actually....80's imports are still popular in the tuner crowd. the honda civic is very much the japanese equivalent of the k car. everything is based on modular components. meaning the hardware is very much a bolt in from newer models and the wiring is the only difficult task. obviously the import crowd has tons of aftermarket support, but there are a couple vendors that cater to the 80's to early 90's fwd mopar crowd. since the daytona, shadow, spirit, dynasty, etc use refined versions of the basic k car chassis.....you can swap all the hardware and drivetrain with ease!
its not just LA....all over the country they are cracking down on derelict cars. most people buy new cars every few years, rather than throwing time and money into an old vehicle i very much like seeing the latest and greatest come out. i'm glad to live in this modern time of portable dvd players and performance parts galore. however, i enjoy being different - partly because i'm an aquarius and partly because i'm nostalgic and like to keep a connection to my childhood. thats why i have kept my 86 k wagon for all these years and continually work on it as money and time allow. my parents bought it in '88 and it was my first car. i look forward to finishing restoring/modding it and showing what a versatile car it is when some imagination is invested.