Driven Edmonton 2017 - August 19, 2017

Oh boy, it's certainly been a while since I've been on this site. I have to admit, it's pretty sad that the site is barely a year old and I'm already neglecting it. This post is a good 4 months late, as Driven Edmonton occurred on August 19, but hey, better late than never...right?

This year, I ended up working the weekend of Driven, but was able to finish early and visit the event for the last few hours. Armed with my trusty camera (albeit with some questionable ISO settings given how dark the venue was), I tackled the aisles of showcars.

I took a photo of this FD last year, but it certainly deserves another look this year. Perhaps the cleanest example in Edmonton.

One of the great things about Edmonton's Driven venue is that it's literally an underground parkade. Think Tokyo Drift vibes with a bit of grunge and hip-hop mixed in. Oh, and it's also disgustingly hot due to the A/C but that can't really be avoided during one of Edmonton's hottest months.

Many forsake the R35 for the older nostalgia-laden examples, but this Alpha9 R35 looks absolutely menacing. I had seen it at Driven Calgary, but it looks even more mental in the underground parkade.

Once @dudedrivegt86 and now @dudedrivebrz 's Rocket Bunny FT86. Representing the First Gear Imports booth, this car is no more (or rather, being showcased in the West End Hyundai Dealership?)

Super Clean R34 also at the First Gear booth, Terence of TT Auto later told me that despite the car's mint interior, there were more than a few issues with the engine and drivetrain. Hoping things get sorted and we can see more of this car during the summer months.

Another shot of the R34. Absolutely pristine exterior! The matching TE37's SL complete the look perfectly.

This Rocket Bunny Kitted S13 was a favorite of mine. Aggressive offset and fitment paired the no bumper + rear diffuser combo made for an eye catching car.

Lowcals also made the journey from calgary, and @davidasap 's white S15 is always a nice treat to see in person.

Lowcals also made the journey from calgary, and @davidasap 's white S15 is always a nice treat to see in person.

This S2000 was another favorite, with overfenders and a large GT wing. Looks like some aggressive rubber on those wide wheels as well.

This E30 was so clean I wondered if it was even real. As cars get older and older, I can really appreciate well kept examples like this one.

@ls.carlbas05 's WRX with Varis front end and CE28's. One of my favorite Subarus at the show.

Another one of my favorites. Although not as low as Carlos' car, the pumped fenders give the Hawkeye and incredible wide stance.

This 240Z from SSS Motorsports was another immaculate classic.

The 240Z beside way.bo 's slammed and cambered S13. Not usually a fan of the cambered style but it's simply executed so well that I had to stop and stare.

This 300ZX was a pleasant surprise. You rarely see this Fairladys to begin with, but seeing one that hasn't been trashed or rusted is even rarer.

@candsperformance with their SEMA show car, a Rocket Bunny S15 with a massive Battle Aero chassis-mounted wing.

There were also a few (well, more than a few) supercars at the event. This "panda" themed Murcielago was a favorite, with upgrades from last year in the form of a duckbill-style spoiler and rear diffuser.

The outside of the venue was also littered with cool cars, like this brand new Lexus LC500

Terence also brought out his 997.1 Carrera 4, which was basking in the sunlight

A rear fender shot of Leo's Varis Widebody FT86 and Voltex GT wing.

When we made our way outside for the end of show rollout, I spotted @ruthlessyota 's VIP LS400. Love the big bodied Japanese sedans and this one is perfect.

My favorite car at the show was this RWB Porsche, which was the first and only RWB I've seen in person.

Was also a big fan of the color scheme on this Focus RS, which is @wheelsplus' shop car (I ended up buying my winter wheel and tire setup from them later this year)

That concludes another Driven Edmonton event and the car season for me. I did want to check out the season closer, but ended up not making it. And then, before you knew it, the snow came.

Until the next post!
Gary

August 5, 2017 - Banff Long Weekend

Unsurprisingly, this post is quite late! Due to work obligations and working on PharmD applications, there hasn't been much time to write. Luckily, I did spend one weekend going out with my good friends Brandon and Monique to hike around Banff. Despite car trouble (read: almost got stranded because of a poorly-functioning alternator), we had a great trip with many nice photos. Check them out below!

A look at the Bowman's Peak

A steep trail that we didn't end up taking...

After many stops, we made it to a clearing with a small creek next to a glacier.

The other side of the meadow. The scale of the mountains never ceases to amaze me.

Peyto Lake in the distance

Monique wanted one of those "Basic Instagram Photos"

Bowman's Lake on the other side with beautiful teal water

We also somehow managed a group photo at the Peyto Lake lookout. Tourists galore, come very early or be prepared to fight for a spot!

Pretending to be contemplative as I look at the view. Thule backpack was a champ at lugging all my gear safely and securely. Highly recommend, even if it weighs 5 pounds empty...

Next destination was Bow Lake. Stunning views!

One Lonely Boy

Group Photo

Our day concluded with our drive back to Calgary, stuffing our faces full of Korean food and barely getting any sleep as we were going to catch the sunrise at 6:30am at Moraine Lake..

At an ungodly hour, we got up and drove through some zero-visibility fog and the pitch black to make it to Moraine for some of the greatest views I've seen.

A pristine Moraine sunrise.

We then found a little rocky outcrop perfect for the 'gram

Another view, this time with the floating logs that you walk over to make it to the rocky outcrop. NMDs were almost dunked in the frigid water

The Boys

Next stop: Lake Louise and the Agnes Trail/Big Beehive hike

A group photo to comemmorate not dying from lack of sleep

Agnes Lake & Tea House

We're sweaty and uncomfortable, but the view is great!

And finally, the view of Lake Louise and the Chateau from the top of Big Beehive!

After the descent, we showered, had dinner, and immediately KO'd due to exhaustion and sleep deprivation. The next day was a chill day of morning ramen and shopping, before returning home and crying about having to pay for a new alternator.

Driven 2017 coverage coming up quick!

Cheers,
Gary

July 29, 2017 - Midnight RevUp

The first annual Midnight RevUp event was on a warm and pleasant Saturday at the Alberta Aviation Museum. Consisting of both an indoor and outdoor parking space, there were plenty of vehicles to look at and photograph. I made it there courtesy of Terence of TT Automotive and got a sneak peak at his new air suspension setup on the Outback. Let's get started!

We started off with washing the car before heading over to the show.

When we arrived, roll in was still in progress, and there were cars lined up on the street, waiting to go in. This R32 work in progress has some aggressive rear bolt-on fenders

@ruthless.yota 's VIP LS400 is a standout in terms of presence

The First Gear Bugeye complete with Voltex GT Wing

It looks like "just" another aggressive 350Z, and then you realize it's a 2JZ Swapped monster

Roll in continues

Another shot of the Bugeye

Lightly modified Evo X

Crazy Tomei powered S204. Apparently the amount of money spent on parts alone will get you a new 911 Carrera S

When it's bagged, the mudflaps touch the ground!

When it's bagged, the mudflaps touch the ground!

A clean, stock S15 (aka a unicorn)

@lifewithbleung 's Varis widebody FR-S chilling with @bugiwgn 's Bugeye wagon and a 370Z

@nvmyevox 's Evo X

This Varis Kitted STi Hatch caught the sunlight perfectly and made for an excellent photo

venom_33gtr's built R33 GTR

This Golf was sitting perfectly on the Works VSXX. just the right amount of low with minimal camber

@special.kai 's widebody IS350 is a personal favorite of mine. Those rear bolt on fenders are magical.

Super clean Evo from Saskatchewan. Great color on this generation

This hawkeye had some widened fenders and some thick, meaty tires

@kingsmustrise also made an appearance, with his newly wrapped and lambo-doored FR-S

A R32 rolling through the lot during the last few minutes of daylight

Another clean golf with some crazy slammed fitment. I'd assume it's on air suspension because I cannot imagine being able to drive that car at that height in Edmonton

To finish off, a Black MKIV Supra that arrived while we were heading back to the Outback for some dinner

Overall the event had a great turnout and I can see them being back next year. Definitely not at the level of polish as Driven (the roll-in was incredibly slow and the trophies were not much more than paper), but the event was enjoyable and worth the 5 dollars for indoor admission.

Coming soon will be some photos from a recent trip to Banff and hopefully some Driven coverage after! I'm scheduled to work that day but I'm praying that I'll still be able to get there after 4 to have a look!

Cheers,

Gary

July 28, 2017 - West Side Mitsubishi Show 'N Shine

After a busy week of work (as well as getting my car back from the body shop, good as new), I was told about the West Side Mitsubishi Show 'N Shine happening and decided to head over with some of the TT Automotive staff, as we had planned dinner that night anyways. When we arrived, the parking lot was practically full. It was a small lot, but wasn't short of quality builds worth photographing. Let's run through some standouts that warm summer evening!

A canard and wing fitted red Evo X beside a more subtly modified white example

@evo_x_jay 's aggressive Evo X. Being a Mitsubishi show, a ton of Evos are a given

@nvmyevox 's track-focused build. Originally on bags with a matte gold wrap, this car has changed dramatically over the past year!

Mean front end

Super Clean Nissan Skyline 2000GT with Never Content accessories & decals

@hako.sukairain 's Skyline 2000GTX was also present with these classic Work Equip wheels

@bugiwgn 's recently completed widebody bugeye wagon representing Subaru at the Show 'N Shine

The engine bay of this Evo X was insane! Clean as a whistle and filled to the brim witih ARC and Colt Speed goodies

The Evo also wore some beautiful Volk CE28s (aka my favorite wheels)

Mean and blacked out

This Civic had some interesting fog lights and integrated lip LEDs for a unique look

A rally inspired WRX stealing some limelight from the Evo Xs'

Terence and his Porsche Carrera 4 had a spot front and centre in the show

And the award for late showing head turner goes to @d_d0ubleg 's Rocket Bunny RC350. Always a treat to see it at a show

Soon after the distribution of awards, rain started to come down, signalling the end of the show and roll out. We hopped into our cars and then had dinner, ending a pleasant day with a full stomach.

Coverage for the Midnight Rev Up Auto Show will be coming up soon in the next post!

Thanks,
Gary

Another Day at TT Automotive

Before I get started, let's put in some context for why I was at TT Automotive today. Although I do enjoy visiting frequently and mingling with the staff, this time around there was a legitimate reason for visiting. After sorting some very severe rubbing issues on the Slamry at no charge, I took the TT Automotive crew out for dinner at hot pot. Unfortunately, my car was backed into and the rear driver's side door had to be fixed. Luckily, the lady who backed into me was a relative of a physician Theresa and Terence know very well (crazy, I know) and so she left me her cell number and quickly paid the cost of repairs after I had gotten a quote.

At Terence's recommendation, I decided to have the repairs done at Eclipse Autobody, literally steps away from TT. Therefore, after dropping the car off today and getting breakfast, I wandered into their shop to say hi. The team was also generous enough to lend me their WRX to drive for the few days while my car was being repaired! Call me a customer for life!

See the dents?

How about now?

Having some spare time, I decided to spend some time around their shop shooting the cars parked around. I recently purchased a B+W Polarizing Filter as I had heard of their excellent ability to reduce glare and reflections especially mid-day in sunny conditions. Although today was not particularly sunny, I decided to give it a shot.

Nicholas' wide fender Forester daily

Another angle

My favorite slammed Outback

I never noticed the huge lip spoiler on the back!

Subie Gang

It's anybody's guess how this thing even gets around in a city like Edmonton...

The camber probably helps though (Also digging the sick rainbow effect in the headlights from the polarizing filter)

This beast little STi was in for a clutch job...which involved pulling the whole engine

Some meaty tires and super light RPF1s

Nicholas' aggressive track focused Evo. His wiring harness arrived at the shop today...maybe finally time for this beast to be put back together!

TE37 all day

This CF Varis front under diffuser is magic

I love spending time with the TT Automotive crew. Always great cars in their shop and always working on interesting projects. Looking forward to visiting again (which is probably in a few days, seeing as I'll be picking up the Slamry soon...)

Until next time,

Gary