Mitsubishi – Gripshiftslide

Japan Day 2 :: Daikoku Futo PA

Grant — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 09:32:31 +0000

After 36 hours in Japan we finally hit up some car action at none other than Daikoku Futo PA! This tiny car park in the middle of a man made island in the Yokohama harbor is a thing of legend. If you’re into Japanese cars chances are you’ve seen more than a few photos from this location. Here car owners from different walks of life all gather and soak up the experience that is Daikoku Futo any night of the week and during the day on weekends.

Staying in Yokohama meant the parking area was just 15 minutes from our hotel. So hurried back after dinner and set off on our adventure.

The very first sight we were greeted by as we drove down the long spiraling off ramp into the parking area. This ‘Tron’ looking BMW convertible that had light glowing from everywhere. We parked up and ran around like kids in a candy store.

I can’t explain the ‘fizzy’ feeling you get standing in this spot at night… The cars, the orange light and the sound of engines revving is just unlike any car meet at home. The scale of the freeway ramps that circle you create this theater filled with the sounds of cars entering and leaving the car park. It really is just massive!!

The amount of cars even on a quiet night like this was staggering, cars were coming and going all the time. It was impossible to keep up when shooting on a tripod.

These three where all friends.

We loved this bumper-less Crown. It was also refreshing to see a modified Crown after the sea of Japanese Taxi’s getting around Tokyo!

The wheels were on the smaller side for a car of this size bit it still looked great all together.

Our second night in Japan and we were already treated to the sight of a Hako Skyline.

It was beautiful!!

This matte green air-cooled Porsche was a very cool sight amongst all the domestic cars.

There was a small army of MX-5’s out in force.

I’ve only ever seen one or two cool looking MX-5’s together at home so it was awesome to see more than 5 at the same place.

This little dark green one was rocking some wide wheels on the rear. Photos don’t do it justice!

Our favorite MX-5 had to be this BN Sports kitted black number. The level of dish was high with this one!

There was a few Honda’s out and about too.

This little blue EG Civic was sitting stupidly low, it looked awesome from every angle.

The greatest Civic Type R in our eyes… The EK9. These things are just pure awesome!

Another Type R on the same TE 37 wheels.

Over in the corner some local bosozoku bikers were meeting and revving their bikes. When I got closer I realised they were playing songs. They had each made up their own song and began reciting them one after another simply using their engines.

This was one of the coolest aspects of the parking area, getting up close to these amazing machines/people I’ve heard so much about.

Old Suzuki’s and Honda’s seemed the bikes of choice and they all had their own personal touches.

Our personal favorite of the entire night had to be Kazuki’s flawless 86.

The subtle red glitter in the paintwork was beautiful. We were digging the mismatched wheels. Work Equips up front.

TE37V in the rear.

This is seriously one very cool street driven hachiroku!!

Not to far away we found some very nice looking Infiniti’s.

This FX was dropped on it’s airbag suspension while it was parked and had heaps of top end audio gear inside. The roof racks had a very cool flower wrap on them too.

The G-Series sedan was sitting low on a set of 3SDM 0.08 wheels.

These wheels looked the business gleaming away under the street lights.

As it turns out the Toyota Prius is one of the most modified cars in Japan, seriously every second one we saw had blacked out taillights, wheels and an exhaust. This one was a little bit different and certainly had a bigger budget then most sitting pretty atop a set of fifteen52 Tarmac wheels. This thing looked killer.

From big budget to low budget this ‘diy’ Legacy wagon would look at home at most grass root race events. The matte black paint and custom front splitter design along with the rear wing made for a menacing looking street car.

One of the few Supra’s we saw, this was definitely the more wild looking of the bunch. Check out the rear diffuser setup!!

The car park fell quiet for a short time, the silence was quickly interrupted by the unique burble of this Porsche arriving. The sound stuck out like a chip packet being opened in a church.

One for the rotary fans. This spotless white FD RX-7 was certainly worthy of a few photos.

The body kit seemed like a simple lip kit at first but became all the more extreme when you got closer. The rear diffuser alone was a work of carbon art!

A late and brief attendee was this Evo wagon, such a shame we don’t see more of these in Australia. I’ve only ever seen one in real life before this.

This Scion XB was pushing the camber out on the rear wheels, lots of character here. mismatched panels, rusted bonnet and stone chips galore. This was cool!

This tiny Suzuki Alto was just tucking these 14″ mesh wheels in the rear.

It had some patched up fender damage on the front from running so low around Tokyo’s streets.

Later in the evening another cool 86 arrived, this time a coupe!!

In the infamous two tonne black & white combination and on a set of Watanabe wheels… Perfect!

It doesn’t get much cooler than this, sitting behind an idling Toyota Sprinter in Yokohama.

There was truck loads of Toyota’s by this point. Check out the crazy fitment on this Crown.

This Chaser was in pristine condition and funnily enough had the loudest sub woofer I’ve heard on the street. It was ridiculous!!

It had a nice amount of dish too!

One of the toughest looking cars of the night had to be this black Nissan Cima.

The big chunky wheels set it off perfectly.

It’s hard to describe this car without using the word “gangster”…

Even more Toyota Crowns!! They’re literally everywhere here! We were about ready to call it a night before the police did it for us After a few too many cars got a bit loose when leaving the car park.

Then this arrived… The hero car of the night. a sky blue liberty Walk R35 GT-R.

The huge over fenders of the rocket bunny kit perfectly covered the massive rear wheels.

This thing was big!!

Seeing a car like this here in Japan was really a special moment for me, I stood still just enjoying it not even touching my camera for a few minutes before I felt the pain in my feet that comes from a 15 hour day of walking none stop.
So that was that we called it a night and headed back to our hotel.
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

Melbourne Car Meets :: Bundoora

Grant — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:59:49 +0000

A new group is on the scene “(MCM) Melbourne Car Meets” Not knowing anything about them I decided to go and check out one of their local events. It was held at Bundoora Park; a place where many hot rod shows and fundraisers are also held. With a wide open grass area and plenty of room to park cars this is one seriously good trouble free spot.

Entry was made easier with the aid of some planks of wood to lessen the dip in the driveway. Although the entrance of this public park is littered with speed humps many very low cars made it in.

If you know your Toyotas you will know what car this interior belongs to. Beige and brown are colours that are set to make a comeback in the not too distant future.

I arrived late to this event yet I was not the only one. Cars continued to roll in for the next two hours. As the area started to fill up the weather set in.

Not your normal street set up with Nitto semi slicks and brake discs larger than a family pizza. This 200sx had obviously seen some track time.

This event was much larger than I had ever expected. With cars from one end of the park to the other there was plenty of variety. Melbourne Car Meets early success indicates exactly how eager the car community are to show off their cars.

The EG Civic is one of the best Civics made. It is small light and rigid. The EG is often used as a good base for FWD time attack / track cars. They also make a fantastic daily especially if they are running a b16a under the hood. Love the JDM look with crystal headlights and amber indicators.

While we are on the subject of great Hondas; how about the S2000? They are everywhere now! Even Mighty Car Mods have one now! This one is looking sharp with its BBS style rims and red highlights.

Mmmmm ..polished lip! With more reflections than the mirror room in Enter The Dragon, these rims are distinctive. Yes that’s right this is the work of Primal Garage! One of the best car stylists from Melbourne.

Like seeing an incredibly beautiful girl you can’t help but stare. The car that put Primal Garage on the map belongs to the one and only Neil Gray. Truly one of the sexiest 180sx’s in Australia!

From behind the fence several wild beasts were pacing up and down while the unsuspecting crowd drooled over cars. A gang of giant evil mutant chickens sat only 20 metres away from the car show just waiting for their chance to strike.

Black on white is always a good combo especially with a set of Work Meisters. Not only do they balance out the large footprint of the FD RX7 but they are also very classy.

The Honda Accord Euro has gone through waves of popularity over the years and it seems it’s making a comeback. With sharp edges just like Global Knives these Euros have the right proportion of straight lines and curved panels.

They look great slightly stanced and dropped. This owner has gone for a balance of black and silver on white which really makes this car stand out. There were a lot of euros in attendance and all of them had their own individual style.

The new Lancers are growing on me, especially Evo styled Lancers. With larger side skirts, Evo bonnet and a nice set of wheels this Lancer was a real head turner.

This Lancer had undergone a huge re-trim with custom captain chairs and interior highlights. This car had entered into show car territory. Even the rear seat had be luxuriously rebuilt with Mercedes like comfort.

Love it or hate it people love to sticker their wheels to show off their offset. Does it ruin the look of the car? I don’t think so. It adds that personal touch to the car.

The Ke70 Corolla has gone up in price in the last few years. However, smart kids know that if you stalk the streets enough you find an old person with one in amazing condition for the right price. With a tucked rear wheel and what looks like chopped springs this little Ke would of been scrubbing and bouncing all the way to the event.

One of the best Honda’s ever build, the NSX is a car you don’t often see but when you do you make sure you have a good look. As the number plates suggests this car is truly unique.

With a custom MH Design Wide Body Kit and a set of shinny Volk GTC wheels this is one beautiful NSX. The customisation does not end there with a crazy professional audio setup by Pac Audio and a custom red leather interior.

Talking about beautiful cars this Nissan Z was spectacular with flares, a great set of wheels and f1 style mirrors.

This was one evil looking Subaru with black on black and some small red highlights and a sinister smile.

There is always a car that rolls in and steals the show and this was it. The two tone S13 was so low it was removing grass as it drove into the park. With Diamond Racing up front and Speed Star MK2s at the back this ride was in its own league.

Once it parked people slowly gravitated towards it like a moth to a flame. There was something intoxicating about this s13; was it the the fact that this car wasn’t bagged? How did the car make it to this event without being stopped by the po po? We will never know but for this reason I think the crowd had mutual respect for this car.

Our friends at Zenki Wear were in attendance with two very nice Toyota 86s siting either side of their stall. If you have never heard of Zenki wear your missing out! If you like Japanese cars and t-shirts then you will love Zenki wear.

This is such a distinctive car. Not only does it look great but this livery design is simple and effective. The sumods boys were at the event
with a great selection of parts that they import and sell. It’s good to see groups like this getting together to make aftermarket parts more available in Australia.

Melbourne needs more car meets and events in general. With this type of response for a new car group it shows how passionate the modified car community really is. A trouble free event with many awesome cars and great people. Melbourne Car Meets are doing everything right and we can’t wait to see what they organise next.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

The Lowdown :: Last Minute Meet

Grant — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:35:20 +0000

The boys behind The Lowdown.com and Sydney’s uber successful car show ‘Showcased‘ decided to go from one extreme to another.
They’ve gone from organising one of the most hyped and planned events on the calendar to one of the most casual street car meets in recent history.
Their previous work with the Showcased car show saw a multi level car park in Sydney’s CBD get closed off and then filled with the best cars from all over. With months and months of planning in the lead up to the big day and then with less than 48 hours notice, the team decided to get everyone together and opted for something a bit more ‘low’ key.

The invitational flyer was posted on Facebook just two days before the proposed meet.
The grass-roots nature and ‘everyone is welcome’ vibe spread far and wide within the 48 hour window and the turnout was fantastic to say the least!

Hundreds of people came down for some much needed mid-week stress relief. There were cars coming and going from 7pm till 11pm, so the crowd was shrinking and then just as quickly again growing with each hour.

The quality of cars was amazing but the real surprise was just the atmosphere that came from such a laid back approach to the meet.

Some standout cars included this simple black R35…

And the Dixcel/Garage 88 FD Civic also came out to visit!

The Acquired Taste Evo’s sitting pretty together.

This one in particular has been bouncing around the interwebs for a few months now. We are proud to see an Aussie car getting so much love around the globe… Although another local Evo tops this one in the E-fame department.

Ladies and gentleman, ZOMAYA!! This wide body creation by The Lowdown team member Michael has been stirring the lower regions of young men and women everywhere!
There are countless images of this being shared all over the web every day and we can see why!!!

A glimpse of the 200+ car turnout!

A testament to the healthy fitment scene in NSW – this is the perfect street car.
Not stupid expensive, just nice wheels and a bit of power… Perfect!

Creative lanyard placement, although we’re not sure how well it will go if it needs a tow.

Chooks’ Lexus drops jaws and panties everywhere it goes!
We hope the success of these back to basics car meets kick off a ‘less is more’ approach to the car scene. With more and more blogs/organisations popping up, everyone is trying to out do each other with each and every event but at what cost?
Keep meets fun, casual and most importantly accessible to everyone!
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.
Photos by Nicholas Truong | SB Captures