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Theme Tuesdays: J Swaps

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Sometimes Theme Tuesday ideas just kind of pop into my head and won’t leave and today’s post on Honda J Swaps is exactly one of those. There was no trigger car or anything like that, the idea just came to me and wouldn’t leave.

For those of you not super familiar with Honda power plants (I am no expert myself) the J is one of Honda’s two V6 motor families. The motor is normally found in the Odyssey, Accord, Acura RDX and so forth.

It makes, depending on donor vehicle, anywhere from 200 to 286 hp in factory trim. The biggest downside to this motor is its size. To give the oil pan plenty of clearance it has to be mounted in such a way that you need to cut the hood, or run no hood at all, for it to work.

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This J swap is out of BC and the owner is part of the Level One Crew
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A clean build over all this angle really gives you an idea of just how imposing the 3.2L J motor is – Life with JSON is the source for more photos of this car.
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Not nearly as pretty as the Civic above this sedan is also sporting a J swap, and for some reason a Kayak. Via Car Throttle
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Very clean Integra on t37 with a J popping out
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Some of you might be asking if a cowl would look better than a hood cut out, but I saw one in my travels and the answer is no
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No hood at all on this car, which looks to be on J Line wheels I believe…
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Joey Lee from the Chronicles spotted this purpose-built drag car featuring a J motor
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It was at the 2015 Blox evoloution show, and as you can see the engine bay also houses a large turbo
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Turbo J’s seem to be a bit more popular now that the swap is more commonplace – via fotosbyjosh.com
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A local Turbo J car that I have not seen since Importfest 2013
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Jason Langley spotted this turbo J s2000 under construction at the Detroit Autorama
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The car is now complete and twin turbo!
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This local J swapped car has been around for a few years, and is the first J swapped car I ever saw in person
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I have not seen it in a few years but every time I ask if it’s still around the answer is always yes so I’ll just assume that is still the case

Event Coverage: The 2016 Paris Unfinished Nationals

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You might remember that I only somewhat recently had my first true swap meet experience and I absolutely loved it.

So when I discovered the Unfinished Nationals, which is both a show and a swap meet not all that far, from my house I had to go even though it was on the same day as the Niagara Truck And Tuner Expo and the London’s Fleetwood Country Cruise In.

After a few messages I was able to get some representation at both of those events, and still head out to the Unfinished Nationals.

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As with 90% of the events covered so far in 2016 the weather was not on this events side, which meant heavy rain was in the forecast and on the way to the Paris Fairgrounds I actually drove through three different Thunderstorms.

At the venue the rain held off for most of the day, however since I figured I would be forced inside at some point I didn’t make my way to the swap meet until most vendors had started packing up.

So if you’re looking for swap meet photos I am afraid you are out of luck.

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But if you are looking for photos of awesome hot rods, classic cars, and trucks then you are in luck, because The Unfinished Nationals was the perfect place to take in a variety of builds.

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In its eleventh year the name Unfinished Nationals is a bit of a double entendre. Yes unfinished cars are welcome, but most of the vehicles at the show drive themselves too and from. Of course as we all know no project is ever truly finished hence the name Unfinished Nationals.

…or at least that is my interpretation of the show’s unique name.

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At any rate it’s a show where polished, primped, un-drivable vehicles are best left at home because it’s time for the enthusiasts eager to put some miles on their cars to gather round and talk shop.

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Some of my absolute favourite local classics were at this show like Keith Cox’s ’59 El Camino. I fell head over heels for this car at the ELTA Summer Bash, and since Keith and I have been talking about lining up a shoot with this car.

Our schedules have yet to connect but its something I need to make happen.

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Speaking of the ELTA, they were the feature club of this year’s show. Unfourtnatley I somehow managed to take very few photos of their cars, sorry brothers I’ll get you guys next time!

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With vehicles like the ornate, and unique, Dodge truck above can you blame me though for getting a little side tracked and losing track of time?

It seemed like every few steps there was another vehicle that you could spend a lot of time pouring over.

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I’m really not sure what I like more here the bike, or the truck, there’s no denying that they go together quite well and each have a unique style of their own.

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When it comes to unique style this Ford truck had a face only a mother, or a hot rodder, could love. The long nose and style of exhaust reminded me of a classic fighter plane to the point where I’m curious if that was the goal.

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I really enjoyed this t-bucket. I’m not sure if it’s an era correct build, or a real deal survivor, but with no top in sight the owner didn’t dare tempt fate and stay all day.

unfinished-nationals-advanced-design-3unfinished-nationals-advanced-design-4unfinished-nationals-advanced-design-1Advanced Design trucks were pretty plentiful at the show, and with each one my son Ash exclaimed “ads uck” which, in two year old, means “Dad’s Truck”.

Considering how little he’s seen of my truck that took me by surprise, but you know the expression, start ’em young.

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I’m clearly not the only one that shares that sentiment either.

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Visually this particular AD truck was the least complete, missing things like the bumper, running board spats, and a few other odds and ends but under the hood the diesel –4bt Cummins perhaps– swap seemed to be fairly sorted, loose belt aside.

I quite enjoy how the motor looks similar to the exterior. I wonder if all that dirt and grit came from years of sitting or was added afterwards?

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The Horsefall’s Auto Service truck wasn’t the only diesel-powered AD sitting in the grass of the Paris fairgrounds, Bob Ward’s ’52 GMC 9700 was also on display.

Bob is keen to have me shoot this truck, and having seen it in person I am keen to shoot it, so we’re both looking at our calendars to make things work out. Yes, for those of you paying attention my list of cars to shoot grows every event.

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He’s got a few cool details slipped in here and there that should make shooting it quite enjoyable.

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While awards were far from the most important thing at this show, a few were handed out and I was in ear shot to hear that this ’27 Ford took home The ‘Low Low Low’ and traditional award.

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It used a chain drive for its accessories which was really quite cool, why I didn’t take a picture of it I am not sure, but take my word for it.

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I’ve seen this Milk truck around but never taken photos of it before. Ash was quite a fan hopping right in and making his way to the driver’s seat. Big thanks to the owner for welcoming him in.

I’ll explain to ash the true meaning of that “fire pole” in roughly 16 years.

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Choosing a vehicle to close out this post with was a little difficult, considering all the awesome showcased above, but Richard Ruiter’s ’62 C10 seemed like a perfect place.

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This is the first of Richard’s builds I have seen in person and as many people have told me before his talent is incredible.

Having seen his son Brad’s work in person I wasn’t expecting anything less, but with this truck there’s so much attention to detail in this truck that it is almost overwhelming.

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I’ll leave you guys with one last shot of Richard’s truck and an optomistic promise that I’ll have my truck (in some form) at this event next year!

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Uptown New York

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I got the chance to go to the Unfinished Nationals last Sunday, and despite the wicked storm on the way out it was a great event. You can expect much more coverage from the event as a whole on Monday but I just had to get this car up today.

I, unfortunately, have pretty much only pictures for this one as I didn’t get a chance to talk to the owner and I couldn’t jump high enough to see the mod sheet on the driver’s window.

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But still you get the jist of it right? I assume the chassis is a fullsize truck of some sort, but I’m not well versed enoguh to tell what. I do like the use of the original hub caps in ‘show’ mode.

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The car drove in and out too, but the dealer plates suggest it just might be quasi legal. Either way it was certainly not what I was expecting to see at the show.

Theme Tuesdays: GTA Then And Now Pt. 2

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This site has a lot of back content, so much so that I often have to delete some of it from my external up hard drives just to make space for the more recent photos. Most of that vintage content isn’t particularly memorable (thanks for following along while I figured out how to use a camera) but some of it is worth keeping onto for archival purposes.

What is really cool is seeing photos of cars in 2010, ’11 and ’12 that are still around today. In the import area this is a little less common, but when it comes to American metal many of have stood the test of time. Some changing slightly over the years while others a little bit more significantly.

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This is one of the first pictures I ever took for this site at a Street Classics Cruise in, funny to think I now own one, foreshadowing?
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As you can see the truck is virtually unchanged these days, this photo is from 2014
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When I was pullig content for this post I didn’t expect to find an earlier version of this truck
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When I saw it in 2015 at the ELTA Summer Bash I thought I was seeing it for the first time
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This very traditionally build Ford is largely unchanged
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Once could argue that it doesn’t need changing however
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Blair’s now sold Impala was pretty much done at Scrape By The Lake in 2010
Here it is last year right before sale
Here it is last year right before sale, photos five years apart, two different photographers, darn near same angle
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This build has a lot of styling cues I’d like to carry forward into Project Why Wait (which I’ll be dong some work on this weekend before you ask)
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As it turns out there has been few visual changes from 2011 to 2015
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Tim Atkninson’s truck is hands down one of my favorite local s10 builds
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The addition of smooth steels really helped make it more contemporary
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This truck (Seen here in 2010) received a new set of wheels…
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…that some might argue are too modern…
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No one is going to argue about the engine bay overhaul however, Hitman did a great job
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As crazy as it might seem Jeff’s car didn’t always hit bumper
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Those days have long since passed of course
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In 2010 this Camaro was still blue
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However in 2013 it was painted black
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The Buick power plant remained mostly the same however
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and that powere plant just so happened to be a turbo v6 Buick mill lifted from a Grand National
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In 2010 TIm’s Subaru still managed to catch my eye
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By 2013 he had cleaned up the engine bay quite drastically
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Adam’s truck stood out even in 2010. Ranger GTs have always been quite rare
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That may or may not have been the last time it was on the road full time
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Andrew Mair puts a lot of miles on his Gangrene Lead Sled

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And I've been lucky enough to see it at many of the destinations between those miles
And I’ve been lucky enough to see it at many of the destinations between those miles
When I saw this car in 2014 I was told it was going to be changing quite a bit
When I saw this car in 2014 I was told it was going to be changing quite a bit
This photo doesn't do the work justice but it has been repainted and rechopped
This photo doesn’t do the work justice, but it has been repainted and rechopped
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Finally this car is the one that inspired this entire post
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I would have never figured this to be the same car…

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The plate however doesn’t lie

WTF Friday: Struggle Bus

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Got a quick WTF Friday this week as I recover from a week of editing and gear up for a busy Sunday of event coverage.

I spotted this 1996 Ford Powerstroke short bus, know as The Struggle Bus, on Facebook a few days ago and had a good chuckle.

Modified short busses are nothing new, and I’ve seen a few in the metal, but usually I see lowered ones not lifted ones.

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This one has been lifted ten inches in total (I’m hoping it’s not 10 inches of lift block) which probably gives it the same handling characteristics of a Canyonero.

strugglebus5strugglebus3strugglebus4The interior is unfinished but it looks like it is set up to party, though a stripper pole is mysteriously absent.

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It has also been converted to all wheel drive but currently needs a transfer case. I could see it being used a cool transport for a downhill team or something though the 14k price tag might be steeper than the hills.

At any rate if you’re interested here’s the Facebook link, it’s located in North Carolina

Event Coverage: Fitted Lifestyle Toronto 2016

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As mentioned in Tuesday’s post featuring the cars outside the venue, Fitted Lifestyle has grown significantly since its inception to the point where it is now one of the largest shows in the Toronto area.

With each passing year the reach of the show extends further across Canada drawing out cars from as far away as New Brunswick.

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These out-of-towners, who probably represent at least 40% of the show, trailer or drive some of the craziest vehicles of the event. The Québécois in particular pull out all the stops.

fitted-lifestyle-2016-soclean-1-dnfitted-lifestyle-2016-vw-passat-equips-1-dtfitted-lifestyle-2016-vw-passat-equips-2-dtAs my friend Chris De La Cruz put it, since the laws in Quebec are currently quite strict in regards to aggressive fitment, the Quebec contingent shows up to ‘wild out’ (thankfully without Nick Cannon).

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Having been to Quebec late last season many of the cars were familiar to me, but nearly all of them had changed to some degree.

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One of the cars that changed most significantly was Cimon Brouillette’s s13. It now sports a shaved, tubbed bay featuring the almighty Toyota 2JZ motor. The interior is just as detailed as the exterior to boot making this car a truly complete build.

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A duo of air-cooled Beetles also made the trip from Quebec, which was great for me since I unfortunately won’t be at Eurokracy this year.

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As you can tell from the photos above the two beetles were very, very, different from one another. The first was built in a more traditional manner, while the second was quite the opposite.

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With not a single non patina’d panel on its body this bug sits on fittingly unrestored wide Cragar five spoke wheels.

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Those wheels, more typically found on muscle cars, look surprisingly at home on the German machine.

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I’m sure some purists will react to this car in a knee jerk fashion but they should scroll up and look at the photos again. From the looks of all the patch panels this car was closer to the scrap yard than it was the Councours before the owner got a hold of it.

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If you do want something to get upset about, how about this year’s best Euro sedan winner.

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Those very aggressive Messer wheels, are one of very few sets in the world and the only ones in North America.

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Fitting them got a little… messy, but I think (or hope for his wallets sake) Stance East‘s Chad McGairity is working to straighten this up a bit.

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But lets switch from the overly aggressive and dial things back to the kind of wheel fitment that stands the test of time.

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Adrian’s e36 might not be the lowest BMW around but this car could remain unchanged for ten years and never look dated. A true testament to the staying power of a classy touch and eye for detail.

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The same could also be said for Kieron’s –aka Kjohn– Skyline. Sitting right on the function and Form line this car looks stellar and it’s great to see him out again with a new build.

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Kjohn’s work also appeared on this Mazda 3 hatch, albeit not originally. If this front end looks familiar to you it’s because it was previously on Trevor’s Mazdaspeed3 that was featured last year. In addition to parts from Trevor’s now parted out car,  this 3 has Clinched flares and work wheels.

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Ryan, who recently re dipped his car, got new wheels, went lower, and caved a fender days before the show. With no time to refinish a new fender to match his pearl dip he used a unique wrap to cover things up.

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Rounding out the Mazdas is Jordan’s bagged FD RX7 on Blitz 03 wheels. It is pretty impressive how much wheel an FD can fit stock body, sort of makes you wonder why so many people are cutting them up these days.

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But the counter to the no flare argument could be the s14 above and FRS below.

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I particularly like how the s14 has the black molding running between the flares and the body reminiscent of an RWB build.

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The s15 faced s14 spotted at CSCS was at Fitted, sitting beside Matt’s pearl s14.

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S2000s continue to be quite popular among the fitment community with a variety sitting at Fitted. The Carshop Glow tail lights on the red one are quite stunning.

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370s are also popping up quite a bit more, among this crowd. Or is it popping down? Anyway the Airrex bagged blue turbo 370 above features the first Varis Arising II kit in North America and TE37 Ultra wheels.

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Matt Budz competed and won the Tuner Battlegrounds competition at Fitted 2016. His all metal wide body 300zx is a car I really should make arrangements to feature sometime this year.

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GT Custom Exhausts’ Mike Catell claims his car is used and abused but I say for a daily driver/occasional drifter it holds up pretty well compared to show cars like the red e46 below.

fitted-lifestyle-2016-bmw-e46-bbs-1-dt What do you think?

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fitted-lifestyle-2016-moniz-detailing-3-dnWhen it comes to show level attention to detail it’s hard to deny the effort put into the Moniz Detailing Acura CL.

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Not exactly sure how the engine bay was done (hydro dipping I don’t think would work here, however I could be wrong) but I can’t imagine it was a quick application.

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Hardlines are still very much in fashion this year and there were several intricate examples at the show, one of the best had to be in the car below.

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I’ve seen vintage extinguishers used before, but never surrounded in such a complex network of hard lines. With four compressors I bet this car fills with the quickness too.

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As a true ‘Lifestyle’ show Fitted wasn’t just about the cars, there were actually a few side attractions.

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Needed a hair cut? Sure thing.

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Tired of looking at cars sitting stationary? Well hopefully RC drift cars can distract you for a bit, they certainly worked on my son.

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For those interested in neither hair cuts, or small scale cars, there were a few motorcycles sprinkled throughout the two halls.

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Again, I’m not sure if it’s a mid life crisis or what, but I feel the clock is ticking on how many days left of my life I can live without a motorcycle of my own.

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MoonRise Motor Co built the two bikes above and the second Honda is actually going to be up for sale soon, not that I’m looking or anything….

fitted-lifestyle-2016-typer-r-1-dt fitted-lifestyle-2016-typer-r-2-dtBut to get back to the cars this DC Integra on Work CR-01 wheels was clean as a whistle. I feel it just might have been static too, but it is hard to tell these days.

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Ken’s car had yet another set of wheels on it and looked like it was straight out of the pages of VIPCAR Magazine. Every now and then Ken mentions that he might part with the car, but then he goes and buys a new set of wheels or a crazy OEM accessory like a Toyota Celsior Walkman (seriously) so I never quite know.

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Another individual who keeps me on my toes is Jon Prem. Bagged in 2014, static in 2015, and for 2016 after a bit of a ‘situation normal all fucked up moment’ shortly after revealing his new wheel set up, he quickly swapped his old wheels back on for Fitted.

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It certainly wouldn’t be a Fitted post without a few photos of Brian’s car.

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He’s got his bag set up dialed in now and I think the same can be said for the h22 turbo power plant.

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For Fitted 2016 the organizers asked if I knew any classic car owners who might be into showcasing their car at the show.

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I asked a few people and the only person who could be availible was Mike Livia.

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His 1936 Copperhead is a show stopper anywhere it goes, and I’m very glad he could bring it to the show even if he couldn’t stay the entire day.

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Vehicles like his are the type any enthusiast can appreciate and was the second most talked about classic car of the show.

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So what was the first you ask? Well that honour was reserved for the Cyrious Garageworks built World War Z 1970 Camaro.

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Seen in various stages of completion last year this car is now done and absolutely outstanding.

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Carbon fiber bumpers front and rear, LSA motor, ride tech self leveling suspension and a stellar interior round out just some of the details hidden within this intense build.

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I am going to make damn sure to get some one on one time with this car sometime this summer, as well as get a ride shotgun!

fitted-lifestyle-2016-world-war-z-6-dtThat rounds out the Fitted coverage for another year though there’s sure to be a few alternate shots trickling out on to instagram and Facebook over the next few weeks.

So if you didn’t see your car in the coverage thus far keep an eye out!

 

Theme Tuesdays: The Parking Lot Of Fitted 2016

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The Toronto Fitted Lifestyle event has grown tremendously the past few years, continuing to change and evolve significantly from its parking lot roots of yore. As the event grows in size –this year both buildings were pretty much at full capacity– the parking lot becomes a larger show of its own.

Comprised of individuals who can’t commit to a whole day of showing, casual spectators, those who didn’t make the approval cut or simply applied too late, the parking lot of Fitted 2016 was full of vehicles worthy of a closer look.

Since Drake Nolte, Dan Cyr and myself took so many photos this year I’m going to blur the lines between the Theme Tuesday and Event Coverage categories today to jump-start the Fitted Lifestyle 2016 coverage.

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Perhaps the most interesting part of the parking lot at any Fitted event is that the cars found therein don’t always represent the vehicles inside. That is to say not all of them value form over function.

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Instead of a lot packed with slammed vehicles the gravel lot of the Brampton fairgrounds is a cross-section of vehicles from all walks, and quite representative of the varied reach of the Fitted Lifestyle brand.

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Take the lifted s10 above for example, not exactly the car you’d expect to see at a show dedicated to cars with less than half-of-half-of-half of the ground clearance this truck has.

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The sky-high s10 above wasn’t the only ‘S’ truck in the lot either, this 88 or so Sonoma was down in the weeds rocking wheel fitment reminiscent of mini trucks in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

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Looks like part of the reason the owner of this truck came to the show was to see what new Honda Ruckus parts the guys at Mini Moto Lab brought to the show.

fitted-lifestyle-2016-grand-national-front-dnThis Buick Regal T looked menacing and was likely a car that many people thought wouldn’t be owned by someone into aggressive fitment.
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However, last year the owner of this car (@hemans4) actually had one of the lowest static vehicles in the show, showing up with no bumper simply because ground clearance (and a large intercooler) wouldn’t allow for it.

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The Regal is his latest project and from the sounds and looks of things it’s not going to be a slow car in the least.

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There’s also all manner of Japanese classics in the parking lot of a Fitted Event.

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Last year it was a pair of Datusns stealing the show outside the Bramtpon Fairgrounds buildings, this year it was just one part way through restoration.

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If darn near factory fresh is more your thing about this FB? Kudos to the owner for keeping this vintage rotary on the road!

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Fitted this year was incredibly, incredibly hot which meant a lot of people were coming and going. So the cars in the lot were ever-changing and ever-moving.

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Of course this meant that there was no “I’ll go back and look at that later” as you could turn around and said car would be on its way to the main road and off to somewhere cooler.

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This was almost the case with Luke’s new family truckster. He didn’t stay through the duration of the show but we did get to talk about his new daily driver. Wound down Megan coils Luke’s van sits on 20″ Work wheels straight from Yahoo Auctions.

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A slammed van throughout the week and a bagged bug on weekends? Luke is certainly living the life.

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The slammed Civic hatch, flares, dirt track wheels and copious camber combination has been almost done to death, but this car executed it pretty well.

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Not sure if it’s the color choices or what but I don’t mind the look of this car at all, even as I get more conservative in my ‘old’ age.

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Speaking of age, not sure if I’m heading towards a mid-life crisis or what but motorcycles are starting to look real good.

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The custom Harley Davidson Sportster Forty Eight above looked just as good sitting still as it did rolling. In a super Canadian touch a Molson beer tap jockey shifter has been added.

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Mustangs were at the show, not running down spectators (sorry, probably the last time I will reference this tired meme).

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2016 Mustangs, dubbed the new s-chassis by Mike Garrett over at Speedhunters, have grown on me quite a bit. Look forward to seeing more of them at events, hopefully modified as tastefully as this.

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Working towards the venue the cars only became more interesting.

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Only in fitted could you find a 2JZ equipped 240sx just hanging out in the parking lot without a care. Apparently this car is from London Ontario and recently took to the streets under Toyota power.

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Immediately outside the venue there were cars that could have easily been in the show and just like the cars inside widebody conversions and fender flares were a plenty.

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Darren Singh’s CarbonSignal equipped G37 looked great out in the sun, and being able to take a few steps back from it and view it not behind stanchions like at Motorama was quite nice.

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The silver on gunmetal comes together quite nicely under the sun.

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A parking lot car I had never seen before was this black wide body Audi s6.

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Unlike the vast majority of the flares at the show these particular ones were molded, not riveted on. Victory Build did the work and they flow with the body quite nicely considering how wide they are.

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The wheels tucked under the flares are made by Ferrada, a company I must admit I’ve never actually heard of prior, but one that looks to be quality all the same.

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Words wise I’ll call it here, but there’s a few more photos below.

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Check back later this week for more coverage from Fitted Lifestyle 2016!

WTF Friday: Pick Up The Tempo

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As you all already know I’m a big lowrider fan, both traditional and non traditional. What I have not admitted to,  thus far, is the fact that I don’t whole heartedly dislike Ford Tempos.

Sure they were largely forgettable cars, with very few redeeming qualities, but in high school a fellow student had one that was primer grey, bagged, and bottle fed. From that point on I realized that one, damn near anything is cooler with bags, and nitrous and two with an altitude adjustment Tempos look significantly less revolting.

This Tempo,  that is currently for sale on ebay, addresses both of my somewhat guilty pleasures; odd ball lowriders and Ford Tempos.

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Purple flaked, and on wire wheels this Tempo isn’t a car that you drive if you want to blend in. And with a Velour interior it’s probably not a car you want to drive on a hot day, but it is pretty awesome none the less.

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I mean what is not to like about a car that has “Nutz” written in neon running through the dash,  and two 12s in the trunk?

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The car, which is an early 90s ‘euro’  build , apparently graced many a magazine page and a few covers before it was stored away for a whopping fifteen years. It resurfaced in 2013 where it found itself fittingly placed in a few Old School classes at events.

The current owner isn’t the builder, and he’s asking $6000 for the car.

Considering how much it probably cost to build in the 90s $6000 isn’t that crazy, but it is still a Tempo so the owner might be stuck with this one for a while.

An Open Letter To Car Show Trophy Hunters

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Dear Trophy Hunter,

We know the show season has just begun and you are noticeably excited, but before you explode with jubilation we’d like to stop you for a second and address an incident from last year.

Do you remember? It happened at the show where you spent most of the day glued to your folding chair positioned beside your car. You grew agitated with each passing moment you were not judged, and when it was your time you made damn sure the judges were well aware of the fifth TV screen your car had, versus your competitors one.

Yes, we’re talking about that show.

The same show where upon not winning the trophy you had already awarded yourself mentally, you tried to keep your composure but the expression on your face and words muttered under breath betrayed you.

As you stomped off like a child we watched, and later when you went on a social media slandering the event, its competitors, and the ‘scene’ in general we watched that too.

awardsLetting loose an onslaught of complaints and personal attacks, alongside boisterous self promotion justifying why you deserve an award, makes you look incredibly immature, especially when you do it after every event.

Do you really think show organizers want to read complaints you made while they were still at the venue cleaning up? Do you think those who accepted their awards humbly want to read about how little you think of their cars?

Yeah, we’ve got to tell you, as a friend all of that behavior is getting pretty tiresome.

niagara_truck_and_tuner_expo_2013_trophiesSure, we all love appreciation for the cars we call our own, but the rest of us have realized that building a car for ourselves is a much more valuable endeavor and that appreciation comes in ways not limited to plastic cups.

All the time you spend obsessing over something to put on a shelf in your garage, or worse cart from show to show as some sort of mobile shrine to yourself, has blinded you to the true joys of being an enthusiast.

Did you happen to notice the small child that spent an extra long time looking at your car? Chances are they will remember your vehicle for years to come and it just might have set them down the path of becoming an enthusiast one day. You’d pick up on these kind of subtleties if you saw the forest beyond the trees, or that is the community beyond the awards. Building a car, truck or bike, should never be just about a trophy because honestly there are much cheaper past times to partake in if you just want to line your mantel or work bench with trinkets.

Witnessing your adult temper tantrums is exhausting, and your empty threats to retire and leave the scene fall on deaf ears because, thanks to your increasingly poor attitude, we wish you would.

But as much as events could do without you we want to let you know it isn’t too late to change. Instead of fixating on the prize at the end, focus on the journey, the experiences, and friends that come with building a car and being a real enthusiast. When you’re at the next event on your calendar take a look around at what everyone else is doing; swapping stories, laughing, catching up and genuinely enjoying themselves. Is missing all that really worth a trophy?

After all these years of chasing awards we know it might be hard to change your mind about the true purpose of events (TLDR: it’s about the people not the awards) but if you could at least try to see them differently this year that would be great.

Thanks,

Concerned Enthusiasts Everywhere

Theme Tuesdays: Engine Bays Of Fitted: 2011 – 2015

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Fitted Lifestyle is an event known for, as the name implies, cars that employ a particular style of wheel fitment, that fitment is of course of the aggressive variety.

Though most of the cars at the show focus almost exclusively on fitting the widest wheels possible, there are a number of builds that also have time spent under the hood.

Swaps, boost, tucked, shaved, fitted has a bit of everything. This week, with Fitted just around the bend I’ve brought together a collection of some of the more noteworthy engine bays over the years.

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Starting things off all the way back in the Downsview park days with this big turbo Supra
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As it turns out this car might just have a doppelganger, as spotted at Nissan Sherway in 2014
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This was the last time I saw Drew’s Holset strapped 325i on the road… I believe it’s sold now
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This turbocharged s2000 is another car that’s come and gone
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Don’t quote me but I think this car put down 600 or so horsepower, I remember it being considerable
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Moneygang Steve pre-initiation into Moneygang
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This motor has recently been dropped into another e30
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Moneygang guys love to swap their e30s this 1.8t e30 was up for sale last year, I’m not sure if it ended up selling however
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This is one of my favorite shots of any fitted event
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As is this, coincidence they are both Elevated cars?
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Montreal always comes correct to Fitted, shaved bays and all
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I’ve had the honor of seeing this car a few times since Fitted, gets better each year
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Not just a tuck and shave job this car has a supercharger as well
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If Subarus and bright colors are your thing, John Wakely’s 2014 look should be right up your alley
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The tucked, shaved, and polished engine bay of the Team Mayzn Acura EL
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This EF from Montreal based crew Low Level took home some hardware in 2014
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Simple yet refined, it drew a lot of people in for a closer look
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Petey’s EF is at an equal level of cleanliness
Also featuring ITBS
And it too features a quartet of trumpets

This year’s Fitted Lifestyle event takes place this Saturday May 28th at the Brampton fairgrounds and as always you can expect lots of coverage here on Stance Is Everything following the event.