We had a long weekend here at Stance Stories. As the blistering hot sun blasted upon our sensitive little heads we scoured the state attending some of the biggest shows of the year finally culminating in a total of 4 shows, 1 feature, and about 20 popsicles between the 4 photographers we had roaming the many various meets this weekend. The first product of our tedious work over the weekend is Neisi Showoff 2012 attended by Alex Royt and our newest lens jockey Max Montague. If you missed Nisei then you can get more than your fair share of the days event in our packed coverage from the event.
Max and I met up around my house just a few short miles away from the hustle and bustle of Little Tokyo in Downtown, Los Angeles where the event was set to be staged. Though we found the showcase with relative ease, parking was another story. After about 15 minutes of driving around with the windows down, and the system up like the gangsters we are… In his Honda Fit. We found a neat looking lot a couple blocks away that was decorated by beautifully tagged brick buildings on either side. With the sun burning our delicate, pail skin we embarked on our adventure through Nisei.
Nisei has a reputation to be synonymous with large groups of Hondas, so to discover the amount of diversity within the event upon our arrival was more than a relief for me. Much like this gorgeous Trueno we found stalking outside of the BOWLS booth in the middle of the grounds, the show was packed with some gorgeous rides, and even some amazing Domestics tucked way in the back.
Speaking of said domestics this beautiful mid-60′s rag-top Chevrolet Malibu was hiding out up against a wall. There is absolutely no denying that American cars are a huge part of the car culture we know and love today, I just wish more people would see the beauty hidden deep within there rusted and often junked exterior to the beautiful and elegant roaring lion hidden within. This owner has done a magnificent job restoring this Chevy, and it’s well deserving of praise!
If lo-lo’s are more your style, don’t worry there was plenty of those too. Lowriders have become a much less popular of theme for showcases in the scene, and to be frank it’s a shame. Though some may dub these ricers, or buckets. The level of creativity and originality employed by owners into these projects is something alone to marvel at, let alone the beautiful body lines of the cars they choose to restore and modify.
Now now we understand this is a popular meet for Honda’s and don’t think we forgot that. It seemed all the heavy hitters from the Honda community converged on the dry and desert like atmosphere of the Downtown blacktop, one prime example being our boy Keychain here. His CG6 Accord is a wonderful example of one of the many ways it’s still possible to set yourself apart in a sea of similarity and that the creative vision still lies dormant deep within the reaches of the show car circuit. He has served as an inspiration to many CG6 owners I’ve met, and even from first glance it’s obvious as to why.
It was quite a surprise to see more than a handful of European car’s at Nisei this year, one of which being our favorite BMW owner Pat Estudillo and his HPR E46 M3. Though we didn’t get to meet up with him and talk about his upcoming feature here on Stance Stories, it’s always fun running into this car and watching even the biggest of anti-Euro snobs melt over this Bavarian reaper.
Speaking of face-melting European cars this wide body GTI throws the entire VeeDub idea of style on it’s head and looks damn good doing it. At first glance I thought to myself “what self respecting Dub owner would do this?!”, but the more I stared at this monster, the more my loathing turned into love. This GTI takes it to the next level with bodywork and paint, oozing swagger levels beyond 9000!
It turns out that Low-Ballers split there roster between Nisei and INFMS, but the dwindle numbers between the two events didn’t pack any less of a punch. I’m not a fan of Civics and everyone is aware of that, but this orange beast always leaves me wanting more, that engine bay is one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen on any car with the exception of maybe his buddies brown & gold DC2 Integra, and of course our good friend Joe Schnieder’s single-cam setup!
At first glance everyone can appreciate this well executed SW20 MR2, but look closer and you’ll see exactly what sets this MR2 apart from most others, the wheels. A full polish 3-piece 5-spoke wheel accented with beautiful gold hardware and turquoise lug nuts make this car explode with beauty in the gleaming reflection of the hot California sun.
I must say I am absolutely smitten with this RX7 FD from the boys at R-Rydes. It seems like everything on this FD is done right, and with the number of rotary enthusiasts dwindling almost as fast as the motors themselves, it’s a warming site to see that there are still some out there committed to preserving the memory of this legendary automotive platform.
At the WheelFlip booth we ran into the Evolution X and Subaru STi from team Harlot. I first spotted these near twins at Autocon and I was totally awe struck. I would really like to get a hold of these guys to maybe work out a double feature in the very near future. If anyone has details, message us on our Facebook page!
Nisei had quite an impressive display of cars, however some of the cleanest cars at the event weren’t even in the show! We found this gorgeous Evo IX and wide S2000 hiding out in the side corner of the parking lot around all the vans and booth equipment cars, and what a damn shame. Both would have snapped more than a few necks had they been in the actual showcase!
I almost forgot the most impressive car at the show! Everyone knows or has heard of this flawless red 1st generation Acura NSX from Its JDM Yo. This car is always undergoing constant improvements, much like its new 24k gold dipped wheels this car is baller beyond recognition.
Koukis, koukis, and more koukis. God, I can go on forever about how much I love Kouki S14s. Though they are rare in our community, onee of the only consistent one I’ve seen being Stance Stories team member Arthur Luevano’s, these cars a rare site, and made all the more beautiful through its rarity. It almost seems like these cars don’t need to have anything done to them to look perfect, but don’t let that discourage you from trying!
Quite possibly the most impressive of all teams and solo-rollers to turn out was this large group of old school Toyota and Datsun owners. Old school 510s and mini-trucks littered the 1st row of the show, and it seemed as though each one drew the attention of my lens. I have a special place in my heart for mini-trucks, and seeing such a large group so tastefully built was worth the trip in itself.
Finally the blistering sun grew a bit to much to bear and we decided to dip. With just under about an hour of total shooting time, we were surprised to find that between Max and myself we were able to cover then entire showcase, and then some! This was Max’s second contribution to our site and we felt it was about time to bring him on board. So we embarked home to rest up for the rest of the days, armed with a new staff member, lots of new photos, and some great expectations for content from INFMS and Slammed Saturdays which we will bring you later this week!
- Story by Alex Royt
- Photos by Max Montague & Alex Royt
- Edited by Alex Royt
