Sandown – Gripshiftslide

Custom Cars & Coffee :: Melbourne 2015

Grant — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 06:00:40 +0000

Melbourne is arguably the home of Australia’s best coffee and also home to some of the best street cars getting around, when these two things come together it means it’s once again time for Custom Cars & Coffee…

Victorian’s are a lucky bunch indeed if roasted beans and automobiles are your thing, with regular Cars & Coffee meets held by our friends over at RTR in the west every month which can see over 100 cars or more if the suns out, while “Custom Cars & Coffee” (CC&C) sees only two events a year and proves to be the bigger affair.

This was the second ‘CC&C’ meet held again at Sandown Raceway, this time the weather was undoubtedly some of Melbourne’s “finest” with frequent showers all morning… Despite the rain there was a considerable turn out in the hundreds, the ‘CC&C’ events seem to make for one of the most eclectic car shows around. I’ve not been to any other event that has anywhere near the variety you’ll see here.
One of the first cars to steal my attention was this pristine Camaro Z28, some muscle cars really don’t do it for me. This however has some of the best lines of any in it’s era.

This rusted Holden HZ premier had a few people making some puzzled faces. We loved all the little details and the ‘curb feelers’ were the icing on the cake!!

This MG MGB Roadster was a big win on the euro front, the superlite wheels really changed the demeanor of the tiny convertible. It’s nice to see some people aren’t afraid to add some character to a classic.

While on the subject of European cars ‘CC&C’ did not disappoint. There was something on display from nearly every major stable. Although it seems Germany is the country of choice for most.

There was a handful of Porches like this duo in white, a beautiful 911 and a road ready-racer GT3.

Hands down my favorite V8 powered saloon car. The Mercedes C63. The 6.2L engine creates the most euphoric noise simply by mixing petrol and air! Amazing!!

Between spats of rain when the heavens finally closed up the sun came shining down resulting in some quick costume changes for some.

Despite being on the ‘plumpier’ side compared to the old model, tipping the scales at almost two tonne. The new BMW M5 can get up to 100kph from stand still in just over 4 seconds… The M5 is definitely punching above it’s weight!!

I think I saw a bunny wabbit!! A MK1 Golf aka the Volkswagen Rabbit in the US. The original Golf has always been a charmer, before these guys “Hot Hatches” didn’t exist.

Aside from VW’s as far as the eye could see there was a healthy amount of BMW’s filling out the lines at the show. This E30 was picture perfect sitting atop it’s mesh wheels.

The Z4 M is one of the most underrated roadsters of the modern area. With a punchy straight 6 engine and great handling just add some iconic Japanese wheels and it’s winning combo in our books!

At every show there’s that one car, that one you wait just a little bit longer for people to move out of the way to make sure you get the photo…

This was ‘The car’… This stunning E92 BMW was menacing from every angle.

There’s no denying the wheels are the hero here. 3 piece Work Meisters in satin black.

The fitment is spot on, the owner is brave to be driving around like this in Melbourne for quite a few reasons!

All the cool kids rock up late these days and nothing says cooler than a fresh yellow sticker from the boys in blue. The owner of this Golf also scored some airtime on the “highway patrol – TV Show” so keep your eyes out for that episode when it airs.

It’s easy to see why it got so much attention from side on… Absolutely slammed on a set of Porsche wheels, check out that dish!!

More AMG goodness, this time a coupe. We miss hood emblems, stupid inconsiderate pedestrians ruining it for everyone!!

Another comfortable German four door packing a V8 under the hood and mated to Audi’s renowned 4WD system makes this one quite capable in corners and off the line!

Speaking of 4WD… Not many can come close to the mighty Nissan GTR. The Victorian chapter of Skylines Australia had a huge display of Japan’s greatest export on show.

Round taillights as far as the eye can see…

There was plenty of R35’s on display and amongst such a large group it didn’t take much to stand out, just some wheels and a nice drop in the ride height and this grey number was looking great!

One of the most Iconic colours for the R34’s. Bayside Blue is always a favorite of ours.

We were pleased to find two GTR’s wearing blue at the show, if they were girls at a party they would NOT be friends right now.

This track spec R33 GTR was looking nice thrown into the mix, definitely not the most popular GTR model but this one was very aggressive! It just looked like it was itching to get out onto the track!!

The V35… Some love to argue it’s not a “real” Skyline at all. Others simply see it for what it is… A sleek and sporty luxury coupe. They were a big hit in the US.

The bad weather meant many entrants were running late, cars kept flowing in all morning.

Everyone’s favorite. A Ford Mustang. The blue was great colour on the classic body and with a bigger chin than a man from a Bonds commercial too!

Now to a local hero… The Holden SL/R 5000 Torana. With hulking wheel arches from factory and the green hue it certainly was looking angry!

Remember when I said this was the most eclectic car show around? Down the front we found a giant Dodge ‘truck’, wrapped commodore and wrapped Monaro.

The ‘loud’ looks of the other wrapped cars were dulled by this gleaming Mercedes coupe. The gold wrap had a mirror finish, we were just happy the sun was tucked away behind the clouds!!

In between checking out all the cars there was often the distracting sound of some cars blasting around Sandown circuit, this was the perfect backdrop for the car show.

We don’t know why this guys been hiding from all the Classic Japan shows… A pristine Mitsubishi Galant GTO is a rare sight to be had!

Onto some more classic rides from the land of the rising sun. There were a handful of beautiful Z’s on show.

This was our favorite 270ZX of the bunch, super clean, wheel flares and dished wheels. Perfect!

There was even some quality cars for the little guys at the show! Any kid rolling around in the driveway in one of these bad boys is sure to be the envy of all the other kids in the street.

It seems there were also a few nice cars out in the car park.

We found Daniel’s MX5 adorning a few extra additions.

The new spoiler is a killer piece to finish off the look of the car.

Now we’ve all seen manga art used on a car but we’ve never seen a panel this big done entirely in manga comics.

While it’s pretty extreme it is nice to see some quality artwork up close.

One of the more ‘wild’ looking 86’s at the show, this one paying homage to Toyota Racing Developments ‘TRD’.

Hybrid and electric cars are for rain forest loving hippies right? Wrong!! Tesla has been changing people’s perception of electric powered cars since 2008. Thanks to some ingenious engineering, some 600 newton meters of torque and over 300KW of power.
While range is still the biggest issue for these types of cars speed certainly isn’t a problem anymore.

Easily one of the most curious cars at the show… The English sports car known as the Ultima GTR.

It’s offered both as a fully built road ready car and funnily enough as a (do it your self) kit car. The car is however far more advanced than it’s diy origins let on.

Utilising a tubular steel space frame with a fiberglass body it’s light, really light!! Weighing in a smidge under a 1,000KG.

Inside is one of the simplest interiors we’ve ever come across. No distractions here just some pedals, a shifter and a steering wheel. Surrounded by a generous splash of Alacantra and this is somewhere we simply refer to as our “happy” place.

The engine found in the “turnkey” version (factory built) is a small block V8 sourced from Chevrolet mated to ether a Porsche gear box or Getrag Transaxle unit. Recent builds have been putting out over 500kw… That makes for 0-100kph in about 2.6 seconds!!!!

Now the exotics. Custom Cars & Coffee really has it all. There were Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s, and Maserati’s for all to see.

Lamborghini’s have always been the pin up poster car of choice for young enthusiasts but it wasn’t until the Murcielago came along in 2001 that Lamborghini really took the mass produced super car fight to Ferrari. Paving the way for the Gallardo which sold more in total than all previous Lamborghini’s combined! The Murcielago was however the more extreme of the two featuring the companies biggest V12 engine to date.

The Murcielago really is one of the most striking cars in person and easily one of the widest at over two meters wide!!

What would an Italian super car be with out scissors doors?! It really adds to the theater of the angry Italian bull.

The heart of the beast. A 6.5L monster of a V12. One of the last we’ll ever see thanks to stricter emission laws.

Lastly another V12 terror from the land of pizza. The Ferrari Testarossa. One of the most Iconic supercars of the 80’s and also known for it’s ridiculously large side mirrors.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Custom Cars & Coffee and can only imagine what the turnout would have been like if the weather was on the dryer side.
This is hands down the best mix of cars we’ve seen on home soil and really captures the feeling we get seeing all the photos from some of the coffee meets from Irvine, California.
We’re look forward to the next big event these guys conjure up, to keep up to date follow their Facebook page here. Customcarsandcoffeemelbourne
In the mean time if you have a craving for early mornings, roasted beans and gorgeous cars then check out the regular monthly meets held by Road Track Rally – Cars & Coffee
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

From The Vault :: 86 Mega Meet

Grant — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 11:37:16 +0000

Here at GSS we attend A LOT of events around our full time jobs and sometimes life can get in the way for our two man team. So we will be bringing you a series of posts titled “From The Vault”. Each post will be an event or feature we’ve been meaning to post up but just never found the time.

Our first entry in the series, is from the very first Mega Meet of the 86 Club of Australia. It was held at Sandown Raceway Melbourne late last year. Coincidence has it, this week we’ll be celebrating the 86’s second birthday with Toyota Australia and the #festival of 86, keep your eyes peeled for that later this week…

Toyota fans from around the state flocked to the racetrack for a show & shine event run by the 86 Club and Pedders Racing, to celebrate the 86’s first birthday.
We attended a special event hosted by Toyota Australia a month earlier and enjoyed throwing the little coupe around a closed track. See it here.

We arrived bright and early to catch a quick briefing for all the attendees.

This wasn’t just a static show, the 86 club had organised a parade lap around the racetrack. All the drivers had to be to aware of the strict noise restrictions at this particular course.

With the clock ticking away, the cars lined up on the dummy grid ready for a 9am start.

With the noise limits in place, Matt Russell’s drift AE86 could not be started so it was pushed into place on the dummy grid.

With all the cars in position it was time for a few photos.

With so many 86’s to fit in the one photo some people needed some extra height.

There were smiles all round that morning – it is great to see such an active car club these days. A big thank you goes out to all the sponsors. Shannons Nationals, Pedders Racing, Import Monster and Martini Racing.

Already we were picking out a few favorites in the crowd, the Martini Racing 86 looked great covered in Charge Speed goodies. It’s crazy to think this car was completely stock on a show room floor just months earlier.

Pedders Racing brought down their race 86 to take part in the parade lap.

Once the clock hit 9am all the cars started up and took off, and while it was just a parade lap there was still plenty of spirited driving down the straight.

The Charge Speed kit looked even better flying down the straight.

After the lap the cars were arranged for the show.

Wheels and lip kits seem to be the first modification for most 86 owners and we spotted so many different lip kits. It’s nice to see the tuner market alive and well again.

It’s still hard to go past the original 86, the mighty little hatchback has really pushed the limits of being a classed as a “cult” car. It’s popularity worldwide is unbelievable now.

Definitely not what you think of when someone mentions a Toyota Corolla. This Tureno was an instant favorite of ours.

We found a few 86’s adorning some carbon accessories.

It’s not just lip kits, there was even a Rocket Bunny kitted GT86. This is the most extreme kit available so far, with huge fender flares and pot rivets as far as the eye can see.

Matt’s Russell’s drift car proved to be a crowd favorite. We loved the 80’s decals that have been added to make the little hatch more appealing for mainstream drift competitions.

Inside Matt’s office, simple but effective. Nardi wheel, seats and some sheet metal. Perfect!

Some of the boys explaining the difference between cars and women.

One of the most popular wheel choice among 86 owners, TE37 SL edition. These things are everywhere!

Some times it’s best to keep it as simple as possible. Bone stock dropped on a set of SSR MS1. An absolutely beautiful combo on the little white Toyota.

Orders from dealerships are still taking months to fulfill and it’s easy to see why when they look this good. We think the old saying about hotcakes will be changed to “They sell like 86’s!!”.

While everyone was busy getting their sausage sizzle on at the BBQ, we hand picked a few cars for some detailed shots.

First up – the Martini Racing 86. Wearing a full Charge Speed wide body kit and sporting some AP racing brakes and an Amuse exhaust too.

The club had local model Amanda stop by for some of the photos.

We couldn’t complain and began snapping away.

She had a lot of fun climbing in and out of all the bucket seats that’s for sure.

Cheeky… Smile!

We’ve seen plenty of examples of the Toyota Factory Aero Kit but none sit as well as this white GTS model.

Something about the slightly off white makes this factory kit work so well here.

Watch out boys, Miss 86 is showing you how it’s done! Simple lip kit and smoked fog lights do wonders to contrast the red paint.

XXR 527 wheels work quite well here and wheel nuts match the burnt titanium tip of the HKS exhaust poking out from behind the rear bumper.

Historic AE86 racer, check out that build number!!! The petrol filler in the boot wing is a very cool touch too.

Everything exactly as it raced more than 20 years ago. All untouched.

Plenty of scaffolding in the back to keep things safe.

This two-tone Trueno had our necks snapping when it rolled in. We loved everything about this period correct combo.

Single bride seat because who cares about passengers?!

The perfect amount of flare thanks to the body kit and the yellowish carbon bonnet sits nicely against the grey paint.

Up close and personal with Matt Russell’s drift machine.

The engine is of course absolute blasphemy… A Nissan SR20DET. Seeing how competitive this little underdog is out on the track, we couldn’t care less about the Frankenstein engine/car combo.

Everything about the styling screams “Back to the eighty’s”. Shockworks have jumped on board as major sponsor and you should check them out for your coilover needs. These guys are engineering wizards when it comes to comfort and performance!

Our favorite colour on 86’s both old and new. White!!

Initial D fan boys here… Akina, touge and tofu.

Amanda found a spare hat in this car and helped herself to it.

Some of the best club merch we’ve seen. Get on it!

Two good reasons to buy a Toyota 86… Cool merchandise and club meets.

Our pick of the entire event? This metallic red AE86!

Gorgeous from every angle and painstakingly maintained… This is a very loved car!!

Some of the Pedders family, proud as punch in the middle of their car show.

Here’s two of the event organisers with Amanda, showing not only that they can get a bunch of cars together for a show but they can also work it in front of the camera too!
Hats off to the great people behind this community, showing all other groups how it’s done.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed looking back at this day and can’t wait to unlock some more stories from the vault for you all soon.
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.
P.S. If you want to check out the next mega meet it’s happening in Melbourne again on the 7th of December. Follow the link for more details. Click here.