Special Coverage | G35 Sedan GTG III

Night-Import: Photography by Edgar Lozoya | Words by William Lee

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One event I missed out on few weeks ago was this meet I attended last year hosted by Marcus Cooke, a photographer for Canibeat and an owner of a sick G35. You'll probably be seeing a feature on his ride pretty soon, so I don't want to talk much about it, but Marcus started this meet few years ago after an idea of bringing all G35 owners together at one location to have a chillaxing time checking out other G35s and meeting new people. You might think this meet won't be too big because it is pretty much a model specific meet, but attending GTG II last year, I have to say this meet had the sickest G35s from California. Because I attended another event on this day, our editor Edgar Lozoya took my place and did an awesome job with coverage.

Special Coverage | Drive @ UC Riverside

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Almost everyone in the world knows about University of California schools, but only a few know about certain clubs and organizations, such as the one I'm about to introduce to you guys today. This past week, I re-discovered an organization within the UC schools called Drive @ UC_ or Imports @ UC_, which its purpose is to gather automotive enthusiasts and have a weekly or monthly car meet for students. I remember our photographer Nick Schultz bringing us coverage on Imports @ UCI, but the crowd was not as big as expected.
Few days ago, I got invited to UC Riverside's first Car Meet of the year, Drive @ UCR, by a good friend of mine 1013mm. This organization/club started around 2.5 years ago, so it wasn't too new to those who went to this school. I wasn't expecting a massive turnout, but did want to attend this meet just because I heard only a few showed up. I think such meets that are organized by a school needs more attention because it's a great opportunity for students to do something else instead of studying 24/7. It has the potential to become a great meet or even an event if properly planned. Hohyung Lee is the president of this year's Drive @ UCR and he did an outstanding job, such as notifying the police stations near by, and going around talking with students to hear how they thought about the meet. Because my plan for this year is to promote grassroot car meets, I blasted the Facebook Event Page on our fanpage and profile as well.

Event Coverage | SoCal Summer Daze Car Show

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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This event hosted by Elite-AutoSports with the help from AJP Distributors and JDM Sport was one that I was excited to attend. All the staffs from the three companies are a very good friend of mine, and knowing these guys put so much effort into promoting an event, I knew this was going to be one of the biggest events for this year. What made me even more stoked was my family, Low N Slow, finally going out to an event as a team! I'll talk more about the cruise and meet-up later on, but back on subject, I want to take some time to talk about the three companies.

Elite-AutoSports is well known for hosting their monthly meets at Krispy Kreme in Burbank, CA. Out of all the meets here in SoCal, the one hosted by Elite is and was the biggest one. Few years ago, the Burbank meet was legendary because of thousands of cars attending and filling the whole plaza. After some incidents of immature drivers ruining the meet, it was closed down by cops and was thought to never happen again. However, Elite was patient and was waiting for the right time to host it once again. Last week was its final meet of the year and from what I've heard, it was massive! Once again, big ups to Elite-AutoSports for bringing the automotive community together.

JDM Sport and AJP Distributors are companies I've mentioned to you guys a few times throughout this year because of their activeness in the scene. I've never seen such a company participating at so many meets and events. I don't really remember how I met JDM Sport, but I do know head staff, Lee Ho, was an awesome guy to talk to from the beginning. He is a major supporter for my blog and always tries to bring up his supporters. Thumbs up!

Special Coverage | LTBMW End of Summer Meet

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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It's that time now where I'm attending all these events and meets for the second time, meaning my hobby has reached its year. I'm actually surprised and at the same time, proud of myself because of being dedicated with my blog and going out there to shoot cars rather than staying home every week and post random shit. There were definitely times when I did want to quit and go with something more important in life, but all in honesty, just seeing cars made my day. It didn't matter if I had a dslr or point-n-shoot camera. This community is simply amazing and non-comparable to others because not is it only about cars, but the positive attitude of people. There were occasions when this wasn't true, but overall, I think that's one of the main reasons why I've been going on and on and slowly upgrading my skills with photography to bring you guys the best of the best.
From what I remember, (LTBMW) LTBMW's 2010 meet was the time when I realized how much work I needed to do. I was very active during that time period, but it wasn't all about going to events and taking simple shots. I learned a lot from experienced photographers, especially from 1013MM who promotes this meet and sent me an invitation to go to this meet once again to cover for my blog. I did not know 1013MM personally back then, but do remember talking to him for a few seconds and that was it. Since then, 1013MM and I have been in contact continuously and built up a friendly relationship. Once I arrived to this meet, we were walking around and talking about which wheels were replicas, who were douschebags, etc. Anyways, we had a good time with our conversation while covering the event, so let's get on with it.

Event Coverage | Sideway Sundays #5

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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I can't believe it's already been almost a year now since the launch of Sideway Sundays. There were ups and downs, but I have to say out of all the events here in SoCal, no event can beat the venue of this event. The reason being is because unlike other events, Sideway Sundays happens at the track were Formula Drift has its championship rounds; Irwindale Speedway. Taking this into consideration, it's a great opportunity for many drifters to try out the track for only $80 and for the Car Show participants, getting a feel of what it's like to display their rides on the track were famous drifters like JTP, Mike Essa, etc. drift on for only $10.
To be honest, I've been always disappointed with the turnout for the Car Show section because the event has so much potential. I dislike comparing events, but when I look at coverage contents on Import Alliance from Canibeat, Ivy League East, StanceWorks, etc., I'm amazed on how so many car owners take the advantage of showing their rides at a track area for a cheap price. I'm talking about more than 1000+ cars with tons of spectators.
It might sound as if I'm talking about money issues here, but it really isn't because I know most of you Car Show guys complain about registration prices and I'm trying to point out how cheap it is to show your car at an event with trophies. You can't also ignore the fact that the event is at Irwindale Speedway as well.
Now for the Drifting event, I have no clue on how things are organized, but do know compared to other drifting events, the price is a bit steep but worth it because of..once again..it's at Irwindale Speedway. I'll talk more about my random thoughts throughout this coverage so let's get to the photos and captions.

Nightlight | Japanese Soul with an American Heart

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Taking the imaginary time machine and going back a year, I remember attending AutoCon with a few friends of mine and N-I staffs to cover the event. Being the first underground event I've ever attended, the finest rides in Southern California filled the showcase lot, cameras flashing from every angle as if photographers were treating the event more than a car show. There were tons of models and spectators, but what really caught my attention were obviously the cars. I left my business card on the ones I wanted to shoot for my site and I vividly remember talking to the owner of a unique Green colored S14 with an unusual twist to it. I was in awe with the car and my eyes weren't distracted by the sound or models walking by. After AutoCon and while heading back to my pad to edit the photos, I thought of all the cars I left my card on, and today, I'm honored to feature one of those cars which recently had its fame on an automotive magazine. Let me introduce you to Theresa and Peter's LS1 S14.

Special Coverage | Wrong Fitment Crew Summer Meet

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Wrong Fitment Crew (WFC)....this forum/site is the reason why I got into the hellaflush and stance scene. It feels as if it was yesterday when I typed in 'stance' on google, showing many sites as a result and one of them being WFC. Once I clicked on the link, my journey with the fitted scene began. To be honest, I don't even really remember how I came across the term 'stance'. This is during the period when I had no clue about modifying a car and thought aftermarket wheels were the shit.
Don't get me wrong, the choice and sizing of wheels is a critical factor when it comes to fitment, but WFC showed much more than only components.
Because of the site being a forum, people from all over the world joined WFC to show off their rides or to ask for help from fellow fitted car owners. My first day observing the site was expressed with a smile and it went on for days and weeks. It was more than just a favor or liking, but an addiction. Every morning, a cup of coffee was enjoyed with WFC and while others were studying about Biological Evolution, I was looking through the history of how stance involved.
The knowledge I have about different styles of fitment and wheel sizing all came from WFC. Just think of it as a fitment wikipedia.

Well few weeks ago, the Associate Director of WFC, Bobby Bouaphakeo, contacted me regarding their meet and was asking for coverage. I missed out on their previous meet in Santa Monica, CA and always told myself not to miss their next one, so without any doubt, September 18th was marked with an important note and alert for a 100% attendance to WFC's meet. Planned to meet up with a caravan group near my pad, I woke up early and headed straight to my car, cleaning those tire residues from daily rubbing and scraping, and right before I was about to head out, my right fender buckled. It really isn't a big deal anymore, but a problem occured once I turned my steering wheel to get some clearance to work with the fender and realizing the inner threads of both my front tires were totally gone. Long story short, home -> Irwindale Speedway -> home -> change to stock tires -> Murrieta, CA -> WFC meet @ VIP Tint.

Event Coverage | Japanese Classic Car Show (Pt. III)

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Now to the final part of my coverage on JCCS. I'm actually sad that I wasn't able to stay too long for this event because of having to attend S-Chassis Car Show, but the experience of attending this event will never be forgotten. An opportunity to see rare and classic cars does not come too often and because this event is held in California annually, many people who live out of states or even those who live in different countries attend this event for coverage purposes or to please their eyes with pristine and flawless classic rides.

Event Coverage | Dubfest Car Show 2011

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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I was pretty excited to attend Dubfest because it was going to be my first ever strictly Euro car based event. I'm not talking about only one specific brand but opened to every Euro make and model. Starting since 1999, Dubfest was and still is one of the events many Euro car owners mark as a priority to attend because of its event location and side activities that go along with the car show, such as Drag racing. There were tons of Euros and sponsors/vendors that made this event enjoyable to cover. Once in awhile, it's good for me to get out of the JDM scene and see how Euro owners mod their cars.
Just in case if you haven't read our 'About us' section or 'Info' section in our fanpage, I personally consider Euro cars as Imports because technically, they are 'imported' to the states, hence why I categorize Japan and European cars as Imports. I know both communities want to separate themselves, but I'm all about thinking positively and want every car enthusiast to become a family.

Event Coverage | Japanese Classic Car Show (Pt. II)

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Events like JCCS are one of the reasons why I love doing what I do as a hobby. Although I personally think photography is crucial when it comes to coverage, it's more about appreciating the cars, especially the ones that are at JCCS because of its age and rarity. Most of the cars I saw at this event were immaculate! As mentioned in Part 1, I was surprised to see 25~30 year old cars looking as if they came out of a factory. I have to give props to all classic car owners and their effort in keeping their rides clean. Thumbs up!

Special Coverage | Nissan and Infiniti Meet by Infest & Glendale Nissan

Night-Import: Photography by Edgar Lozoya | Words by William Lee

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I was exhausted after the long hours of walking and taking photos on Saturday and it hit me strongly on Sunday even after sleeping for 6 hours, which is actually pretty good compared to how much I ordinarily sleep. This weekend was just way too hectic because of so many events going on, but for some reason, I don't want to miss any of them! Gas price is rising like a mofo and my car is driving like shit, but there's something inside me that wakes me up early in the morning, check the event schedule, take a quick shower, grab the car keys, and head toward an event.
My plan on Sunday was to cover Dubfest at Irwindale and head to this meet, but because of a sudden schedule to meet someone near where Dubfest was, I didn't want to take two trips and waste gas...you have to give me some slack because I drove 5 hours in total on Saturday -_-; Luckily, our editor Edgar Lozoya made it to this meet and he took his camera, so a 'thank you' to Edgar for his coverage!

Event Coverage | Japanese Classic Car Show (Pt. I)

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Most of you guys know I'm pretty new into the car scene. There are so many things to learn and because I'm a blogger, I personally feel as if I need to go out there and experience different types of events. There were a few I missed out on last year, but the one I regret missing was Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS). Back then and still now, I lack the knowledge of classic cars because people in general, including myself, tend to follow what's recent and also the fact that cars are developing so rapidly, the technicalities behind making a vehicle is getting complicated and advancing, which is why people become careless of classics and go with what's expensive and has a name . It's really unfair to compare the performance of a 25~30 year old car to cars today, but when it comes down to the design of a car and the potential of how much an engine can be upgraded, classic cars cannot be ignored.
I strongly favor the car industry because of still supporting classic cars. In reality, cars today are being made based off of old designs. For example, think about the upcoming new car FT-86. Its concept included both the old and new; the look and performance of a Corolla AE-86 and somewhat of a trendy look, reminding one of a Lexus LF-A.
Japanese Classic Car Show is a day when we look back at the cars that started everything. The sexiest, freshest, and sickest classics gathering at one place is not so common, which is why this event is a must-to-attend.

Event Coverage | 3rd Annual SoCal S-Chassis Car Show

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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There is usually a time period when car shows will die out, but here in SoCal, car shows keep happening every single week! I'm not complaining at all because I love what I do as a hobby, but when there are more than 2 events happening on the same day and time, I got to move and act extra fast so that I can take care of all the major events in a day. Yesterday was exactly one of those days, 5 events happening at various times and location, but I was able to cover three events, one of them being this first coverage I'm about to share with you guys today, S-Chassis Car Show and Meet.

I remember attending this event last year checking out some Silvias when I was just learning about cars and had difficulties identifying chassis codes . I think I got better and I actually tried to learn more about Silvias because I personally love the car. I had a great time last year and was expecting the same for this years event.

Special Coverage | AutoCon Promo Video (Behind the Scenes)

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Surprisingly, there were no events or meets scheduled for this week, which means I get to stay at home and do jack shit or be a good boy and study for an upcoming exam next year. To be honest with you guys, I should not even be going out every weekend to go to a car show and shoot because I have to face reality and do what I have to do for my future career, but being a blogger in the car scene is like a drug...you know you have to quit at some point if not serious, but something pulls you more into it.. That's pretty much how I felt yesterday going to AutoCon's promo video shooting at City of Industry, CA. I'm pretty much studying 24/7 every single day, but have been going to meets just to let that stress and pressure out as much as possible. There's really no one that's been helping me out with difficulties I'm facing these days, but going to something automotive related loosens everything inside me, which is why I had to go out and see how this filming process was going to be done.
I got invited to this special event by the host of AutoCon because of promoting the event last year when it first launched. AutoCon 2010 was the first underground parking structure car show in Southern California and the turnout was absolutely amazing. Who would have even thought of doing such a thing like Fast and Furious? What might have been seen as being impossible became possible and AutoCon became one of the most memorable events to many automotive enthusiasts.
This year, AutoCon is going to be totally different. With an even bigger and better venue, AutoCon will be held at Irvine, CA where Gymkhana 1 was recorded. You can check all the information through this Event Announcement link or AutoCon's official website, so make sure to click and read it through.

Special Coverage | 626 Drift: Friday Night Car Meet

Night-Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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This past week was probably one of those weeks I've ever been active in focusing only on local car meets here in Southern California. Most of you guys already know I got invited to a meet in Glendale, CA on Tuesday, which is covered at the bottom of this post. I also attended a weekly car meet at Krispy Kream Donuts located in Rowland Heights on Wednesday, but did not cover it yet because of forgetting to take my camera. Yesterday, I went to one of my favorite meets in Alhambra, CA hosted by the 626 Drift Crew. Also known as Cha for Tea meet, I remember this being my 2nd meet after Low N Slow's meet few months ago when I got into the car scene. One of the reasons why I enjoy going to this one is because of the people more than cars. I do not know every single person who goes to this meet, but I would say most of my friends were made from here than any other meets I've been to in the past. Trying to relieve the stress and pressure with so many random shit I've been going through, I came out a bit early and met up with EuroTuner star Jose to roll together.