Sun up, blinds closed, alarm blaring, snooze and repeat. "Hey Virgil wake up, how do you like your eggs?" I sat up, cold as ice. What the fack? This is Cali why the hell is it this cold? Long Beach, Ca I forgot I lived here for 3 years of my god forsaken life. "Ill take it fertilized." If you don't understand the reference then I guess were not friends. I almost forgot where I was, perched on a couch in the middle of a dimly lit living room. "Ill take it over medium." I guess I fell asleep right after finishing the first episode of the animated Godzilla series on Netflix. Roxy hands me a plate of waffles, sausage and eggs. "Here you go. Can you eat and drive at the same time?" Rodney steps out into the living room and throws me a pair of keys. "You're driving the Cressida and I'll be taking the Skyline". I grab my canteen filled with coffee and take a sip. It's still hot from the night before. "Its going to be a good day." Location: Eibach Headquarters Corona, Ca Add "blast from the past" back to your vocabulary. Here is the long awaited Eibach throwback meet. It seems in the past year or so the car scene has been shifting to showcasing the oldies but goodies. A prime example I can come to recall would be the Radwood event late last year with a unique roster of vehicles. Guests were encouraged to rock appropriate apparel to fit the genre and it was a success. Coincidentally, what a better way to rock that old Members Only jacket that you kept in the closet. With what memories of Radwood ingrained in our hearts the Eibach meet is a breath of the same fresh air we were calling for. What we once knew as our parent’s daily drivers, the same ones that we used to sneak out with once we got our license and get into trouble with (well some of us) are making a comeback. We're talking about cars that were the thing almost 28 years ago, now being called classics. We all remember Tuan rolling up to school in his EK9 while all the EG owners drool and pine over it. Single overhead cam, dual overhead cam not knowing, slap you in the face cause VTEC is the shiznit you poser and this is where it all began with humble beginnings. With the days of neon under glow behind us what is left for these cars and the people that gather to appreciate the boxy straight lines transform into more aerodynamic rounded edges though the years. We lost flip up lights but we won't lose what it meant to us. Okay guys here's the run down for the ones who missed the meet. I'm not going to be delving into the details we already know. I'll just be giving you the highlights of the meet through my lens. Enjoy the wasted talent. If only there was a Kenmeri parked next to this Hakosuka. "Bad and Uji" "One last picture before we leave." The day had come to a peaceful end. Tired we decided to catch some dinner and take the Skyline out for one last drive. "Hey Gary meet us at Sup Noodle Bar in Cerritos."
Virgil ValmonteInstagram: Vsquareed
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Location: Korean Friendship Bell San Pedro, CA V: "Hey you know the sun sets at 6ish right?" Take the 405 northbound to the 710 south. Veer right to the Queen Mary all the way to Terminal Island. Hit Gaffey street and make a right. Drive up the hill and catch a sight for sore eyes. To the left stands the Korean Friendship Bell, to the right one amazing sunset you will ever see. The cliff ends just behind the Basketball court, the noise of waves crashing against the cliff walls and the sun cradled by the Northern Pacific Ocean. "Hey, why do you have two different sets of wheels?" I asked. With a slight scoff and a hint of regret Rodney replied "I did a little board slide at Grange." If you haven't noticed this Mark II is rocking 2 different sets of wheels. Sitting at the front are the tried and true Advan RG2 and the rear Ray's Gram lights 57DR. Both created with a similar 6 spoke design and "almost" as iconic as the TE73. The Carmine red shinned deep in the sunset. I took it all in trying to find the right angle. I took a step back and contemplated, "shit, it all looks good" I whispered to myself. Weaving through 5 o' clock traffic isn't something people in their right mind would want to go though especially on the 405 in a drift car but surprisingly this machine was quite subtle. The suspension was tight over the rocky surface but completely bearable, unlike the crazed suspension nuts that tweak their dampening all the way to the stiffest setting possible. The exhaust rumbled the majestic note of the 1jz. It wasn't piercing your ears but loud enough for any rice boy to question lining up with this thing. In all honestly I felt I was driving a tamed car, a great daily driver is what I thought in the back of my mind. The road eventually cleared up and the curiosity set in, let's take it to red line. I mean who could resist going wide open throttle in this thing. I double checked the mirrors, "no cops" I said in my head, "fuck the police". I slammed my foot down like I was stomping on my ex, boost immediately shot me back into my seat as the needle on the gauge pinned to its target pressure. That tame exhaust note turned into something different, but something I've heard before. Just like all those YouTube videos you all watch of Supras city blocking anyone foolish enough to race them. It put a smile on my face, but not just any smile. It's like when you chase your alcoholic shot with a smile (inside joke) but instead the smile represents the inner you saying we gonna get facked up tonight kind of smile. Adrenaline coursing through me I looked down......0MPH. "WTF, I forgot that the speedo doesn't work. I have a general feeling of how fast to drive on the freeway without looking at the speedometer but this speed was something else. Unknown hp/tq on tap in this boat was quite disorienting. I let off the throttle and was greeted by that classic vent to atmosphere sound which I can only describe as God blessing the earth with a burst of wind. Partial throttle let go was also gratifying with the iconic boost building to release, SHHHtuutututu of flutter, quite addicting. One word spanned across my mind "unforgettable". Virgil ValmonteInstagram: Vsquareed "Falling in love again but with something out of the ordinary" When you think car meet you imagine a bunch of scrubs, flexing their cars. Nothing better than a bunch of dudes with testosterone filled egos standing under the sun staring at cars. Their mouths open wide, drooling, well at least that's what you would imagine from the viewpoint of someone outside the car scene. WRONG, and sometimes being wrong is a good thing. I like character, things with spirit, I like the freedom of being able to do anything with your car even with all that's already been done out there but still attempting to do it differently. It's all about the small things. "I don't think there's anything worse than being ordinary" Enter the Cressida, the grandma car, the taxi cab in other countries. Kyusha it, Shakotan it and get mistaken for a Yakusa gang member in the 90's. Were talking about a car that's been around since the 60's under different names as the Corona, Chaser, Mark II. As with all cars that catch the interest of tuners alike they withstand the test of time as a tribute to the classic JDM car nostalgia. Simply put, it is a rare sight to see that something so old can bring a group of people together with nothing in common other than their love for cars. Also to mention doggos as well. Growing up I have always managed to somehow wander into the occasional spontaneous car meet. Saturday's were for the boys, as they said but cruising down Blackstone on the weekend was all there was in Fresno. At least for me. Although, if you smelled In-N-Out along with burnt rubber, and rich air fuel mixtures you were in the right place. Simply put, I was in the right place and the right time in this moment. I'm embarrassed to say but being a newcomer to the Cressida scene there isn't much I personally know about these cars, but being exposed to this welcoming group of people changed my outlook. It sincerely makes me want to be a part of this community. If there is one thing I can pull away from this experience is that this meet is a true testament to the solidarity of what was once great re-purposed into something even greater. "Throw it back and keep the 90's Forever." Virgil ValmonteInstagram: Vsquareed |
RodneyBorn in San Jose, CA. Raised in Indonesia. My love for 90's era always brings back good memories wether its Hip Hop, fashion/style, cartoons , and cars.. We live in a disposable era now where you can toss anything thats not with the upkeep. Technology has consumed most of us, but some of us are still living that 90's.... Instagram:
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