Password:JDM officially closes up shop after 18 years in business

It’s been a long time coming and Password:JDM has shutdown before, but this is for real, for real.

Import parts supplier and manufacturer Password:JDM finally shut down all its operations and is closing up for good. According to a Facebook post from the company and an update on their website earlier yesterday (June 15,2020) Password:JDM management called it quits, wishing everyone all the best and thanking everyone for their patronage after these past 18 years.

As a reminder, Password:JDM infamously “closed down” at least two times before this. Back in 2006, they announced they were closing operations only to move locations.

And in 2013 rumors of Password:JDM closing down once again hit the internet and, yet again, Password:JDM reportedly moved into an even larger facility, to their current location in Long Beach, Calif.

But this time is for good, I think.

In January, Password:JDM tested out the waters, ceasing all parts manufacturing, and, handing over the reigns of the company to a business partner. When asked if Password:JDM was closing at that time, it was a “no.”

But then in March, Password:JDM posted up this update as lockdowns rolled out around the United States. Typed out was a concrete plan to decrease inventory as much as possible, carry out last orders to fulfillment, and to downsize their crew from three down to none (today.)

Password:JDM does not give an official reason they shut down but this recent pandemic and the lack of disposable income among their clientele to spend on parts and accessories didn’t help.

Perhaps it was just that time. As the import scene made a gradual shift from JDM builds to stance and faux-racecar, popular Password:JDM parts and accessories went out of style. The generation that bought intakes for their Civic are much older now, more likely to finance a mini-van or something more upscale for themselves then spend their extra money on a set of coilovers for a Toyota Celica.

If this is really the end, then it’s a bittersweet goodbye to an online institution and So-Cal mainstay that supplied millions of import enthusiasts with their first modifications and, in turn, made car enthusiasts for life.

If you haven’t already seen it, HondaPro Jason put together this awesome compilation video when he toured their facilities.

Password:JDM came on the scene at just the right time, filling a niche for aftermarket parts in a one-stop-shop location that others soon copied.

While JDM parts like an authentic Carbon Fiber J’s Racing intake cost well above $1,000 for the real deal, Password:JDM equivalents came in clutch with their own versions of well-known parts at a fraction of the price. It’s no secret why they became so popular.

Ask any import enthusiast at a local meet and they’ll either have Password:JDM parts on their car or they know someone that does, Password:JDM is that prolific.

I still have an off-brand fog light kit for my 99 Civic Sedan from Password:JDM intact on my bumper in the backyard. I’m sure if I plugged all the wiring back in, they’d still work.

So, farewell, Password:JDM and I hope I don’t have to update this blog post with a, “they were just moving” in a couple of days (But I wouldn’t mind because that means ya’ll are sticking around.”