Are you talking about Japanese, or Foreigners (or both) when you say "no one I've talked to has been down with them"?My mate (and car industry contact) Kazuya, who works for Honda PR, seems to know about 100 guys (I say *seems*) who have EF or EG Civics who are FF crazy... alot of them are hooked up with J's Racing, so I don't know if the proximity of that workshop has anything to do with it.
Have you ever been to Suzuka Circuit? Thats Honda country. The NSX factory might have something to do with that (as well as the motorcycle tuners out there)...
My point: I'd go as far to say that Mitsubishi GTO's are rare and no one mods them, but go out to M's Factory and then suddenly it seems like every second guys got one. It depends on where you are.