The game of "one-ups-manship" is a centuries old tradition. It is the
catalyst to inter-group competition. It can possibly lead to a groups
demise, or strengthen a group and become a spawning ground to new
trends, influence, inspiration and innovation. This age old tradition
continues on today. Remember when you were a little and that one kid
got that seriously sweet Transformers lunch box? You were raging with
jealously, but you totally wanted to show up the next week with a
Voltron lunch box. After a certain amount of begging to your parents,
and a trip to the store, you acquired your weapon of one-ups-manship.
It felt sweet to get those looks of jealously as you strolled into
school the following Monday strutting the power of the five combined
lions. The HellaFlush meet in Venice Beach, California, proved to be
the ultimate game of one-ups-manship.
It was a game of who was more slammed and who could have the most
insane offsetted wheels fitted under their car. The Heavy Hitters cars
rolled pretty deep and hit the meet hard with their ridiculous wheel
fitments and stance.
The life of a Heavy Hitter…
…looking hard, looking slammed, and of course, hella, hella flushness!
There was a fair share of Mitsubishi Evos, and Subaru Imprezas. Some
lived the motto of hella flush, whereas others did not. Hellaflush
riceness is a concept that is understood instantly, or not understood
at all. There is no gray area!
This Nissan 350z on Work Meisters was seriously low. Barely any daylight was under that car!
Nissan 300ZXs are, in my opinion, not that easy to make look good.
Character and presence are the two of the biggest qualities that I look
for in a car, and 300ZX has both of those qualities.
Ridiculously low? Check. Ridiculously aggressive wheels? Check. Insane camber? Check.
Here's a Miata that was beyond being hella flush. This little
roadster once rocked 15×8 zero offset Work Equip 01s, but now has 15×10
Work Equip 03s all the way around under stock fenders –insane and
insanely dope!
Here's a sweet, sweet kouki S14 rolling hard on some polished Work
Meisters. This sucker looks like melts ice caps and it eats any endangered species for fun.
The meet was not only limited to flush Import cars. A fair share of
VWs, and Audis rolled up spreading about the word of flushness on a
global scale.
This is a great example of character. Without this broken headlamp, it
really would've just been another WRX in a sea of Subarus.
The fad of beach cruisers have been replace by these single gear road bikes. This is SoCal urban lifestyle!
But really, what's a trip to the beach without riding around such
scenery in a bike. Plus, it proved to be a great mode of transportation
to view the meet. It was awesome to see slammed cars roll up with a
bunch of bikes racked up on it.
Call me insane, but this S2000 was my absolute favorite car in the
whole of the meet. This car oozes with character and presence. When I
first came up to this car, I just saw a pretty much stock car that has
been lowered –until I saw the back of the car…
A basically stock S2000 lowered on stock wheels, with spacers, for
flushness, makes for a pretty standard S2000. But with the addition (or
should I say the lack of) of no rear bumper, it brings this car to a
whole new level. The owner got into an accident which damaged the rear
bumper, he then removed the bumper, noticed how hot it looked, and kept
it that way since.
There's just something magical about a clean S2000 that has been been
grunged up. The zip tied license plate and stickers makes this car have
so much character. It makes you laugh out loud of the ridiculousness,
but you have to admit. This car looks amazing with the rear bumper
support and exhausts exposed to the world –it's almost like that peak
up that one girl's skirt in school oh-so-long ago. I love this car.
The recipe to make a car look cool is real simple: the right
combination of a good stance and wheels that fit well is really all
that is needed. This zenki S14 does it totally right.
Here's another 300ZX doing it right.
Is there a bit too much going on with this bug-eye'd WRX? I think it does, but somehow, just somehow, it works.
The turn out was amazing, all kinds of cars came out to represent their vision of "hella flushness."
During the ride back home, I spotted this 350z which I saw earlier at
the meet. It really was the best 350z at the meet. The white wheels
with the red car made for a fantastic combination of character and road
presence. This Z just wanted to eat up any car in it's path!
Car
shows have been a bit dry lately in content –you see the same stuff
over and over again. So it takes a change in the guard to have a new
vision and pursue it. The guys at Fatlace and HellaFlush know exactly
what type of cars they love. Basically, anything slammed with
aggressive wheel fitment. It's refreshing to attend a meet where almost
every car is pure eye candy. It's also refreshing to see owners of all
makes and models, but with a similar vision in mind, converse with each
other, share ideas, and show the world their current weapon of
one-ups-manship. It makes you salivate on what someone will show up
with for the next meet. Minds will be blown.
For
you photo nerds out there, I shot this event exclusively with 35mm film. I've
had questions about what types of film I use and what film camera I
shoot such archaic mediums with. So, to answer those questions, I shot with a roll of
Fuji Film Color 125 and a roll of Kodak E200 Color Reversal (film made
for slide projectors) at this meet. My 35mm film camera is a Canon EOS A2. Also, I
never do any post-processing to shots from my film camera. Any
post-processing would, in my opinion, make the magic of film disappear
–graininess is amazing.
-Linhbergh Nguyen
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
These photos set a great mood. I loooove the one of the jeta. THAT GRAIN, it cannot be beat!
Great coverage !! On the sixth photo (nissan 350Z), there is a old integra on the background. Somebody know wich wheels does it run please ? I love 'em so much !
the shots are awesome,
anyone know what wheels the jetta is running, look sweet.
Damn Linhberg, did you take these photos on a LOMO or something? They look like they're 10 years old! Love that look dude, you really are one of the best man, seriously love your work.
Want that S2000! It look so good...
But I doubt I'd have the balls to roll around like that. Bumper would've been replaced before you'd even know it's gone...
To rRav3n : I think the Jetta runs reverse steelwheel. Anyone know what wheels the Integra on the sixth photo is running (on the background, behind the 350Z). Love 'em so much !
All of the photos are awesome man. But i have to say, and please dont take offence to this, that S2000 is just homosexual without the rear bumper, it looks bloody stupid.
I thought these cars were meant to be about being clean, neat, tidy, having the mean stance. That S2000 has all of that but without the rear bumper it has nothing.
Just my 2c worth
Thanks!
I was already wondering about how you did the grainy early 90s look on the pictures like the VW.
I miss my good old 35mm camera and I wished I never sold it off. Maybe I should buy a cheap secondhand X-700 again.
wow dino
i'm speechless!
are these with film, if not can you plz send me the effect =P (cjphotography00@hotmail.com)
if only there was stuff like this in AUS *cries*
I really like looking at the hella flush movement, but it really is bordering on rice with certain cars...some can pull it off( Z cars/S cars), others just look stupid ...*cough* wrx's *cough*
New age car + old skool BBS basketweave rims = instant win!! That red impreza wagon has all the right stuff going. 5 stars!
what lens where they with dino?
moar pics of miata!
Mike should have his car build like that Miata above lol.
Nice to see the hellaflush even getting covered, just can't get enough of them! Anything looks good with the right stance, and I mean anything. Hopefully my future ride is gonna be as hellaflush as theirs....
got any pics of the white evo with the GP Sports Gull flame wheels? its really looking nice rocking those wheels.
great coverage as well!
Good job man
http://fatlace.com/stayfresh/mksim/
Another automotive masterpiece by Leorbergh Da Nguyenci.... what an epic...
Wow, refreshing to know you can get awesome pictures without thousands of dollars' worth of technology, stunning.
That Miata is absolutely amazing! I love seeing them out and about, always makes my day. Those are some crazy wide wheels on her, too. Amazing to see them under stock fenders! And the hard top, well, that's just sexy as well. (Though I do like my drop top roadster as well. I'll get me one of those someday.)
Please could you post some more photos of the 300ZX's or some wallpaper sized photos?
I love them!
Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee!
That black 2000 would be even hotter with two new N1 style mufflers out back and a fiber glass bumper that is cut to go just low enough to cover the little plastic bits on the sides and the steel bumper.
Incredible work - Truly awesome!
You have inspired me to get the 35MM out of the loft
lol,lihn busted out the S2K three times . now thats dope.
Naga_Ten: I do have a lomographic camera that I use for personal stuff. But for the meet I just used a good ol 35mm SLR. Lomo stuff is amazing...
Jason: I know that S2k is not for everyone. It's like some people absolutely LOVE the hoodride movment, and other just flat out hate it. For me personally, overly clean cars are getting old, and have little character. There's really no story behind a clean car other than the owner obessively cleaning it every few days, whereas a car that is missing a rear bumper has a story behind it and you just HAVE to know the story. It's absolutely intriguing...
Banpei: the old look is just from film, there's no processing or secret that I did to get that look.
Thank you everyone else for the comments. Would you guys be interested in more 35mm coverage or even a car feature in nothing but 35mm? haha
id be down to see 35mm coverage. there's something about the tones that makes me want to open up PS and "crack the code"
Linhbergh, amazing coverage man. All of the 35mm shots looks great, the DoF from the shots of the Heavy Hitters cars is just amazing. It was good seeing you again at the show, great stuff as always!
-Zach
Jason: I am going to have to agree with Linhbergh on this one. S2000 is dope! Man, you did the coverage in film? What is your secret to make the picture like that?
Good job with the coverage though!
Love hellaflush. Wish the muscle car/hot rod/pro-touring guys would try it out. Check this out: http://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/pro-touring-hellaflush-ill-touring/
I'd like to see some people build a hellaflush 60's muscle car.
thank's for the shots of the S Linhbergh. it was nice meeting you that day btw we gotta meet up @huntington soon i was there cruising yesterday it was hella pack though. as for JASON i totally agree with you my car does look hella retarded without the rear bumper LOL!
since when was dope to have no rear bumper and slammed on stock wheels with plate frame zip tied to support beam?
some cars are nice, but some are just trying way too hard to stand out. Do people really have such low self-esteem they're willing to do anything to get people's attention?
Hellaflush meet = HellaGAY meet
All that no bumper zip-tie rust shit just looks so fukin ghetto... what the hell is goin on in cali??
I still don't understand why people make their cars drive worse because of an oversized rim/tire combination and wrong camber settings, just only to look cool... it can't get anymore stupid then this.
And whats about that s2000 ? Why does it have such a rim/tire combination ? to bring all the massive power and torque to the ground this engine have ? haha...
BH a.k.a. "Big Hater" LOL! if you even paid attention to the wheels on my S you would see that they're stock. there is no oversided rim or tire streching going on there and why would you even try to hate on the engine and it's "massive power"??? yeah it's stock and still under warranty too. and for everyone who doesn't like it one of the reasons why i havent put a new bumper is cause i havent felt like springing the cash for it but if you dislike it sooo much ship me a new rear bumper to my house and I'll put it back on just for you .
Where is the sc?
@ Linhbergh Nguyen:
I do agree with you in the sense that the S2K may have more of a story behind it than other cars, but if you think about it, each and every car is done in a way that the owner sees as being unique. For example, my brother used to have a 93' R33 GTS-t Skyline. He spent a lot of time, money and effort making the car into what he believed to be unique. It was sleek, powerful and has bits'n'pieces that other Skylines didn't (a fake drop tank, LED tail lights back in 2003 when the import scene here in West Australia was not very well known, HID headlights, a custom made heads-up-display with RPM, speed, boost, etc inegrated into the cars instrument cluster etc)!
However as you said, it does come down to personal taste at the end of the day. And i respect that!
I just don't beleive that the s2k is anything special. It just seems like a cop out car. I can't get nice wheels. I'll just get spacers. I can't afford bumper so i'm gonna just leave it off. If i place my plate on the back, then It will look like i did it on purpose. Then it's cool. The story is probably that he bought a car that he could bearly afford and now has to suffer that he doeesn't have enough money to fix the issues. It's okay we'll just call it his supa jdm touge battle tale. Now it's legit.
s2k= now hella flush approved.
I agree with Alex. This whole thing is just so fvcking stupid. THE WHOLE THING!
I AGREE.... all of this is dumb
that s2k was rolling hard at the meet. you just had to see it in person...
I don't see whats up with all the hating on the S2k. I think it's just a matter of personal style. I know people don't get it whole hoodride movement, but I think it's character. Every car now has some low offset wheels, low stance, and some "VIP" look; it's getting plain boring. That S2k has character, who cares if the owner is actually too poor to afford a new rear bumper, he's repping what he's got. I don't see anything wrong with that.
What's so "fresh" about this movement? It's ALWAYS the same. Like stated before, it's always about the super slammed sport cars that once handle good and now they handle like sh!t....with super low offset and super negative camber that literally eats away the rubber. Not to mentioned that 99% of those cars are not DD (even though the owners insist they are)
It's funny most of these people spend thousands to get the allignment just "perfect".....haha
ALEX thank's for HELLA FLUSH approving me being as you the resident HELLA FLUSH HATER. And the rim's are in the mail LOL! i just couldn't lower my ride with the stock wheels all sunk in. As for the plate, where else could i mount it seeing as theres no bumper anymore? you guys really need to get over the mounting of the plate. common sense tells you i got no choice. BTW "FU_K ALIGNMENT I'M HELLA FLUSH" remember LOL!
I just wish there were meets like this in Australia.. For some reason there are so many damned haters of this look/style... I, for one, Love it and will gladly build all my cars to be hella flush from now on.. Great work as always Linhbergh!
Wheres the WRX Wagon ! ?
This whole S2K thing is just silly. This is getting way too art house. We don't need to start a trend of removing body panels and thinking you did something cool looking. It has just gone too far. It doesn't look bad ass, or anything of the sort. It looks ghetto, and unfinished. Zip-tie stitching from drifting or racing adds character. I have chips and scratches on my airdam, that's character.
parking is the new driving.
haha, dope cars.
wow a stock s2k with spacers and no bumper is .... WACK.
im going to take off my bumper since my wheels are already flush so i can be badass
People trippin out about the s2k should get their panties out of a bunch. Obviously the dude had some damage and since he couldn't afford to repair it right away he used it as a chance to get creative with his car. I don't think he removed the rear bumper thinking "Hey! This shit is gonna look sooo much more flush if I take this bumper off - FUCK YES IM GLAD I THOUGHT OF THIS!"
LOL@BH talking about rim/tire combo... it's fucking stock. Your sarcasm about the "massive power" an s2k pumps out is laughable...
I like the film coverage, I've always loved the look of the photos. You should definitely do a car feature in film!! And you should have featured more of the Subies from HellaFlush man...
@kOOpA - "parking is the new driving" hahahaha
I also totally agree that it is silly when the cars have fitments that aren't even properly drivable, but some of them completely are and that's what makes the fitment so dope. But like all things... it will strike a key for some and be the wrong note for others...
Uookaa,
Understandable, but dude circled his car with a camera as if this S2K was the star of the meet. One snap for shits and giggles is fine, but lets not get carried away with the shutter.
@ gabe, I'm far away from beeing a hater. I like S2k's, i don't care about your rear bumper at all.
Put some small lightweight rims (buddyclub ?) on the car which match the power your engine is bringing on the ground and which fit over your braking system and things starting to make sense...
Jesus... Where are the rest of the cars... like the sc... lol.
Sweet pics none the less.
the jetta is rad, and the last pic of the red 350z is sick.
Loving the film coverage linh, the pics have such a great feeling to them.
that integra is rolling on ssr fins.
@FairladyZ I know what you mean. To have that be your "absolute favorite car at the show" is kind of weird to me... I mean some of my friends' cars were there that have had so much more thought and work put into their cars - If you want to talk about personality and story I think that's where it's at. The s2k is very unique and gabe made it flow well, but I don't see how it could be the star. I guess it was a good candidate for some film shots though...
@ uookaa i totally agree with everyone. i went to the meet to see everyone elses ride and i saw some really awesome shit there. hey i didn't even think my car would make a single pic much less make all of these waves on this blog. and for everyone who thinks i removed my rear bumper to be an attention whore your wrong i lost my bumper in a little mishap and it was like 3 days b4 the meet. AND It's my daily driver i really don't care about that car i worry more about my project car @ home that's being built to epic proprtions LOL! you all really need to get over thinking i'm trying hard cause it was just by chance. i really went to score a hellaflush sticker but they weren't selling any.
btw it's sad what lengths people go out to let everyone know the dislike or hate a car cause personally if i thought your car was whack i wouldn't take the time out of my day to post it or let anyone know because " HATING IS HARD WORK AND I'M JUST TOO FU_KING LAZY"
Dang, this is the most hate i've seen on a Speedhunters post in a long time! I don't think I've seen anything like this since the VIP Silvia. That means you have a winner Linhbergh! Gotta love controversy.
@ Linhbergh Nguyen: Absolutely dope photos and mad props for not being afraid to experiment with your work.
@ gabe: props for doing what YOU want with YOUR car. Isn't that what tuning is about in the first place? Keep enjoying it and f the haters.
nothing against your car Gabe, I am just hating because how much attention it got. You said it yourself that it was a mishap and not done to give the car "character" as Linhbergh puts it. To me it just sounds stupid and not worth 3 pics of it to show us how cool the car looks without a rear bumper... its just dumb
maybe the black s2k got three pics so we can all fight about it and forget about the black sc that wasnt shown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
haha frgus is right!
If you've all seen this BLACK SC so many times, then why do you want another picture of it....?
thank you speedhunters for the coverage, love the pictures! that's awesome how you are experimenting with a different approach when you capture a meet or a shoot. random question, because i am in need of a scanner: what scanner did you use?
LOL @ Ryan noticing the teg with ssr fins! Hahahahaha..
Awesome Event! God, I love that S2000