You know what the best thing about the Japanese Classic Car Show is? I’m literally surprised to see anyone I know there. I don’t know what it is because the show hardly ever changes from year to year but for whatever reason, I am constantly surprised when I run into someone I know there. Don’t get me wrong, the show is always pretty solid, I guess it just has to do with the demographic and what people perceive the show to be. Like, you just wouldn’t expect to run into your friends there because you always just expect everyone there to be, well, old. That is, until you wake up one day and come to the startling realization that you too are in fact, old, and you don’t encounter old people at JCCS, you just see your friends who have also now become old. I never would think that I would have any friends that own any Japanese classics but then you walk around the show every year and the cars you start seeing become newer and newer. Or, if you want to put it into perspective, the cars we grew-up liking are now just getting older and older….like us. It still kinda blows my mind to see DA Integras and 90s-era vehicles at the show but it’s almost 2020. An DA Integra is now almost three decades old. Anyways, before I run too far off on a tangent, it’s just always a pleasant surprise to run into friends there and that’s kind of one of the main reasons why I go every year. The format of the show doesn’t change very much, and I doubt it ever will. The cars and people just get older so it just serves as a place where you have pleasant, unexpected, encounters with old friends and acquaintances. It’s a fun way to catch-up. A place for reunions, if you will.

I imagine even people who have their cars there every year feel that way. It’s not like these people probably see each other all the time or anything. Chances are they probably only see most of these people once a year and that is at this event. So I imagine there must be some sort of universality in this show. Especially for older enthusiasts who have families, other priorities, and general life situations to deal with from day to day. This all becomes even more of a hobby as you age and you look forward to events like this just to reunite with fellow car enthusiasts who probably became your friends and one time or another. You didn’t really lose touch, life just doesn’t put you right in front of each other every month or day. You really see that in the way people talk and interact at JCCS. People are just really open to having conversation there and it is a great representation of the type of community I’d hope we have with the younger crowd.

It’s funny because I don’t think any of us even really realize any of this unless we really try to think about it. I always invite my friends to go to JCCS with me and everyone always seems to be down to go, even though we already know what the show is going to be like. With other events, half the time we come up with excuses not to go or find other things to do then stand out in the hot sun staring at cars we may or may not understand. Whenever JCCS comes around, we all just gather without any real hesitation and perhaps that comes with that unspoken understanding that this show represents something bigger than your average car show or meet.

Without saying too much more than that. The Japanese Classic Car Show is just a solid good time. I’m glad it is still around. I hope it stays around for a long, long time. Otherwise I would have no other outlet to wonder why this car is old enough to be at this event and why I’m running into someone who I haven’t seen all year but for some reason they’re just hanging out at JCCS…

Here are some photos that I took. There are more, but I’m old, it’s supper time, I gotta watch Jeopardy and be in bed by 7:30 PM, lol… Stay tuned for more…

Hakosuka Skyline coupe wearing a traditional Prince Motor Club. Sports livery with reissued Star Shark wheels from Colin Project…

I actually shot Kyle Ranauro’s RPS13 180SX about four years ago and wrote the story on it for Super Street magazine. Cool to see it so many years later still looking nearly the same as it did back then…

Looks like the same turbocharged KA24DE engine as before minus the LV-themed valve cover that was on back in 2014…

Ironically enough, Kyle now has this Zenki S14 wearing 326power aero and Work Schwert wheels which was featured in Super Street magazine with a story written by Yuta Akaishi…

Nice to see Speed Forme aero components over here in the U.S. now, as expressed on this Hakosuka Skyline. I got a close look at their work during this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon event and we event visited them at their shop in Osaka…

Candy wine JZA80 Supra wearing a Bomex front bumper with a retrofitted square fog light where the turn signal lenses once were…

Clean metal widebody S30Z with a vented BRE front air dam…

This gutted S30Z was wearing a TRA Kyoto Pandem widebody kit, Jagermeister livery, and 3-piece Panasport wheels…

Beautifully-executed naturally-aspirated SR20DE-powered Datsun 510 coupe running modern Wilwood brakes and polished RS Watanabe wheels…

Mazda RX3 running massive over fenders sitting over Star Road wheels…

Randy Beard’s GX71 Kaido Racer Mark II build from Rare Arts USA, holding true to Japanese Kaido/Bosozoku styling…

Styling and execution is true to the Japanese-look because the car was built overseas and sold to Randy here in the U.S. He spent time just putting the car back together and restoring sections of it to bring it back to its prominence…

Definitely not to everyone’s tastes but these cars were never built for the purpose of pleasing everyone and catering to socially accepted forms of automotive styling…

Always nice to see people walking their cats even though this cat didn’t look particularly pleased to be outside in the heat…

Chris Majorovas’ FD RX-7 running a color-matched 99-spec OEM JDM front lip and Work Emotion wheels…

13B Rotary still sitting inside Chris’ engine bay with a GReddy V-mounted intercooler kit…

When was the last time you encountered a really clean 3000GT build, especially one with some PitRoad M inspiration?…

This NSX from San Diego is constantly going through different transformations. At one point it was a lighter blue, than a pink metallic, and now it is a much cleaner, more subdued dark blue hue…

G50 Q45 drift car in metallic purple flake sitting on SSR Formula Mesh wheels powered by a Toyota 2.5L 1JZ-GTE engine swap…

AT Wonder Civic from Revstar Garage sitting on a set of rare Volk 4/5 wheels…

EF hatchback slammed on SSR Takechi Project Racing Hart Spinner Fin wheels…

Thank you for always reppin’ The Chronicles, even though this particular decal is extremely rare and unavailable anymore…

Beautiful EF8-inspired CR-X from Revstar Garage on Mugen NR10 wheels…

Ho Dao’s DA Integra running a rarely-seen Kaminari front bumper and custom Mugen MR-5 wheels…

I’m still very much on the fence about the whole idea of having a DC-chassis Integra on display at the Japanese Classic Car Show. I guess that’s why they put it….by the fence…lol. Stupid, anyways, yeah, it’s weird seeing a 98-01 Integra at JCCS…

I honestly still feel a little odd about seeing a DA at JCCS but given it’s age and production date, it’s not too far off. This one looked good on 16-inch Desmond Regamaster EVO wheels…

The guys from Milestone Collective seem to pop-up everywhere and are representing 90’s Hondas quite well in 2018. Above is Anthony Keuth’s DA running a Mugen rear wing and Mugen M7 wheels…

Shawn from Milestone Collective’s DA on Dunlop Formula Hart wheels, with a Wings West front lip, and custom Hiro rear wing…

Ollie’s red DB2 Integra GS-R with a color-matched JDP front lip and classic Racing Hart Tracers…

Again, I feel really weird seeing DC Integras at JCCS but I really don’t mind seeing Alex Alfaro’s Integra Type R anywhere so I stopped to give it a thorough look-through. It is definitely one of the best fully Mugen-themed ITRs around currently and the ride height and tire combo just helps the car sit perfectly…

Mugen FG360 sitting in the white-hot sun… mildly cringe-worthy for those Mugen collectors trying to keep everything in like-new condition. Knowing Alex he probably has like four of these, which is the equivalent to how much money I wasted on college tuition…

Love love love the Mugen front lip for the bug-eye face…

I was finally able to get a clean shot of the rear of Alex’s ITR, featuring the ever-rare Crowhouse rear bumper…

Red DA Integra rocking an OEM optional lip kit and rare Hokuto Racing Thunder RS-05 wheels which I believe were produced by Enkei back in the day…

Ernie Uy and his first generation Integra are mainstays at the JCCS show annually. Ernie is also one of those guys that I look forward to seeing every year when I visit the show. He’s an older enthusiast who has been a part of this community for decades. I believe he has had this Integra since it was brand new. He’s always got something insightful to say and some old man knowledge to pass along to me. I appreciate that…

There is still a lot more to come, particularly Nissans, Datsuns, and other really cool cars, especially the ones from Wild Cards car crew, but I’ll save that for Part 2. For now, I leave you with a parting photo of this Japan-imported Honda Life Step Van. I think the last time I saw one of these was at the Honda Collection Hall in Japan. How cool is it that it’s just chillin on the grass in Long Beach, California? Haha. Anyways, come back for the rest of the photos in Part 2, thanks for looking!…