melbourne car meets – Gripshiftslide

MCM mini meet #25 :: Docklands Undercover

Grant — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 12:56:20 +0000

It’s been a while since we have attended such a big car meet! Held in docklands Victoria, in a spot where only three years ago the police blocked off the road, car park and all exits to create a massive defect station. Thankfully that did not happen this time around.

It wasn’t only humans in attendance! there were at least five k9’s that we know of including this husky! I arrived early to beat the traffic not knowing exactly how big this meet was going to get.

At first it was raining lightly and I thought this may stop many from bringing out their pride and joy. Regardless the cars started to stream in like its was boxing day sales.

Most creative exhaust award goes to this little Nissan micra! unfortunately it didn’t sound like star’s not that I know what stars sound like!

This has to be one of the best combo’s I have seen on this model of Celica ..period. The wheels work well and the ride height is spot on!

A lot of attendees drove straight past the meet point opting to park outside the area just in case the boys in blue turned up. Luckily there was no trouble and everyone behaved themselves.

Amongst the sea of cars many were showing of their ability to ride static at dangerously low heights, the others that were riding on air came in low and scraping.

Suddenly a wild DeLorean appeared! iconic film cars are in hot demand right now but the DeLorean is one car that will never loose its luster.

These are no angel eyes, they are straight up devil eyes! happily sitting upon an aggressive set of Work Meisters.

An odd couple I found posing together was this WRX and its brother from another mother. Every so often I came across some cars posing in the spot light, waiting for admires.

With so many quality cars it was hard to know what to take a closer look at. Yet when this BMW rolled in everyone took notice! heads snapped so quick it was like a thunder clap.

There were so many nice cars on show that some super clean cars got ignored. I caught a few hiding between cars and people.

Look closely and you will see some interesting features on this R34. Custom LEDS built into the front bar, mirror and shaved lines combined to make this R34 one of a kind.

Vinyl warp is taking centre stage lately, this 86 was no exception. The brightness of this blue almost paralysed a few people! The way this vinyl refracted light was very impressive! to say the least.

I was very surprised to come across such a well modified WRX. With a serious hint of stance and nothing but quality parts decorating this sexy Subaru. It was hard to not be entranced by its beauty.

Tucked, sitting only millimetres off the ground. Dressed in white with a few hints of red and gold this show stopper continued to stun onlookers for hours.

The king of the streets! the mighty Nissan GTR. This car meet had more variety than a two dollar shop. With super-cars, classic cars, track cars and daily drivers what more could you ask for.

Not all the cars where lowered / modified. Some classic cars had entered under the radar. This VW beetle was super straight and in perfect original condition.

A throwback to late eighties touring car livery’s, this E30 was looking the part and turning some heads.

Another car that pulled a crowd was this super sexy RX7. As soon as it arrived people were climbing over each other to take a closer look.

Packed and ready to go? or just trying too look part of the scene? Regardless its an interesting approach to a style that has been creeping its way into the Melbourne euro groups lately.

With 4 levels full of cars there was a hell of a line to exit the car park. Only a consistent trail of brake lights could be seen for at least 30 thirty minutes while the crowd of cars left the huge car park. The Melbourne car meet group continues to build momentum whilst not compromising on quality. We hope this trend continues, it almost seems as thou MCM is a breeding ground for 100MM entrants and that’s ok in our book!

Beyond Blue :: Show 'n' Shine / Meet & Greet

Grant — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 02:33:48 +0000

What better way to start off the new year than with a big car meet?! Held at Moorabbin Super Centre this Facebook only event had huge numbers confirming their attendance. All were there to show off their rides whilst supporting the great charity Beyond Blue.

The first car that really caught my eye was this uniquely painted Chrysler Sigma Scorpion. It was airbrushed in a military aircraft style complete with rivets and imitation surface rust.

At first glance I thought this was a modified Mitsubishi Starion! As I got closer I was shocked to find that this was a Chrysler. With the classic standard wheels dressed in matte black the car is not screaming for attention yet the paint work really draws you in.

Although this car meet was mainly made up of Holdens and Fords I chose to focus on the imports and cars that caught my attention. This R34 decided to create his own car park as the space was seriously getting limited.

The award for attention to detail has to go to this Hz Holden panel van! It featured a shiny new V8 that was cleaner than most cars in attendance.

The cars continued to roll in! This immaculate 86 flew past bringing with it many new cars to the meet.

The pair that really stood out for me were these amazing 86’s. Both had their own style and both were real neck breakers.

It’s the small details of a car that really give it personality. Take for instance this Snoop Dogg air freshener which helps give the car some attitude. Unique air fresheners are becoming popular; our friends at Saint Side have all the gear to make your car stand out.

An automotive icon, the Toyota Supra, is a car that will always stand out even if it’s not painted in bright yellow! It has most likely the biggest ass on a 2 door car you will ever see! This along with its performance makes it a true modern day classic.

Pretty much sex on wheels.. so lots of people are not into stance but you have to respect the look of this immaculate 86. With iconic Work Meisters wheels and a beautiful static ride height it’s hard to believe how this car can be driven daliy with out any guard damage.

Want to make your Commodore and your bike stand out? Vinyl wrap them in blue camo! Wearing some funky star shaped shoes this Holden had a style all of its own.

I was surprised to see this type 3 VW at a car meet like this. Usually more suited to a Euro meet it was great to see a mix of car makes on show.

A true combination of modern and classic merged together this interior is very individual while being subtle at the same time.

Modifying an Audi takes balls. Not only is the car expensive but also the parts! In saying that this looks great and we wish more people would make their Audis look dope.

There were lots of cars that turned up and I mean lots of cars! With 4 car parks full the car meet scene is starting to heat up again this year with plenty of new players.

Luxury cars never looked so good. Dumped on its ass this Mercedes embodies extreme luxury with plenty of style.

Neo would approve of this paint job! Heavily airbrushed with heaps of detail! Although this style was extremely popular in the late nineties you do not see much of it these days.

Why take a Ferrari to a local car meet? Because you can! As soon as it parked a huge crowd formed and the questions started. So how fast have you been in it? Does it get you the ladies?!

As the Boxter becomes more affordable we will soon see a lot more modified Porsches on the road.

The purple engine bay adds a lot of character to this s15. Dressed all in white with some classy gold wheels and a nice kit it’s hard to walk past this beast without a second look.

As the sun went down the cars started to leave and what was left? A genuine Tommy Makinen Evo that had been hiding behind the crowd of Commodores and Fords.
This was the biggest car meet I had been to in some time. It was similar in numbers to HWY yet with less trouble. It looks like there will be plenty of large car meets and cruises this year and we look forward to checking them out.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

Melbourne Car Meets :: Mini meet #8 Docklands

Grant — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:27:49 +0000

It’s a Wednesday night and there are two large car meets on. A decision had to be made. The choice was between a relativity new car groups meet or attend the car meet that is further away yet is older with a slightly larger following.

I knew making the decision to attend the Melbourne car meets : mini meet #8 was the right choice. Having been to a few of their events I knew there would be a decent sized crowd.

When it’s dark and raining nobody feels like leaving their house. To my surprise many people had made the effort to drive to Docklands to meet with some of Melbourne’s finest modified cars.

Like the crocodile, pop up headlights are a relic from the past. They are sharp, pointy and look freaking awesome but because of pedestrian protection laws this style of headlamp was taken from us. This makes me sad though we are lucky enough to still catch a glimpse of the humble pop up on our roads today.

A touch of Japan! No this is not a factory option. The owner must really love the JDM scene to do this to his engine bay.

Such a sweet combo! Love the straight pipes and wheel choice. This Corolla was one of the stand out cars for me as there are not many quality modified late model Corollas kicking around Melbourne.

The legendary s2k is truly one of the best NA RWD roadsters period. I cannot believe how affordable they have become recently. With so many young drivers buying these it’s hard to believe that this car was a $70k+ car.

Between the cars you could see groups of people converging through the underground car park. More and more cars started to arrive and soon the whole level was nearly entirely full of modified cars.

The new cars entering the level had to negate the crowds and this made finding a park even more difficult. Some people choose to turn up toward the end of the meet and missed some of the best cars.

Simplicity is often the key and this 86 is the perfect display of style over money. A huge height drop and subtle mods are all that are needed. With so many Toyota 86s on the roads keeping it clean is a better choice than cheap, oversized Commodore style wheels.

Mitsubishi Evo owners are known for being obsessive and meticulous, this example is no different. With a nice set of carbon add ons and many other mods this Mitsubishi is more than meets the eye.

Although the organisers of the meet had asked people not to pump their stereos and rev their engines it’s hard to stop such a thing when there is a big crowd. It adds to the atmosphere but it can also attract unwanted attention. It’s great to see the organisers are aware of this happening and took the preventative step of having a meet in the controlled environment.

I had spotted this little Charade a few weeks ago while I was driving. It was great to finally see it up close. The diversity of cars at this meet is a true testament to the modified community.

Fitment is a big issue in the scene. It’s hard to make it practical while also being functional. Suspension travel can be a real bitch! It’s hard to reach a happy medium with enough travel that your tires don’t get cut up and your spine is not shattering.

The CSL boot lid really makes this BMW stand out. It helps extend the curve of the car and gives it a slight racy feel.

One easy way of identifying the high class modified cars was the 100mm sticker. It is such a simple sticker that symbolises what the owner is inspired by and participates within.

It’s a shock to see a CRX without a bodykit! Keeping one of these standard is hard because there is just so much aftermarket Honda goodies on the market.

The amount of up and coming car groups in Melbourne is growing and over the years we have seen many groups fail and prosper. The one aspect that keeps good groups from falling apart is a loyal following.

This following can often turn into a bubble! When 500+ cars overtake car park the law is never far behind.

Keeping a good group of followers manageable is paramount to the success of a car group. Melbourne Car meets continues to kick goals and this meet was huge!

Even though you had to pay to get in to this meet, with steep ramps hard for lowered cars, this did not mater! Why? Because Melbourne Car meets are starting to set a precedent and it’s one that people are beginning to respect.

With well over 60+ cars on a rainy Wednesday night, and among competition hot on their heels, our friends at Melbourne Car Meets are really doing everything right. There are more car meets, shows, and other events planned by MCM. We will continue to follow their progress over this coming year.
Thank you for reading.
-Grant