This years GTA Fitted Lifestyle event was such a success that Dave and the guys at Stretch & Poke decided to throw a follow up event last weekend in Ottawa.
As a show of appreciation to those who made the opposite trek in May the Fitted Capital Tour (held at Track Werks) used Stretch & Poke’s tried and tested formula of a casual meet with a few awards.
I couldn’t make the trek out to Ottawa myself so I reached out to Ottawa native, and fellow Mazda 3 owner Alec Lessard, who graciously provided coverage to share here on the site today. Looks like it was a great event and hopefully I will be able to join everyone in the nations capital next year.
Start things off with a great looking Mk6 on BBS RS wheelsI dig the colour choice, stands out but not obnoxiouslyThis nice looking satin black Jetta is one of several cars that were at both Eurokracy and Fitted OttawaThis car was briefly parked next to me at EurokracyWatercooled IND wheels are starting to become a little more common place here in Canada
Looks like this car got fixed up since the tire explosion on the way to Eurokracy
Reall a big fan of this Civic and the one below
Very well executed
Nice looking Accord Coupe on what look to be Work Emotion Xd-9s
This Miata has to be one of my favourite cars from the event love that the owner went with good sized rubber in combination with the flaresJF’s super low 3Love that he didn’t mangle the fenders on the 3 and that they are not rusting awayThough a lot of camber for me personally, I appreciate when people keep the camber front to rear similarThe Blitz 03 wheels are pretty nice as wellBrad rolled through and left with an awardDish.The Whips & Cholcoate Soarer that was kicking up smoke at EurokracyOttawa loves to tuck Exhibit AOttawa loves to tuck Exhibit BEnd things off with this Golf that had a very clean hardline setup
As a big first generation S10/Blazer fan the first time I discovered Syclones and Typhoons they shot to the top of my ‘favorite vehicles ever built’ list about as fast as they ran down the quarter mile.
I mean what’s not to like about an all wheel drive pickup/suv that could out run a Corvette and a Ferrari in stock form?
Held in high regard by many Sy/Tys are one of ‘those’ vehicles that people get a little prickly about when it comes to modification. Of course like everything else there are more than a few people willing to throw caution to the wind and turn something awesome into something amazing.
Or in some cases something just kind of interesting.
I bet the wheel and paint choice on this truck ruffles a few feathers within the Sy/Ty communityCCW Classics work on just about anythingThis 92 is pretty well perfect: it’s got a pte 54 turbo, Sportmachine coils, 3″ drop leafs, rear dics, chipped, etc…Someone needs to make this reality, like now.Also if that same person could find more photos of this truck for me that would be sweetWhile it looks like the owner raided the Lund catalog I do like the use of mesh wheels on a SyHe is also not afraid to hoon it a bit…Since there were only ten of these ever built the chances I will ever see one are pretty slim…Banks power Sy that went 200MPHOh so 90s. You can read more about this truck hereWomen love them tooLike I said…This build was very promising and then suddenly no updates. I hate cardomain for that. So. Very. Much. You can tease yourself here if you likeI’m not going to lie the first few photos of this truck I thought the wheels were photoshopped but it turns out they are actually just that color. It’s actualy You can read more about #2320 on sportmachines.netSo as you all know from the Importfest coverage Tyler owns this LS Syclone on SSRs…….he also owns thisShaun Palmer’s Pike’s Peek SY
One of two trucks in today’s post known as the Syborg, Speedhunters has the feature on this 410 horsepower and 440 foot pounds of torque monsterI was lucky enough to see this Syborg at SEMA in 2010…Technically it stared as a Sonoma GT but there was no way I wasn’t including itIt came a long damn wayThe twin Turbo 4.7 is just the tip of the iceberg with this truck, the build is hereThis belongs to “NoJimmy” on sy/ty.net#lsineverything ls7 in this caseThe lowest of the bunch, perhaps the lowest periodAt this years Camp N Drag
Alright so from here down things get a little wild…. You’ve been warned.
That’s a 900hp 438 sitting in between the fenders of an actual TyphoonThe owner put the motor in after grenading the turbo 6 twice overIt is still all wheel drive with a beefed up diff up front and a Ford 9 in the rear. A bit more info on it is here
Last but not least I end things with this insane twin turbo Typhoon laying bumper:
With Importfest coverage just barley out the door we can move things right along with the third round of CSCS coverage for 2013. Round three took place at Mosport and while that’s a venue I particularly like shooting I opted to sit things out this round because I was a little run down from a week of preparation for Importfest.
Luckily I was able to find a few photographers willing to pick up my slack and judging from the photos contributed by Kevin Tam and Kenny Barnes, CSCS Mosport was a blast just like years previous.
Today’s post runs through a couple photos from each event so enjoy!
Show & Shine
Nice looking TL under the Standard Suspension tent, don’t think I have seen this car beforeClose look at the stretch on the back of Brad’s MR2‘Mr. Cleeen’ supercharged G35That is an exceptionally large sub box…Bagged Jetta offering mustache ridesKevin Tam’s personal carBeautiful Mazdaspeed Protege, amazing to see one still in such great shape considering how ‘kind’ Toronto winters are to MazdasTrevor’s Speed3 which I think was torn apart after this for some motorworkLove this Subaru without the the bike on the roofIt seems like the number of modified NSXs in Ontario is growing quite rapidly…Straight off the Importfest floor to CSCSThe satin pearl wrap on this car looks greatAlisha Lynn and Melissa DanielleFrom the back…Team Nextmod at CSCS
Paddock
Swift GTI… one of the first hot hatches?They never said it would be easy on bodywork…Love Huskies…Crusin’ the pits in styleMarrin’s “Tattoforty”Probably the best e-brake handle I have ever seenPat brought his FR-S out to MosportI didn’t notice at Importfest but the exhaust setup changed from when I shot it, makes sense as it was just a mock up straight pipe thenNextmod’s got their s2000 game on pointAwesome shot of Mike McGinnis waiting to head out on the track for Unlimited AWDMiata waiting to head out for a rip
Time Attack
Said Miata chasing down an FR-SAwesome to see a big SRT 8 Sedan out on course with the much nimbler vehiclesScott Shadbolt in his Super e46, he is currently sitting in second over all
Chris Boersma of Boersma Racing in his SSFWD CivicFocal Point Concepts Type R making a few lapsAndrew Cassidy’s FC RX-7I didn’t know that Teknotik had an RX-7 in their stableJames Kutschke looking great as alwaysRichard Nado in the Touge Tuning WRX
Drift
Miguel of Drifters AnnonymousFrancisco Becerra making his way down the challenge Mosport courseLooks like someone made their way down from DMCC for this roundI think it’s Maxime Poirier but I could be wrong…Riley is currently sitting second in overall points, which make sense considering how consistent he isGoing to end things with Pat sending his FR-SGood luck at the next round Pat!
Big thanks to Kenny and Kevin for their help this round.
When I first started this site in 2009 the thought never occurred to me that I would have the opportunity to hand pick cars for a Stance Is Everything designated area at one of the largest aftermarket automotive shows in Canada.
After an enjoyable, and successful, showing in 2012 I approached the Importfest organizers early in the year to secure six spots for 2013.
For 2013 I was proud and lucky enough to have Blair (B8 A4), Shayan (B6 A4), Ryan (MK4 TDI), Luke (’61 Beetle), and Tyler (LS GMC Syclone) represent SIE alongside myself at Importfest.
Today’s post serves double duty as a show of my appreciation and a dedicated look at each of their cars via photos I’ve found online along with a few of my own.
Blair’s Audi B8 A4
Blair was actually the first person I asked to show again and the last person to actually sign up due to a very busy year with Taylor’d Customs.
Last year Blair represented the classic segment of the booth with his ’57 3200 but this year he switched things up and brought his daily driver.His daily just so happens to be an Air Lift Performance bagged B8 A4 tucking 20″ Vossen CV2 wheels.
It’s a simple effective combo that makes you wonder why exactly Audi made the wheel wells on the B8 large enough to swallow 20s.
A number of people asked if any significant cutting was necessary to get the car to sit this low and the answer is noWith Team Vossen in town it was definitely nice to have a car on Vossens parked with SIE – Via: Spyder 01
Shayan’s B6 A4
Shayan’s car is actually the first of my wife Lyndsey’s two picks for 2013. She’s been a big fan of it since he put the vinyl wrap on and I’ve taken quite a few photos of it over the years so it seemed quite fitting to have him on board.
His car was the only one that several people seemed to think was bagged when it’s actually static. It was pretty funny seeing the reaction on the faces of some when they learned that –unlike several others– he didn’t lower his car specifically for (or at) the show.
He drives it exactly how you see it.
If you’re wondering how he turns… he just does and it all works outThe white Rotas really pop against the vinyl wrap – Via: Dumped Daily
My 2004 Mazda 3
Last year my car was fortunate enough to make it into the show due to a friend backing out a week beforehand. This year I actually entered it ahead of time and did my best to make sure that it not only represented the site well but Air Lift Performance as well.
After hemming and hawing about what to do with my hatch fate intervened when I found a piece of glass perfectly sized for a tank window while out walking my dog. A few nights with a jigsaw and I was pretty happy with the final result. The judges must have also liked it because I managed to walk away with the cars first award, a second place in the Mazda 3 category.
Prior to the show my lip was significantly stone chipped. A few hours with Dr. Colorchip the night before fixed that right up – Via: IllMotionEventually I think I am going to take the tank out and give it a proper polish  – Via: IllmotionI’ve yet to figure out exactly where to put that trophy…
Ryan’s MK4
I was really happy when Ryan inquired about space for 2013 because his car was a show-stealer at least years event.
Two years in a row Ryan TDI has been of of the cleanest both literally and figuratively and it’s great to see it  get such a positive reception.
It’s one of those cars that the more you look the more you see (the devil’s in the details) and the fact that he’s always constantly refining it just makes it all the better.
Three-peat in 2014?
Ryan’s CCWs are actually for sale currently and I am really interested to see what he picks up nextLove the yellow accents in his engine bay which are a Caterpillar yellow which is a nod to his profession as a Truck & Coach technicianA well deserved Ultimate Jetta Award
Luke’s ’61 Beetle Deluxe
Luke’s bug is the second of Lyndsey’s two picks for 2013 and a vehicle that was arguably the most popular of the entire show. It’s highly unlikely many people expected to see a 61 Bug draped in period correct accessories at a show called Importfest but that’s what made having it there so damn cool.
His car was literally surrounded by people the entire show and if there was a people’s choice award I’m pretty sure Luke would have walked away a winner.
It wasn’t uncommon to see people young and old posing with, and taking pictures of, this beautiful bug.
Two years in a row there’s been a car with a swamp cooler in the Stance Is Everything booth at Importfest, hopefully that tradition can keep goingSuch a photogenic car – Via: Dumped DailyVia: Krying Out Loud
Tyler’s LS GMC Syclone
Ty’s truck is the only vehicle in the booth I had not seen in person prior to Importfest 2013. I have however been closely following his build on Stance | Works and had eagerly been anticipating seeing it in person.
On Friday when he rolled up I nearly had a complete S truck relapse on the spot because it’s honestly everything anyone could ever want out of the chassis when it comes to the perfect balance between performance and looks.
It was really funny to watch people at the show walk past the truck, glance under the hood, come to a complete stop, then come back once more and really take a look at what they saw. Out of the entire show it’s easily the vehicle I took the most pictures of and I can’t wait to shoot it properly once it’s fully on the road as a daily driver.
The SSR’s are such a solid choice for this truck, they suit it so damn wellI love how he got all the stickers reproduced in a Gold hue that matches the gold accents all around the truckLove these wheels and it’s a twist to see them used on an s10#lsineverythingFor those curious yes it is a real SycloneLike everyone else this trophy was incredibly well deserved
Big thanks once again to Blair, Luke, Shayan, Ryan, and Tyler for being awesome people to spend the incredibly long day with and supporting the site at Importfest for 2013.
I can’t imagine not having any of these guys back next year so for 2014 I may need to ask for more spaces again….
In the movie The Fly a mad scientist enters a transporter and winds up crossing himself with a house fly becoming a grotesque monster that frightens little children.
In Toronto a mad mechanic crossed a c5 Corvette with Eclipse tail lights, Foose wheels, and a lot of fibreglass to create a grotesque monster that confuses car enthusiasts world wide.
Citroen 2CV inspired front end perhaps?
In all honesty the work done to this car –craftsmanship wise– can’t be faulted but sadly the combination of things leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to an aesthetically pleasing package.
In my opinion it just falls flat on it’s bug-esque face.
Long car was looongKind of like chipmunk with puffy cheeksThe aforementioned Eclipse tail lights
After a few laps of the car with my iphone I got out my SLR and mono-pod to really capture this beauty.
It’s almost the entire length of a standard length parking spot making it quite the long carI cannot for the life of me figure out what cars donated front end partsKinda looks like ass cheeks, taking ‘Dat Ass’ pretty seriously…
Site Updates
Long weekend here in Ontario but I am going to put some work in on the store side of things and hopefully do a soft re-launch with some of the new stickers. Still waiting on word back from my printers about the T-Shirt designs but fingers crossed I will hear back today and the pre order can also kick off this weekend.
Finally the last of the Importfest 2013 coverage should also make it’s way onto the site this weekend.
Flashback Friday
After watching a mess of burnouts at the same car meet the Corvette above was at I was reminded of the time an e30 ate a curb attempting to show off.
Time to jump right back into the second of three Importfest show day coverage photos. Despite the “can’t beleive I missed that car” feeling I get after every event I am pretty happy with the coverage this year compared to years previous. I’m finally on my way to figuring out the tricky Metro Toronto Convention Centre lighting.
Part 1 ended off with a lot of the cars Nextmod brought out and today’s coverage hops from crew to crew before ending off with a few vehicles from Street Outlawz including their insane v10 Nissan s14 project.
That’s it for part 2 the next part, the conclusion will be coverage of the Stance Is Everything booth at Importfest 2013 which should be up tomorrow or Friday.
It’s been two years since the last 2002 Theme Tuesday and quite frankly that is far too long. The 2002 is perhaps second most loved classic BMW (first being the e30) of all time so there are plenty of stunning examples out there.
So many great examples in fact that you shouldn’t be too surprised if a part three creeps up in the not too distant future.
Two absolutely pristine examplesJealous of people who have back drops like this for photosLocal wonder I’ve not seen or heard about in a long time.. wonder if it changed handsLove this colour way more than I thought I ever wouldLittle bit of track actionNice but for a 40 year old ladyAn air dam or chin spoiler of some sort would really complete this…Promising work in progressI think this one is currently down for a rebuildThat rear fitment… perfectEuro bumpers would do wonders on this the Epsilon (Southern Ways) look great howeverThis car got quite a bit of press a few years ago but I’ve not heard of it sinceThis could easily be a poster on a child’s wallGerman General?Stance Works recently did two posts dedicated to the 2002 the first is here…and the second is hereFor whatever reason the moment I saw this photo this song crept into my headBit of a different looking 2002 on 13″ Gold faced CompomotivesYou can peep more pics of it hereAs if I would end this with any other 2002
Now in it’s thirteenth year Importfest is a firmly established staple of the Toronto scene and for the second year in a row Stance Is Everything was there via both media coverage and a physical booth.
Like last year 2013 coverage will be split into three parts with the third dedicated to the awesome group of guys who were part of the Stance Is Everything display at Importfest 2013.
There’s a lot of photos to go through and a ton of cool cars so I may as well just hop right to it.
Kick things off with Brad’s MR2 which was a serious contender for static ‘Best Stance’I’ve seen this 300C around a couple times but never thought to look under the hoodAside from a little bit of damage to the rear quarter it is a very clean carIt’s been a few events since I have seen this swapped e30 on CCWsPeter opted to park his car with CSCS rather than his boothThis bagged Dart now has some wheels on it, I think the owner is waiting on a custom set stillHis sharpie motif made it’s way to the trunkElevated parked with AutomotofotoDig the new colour on this e46 I think it was a custom mixed plastidipThis car rolled in super high but aired out it looks pretty goodLove to see this car still looking clean with it’s rare eleventybillion (12 I think) piece Mugen wide body kitJohn not only took home best Mazda 3 this year but also best Mazda overall, congrats John!I really like the audio set-up in John’s car mostly for it’s lack of giant rear facing screensSpeaking of Audio this truck from Grounded Conceptz POUNDSThis car recently went widebody and looks stunningVery nicely done wrapped 7th gen Civic on VS-XX Wheels. Makes me almost wish we kept Lyndsey’s around instead of trading it in for peanuts…Paul wound was my pick for best ‘Assisted’ Stance, he just barley manages to tuck those wheels aired outThe Sonax/JRP booth was right near Stance Is Everything so we watched this car get washed about a thousand times over. It was actually filthy by the end of the day.Level One had an impressively sizes space for 2013 showcasing all of their latest high quality buildsBest static stance went to Dan’s NSX. Looks great and there are so few people doing this to an NSXLove Derek’s STI on spectrum silver SSR SP1 wheelsJames was going head to head in the PASMAG Tuner Battlegrounds Live at Importfest and just missed a feature in PASMAGRX-7 sitting pretty nice on Weds wheels. I beleive the owner of this car has a few rotatries…Josh recently got All Day Fab trailing arms for his 2010 so it sits right on the groundJ Kirby from intuned online with the latest look for his Mazda 3Loved this FB RX-7 just wish it were in a spot where I could have taken a profile shotAnd suddenly Paul’s GTR is blueA trio of s2000s near the main stage’57 Ford at the Street Concepts boothAlways had a thing for this Forrester super cleanGreat to see Jeff’s RWD Subaru in the official Subaru booth, Subaru Canada supports RWD!Shea with his latest fitment, 10.5s out backGot to hand it to Chris his is300 is spotless these daysTSX on the floor thanks to Airrex and Taylor’d CustomsThat tuck.Tamon Design Wide body s2000 with ITBSOne of a several Sorcery Widebody NSXs in the Team Nextmod boothThat is quite the diffuserSome of you might recognize this car from a recent Stance Nation featureNicely done, I don’t see too many of these myselfVoltex EVO…….and a Varis EvoEnd things off today with the second Gruppe-M supercharged NSX of the show
Stay tuned for the second half of the 2013 Importfest coverage coming later this week!
Woke up a little bit early this morning and decided to use those few extra hours I didn’t plan on having to get a bit of a jump on the Importfest 2013 coverage.
After setting up and getting the cars cleaned I did a quick 30 minute lap of the building to get an idea of what to expect for today’s show.
From my brief look it looks like this years event is shaping up nicely and should have a bit of something for everyone. If you were on the fence about attending this year hopefully this little preview is enough encouragement to come by and check things out sometime between 12 and 12 today at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.
After a two rounds of competition Pat’s featured FR-S can be found in the Eneos Oil boothHarvin’s #melloyellow370z is posted up in the Alpine Electronics boothJonjon’s Genesis projectWild Nissan Maxima hailing from NY, TV’s everywhereThe Aquafresh F20 Powered AE86 now on Work Equip wheelsTop Tuner’s FR-S looks a whole lot better this year with the ML24 flares and Foregestar wheelsChris Gopaul’s car looking incredible after a March to June rebuildNextmod brought out their Rocket Bunny FR-S projectGruppe M Supercharged NSXA trio of s2000s near the main stageAbsolutely love this mini, glad to see it at another show maybe I’ll be able to track down the ownerLuxury Abastract making their Toronto Debut with their booth next to fitted
I was browsing maxbimmer.com the other day (something I don’t do nearly as often as I used to) and came across the latest incarnation of this e30 belonging to member ‘Big D’.
Historically never one to pussy foot around Big D is looking to unleash all sorts of unholy hell his now s52 powered e30 that recently dynoed at 648whp at 18psi.
Not interested in spinning off the track anytime soon he saw fit to cut the rear quarters and leave the front fenders off to fit those massive hoosiers at all four corners.
No clue what he plans to do with it aesthetically once shake down runs are compelte but when he cranks the boost up and reaches his goal of 800hp I highly doubt it will be moving slow enough for anyone to really criticize it.
God damn.
Site Updates
Importfest Toronto is this Saturday if you didn’t already know. Check out the flyer below for  details.
I will be there during setup today around 3pm 4 and most of the day tomorrow. Come say hello!
Flashback Friday
As if you didn’t see this coming… here’s a look back at last years Importfest!
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