I don’t go out at night very often but when I do, it’s usually for a good reason. Why is this the case you ask? Well, more often than not, I’d much rather sit in the comfort of my own home and play video games because it’s provides more “bang for buck” so to speak. I can just turn on the console (whether that be the PlayStation or Xbox) and play without having to prepare anything. However, one thing I’ve been wanting to do is attend a car meet at “The Underpass” – a parking area underneath the CityLink freeway. Such an opportunity came up on the 31st of May and I jumped at it because I’ve wanted to capture a proper night meet for some time. As far as night meets go, this one was very good and very much reminded me of the Japanese car meets that I’ve seen on YouTube in Tokyo and Osaka. It definitely speaks volumes about the JDM scene down here in Melbourne and the vibe that can be created in a brutalist environment.
Ryan’s R32 GT-R is a favourite amongst many enthusiasts and I’ve seen it several times over the last few years. This car fits the theme of the meet to a tee with the period correct LMGT4 wheels.
The CL9 generation Honda Accord is a cult car in my eyes as there is a hardcore group of enthusiasts that just love them. This is Joel’s Euro R and I’ve featured it here before but I’ll feature it again because I like it. However there were 2 more red Hondas that showed up alongside this one:
A CL7 Accord Euro R and an EK Civic owned by Mingworks. Neat rides if I do say so myself. The purity of these machines is what makes me happy because they aren’t massively complicated with only a few added extras to enhance the look. Less really is more nowadays.
Now here’s a Silvia I haven’t seen before. This example is owned by Phuong and he’s done things properly with the correct ride height, chrome five spoke wheels and an aftermarket front bumper. I don’t know if the engine has been touched or not but does it matter? The car is sporty enough with the stock SR20 in it.
This is Zach’s Toyota Estima/Tarago van and it looks like something from Pimp My Ride. The speaker system, the screens and the removal of the second row of seats to allow more space for passengers in the back is straight out of the early 2000’s. The rear exhaust pipes are also for show because I highly doubt that it has a 1000 HP 2JZ stuffed into it. I also find the decals on the rear to be quite interesting as it seems to resemble a mountain range. Don’t know what that’s got to do with anything as the van is clearly not setup for off-roading, but it looks cool so I’ll give it a pass. Most people would turn their nose up at a van like this but Zach didn’t and it makes for something truly unique and fun.
Here are 4 Toyota Camrys. Sorry, I meant Toyota Chasers. A car meet like this one would not be complete without a few JZX100 chassis Chasers on display. It’s incredible how many have made their way down from Japan as they were never sold in Australian dealerships. I guess a Supra-powered barge is hard to resist.
Here’s another Chaser with purple neon. I have not edited this image in any way. Strange isn’t it?
OK this is getting a bit ridiculous now. Let’s move on to something else.
So what does the owner of a custom bicycle shop drive? A Porsche 911 930 inspired by a car from the infamous “Midnight Club” street racing gang. The Midnight Club was far from your boy racer crowd, consisting of rather wealthy gentlemen who could afford expensive European cars. The Japanese club was disbanded after a fatal accident involving a motorcyclist, but the style of the cars has never gone out of fashion.
Take a look at this little beauty. It’s a Honda CR-X Del Sol and it’s one of the quirkiest cars ever made. Based on the EG Civic, this nugget was built as a convertible to rival the other small front-drive convertibles that had suddenly sprouted up. However this car came with a hardtop and the way it operated was very strange. First, the boot lid that contains the roof inside lifts straight up to clear the roll hoop. Secondly, the roof slides out of it’s storage compartment and attaches itself to the top of the windshield. Thirdly, you then flick a lever to detach the rear of the roof from the roof “feeder” so it can go back into it’s compartment. Finally, the roof attaches itself to the roll hoop and the boot lid lowers back down. It’s quite complicated so I highly recommend watching the procedure on YouTube.
This is a Mazda Autozam AZ-1 and it’s a mid-engined Kei car with gullwing doors. Shame it only has 63 HP.
2 R34 GT-Rs are enough to please me on a cold night. I would’ve gone home a little annoyed if I didn’t see any.
The Toyota AE86 is the car that kicked off the current day JDM culture, so it’s more than deserving of it’s place here.
Despite being close to 40 years old, the Silvia S13 is still a stalwart of the JDM scene so a few were bound to show up.
Here are 2 “Blobeye” Impreza brothers: a WRX wagon and a WRX STi sedan in the classic Subaru WR Blue that we all know and love.
Now for a bit of Evo love in this blog post. I’ve been into Evos ever since I saw a 9 at the 2007 Melbourne International Motor Show when I was 6. The novelty still hasn’t worn off on me and I don’t think it ever will.
Now for a few more cars before I conclude this blog post:
Huge shoutout goes to Arch at Garage Sokudo for putting this thing together. It definitely felt like it’s own thing and not just some derivative event put on by people who aren’t on the ground seeing the TRUE car culture down here in Melbourne. Passion is more important than money. Anyway if you liked this post, tell your mum, your dad, your cousins and your friends because a little support goes a long way.
DevMacCars 