Influencers messing it up for everyone else? Why am I not surprised
A tear down of Daily Driven Exotics’ heinous Acura Integra Type R build is gaining a lot of attention in the import community for all the right reasons. The video’s creator, photographer Joey Lee of “The Chronicles,” maintains the video is “all in good fun” but commenters, re-posters, and fans of JDM builds are having a field day putting in their two cents.
The consensus is, while viewers are glad DDE is getting into JDM builds, if you’re going to pull off this insane parts pricing and slapstick build, your build’s not welcome and, over time, will do more harm than good in the import car community.
Here are some Twitter responses from Lee’s video
OK, maybe the stealing comment went too far…
Check out the viral video and DDE’s Integra Type R build video below.
Daily Driven Exotics cut their teeth on super car hijinks and exotic modifications. So, color me surprised when Joey Lee posted up the above video highlighting a JDM build.
But, as Lee’s video breaks down, DDE is flat out spitting lies. Here’s everything DDE claims (CAD to USD) compared to the truth.
| DDE Claims | Truth |
|---|---|
| -Spoon dampers are discontinued & cost $4,727 | – Still available for $3,095 |
| -Spoon Calipers are discontinued and cost $3,151 | – Still available for $1,065 |
| – Spoon Calipers were made in 1995 & there’s a two year waiting list. | – ITR came out in late 1995, so that’s impossible. Also, no waiting list. |
| -Has $5,514 Spoon SW388s | –Are actually regular black Regamasters. (4) SW388s only cost $2,400 and are still available. |
To their credit, DDE is using authentic Spoon Sports parts sourced from Spoon Sports US so, at least there’s nothing fake. Annoyingly, they keep referring to Spoon Sports as “OEM Spoon Sports” which is wrong.
The problem Lee highlights is claiming these parts are unavailable and priced way too high. Spoon Sports is remaking certain popular parts as renewed interest for these rad-era Honda builds stays popular so they’re literally still available.
What JDM parts sellers will do, as some make their livelihoods doing, is to jack up their own prices now that this misinformation is out there, hurting the Average Joe import project car builder.
Then, there’s the whole slapstick and quick nature which they built this Integra Type R.
Tell me you don’t give a *** about the import car culture without actually saying it.
Spoon Sports is popular because they are boutique aftermarket performance products tested on the racetrack combined with OEM-like levels of quality (since Spoon has a close relationship with Honda.) Although expensive, they are, somewhat, affordable. The average highschool kid on an allowance and part-time job could buy these parts if they saved enough money for long enough.
When you see import builds on social media, Honda fans will dedicate posts and entire videos to each part. They know how much they cost, what it took to get them, and treasure each piece accordingly.
In DDE’s video, old parts are kicked around, ripped off, and thrown like Chuke-E-Cheese toys.
New parts are installed as quick as if they were building an Ikea desk.
The way they built this Acura Integra Type R overall does a disservice to the import culture and shows just how little DDE and their builders actually know or care.
On behalf of the import community, either build it right with some level of decency or stay in your exotic car lane.
Either way, I don’t personally care about your “JDM Space dream build” and the real ones don’t either.
Just don’t **** it up for the rest of us.
