BLOX Evolution 2014 Coverage…Part 1…


I still remember my first Blox event a couple years ago…. I missed last year’s but I remember being surprised at just how big the event series had gotten over time. When I first heard of the Blox meet, I really didn’t think much of it to be honest. I thought it was just another local meet that was held by BLOX and it was done to help them generate some business. It started to pick-up some momentum over the years and it just blew up once word got out that this was a good event. Early on, there was no indication that it would be what it is today but I’m happy that our fellow Norcal enthusiasts have such an event to look forward to. Norcal doesn’t nearly get as many meets/shows as Southern California does so whenever there is something going on, it can potentially be big. The BLOX meet started out small but has since grown exponentially and is now a full-on car show. The last time I went, it was still a meet but there were a lot of vendors and awards being handed-out so you can kind of tell the direction that they wanted to go in. Last year, they even moved the event to another venue altogether because they had outgrown their previous location. For 2014, they went all-out and decided to create something newer, bigger, and proclaimed it “BLOX Evolution”. They created a new look for the event and put forth a marketing campaign that really helped garner them some attention…

If you missed their promotional video, check it out below. The video was so good that it made those who knew about the event, who had already planned to attend, excited about it. Throw in some nice cars, a scenic venue, and an attractive female in the mix and you have all the ingredients you need to generate some good hype…

The venue itself, Pier 70 in San Francisco, MADE this event. I mean, the building looked like it could crumble at any time because of how dated it was but it made for an awesome view. I remember walking towards the building where BLOX was held and the building directly next door was condemned. Yes, CONDEMNE as in “do not enter because this shit is too dangerous to be near”. It either looked like a scene from a horror movie or the location where Robocop hid out in during the first Robocop movie (The original, not the shitty new version). I’ve seen some venues in my years but this was probably one of the best places that you could have for an event. The rustic building and tattered surroundings made it the perfect contrast for all the beautiful cars in attendance. How they were able to secure this location is a surprise to me but man, I cannot complain. Environments like this are ideal for guys like me who like to capture photos. The drama that this building adds is second-to-none….

With everything going on, I nearly forgot about the BLOX show. They had emailed me inviting to go but it totally slipped my mind and I forgot to let them know that I was coming. There was much to do here at home so I decided to make a one-day trip out of it. People thought I was crazy for being down to drive to Norcal and then come back the same day (it’s six hours each way), but I had done it the last time I went to BLOX so it wasn’t really a big deal for me. It probably would have helped if I had gotten more than three hours of sleep the night before but I still made the trek. Luckily my homie Keith aka Keychain was down to roll with me. He wanted to go to the event too and had asked me what hotel we should book. I was like “Hotel? We’re coming back after dinner.” He didn’t expect it at all but he was still down to roll and help drive during the 12-hour round trip. I’m not gonna lie, it was hard, haha. I didn’t know Keith hadn’t gotten any sleep the night prior either so we both struggled to stay awake. In the end, it was all worth it though because I was able to produce some pretty good photos for you guys. It was a great time overall and I have nothing but great things to say about BLOX Evolution. If there was one thing I could change, it would be me putting forth a better effort to get some rest the night before so I had more energy to run around the show. Below is just a small sample of what I was able to document during our quick trip to Norcal. The building within the venue was massive but the show was so big that the cars extended to the outside area. I would say roughly half the show was actually outside of this rusty old building. The later parts of my coverage transition over to the exterior area and you’ll have a good idea of what the show looked like overall, inside and out….

I wish these guys the best in the future and look forward to what BLOX has planned for their next event. We left Socal around 6 am after breakfast and headed straight to Pier 70. Arrival came around noon just before the show was about to start and I immediately pulled out my camera and started shooting away. Enjoy….

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Rocket Bunny R35 GTR on gold Volk Racing TE37 Ultras. So happy that Rays decided to make the bigger TE37s now with the original concave face and thicker spokes….

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Isn’t it funny how the Ben Sopra kit was the one that really helped to start the world’s fascination with wild wide body kits and now it has almost been completely forgotten with the Liberty Walk and Rocket Bunny releases….

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JDM Drew’s GM 5.7L LS-swapped FD RX-7 with Burnout front bumper and red Volk Racing TE37RT….

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This FD was also GM V8-swapped but supercharged….

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Voltex-equipped Mitsu EVO on CCW Classic….

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Turbocharged B-series  Civic hatchback with Sergeant (Formerly White Crow) front bumper and carbon BYS front lip….

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FA5 Civic SI sedan with FD2 CTR front end conversion and J’s Racing front bumper. Wheel’s are rarely seen Algernon Intelesse…

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This FA5 Civic featured a FD2 conversion with a Mugen RR-style front and black SSR Type-F wheels….

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One of my favorite stateside FA5 builds is this particular Civic with FD2 Civic Type R conversion and FEEL’s wide fenders. It also sports a Mugen rear spoiler and hyper blue Volk Racing TE37SL, as well as Spoon Sports big brakes…

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Ditus’ Integra GS-R with full Mugen aero and DNR-built B18C motor….

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EDM/UKDM front bumper on this Integra on Desmond Regamaster EVO….

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Not everyday you see a S30Z with a wild widebody kit like this one….

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This cement/battleship grey tone has really started to pick up in popularity this year. I spotted at least 5 builds at the BLOX event painted in a similar grey….

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Rare E30 M3 coupe on HRE wheels….

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Really clean Infiniti G35 sedan and Rays Gram Lights 57Extremes….

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Kris Yu’s NA1 NSX from Endless Projects on Airrex suspension and Work Meister S1R. Front bumper is a Burn-up piece and sides look to be Marga Hills….

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Always love E46 M3 coupes on Volk TE37s….

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Lloyd Morales’ Vertex Kouki S14 with SR20DET swap. Been awhile since I’ve seen this car, glad to see it out and about again…

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Jessica Pabros’ Black Pearl Complete GS that you most recently saw in my Spocom Anaheim coverage….

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Silas Lee’s JZA80 Supra with TRD front bumper from Endless Projects….

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Another JZA80, this one with a Ridox front end and CCW Classics….

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Joe Bacigalupi’s Datsun 510 wagon project that he’s been busy putting together for the last year. He used to own a really well-done Subaru WRX wagon that I wrote a story on for Super Street magazine….

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Job Design M45 sedan in blood red….

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Work Gnosis GS4 wheels and Project Mu big brakes….

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John Liwanag’s Vortech-supercharged Junction Produce GS400…

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Lexus LS460 from Endless Projects with a full Black Pearl Complete Jewel Line aero kit. Love how this car sits….

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JZA80 Supra with full Ridox aero kit….

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G35 coupe with the signature R-Ryde engine bay set-up….

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Jesse’s LS430 on gold-plated SSR Vienna dish….

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Aggressive wheel fitment on this BMW Z4 roadster….

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Another car that I hadn’t seen in awhile is my buddy Chris Sakai’s Civic from ATS Garage. He recently put his Rando kit back on which is a favorite of mine. Also looks really good on the Mugen MF10….

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Sakai’s engine bay always looking good….

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…and a glimpse of his custom audio set-up…

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Solomon Chi’s Mugen CD Accord from ATS Garage on air suspension and custom Racing Hart C2 wheels….

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Toyota Supra Turbo on 18-inch Volk TE37 reppin’ ATS Garage….

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Y33 Q on step-lipped Work Ryver wheels wearing a full Version Select body kit….

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UCF30 LS bagged on Work Gnosis CV202…

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Erik Mercado’s K-swapped, turbocharged, EJ1 Civic coupe with a variety of custom fabricated engine components from ALL-IN Fab….

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2GS Lexus wearing Job Design aero….

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Dillon Thai’s Integra with JDM ITR front end and Sprint Hart CP-Rs….

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Issac Sierra’s Super Sonic Blue Pearl Integra was recently repainted by Premier Auto Body in North Hollywood….

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James Church’s VIP-styled Hyundai Genesis sedan. This one actually wears the badging of a Genesis Prada, which is the Korean domestic market equal of the U.S. R-spec Genesis….

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Voltex Evolution 9 draped in orange….

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W204 C-Class from Europrojektz on Leon Hardiritt Orden…

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Pristineparts’ Voltex-equipped EVO 9 on AME Tracer wheels….

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Aggressive deep-lipped SSR Professor SP3 wheels on this Evolution….

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Turbocharged Civic hatchback that, if I remember correctly, made just around 600HP….

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Finishing off Part 1 of the BLOX Evolution coverage with some shots of this Datsun 510 coupe with Bluebird SSS components and KA24DE engine swap. Awesome build…

That wraps it up for this first section. Make sure to come back throughout the week for the rest of the photos. Thanks for looking!…

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4 comments

  1. Great coverage as usual. Definitely a great selection of rides. Its great to see the Blox event mature to a full scale show. I see the parallels in the Blox events with the other famous Norcal show Wekfest. Both started from automotive retail industry and have transition to event hosting & marketing. The only downside of the brand Blox is its close relation to low end performance products. Hopefully the car show side will branch off as did wekfest from its parent company to establish its own identity.

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