX. His dad regularly worked on cars… so bringing home another car was a really nothing new for Ryan. But this particular CRX had a JDM Type-R motor in it. Together, Ryan and his dad pulled the motor out of the CRX for a buyer/customer. And after the motor was gone, Ryan’s dad said the rest of the car was his. So unbeknownst to Ryan, he dismantled his own car before he could even drive it lol.

Nevertheless, by his 16th birthday, Ryan drove his CRX to high school…

It had a B16 that he’d built with his dad. And Ryan continued to drive that CRX through different evolutions & iterations – until 2020 – when it got hit & tweaked the frame. Ryan was gutted… and he searched for a replacement.

He found this Honda CRX, and it seemed like potentially the perfect match…

The body had an early-2000s style & parts-list. And somehow, the paint & body was still well preserved. The rest of the car however (engine/wiring/suspension), was roached-out with a tired turbo D16. But Ryan retained all the parts from his wrecked CRX, so it was kind of a match made in heaven. $1,800 took the CRX home.

With this gold CRX, Ryan wanted to pay tribute to the golden era of imports…

Simultaneously, he wanted to bring it into modern times just enough to make it a little more reliable. Currently it just has a crate B20 while his GSR engine gets rebuilt on the stand. It makes Ryan sad that it doesn’t have VTEC… but that’s also the motivation he needs to finish his GSR engine lol. Other than that, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the B20.

Carmakers take note: This is where the energy is…

I’m not sure how our paths got separated (enthusiast & carmakers)… but what we want is freedom, affordability, expression, and connection in our driving experience. The energy never changed – the industry did. We don’t want more prescriptions, subscriptions, and autonomy. What we want – is real. Not a simulation; but the real damn thing. We want emotion & intangibles. Authenticity, relatability… and something to genuinely be a fan of.

Watch-out for more of this resistance energy coming from the youth and 2nd-generation import culture.