What Car Enthusiasts Drive In SoCal
What Car Show?

I know, I know, the Formula Drift Title Fight in Irwindale was a good couple weeks ago, but we’ve been on the road this whole time.

SEMA coverage became exponentially more insane as each day passed and it’s only now that I have enough breathing room to put this together. Ever since Paddy tasked me with wandering around the Irwindale parking lot last year it’s become one of my favorite things to do. Well, top five… Maybe ten.

Anyway, with a big car show from AutoCon expected on Saturday, I thought it would be nice to do a car show versus parking lot post but there was one small problem. Unless I completely missed it, along with all the staff I talked to, the car show just didn’t show.

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With no car show to shoot, a long walk around the giant Irwindale Speedway parking lot will have to suffice for this one. But not before a quick stroll through the paddock, too…

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With the weird weather at Irwindale — weird for Southern California anyway, which is to say there were some clouds and even rain in the evenings — sunset on Friday night was fantastic.

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With this in mind, I figured I’d check out the car show early in the day and the parking lot around the same time as this on Saturday.

The Parkin’ Lot
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Unfortunately, Saturday didn’t bring the same results as the sun went down, but the overcast skies were certainly nicer to shoot in than the usual blaring California sun. I started in the lot adjacent to the Pro2 paddock and worked my way over towards registration to see what would turn up.

This sweet little AE86 straight away caught my eye and I wonder if this guy saw my feature on the ShaDynasty crew back in May — one can always hope! They really are a great bunch of guys and own a handful of seventies Toyotas which they drift the absolute crap out of. Check out the story if you missed it yourself.

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Behind the 86 was this Lexus LS400. It’s a car that’s been around for years and cool to see it still making an appearance and getting updated along the way.

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Across from registration I noticed this old school wagon with mismatched wheels in front of an even more old-school 510. Both in need of a little love, but both really fun cars to own and drive. I love how long cars can survive here in the (usually) dry California weather; there are so many good bases for projects to be found.

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The great weather means there are plenty of two-wheeled machines out and about as well…

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Of course, the first puddle I found was occupied by a beefy truck rather than something cool and low. Makes sense, I guess, but still a shame.

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Moving on I found a really cool R33… I kid, I kid. But the fact that a FF layout is wearing the SS badge at all is just goofy.

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Finally, a decent puddle and a decent car in the same spot at the same time. It’s always cool to see what cars people bring out to these events as it guarantees they’re drivers at a minimum, with many being dailies.

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Farther and farther I went from the palm trees that line the course itself, looking for what might be hiding deep in the lot.

Behind a cute little Corolla I found something more sinister, and roughly four decades newer, hiding behind it.

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At least, it looked like an S15 at first glance, but turned out to just be a nice little 14.5 conversion; I guess I have to knock a decade or so off that four decades number. Genuinely at the end of the lot and with driver introductions starting soon I made my way back towards the grandstands.

Of course, I took a different path back, because you never really know what you’re going to find. I mean seriously, what possessed this person to do this of all things? Perhaps for Halloween, or maybe it was their kid’s idea…

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After all, who said car life has to end after you have a family? Certainly not the owner of this… beauty.

Almost back to the gate, I wasn’t surprised to find people using their tailgates in any number of ways.

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And, of course, you can’t really throw a rock in LA area without hitting a Lamborghini, so it was no surprise to see this thing had rolled up in my absence. Still, it was an Aventador, so that’s a plus.

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With the top sixteen about to kick off I had to call it quits on the parking lot. I’m sure there were some cool cars out there that I just plain missed, but there are a handful of extras in the gallery below.

Feel free to share a photo in the comments of the wildest thing you’ve spotted in a parking lot. I’m sure it’ll be good for a laugh, if nothing else.

Trevor Yale Ryan
Instagram: tyrphoto
TYRphoto.com

Going Deep
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32 comments

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1

With 2 years sporting a Hunted sticker on my car, it finally gets on the site.

2
thathellastockusdm3rdgenyaris@instagram

how does one get a hunted sticker. without actually being photographed.

3

I got mine just talking to him, no pictures required

4

Beats me, it was from Larry Chen. Maybe I missed it...

6
Pah Patipan Donsingha

I want to see more of that Get Nuts Supra.

7

How is it so goofy that a cobalt as has an ss badge on it? I don't get it unless you're talking shit about it which still doesn't make sense unless you're ignorant. it's a 260hp 260tq 6speed car. Fits the ethos of SS perfectly

8

For those that missed it, Trevor writes:
"Moving on I found a really cool R33… I kid, I kid. But the fact that a FF layout is wearing the SS badge at all is just goofy."

Now, this is a paradox. Speedhunters proclaims that hate in car culture, being made fun of, negative vibes, etc. would NEVER happen in Japan. But it's ok for their own writers?

FWIW the Cobalt SS is totally befitting of an "SS" badge. It's like the old OMNI GLHS or Shelby CSX. Total sleeper. I always respected them. #practicewhatyoupreach #itbeatanEvoX

9

Lol that isn't hate, its just a bummer the cobalt isn't rwd. I think it'd be more fun. Read into it all you want, but that's all I said

10

Maybe, but the Turbo version did hold a record at the Ring and held it's own against the Evo and STi of it's day, so it's not like it wasn't fun as-is.

11

Lmaooo i disagree with the writers opinion and they delete my comment.

12

I mean. Your comment is right there, in all its glory

13

That cobalt is a quick car, no lie.

14

The black truck with the wedge on the back belongs to the guy with the crx on True Life: I'm a street racer.

15

What's the deal with the truck? When I saw it, I thought it was some kind of hyper miler vehicle.

16

It is Greg Leone's personal/shop truck. He's on ig @gregleonewmd

17

nice foto
less douchey writing pls

18

Yeah, that was a weird article. Seemed to be a lot of judging and car-snobbery going on. Haven't seen this on SH before...

19

Geez, this a crap article...I dont often say that (never in fact) but saying nonsense like "I mean seriously, what possessed this person to do this of all things? Perhaps for Halloween, or maybe it was their kid’s idea…" (reffering to the Hyundai) is uncalled for.

Yes you allowed to have your opinion, and yes it's not to everyone's taste (i think its not well thought out too) but you having a great platform like this to make a change and bring respect to different tastes in the car scene, yet you go and add fuel to the fire.

Think before you post as you don't know what inspired a build and if all builds were the same this site would not be surviving this long...

Then you end off saying people should post in the comments the wildest thing they have seen for a good laugh?! WTF man. I for one would like to see something unique and different/wild instead of all the big budget , pop riveted, overfendered, rotiform and wrapped on air suspension builds.

20

I see what you're saying and really wasn't trying to fuel anything.

It's a lighthearted piece on a simple topic, I wouldn't take pictures of something if I didnt think it was cool in one way or another.

21

Seriously though, what did possess the person to do all those things?

22

I agree with the other comments... What's with the attitude?

23

Really didnt mean to have one, it's not a very serious article in the grand scheme of things

24

It might have something to do with the fact that EVERYONE knows what "Car Enthusiasts Drive in SoCal." It is everywhere and gets covered ALL of the time. It is a retread article.

25

Yea, hands down the worst article I've read this year. I do agree some of those cars arent my taste, but it would of been best if you didnt post those cars in the article in the first place just to ridicule them.

As much as I love Socals car culture, I as well wish you guys would branch out more.

26

Drift events are attended by a bunch of broke kids and white trash. Not a great representation of the car culture in SoCal being the best overall compared to any place in the world. The diversity, range, and quantity can't be matched.

I agree with others that this is one of the more poorly written articles seen here in a while.

27

Cobalt SS is a beast, Prius is neat and a smart purchase, Hyundai's are really nice "starter" cars now like 10-20 grand cheaper than most. Get off your high horse.

28

I never said otherwise

29

Trevor's getting some real hate on this one. Sure this article is not of his best, in fact it is indeed one of his worst, but come on do you people not know how to read behind the lines? This was obviously written with no specific intent in mind other than conveying his stroll around the car park. Simple, chill article. And by the way, no speedhunter has never been fully neutral. Ever. Ask Paddy about the GT2. Or Dino and his unfathomable love for RWB. Not only that, but a little spice is always welcome. At least it makes me smile.

30

I always look forward to these sorts of posts, the kind that I hope are going to show a mixed bag of cars, ones that are actually driven and are attainable to the average person. But man, would you kill you guys to even post a picture of something American once in a while. Every time I see a great looking corvette, mustang, camaro in the back of a photo I hope the next picture may be a close up and it just never is...


One can only handle so many pictures of near-stock BRZs...

31

prius on volks is baller
guarantee he has a nice weekend car, prius is his daily/family mover

32

The writing in this couldn't possibly get any douchier.

Way to sound exactly like the type of faux-elitist shitbag cancer that car culture is already teeming with.

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