With just a couple hours left in 2013, I thought it would be good to take a look back on the year that was and re-visit some of the most viewed stories here on The Chronicles. These are the posts that got the most traffic in 2013 and were the most-clicked and shared throughout. Most of the popular posts featured more than one part to them so I’ve taken the liberty of attaching all the associated links to each post. Please feel free to go back and click on any of the links to re-visit the stories that helped make this year the most successful one for STICKYDILJOE.COM. Here’s to an even better 2014 and I want to wish all of you a very happy and joyous new year…
We’re going to countdown from 10-1 with 1 obviously being the most watched topic of 2013. There were some surprises in the list that I didn’t expect but for the most part, things sort of fall into place and make perfect sense…
10. WEKFEST NEW JERSEY/WEKEAST 2013…
2013 marked my first time attending a Wekfest event in the East Coast. I heard nothing but great things about the event in 2012 so I really wanted to make a trip out there to see it for myself. Wekfest presented me with the opportunity and I immediately agreed to go out there to help them judge the Honda/Acura Classes. The East has always had a different attitude about the import automotive tuning scene and I really got a good feel of just how different it was while I was there for the weekend. It was certainly a highlight of my 2013 so it makes sense that it made the list. It is always a pleasure to be out at a Wekfest event with the Wekfest family and I made some great memories while out in Jersey. We even got to visit New York and walk around Times Square for a bit on our first night there. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip and I look forward to going back in ’14. The most interesting tidbit about the WEKEAST event being on this list is how it fell short, traffic/hits-wise compared to the Wekfest Texas event. If you were to ask me without me looking at the stats, I would almost be certain that WEKEAST would have generated more traffic than the Texas event but I would be dead wrong. What’s even crazier about that is that Wekfest Texas just happened a couple weeks ago and it already dwarfed the Jersey show numbers-wise….
Here are the links to all seven-parts of my WEKEAST coverage:
WEKEAST 2013 Coverage…Part 1: Eastbound and Down…
WEKEAST 2013 Coverage…Part 2: The Morning…
WEKEAST 2013 Coverage…Part 3: The Stage Is Set…
WEKEAST 2013 Coverage…Part 4: Show Time!…
WEKEAST 2013 Coverage…Part 5: More Show Coverage!…
9. WEKFEST SAN JOSE 2013…
Wekfest went through some significant changes in ’13. The show itself separated itself from Wek’Sos Industries and set off on a new course. It had already outgrown the Fort Mason venue where the “Super Bowl” of car shows took place the previous two years and moved to an entirely new city in San Jose, CA. A lot of people were reluctant because of the change but I think a majority of us were excited to see how the show would grow being in a larger venue. I’ll be the first one to admit that this year’s Wekfest SF show had a completely different feel to it but the change is necessary if you want to continue growth. The show itself did no disappoint by any means as it was spectacular as always, it just felt new so it didn’t have that same aura that it did when it transitioned over from the J-Town parking garage where it all started to the Fort Mason Pavilion. The cars as always were top tier and there were even visiting competitors from outside of the state, as some came from all over the country to compete in the premier car show in our industry. Norcal is always an amazing trip for me and a destination I make sure to mark on my calender every year. From chatting with others this year, I believe that more and more will make the attempt to bring their builds out to compete at Wekfest SF, as it has become the new standard in showcasing only the best of the best….
Click the links below to relive my entire journey from start to finish…
Wekfest San Jose 2013 Coverage…Part 1…Wekfest San Jose 2013 Coverage…Part 2…
Wekfest San Jose 2013 Coverage…Part 3…
Wekfest San Jose 2013 Coverage…Part 4…
8. The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…
My personal favorite of 2013 was my journey to Japan. It was always a dream of mine to go to Tokyo Auto Salon and through hard work/determination, I was finally able to make it out there. It all sort of seems unreal now that I look back at it because it was an incredible experience that I doubt I’ll ever forget. The trip had it all. Not only did I get to go to Tokyo Auto Salon, but I also had the chance to see my friends from Japan who came out from all over to hang out with us. I got to also make the journey to Osaka where I visited Tactical Art and got to see their facility in person for the first time, as well as visiting the world famous J’s Racing facility. Before that, we checked-out the Honda Collection Hall at the famed Twin Ring Motegi and the ultimate treat on our last night in Osaka was getting to experience some real Kanjo racing. We got to meet one of the most infamous Kanjo racers in Osaka and had the pleasure of seeing his car in detail, which is something that not many ever get to do in a lifetime. I’m sure I could talk your head off about it but I’d rather have you click the links below to read all about it from beginning to end. It was amazing and I can’t believe I’m already heading back there in just 8 days time….
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 1: Intro and TAS 2013 Coverage…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 2: TAS 2013 Coverage…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 3: More TAS 2013 Day 1 Coverage…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 4: Dinner With USDM FREAX and Day 2 of TAS ’13…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 5: The Last of TAS ’13 Coverage and Dinner With USDM Magazine…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 6: Twin Ring Motegi and The Honda Collection Hall…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 7: More Honda Collection Hall and Trackside At Twin Ring Motegi…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 8: The Meal After Motegi and We Begin Our Journey To Osaka…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 9: Our Visit To Tactical Art…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 10: More From Our Visit To Tactical Art…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 11: The Historical City of Nara…
The Chronicles 2013 Japan Trip…Part 12 of 12: We Visit J’s Racing and Meet Some Kanjozokus…
7. WEKFEST TEXAS 2013…
This was a real surprise. As mentioned earlier, I didn’t expect this event to generate so much traffic and dwarf both the Wekfest SF and NJ events. Texas Wekfest was the biggest it has ever been and judging by the reception based on the numbers, it might have been the sleeper hit of the year. You would never expect it but its great to see Texas continue to evolve with its tuning culture. I felt that my photos from Texas were some of my best and its great to see the response that it got. Considering the fact that it not only topped the other two Wekfest events, but also my Japan trip (which was really popular) really says something about how people feel about WFTX. You guys just saw the coverage recently so I don’t really need to elaborate on it much more but man, all I can say is “wow”. I did not expect this….
Wekfest Texas 2013 Coverage…Part 1…
Wekfest Texas 2013 Coverage…Part 2…
6. EIBACH HONDA MEET 2013…
As a website that is predominant in covering all things related to the Honda community, it is only expected for the Eibach Honda Meet to be on this list. Eibach is the premier all-Honda gathering here on the West Coast and I’m happy to say that I have been there since the beginning to see its enormous growth over the years. It outgrew the Eibach Springs facility in Corona, CA, immediately outgrew Irwindale’s Toyota Speedway, and 2013 marked its first venture into a completely new venue in Lake Elsinore, CA. This was by-far the largest Eibach Honda Meet ever and people traveled from all over the world to be a part of it. Some even build their cars specifically for the Eibach event and then hide their projects in the garage for the rest of the year in anticipation of future Eibach Honda Meets. It is hard to say where the show will ultimately peak because it is experiencing such great success. Let’s hope that it never does and continues forward as one of the best in the country…
Eibach Honda Meet 2013 Coverage…Part 1…
Eibach Honda Meet 2013 Coverage…Part 2…
5. Type_K Autosource’s Kday Season 3…
As automotive enthusiasts, we are always interested in seeing what Japan as to offer because well, it all started in Japan. They have long provided inspiration for us and with the growth of the USDM tuning style in Japan, we are both exchanging mutual love for one another’s scene. Takeshi Kobayashi’s Kday event is probably the smallest of all the events you’ll see on this list but it sits high on this Top Ten list because people just have a fascination with Japan and the new wave of Honda builds that seem to come out every year. Takeshi is a good friend of mine so I am very proud of him for his success with the Kday series. While smaller than most, Takeshi has garnered a great deal of respect among his peers in Japan and they all make the trek out to Sendai to be at his annual show. The Honda builds that you see at his show are very reminiscent of what you would see here in a high-key build in the States so there is a sense of universality with his event and how it relates to Honda enthusiasts worldwide. His event generates a ton of traffic on this site every year because it is very unique and is the creation of one man alone. The benefits for his event go to charity as well so it is not only a good event for enthusiasts, it also helps to serve a greater cause. I liken it to my anniversary meets that I put together every year because it has a great sense of community to it. Everyone seems to know each other and they all get together to have a good time. There are awards at the end of the day as well but it is not as important as just spending time together and enjoying cars…
“Kday!” Chapter 3 Japan Coverage….Part 1…
“Kday!” Chapter 3 Japan Coverage….Part 2…
“Kday!” Chapter 3 Japan Coverage….Part 3…
4. USDM JAM VERSION 10….
As mentioned, USDM tuning culture has undoubtedly hit Japan full force. I think it helped breathe new life into the Honda community in Japan to be honest with you. Before you didn’t hear a whole lot from enthusiasts in Japan. Some cool builds would pop up every now and then on the web but now with USDM being so popular in Japan, you see more events and more builds that are catered specifically to making Japanese builds resemble those here in North America. I think it is an incredible thing because it shows how much our worldwide tuning community has come full circle. We now share ideas and mutual inspiration. The best part about it is that some of the Japanese do our style better than we do it, haha. One of the major events that helps to push the USDM culture into new levels of creativity is Tetsuya Yamaguchi’s USDM Jam series. After experiencing great success in 2012, he almost felt too much pressure and nearly did not do a USDM Jam show in 2013. Version 10, denoting its tenth consecutive year of existence, featured an entire show of vehicles that were personally invited to attend. As you will see in the photos, if you haven’t seen it already, you’ll see just how big USDM style is in Japan. I don’t see it going anywhere any time soon so I’m sure its popularity will only continue forward. Congrats to Tetsuya for creating an event and for all the success…
USDM Jam Ver. 10 Coverage…Part 1…
USDM Jam Ver. 10 Coverage…Part 2…
USDM Jam Ver. 10 Coverage…Part 3…
USDM Jam Ver. 10 Coverage…Part 4…
3. THE TOP TEN HONDAS OF 2012…
My Top Ten Hondas list is always a pretty popular story every year. People really enjoy seeing what I think are the top Honda builds of the year and I honestly put a lot of thought and effort into making the list good. It was originally not meant to be anything serious but people have really taken a liking to it. It is a list that people look forward to viewing every year and I’m happy to showcase some of the best Honda builders in the world here on the site. I’m busy working on this year’s list as it seems to get harder every year, and I hope to have the 2013 list up for you guys very soon. Click the links below to refresh your memory on the best ten of 2012…
The Chronicles Top Ten Hondas of 2012…10-6…
The Chronicles Top Ten Hondas of 2012…5-2…
The Chronicles Top Ten Hondas of 2012…#1…
2. THE TACTICAL ART EG6 BUILD…
When I first started covering Atsuki’s EG6 build here on The Chronicles, I had no idea how popular it would get universally among Honda enthusiasts. I just always enjoyed the car and the way Atsuki did everything on his own. I have a great deal of respect for him because he is a very hard-working individual. His Civic was originally the car that helped bring my attention to Tactical Art before anyone else in the world had heard of them so when I found out that he had plans to rebuild it, I wanted to document the process on the site. It took some time but the build came out great. There was just a sense of uniqueness to it because he fabricated everything mostly on his own and added his own personal touch to the car while retaining its balance as a pure-bred weekend track vehicle. There was some really cool stuff done it it that you just wouldn’t see on any other build and I think he helped to inspire a lot of people who saw his build come together. It was my favorite build from the Tactical Art camp and I was excited to see it completed and on the track. As you all know, the car met an untimely end just a month ago and as quickly as it came together in just one year’s time, it left just as quickly. It was a compelling build that I don’t see people forgetting about any time soon and I am interested in paying them a visit in a couple weeks and seeing what plans Atsuki has for his next build. I’m not gonna lie, as popular as his build was, I didn’t expect it to be the second most viewed topic on The Chronicles in 2013. It couldn’t have been done without the help of Yasutaka Shimomukai so all the thanks go to him and the Tactical Art family for providing me with the exclusive content so I could tell Atsuki’s story to the World…
The links below document his rebuild from start to its untimely finish…
Exclusive Content: A Look At Atuki’s EG6 Build From Tactical Art…
Exclusive Content: The Latest Developments On Atuki’s EG6 Build From Tactical Art…
Exclusive Content: The Tactical Art EG6 Circuit Build Nears Completion…
Exclusive Content: The Tactical Art EG6 Circuit Build Hits Central Circuit For Testing…
Exclusive Content: The Tactical Art EG6 Circuit At Central Circuit For More Testing…
Exclusive Content: The Final Photos Of The Tactical Art EG6 At Nakayama Circuit…
1. A LOOK BACK AT THE IMPORT SCENE FROM ’99 – 2001….
The ultimate surprise and the most viewed topic of 2013 was a post that wasn’t even created in the calender year. This post, featuring some old 35mm film photos that I scanned and posted, documenting my views on the import community back in the late 90s and early 2000s. I don’t think people ever expected to see anything like it over a decade later and enthusiasts both old and new really took a liking to it. So much so, that over a year later people were still viewing and reposting it all over the web. I got linked back to this post from various sites like Reddit and other sites that were completely non-associated with The Chronicles and some weren’t even car sites. Still, I didn’t expect it to be the most viewed post of 2013. I’m proud to say it is now that I know though because posts like this show the true definition of “original content” that only I feel that I can produce for our community through this site. I know the styles have changed greatly and people totally reject the idea of cars like the ones pictured in today’s scene but it is always great to take a light-hearted look back into the good ol’ days. I was stoked to see how much people enjoyed it and it ultimately lead to my idea of creating a separate series that I call “THE ARCHIVES” that also showcases the community of year’s past. While it certainly doesn’t dive that far back into the scene like this one does, it is still good to put a time stamp on our community with posts highlighting some of the great builds of old. Hopefully you guys love viewing it as much as I love putting it all together for you guys…
Exclusive Content…The Import Car Show Scene from ’99 – 2001…
Well, that’s all folks. The ten most popular stories of the year here on The Chronicles. Here’s to an amazing 2014. Cheers to you guys and be safe out there on this new year. Thanks for looking….
Reblogged this on Curiosidades na internet.
THE TACTICAL ART EG6 BUILD
So much inspirational project, waiting the next project of tactical art!!
Love all that you have done and continue to do with this site Joey. Nothing but good stuff for us old school Honda heads. I think I can safely say once a Honda guy, deep inside, will always be a Honda guy. I think those that think they have grown up are just fooling themselves and forgetting about their roots. Maybe because of the image, they don’t want to associate themselves with Hondas anymore. But I think deep inside there’s always an appreciation. Thanks Joey and keep doing all that you do. I’m a fan and a follower.