Is it too late to post these? Possibly. Should I post them anyway since I spent so much time shooting, editing, and typing up all this content? Possibly. Will I do it even though we are days away from 2023? Yes. So here we go…

I don’t know how many people were waiting on these photos but I apologize if you were expecting these a month ago. November was an incredibly busy month and then December came before I even had a chance to breathe. These photos were all finished and ready to post but I just didn’t have time to sit down and put it all together. They got lost in the shuffle of photos and videos that I was creating from various other events like SEMA. I never forgot about them though. They were always on the list of things to do but I subconsciously just kept pushing this down to the bottom. Truth be told, it wasn’t my favorite Wekfest event of the year. Not so much because of the cars, because I always find cars that I enjoy seeing anywhere I go, I just sort of got turned-off by the attitude of one person in particular. I don’t even remember the guy’s name. He came up to me during the show and we chatted early in the day. He seemed excited to be there, told me his story about his build, and how he was bringing his Civic out for his son. I think he wanted to show his son what his hobby was and make sure it was something he could get into as he got older. I appreciated it. In fact, I love stories like that. Anything personal that adds value to an enthusiast’s build is always something I appreciate hearing. I built The Chronicles on stories worth-telling. I was in the midst of judging the cars at the show that afternoon so we parted ways and I got back to doing my job…

He was competing in the Honda Class which is always a difficult category to judge. It’s incredibly competitive every year and this year, we even had a couple Honda enthusiasts come down from the Tri-State area to compete. To be fair, I think I’m quite seasoned in this environment. I’ve been doing this a very long time. You can ask most people that follow The Chronicles or know my work and they will vouch for me when I say that I know what I am looking at. This is my forte. Anyways, later on in the day, we finish-up with the judging and go over it a couple times to make sure everything is good. We don’t just casually look at cars and hand out awards like it don’t mean shit. I don’t really care about winning or losing at car shows but I understand there are many that do care. I respect that so I take my job seriously. We announce the awards, bid everyone farewell and there is some time after the show where we can relax and chat with people. This person who I referenced earlier approached me and asked me what I thought of his Civic. I thought it was a nice build—it just wasn’t better than the Honda I chose to ultimately win that Class. The more we talked about it, the more it became contentious on his part. He actually started getting angry. It’s hard to get any emotion out of me and maybe that frustrated him more, but we were just at an impasse. We couldn’t agree on why he didn’t win. But I think he failed to understand that his opinion of why his Civic was better than the other one that won mattered very little to me. He wasn’t the one working the entire show and seeing every car in detail. It wasn’t his decision to make. I was nice about it, I said “Okay, well that’s your opinion. If you want to know why you didn’t win, I invite you to go look at the car that won and see for yourself. I’ll even go with you to compare the cars side-by-side”. I don’t think he liked that because he was so dead-set on letting me know he should have won that he didn’t bother to see why he didn’t. And that’s a problem for a lot of car show competitors. If you try to understand what you’re up against, you tend to develop this sense of respect for others and the work they put in—not just your own. There’s this tunnel vision-effect of only wanting to be right all the time. And after every argument he made, he kept saying “I respectfully disagree” but the problem was, he wasn’t being very respectful. He was actually being kind of aggressive about it. Like to the point where other people had to come up and ask if everything was okay because they could tell he was upset…

I just felt kind of ummmm… “bleh” about my experience that day in Florida after that. I wouldn’t say it ruined my weekend or anything, it was still fun and entertaining. It was just unnecessary. I tried to think back and see if I was being an asshole to him for saying we could go put the cars side-by-side. Maybe I was, but it wasn’t my intention. I merely wanted him to step outside of his infatuation with being right and just try to understand perspective. He just kept telling me how long he’d been competing at car shows, how often he won, and how great his build was repeatedly. As if saying it multiple times, louder and louder each time, would make the points valid. I don’t have a problem with understanding. He just didn’t want to hear the explanation at all. In the end, I understand people want to be heard. So I listened. I wanted to tell him that I had also been doing this a very long time, that I understand what I’m looking at, and I know where he was coming from. But…what the fuck is the point. We just didn’t agree. And that’s okay. But like, can we disagree without the anger and tone?…

So yes, these photos kind of got lost in the mix, and I apologize if you were waiting. I also took photos of his car but he was being an asshole and I can be petty so I chose not to post them in this set, lol. Florida is a wild place. Like the weather there, the people can also be unpredictable. Sometimes it’s nice and chill, but out of nowhere, a shitstorm comes. That’s my story for the day. Everyone else was amazing I swear, don’t let one guy ruin it for the rest. I really appreciate the enthusiasts down there who have been a part of the Wekfest experience since it started. It’s nice to see them grow and see their cars evolve. I think people believe that we go down there just to fuck around in Miami or something. Like the car show is a byproduct of the Florida experience. Trust me when I tell you there ain’t shit to do down there unless you want to get drunk and party. Or eat a lot. I’m just there for the cars and the people. That’s the end of my unexpectedly juicy story. Enjoy the photos. And again, sorry that they’re late…

Hopefully some day I’ll see some of your faces again because I’m not sure if we’ll be back in Florida in 2023…

RMC Miami has many rare imported tuning car builds in their inventory. They’ve become one of the more well-known importers down in Florida for owning some of the most legendary builds from various tuning shops throughout Japan. For Wekfest this year, they decided to bring out one of the original BNR33 Skyline GTR builds from Osaka’s famed Signal Auto…

Nax Whitmore is a staple down in the Florida automotive scene and regularly attends events out there in his full Junction Produce Y32 CIMA…

One of the other cars that RMC presented us with was this original RUF 993TT THR conversion…

RMC says that this is actually only 1 of 2 to have the GT2 conversion done by Ishida Engineering, once the main RUF distributor and specialist in Japan. The 993TT has also been converted to 2WD, has an ATS LSD, a 997 GT3 big brake upgrade, Aragosta suspension, and re-geared 6-speed manual gearbox…

If that wasn’t enough, the RUF also has real 993 RSR magnesium BBS E88 wheels…

Paulie’s EM1 Civic SI coupe and John’s purple FD2R-converted Civic sedan…

Salem watching this Civic get unloaded off of a trailer…

The boys from SSB and others from the Tri-State area made the long trek down to Florida for some warm weather and Wekfest…

Nick brought both his turbocharged Civic coupe and this clean white DC2 Type R on Spoon Sports wheels…

Ping had one of the best-looking builds of that weekend with his 1999 Nissan S15 Silvia Spec-R running complete Vertex Lange aero, D-Max wing, Ganador mirrors, and 18-inch Nismo LMGT4 Omori Edition wheels…

We rarely ever encounter first generation Volkswagen Jettas customized at our Wekfest events so it was nice to see this custom-painted bright green coupe on what looks to be SSR EX-C Fin wheels…

Andy McFly’s imported FD3S RX-7 running RE Amemiya aero, Ganador mirrors, and silver Advan Racing RG-D wheels…

I’m torn when I see builds like this. At a glance I can already tell there is a lot of really good parts on this S2000. I’ve seen photos of it online too so I’m quite familiar with it… I just don’t think the carbon fiber look works anymore. It almost takes away from the car. The fascination of carbon is not lost one me, I get it, but it completely disrupts the flow of the car, especially since the carbon panels don’t match. Some of the weave is going one direction, some of it is a different fiber pattern altogether, and the J’s Racing style half-lip leaves the other half of the bumper its factory color. I just feel like the car would be so much better all one-color, because the rest of the car is so well thought-out and put together. I don’t have a photo of the engine bay but I remember seeing it and it’s very impressive. It’s 2022 and carbon fiber is so commonplace now that it just isn’t a rare commodity on a build anymore. It’d be better served as an accent piece as it was intended for and not so much the core styling choice of a custom car build…

Tony from JETPerformance USA’s Kraftwerks supercharged AP2 S2000 running a Voltex front bumper, Voltex over-fenders, J’s Racing sideskirts, Volk Racing ZE40 wheels and much more…

Roy Persaud’s Berlina Black AP2 S2000 wearing a CR front lip, OE side skirt extensions, carbon fiber side skirt add-ons, and a set of Desmond Regamaster EVO II…

The clear taillights, the original Mugen M7 wheels in these specs, the Mugen wing and JDP rear diffuser are all such a good look. The carbon front half just makes the S2000 look incomplete…

I found myself taking many photos of it because I find the build compelling. It’s very complete inside and out. I’m not really trying to hate on this S2000, though any type of criticism these days would be considered ‘hate’. I’m just not into the mismatched carbon fiber…

Jonathan Grace’s E92 M3 coupe has that Japanese-twist on it running a rarely-seen Powerhouse Amuse Ericcson front bumper, Assist Kyoto Laptorr side skirts, and white Desmond Regamaster EVO wheels…

Kyle Murphy’s Laguna Seca Blue-painted Kouki S14 240SX with JDM Silvia front bumper, rear bumper, GReddy Gracer front lip, Autech grille, OEM Kouki S14 sides, Chargespeed front wide fenders, Craftsquare carbon fiber mirrors, and staggered 18-inch Work Equip 01 wheels…

With all the Japanese-imported body parts on the 240SX, you’d think Murphy would have gone with the expected SR20DET swap but he opted instead to fully-build the factory KA24 engine and turbocharged it using a Ground Zero equal length manifold mated to a Garrett GT3582R turbocharger…

John Diep’s FA5 was one of the standout builds for me at Wekfest Florida. The custom purple exterior is a different approach than most, the FD2 conversion looks solid, and the bronze Mugen MF10 wheels flow well as a contrast touch, especially with the anodized blue caps to match the Spoon Sports brakes. You can tell he has a good eye for details as the blue translates into the interior with the Cusco cage and safety harnesses. The chosen color is used for contrast but not overdone…

The best part about the Diep’s Civic build is the engine bay, an area that isn’t often addressed with 8th generation Civic enthusiasts. Inside is a K24 swap where the blue accent carries over to the valve cover….

The bay has been minimalized to give all the attention to the four trumpets up front, attached to Kinsler individual throttle bodies…

Nicholas Lorimar’s creamy white Japanese Honda Integra DC4 running a Spoon Sports carbon fiber front lip, 16-inch Volk Racing CE28N wheels, and front Spoon Sports brakes…

The engine bay has been shaved smooth and re-worked to host a Precision turbocharged K-series swap utilizing a Gato turbo manifold and intake manifold…

A couple more of Andy’s RE Amemiya RX-7 on display at the Modfind booth…

Glad to see a 13B engine still inside this imported Efini RX-7. Nice V-mounted GReddy intercooler set-up and Borg Warner 8374 turbo upgrade underneath as well…

Orange S2000 from FlyyAir Suspensions planted to the ground on polished Volk TE37. Notice the EDM headlight washer jets on the front bumper…

Super mint JDM EG9 Civic Ferio sedan on 15-inch Volk TE37…

FK8 Civic Type R with a Mugen lip kit equipped with air suspension tucking tires wrapped around some 18-inch Volk CE28 wheels…

The RUF 993 Twin Turbo with GT2 conversion from RMC Miami once again…

This Toyota Soarer 4.0 GT Limited on BBS LM wheels was also a part of the RMC Miami line-up wearing an old school Wisesquare front lip…

It was kind of hard to see what all was going on underneath the hood of the Soarer but it looks to be a full TODA Racing 1UZ-FE GT engine set-up with their iconic individual throttle body/Sports Injection kit inside—which, if that is what it actually is, would be insane…

Bright red TE71 Toyota Corolla wagon on what looks to be old school Enkei Colin Cross Fever wheels…

Powering the Corolla, and looking right at home, is a newer Toyota 1UZ-FE V8 engine swap…

I gotta say, it was really cool to see one of the original Signal Auto R33 Skyline GTRs in real life after visiting Signal Auto in Osaka so many times. Glad to see this car is still intact and chatting with the guys from RMC Miami, it looks like they’re planning to restore this car and bring it back to its former glory…

If you want to learn more about this legendary build, check-out the sale page for it HERE…

Not gonna lie, sometimes when we travel out of state, we encounter some pretty clapped-out R32 Skyline builds, since they’re becoming so readily available now. But sometimes, you run into some really good ones, like this BNR32 GTR running an N1 front bumper paired with what should be an ABFlug carbon front lip…

The RB26DETT set-up within features a host of upgrades from the HKS catalog including the V-CAM System…

I love that the owner put lighting underneath the hood so you can fully see all the goodies inside the bay like the Nismo intake manifold and massive front strut brace…

One more of Jonathan Grace’s E92 BMW M3. Always been a fan of the Amuse Ericsson front bumper but don’t see very many of them. I think this might be the second one I’ve ever seen in-person…

Chef Leo’s Civic hatchback was one of the cleanest, most thorough, builds at this year’s Florida Wekfest event. The Dark Amethyst Pearl paint is super rich, the exterior carefully restored, and runs minimal exterior add-ons other than a Spoon Sport front lip/rear wing. The entire car is reworked to resemble a Japanese EK4 with the full interior and all…

Like the exterior, the engine bay has been thoroughly renewed and resprayed, housing a newer K24 engine swap. Additions included a polished RBC intake manifold, tucked radiator with converted -AN plumbing, custom wrinkle purple valve cover, and more…

One of the craziest builds in attendance that weekend was this RallyBacker widebody Toyota 86/FR-S with 3dCarbon front lip, carbon fiber headlight replacements, and CCW forged wheels…

Gone is the Subaru Boxer engine and powering the widebody ZN6 is a fully-built turbocharged Toyota 1.5JZ stroker swap which is a 1JZ head paired with a 2JZ block…

At 50 PSI of boost, this set-up is good for 1200-horsepower utilizing a Precision 8685 turbocharger, Raw Racing intake manifold, a 12-injector fuel set-up, Haltech coil packs, and I think the car might be set-up for Nitrous induction as well…

If you want to see more and hear this thing run, click HERE…

With the hood closed, you probably would think this was just your run of the mill widebody FR-S until you look at the back of the car and see these custom bead-locked CCW Classic wheels wrapped with 315-wide Mickey Thompson slicks. I found myself going back to look at this build throughout the day because it was just utterly spectacular…

Another favorite of mine was Ping’s Vertex Lange S15, which I showed you guys earlier in the post. It’s just a solid build which has a consistent flow about it inside and out with good parts selection….

The RB25DET swap is executed simply, powered by a Precision 6266 ball-bearing turbo with an ISR Performance intake manifold pulling air into the motor. Though it looks subtle, this set-up is good for about 601 horsepower…

Greg Rydzewski has an FK8 Type R with likely the most thorough collection of Spoon Sports products I’ve ever seen. The outside of the Type R LE is Spoon-everything, from the front bumper, to the mirrors, the SW388 wheels, 3D GT wing and rear bumper…

You can see the Spoon Sports certification badge mounted to the front cowl here along with the Spoon valve cover which has been personally autographed by Tatsuru Ichishima…

Greg also has the Spoon Sports “Big Turbo” upgrade which uses an optimized, more efficient Mitsubishi MHI turbocharger, and further ECU tuning to help the K20C1 make an extra 100 horsepower…

Chris Panchoo’s CL9 TSX with J’s Racing front bumper, J’s Racing hood, and Volk TE37SL…

Raff Rivera from NAR’s Phoenix Yellow Acura Integra Type R running a Special Projects P1 front lip, Mugen Gen. 1 rear wing, Ganador mirrors, and bronze Volk TEs…

Some OEM-plus vibes under the hood featuring a factory B18C5 with Spoon accessories, Koyo radiator, and a custom titanium intake arm…

An endless assortment of Mugen products on Komal Poonai’s Civic Type R…

Kevin’s legit Honda Integra Type R rocking a Mugen front, Mugen sides, Mugen rear wing, Ganador mirrors, Volk TEs, and front Spoon Sports brakes…

Though the DC2R is Mugen-themed on the outside, the engine bay and B18C is mostly Spoon-themed with the exception of a GruppeM intake…

Shyam Sookram has been tinkering with his EG9 Ferio the majority of 2022 but found some time off work to drive his Mugen-equipped Integra Type R down to Florida…

Fred’s EJ Civic coupe has been one of the staple Honda builds that I’ve become used to seeing down in Florida every time I make it down there. It gets better every time I see it and I’m glad he’s stuck with this chassis. I had a good chat with him while I was down there and it’s always a pleasure seeing him…

The best part of his build is the engine bay, which he completely redid on his own, carefully shaving it down and smoothing every panel before respraying it. At the center is a beefy K20 set-up paired with a Precision turbocharger and Skunk2 Ultra intake manifold…

Well, here we are at the end of the Wekfest Florida coverage. This, perhaps, might be the final Florida event ever. I don’t know how the schedule will be for the coming year because it hasn’t been finalized yet but I can’t be sure we’ll return to West Palm Beach again. I had a lot of people asking me during the show if we’ll be back and how much they appreciate us making a presence down there, but I think even they felt the uncertainty of the situation. No matter what the future holds, I’ve had a great time down in Florida. It’s always been entertaining and the people out there are great. I hope we meet again. If not, I’d just like to say thanks to all those who ever came up to pass a long a kind word. You are appreciated. Thanks to all for looking at these photos and reading these words as well. Happy holidays and a happy new year to all!…