Importatlanta.com History

[Julio]

I was asked this a few times @ TFS this past weekend..

I just went ahead and searched for an old thread and copy and pasted back in here. Didnt feel like typing.

For the Noobzzz...


Importatlanta.com history..


Importatlanta started like this : A little history.

I used to Browse SIATLANTA.COM back like in 2000 or so.. At the time that forum was "OK". I used to go to EAST COAST HONDA MEETS and SIATLANTA meets.

I saw that some of the members of SIATLANTA.COM were sorda stuck up just because they drove SI's =/. So I really didnt dig that..
So I switch boards and started posting on Hondaclub and Honda-Acura net.
I became an ADMIN for HONDACLUB.COM and learn some shit with there forum..

While Messing around on HONDACLUB I thought about starting a site that everyone would or could be a part of without being stuck up.

The 1st Person I ever told about my Idea was Chris AKA 4 banging on here..

But a big problem.. I had no idea really how start a site..

Around that same time I was a part of PERFECTED IMAGES.
Also around that time PI had a small site with a Forum..

I went over to Brian Miller's house , I shot him the Idea and asked him if He could help building a site w/ a forum. He said yeah. So we went to work around NOV of 2000. I already had a name and everything.. Just had enough PC knowledge to start off.
So on FEB 24th 2001 Importatlanta.com was launched.

All of Us in PI started advertising IMPORTATLANTA.COM.
PI members at the time : Brian, Rob, Jeff, Alex, Bryan, Thai, Steve, Me, deon and a few others.. We were handing flyers everywhere..

In 2003 Me and another guy Tried to push IA to another level, We started IMPORTSOUTH, basiclly turning IA into another level.
It did not work out.. I could not understand his vision... So we split up..
IA emerged again.

Before I broke of Importsouth , I spoke with Pablo aka Pothole and told him my plans of breaking off and emerging IA again and asked him if he wanted to be a part of IA and help me set it off again.. He said, yes...

We started , we rolled.. but we ran into some troubles with the site.. we did not know shit about websites.. So, We had a couple of webmasters, didnt work out..

Pablo suggest We bring In Paul... I was like fuck no.. Me and paul had a small beef at one time..
We were driving one day and brainstorming and Pablo told me to just squash whatever I had with Paun and Bring him in as a webmaster.. I told Pablo to go ahead and call Paul..
So between all 3 of us we did a lot of shit in 04, 05 and 06.. ..

After I started chilling with paul he wasnt that bad of a person and had great ideas.. All 3 of us combined ideas and just took IA to the next level.

Pablo decides that his time as part of the IA team had come.. He leaves..

Me and Paul are left to carry IA.. Paul brought in alot of heart, vision, ideas and knowledge and was hungry..

A couple of years ago, A group of us rented a cabin in Gatlinburg,TN .. while we all staying there, Me and paul were chilling in the outside balcony..

Paul tells me , hey man, I want to buy into Importatlanta, how much would it take..

I said, Paul with all the work you have put in and none of us have really made that much money of it, I ll just bring you in as a partner... I cant really charge you, I would feel real bad for it.
Kinda of like Julio owns 60% / Paul earns 40% type deal. Since that Day Paul became Co-Owner of Importatlanta.com.

We agreed and moved on.
Paul has been running IA for about 3 to 4 years now.. and really took IA to the next level.


And there you have it.
Honestly, me and paul can pretty much read each others mind right away.. He has been a great business partner... We have never disagreed in anything.. And I wouldve never thought back then, lol..


So there you have it.. Pretty much in a nutshell.

[blacknightteg]

i vote this b stickied lol.

[On_Her_Face]

IL.com FTW.

Speaking of... ~makes new thread~

[B18c1Turboed]

Im glad ive been there thru it all. Alot of memories on this site, even dont i dont post alot...I orginally joined in 2000 but when the split happened, i lost my old name. :(

[Bus Driver J]

Im glad ive been there thru it all. Alot of memories on this site, even dont i dont post alot...

x2 for sure man :cheers:
I was here pre ImportSouth too, Different name and all.

[Paul]

its been a long run thats for sure... i know since 2000 scene has changed tremendously.

[quickdodge®]

Site was 6 months old when I came along. Later, QD.

[B18c1Turboed]

its been a long run thats for sure... i know since 2000 scene has changed tremendously.

Yup and the class of women on here also...:lmfao:

[FasTech]

I remember back in like '06 when I first started lurking around on here. Things have changed alot since then. But cool little history lesson though. :goodjob:

[EP3sAreFun]

Wow man... i remember that shit.

Paul used to came hang out at the Elite Import meetings at atlanta bread company and listen to a bunch of highschoolers talk about their slow hondas lol

[Slomaro Z28]

Wow man... i remember that shit.

Paul used to came hang out at the Elite Import meetings at atlanta bread company and listen to a bunch of highschoolers talk about their slow hondas lol

They moved those to Media Play, then Starbucks through out the years of this history lesson.

[B18c1Turboed]

They moved those to Media Play, then Starbucks through out the years of this history lesson.


Dont forget Target, those where the best meets.

[DB4LYFE ™]

site was just over 6 years old when i started.

~DB4LYFE

[BluesClues]

Glad to be apart of some history I guess lol
Been here since 05/06 (different name)

[T.S.]

I think I just got a little tear in my eye... QQ What what I have been here since the beginning! When importsouth came and went!

And when we got hacked.. that was fun times too!

[MachNU]

and yet paul still hasnt returned my PM! must still be busy running the site! :(

[Ms Dollar]

Been here since '03, and I met my husband on here so...Looks like I'm not leaving :D

Speaking of...

Paul, we need to hang out again, me, you, Kate, and, Chuck. Miss the fuck out of you guys... :(

[quickdodge®]

Dont forget Target, those where the best meets.

Nah. Nothing topped the Toys R Us meets in Buford by 85. Nothing. Later, QD.

[mike's02ls1]

Wow man... i remember that shit.

Paul used to came hang out at the Elite Import meetings at atlanta bread company and listen to a bunch of highschoolers talk about their slow hondas lol
Was that the one on Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd? If so I was their in my EBP Si back in the day..

[mike's02ls1]

Nah. Nothing topped the Toys R Us meets in Buford by 85. Nothing. Later, QD.The good old days with a whole parking lot full of cars.... How about the Burrell Tire days? Or UAB?

[marcos713]

nice history lesson! :goodjob: im a noob compared to all of you OGs on here but im learning more and more as time passes and meeting new people/friends, just want to say im proud to be a part of this site! :rolleyes:

[EM1toEVO]

I have been here since the beginning too. My old screen name was milanolightning. I lurked for a while before I decided to sign up and become active. It has been a pleasure watching to site grow under Paul and Julio's direction.

[ALVIN]

I was part of the re-emergance of IA in 04 EARLY 04 lol. I trolled around IS and IA before 04. I'm glad to have become part of this site. To be honest some of my good friends have come from this site and to this day I am still meeting new people.

[Doppelgänger]

two words - Team Fuct

lol

Man, I used to get bashed on ALL the time by quite a number of who are now "OGs" and it was all part of the forum. I remember the pre-IS days..and the Phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the fallout. I know my postcount isn't as high as someof the postwhores, but that doesn't mean i've been around any less ;)
The UAB meets were pretty cool....

Man, here is one that a select few of you can remember, an IA mountain run and BBQ.....where somehow or another some IMPORTATLANTA.COM bumper stickers ended up stuck to the tops of one of the grill huts up at Vogel State Part. I'm sure someone , somewhere ha s a picture of that. I've been meaning to go up there and see if any of those stickers are still there......

[EP3sAreFun]

Was that the one on Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd? If so I was their in my EBP Si back in the day..

lol yah

l'ville suwanee and satelite

[Paul]

two words - Team Fuct

lol

Man, I used to get bashed on ALL the time by quite a number of who are now "OGs" and it was all part of the forum. I remember the pre-IS days..and the Phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the fallout. I know my postcount isn't as high as someof the postwhores, but that doesn't mean i've been around any less ;)
The UAB meets were pretty cool....

Man, here is one that a select few of you can remember, an IA mountain run and BBQ.....where somehow or another some IMPORTATLANTA.COM bumper stickers ended up stuck to the tops of one of the grill huts up at Vogel State Part. I'm sure someone , somewhere ha s a picture of that. I've been meaning to go up there and see if any of those stickers are still there......

i remember you being one of the first drifters in Atlanta after drifting got introduced here in US. :goodjob:

[Doppelgänger]

i remember you being one of the first drifters in Atlanta before drifting got introduced here in US. :goodjob:

fixed :D

I remember my first IA screen name.. WankelPowered7 because I had my RX-7, then when I got the Miata and changed my name to DropTopDrifter, I caught sooo much flack..until I posted the videos that are still circulated on YT to this day. Good times (sans the donuts @ Toys R' Us...which had nothing to do with us getting kicked out and was the last time I ever "acted up" at a meet). I started learning to drift in 01...the first Formula D was in 2004....NOPI did their first drift demo with Team Orange in 2003...which were really the first exposuse the east coast had to drifting. But this thread is about IA...not me ;)

I still hope the "scene" gets back to recognizing where it came from..and with some of the last events, some of the cars I have seen lately and how some meets are going...I can see it happening. BTW Paul, once again..TFS FTW...even though I got there really late :(

[Whoopee95]

i think i joined in back in 02.. miss u guys a lot up there!

[DJ Maestro]

I was asked this a few times @ TFS this past weekend..

I just went ahead and searched for an old thread and copy and pasted back in here. Didnt feel like typing.

For the Noobzzz...

Importatlanta started like this : A little history.

I used to Browse SIATLANTA.COM back like in 2000 or so.. At the time that forum was "OK". I used to go to EAST COAST HONDA MEETS and SIATLANTA meets.

I saw that some of the members of SIATLANTA.COM were sorda stuck up just because they drove SI's =/. So I really didnt dig that..
So I switch boards and started posting on Hondaclub and Honda-Acura net.
I became an ADMIN for HONDACLUB.COM and learn some shit with there forum..

While Messing around on HONDACLUB I thought about starting a site that everyone would or could be a part of without being stuck up.

The 1st Person I ever told about my Idea was Chris AKA 4 banging on here..

But a big problem.. I had no idea really how start a site..

Around that same time I was a part of PERFECTED IMAGES.
Also around that time PI had a small site with a Forum..

I went over to Brian Miller's house , I shot him the Idea and asked him if He could help building a site w/ a forum. He said yeah. So we went to work around NOV of 2000. I already had a name and everything.. Just had enough PC knowledge to start off.
So on FEB 24th 2001 Importatlanta.com was launched.

All of Us in PI started advertising IMPORTATLANTA.COM.
PI members at the time : Brian, Rob, Jeff, Alex, Bryan, Thai, Steve, Me, deon and a few others.. We were handing flyers everywhere..

In 2003 Me and another guy Tried to push IA to another level, We started IMPORTSOUTH, basiclly turning IA into another level.
It did not work out.. I could not understand his vision... So we split up..
IA emerged again.

Before I broke of Importsouth , I spoke with Pablo aka Pothole and told him my plans of breaking off and emerging IA again and asked him if he wanted to be a part of IA and help me set it off again.. He said, yes...

We started , we rolled.. but we ran into some troubles with the site.. we did not know shit about websites.. So, We had a couple of webmasters, didnt work out..

Pablo suggest We bring In Paul... I was like fuck no.. Me and paul had a small beef at one time..
We were driving one day and brainstorming and Pablo told me to just squash whatever I had with Paun and Bring him in as a webmaster.. I told Pablo to go ahead and call Paul..
So between all 3 of us we did a lot of shit in 04, 05 and 06.. ..

After I started chilling with paul he wasnt that bad of a person and had great ideas.. All 3 of us combined ideas and just took IA to the next level.

Pablo decides that his time as part of the IA team had come.. He leaves..

Me and Paul are left to carry IA.. Paul brought in alot of heart, vision, ideas and knowledge and was hungry..

A couple of years ago, A group of us rented a cabin in Gatlinburg,TN .. while we all staying there, Me and paul were chilling in the outside balcony..

Paul tells me , hey man, I want to buy into Importatlanta, how much would it take..

I said, Paul with all the work you have put in and none of us have really made that much money of it, I ll just bring you in as a partner... I cant really charge you, I would feel real bad for it.
Kinda of like Julio owns 60% / Paul earns 40% type deal. Since that Day Paul became Co-Owner of Importatlanta.com.

We agreed and moved on.
Paul has been running IA for about 3 to 4 years now.. and really took IA to the next level.


And there you have it.
Honestly, me and paul can pretty much read each others mind right away.. He has been a great business partner... We have never disagreed in anything.. And I wouldve never thought back then, lol..


So there you have it.. Pretty much in a nutshell.


Importatlanta.com history..

So there really is a secret person behind all that is IA. Ignore that man behind the curtain!! :ninja:

[koi]

I had been part of gadsm, dsmtuners, and dsmtalk since 2001. I knew of Import Atlanta and other sites during that time. But I had always thought IA was a bunch of ricers and refused to make my way over here until either 2007 or 2008. But once I got here and started reading. It wasn't what I had thought it was.

It's actually one of the sites I check more then any of the others nowadays.

[bdydrpdmazda]

LOL@ the SIATLANTA members being "stuck up" because they had SI's

[D3UC3S]

been here forever...lost my posts and stuff when all that crap went down! Glad to be apart of this site and all of the memories of back in the day!

Remember fuddruckers???? Half of the parking lot was the IL guys and the other half was IA....there was an imaginary line there you didn't cross LOLOLOLOL...that stupid damn rice patrol car....

[§treet_§peed]

i've been here since 04 when i was 17, but my account got deleted when this site was hacked. I went to the toys r us meets a few times.

[SandM]

geez, when i joined IA i really just lurked for a while, but a year or so ago started being more involved. i met a lot of you guys over the years and enjoy running into old friends randomly at meets. target meets, buford park and ride, medlock starbucks, pleasant hill BP when it was in the Petco parking lot.... fun times. I also remember meeting Pablo at the first Traffic Jams Show'N'Shine