As most of us tend to stay in our circles amongst the scene, a lot of cars never really come out of hiding for us to be exposed to here at Juicebox. This little B series is stunning.
Being away for a few years I really didn’t know what top expect at Japfest this year, if you were following the nonsense on the Instagram story, we went a little over board but it was with no regrets. Japfest an end of year calendar for most of the stuff we are into and most of the cars either come off of the road or go into hibernation for the winter.
Isn’t it nice to be able to stand back and admire an inanimate chunk of metal? It has always fascinated me how these pressed pieces of metal can evoke certain emotions in us.
This car… This car just like so many machines in the height of the good times somehow made its way onto our little green Island. Its something we discuss a lot here on Juicebox because it really is such a fascinating piece of Irish automotive History.
A lot of people made it down regardless of situations that sprang up which either on the day or close to it. Somehow the weather was on our sides which enticed people to make the journey down. I genuinely would not have held the event if there was a monsoon of Irish rain.
Where to begin really? This whole thing started as an idea few weeks back, well a concrete idea that is. This plan literally fell into place in less than ten days.
What I enjoy most about this event is how varied the selection is, not narrowed down to only drift enthusiasts or classic car its a perfect cocktail of car people right across the board and anything, literally anything can make an appearance. Check this KP pickup for example, something I have never seen before. A crazy idea!
It absolutely astounds me just how much of a following there is for Toyota here in Ireland, go anywhere, literally anywhere, in a city or especially in the country side and smaller town and the Toyota has ruled the roads for over 30 years. What better way to greater awareness for Suicide in Ireland amongst car enthusiasts than with an event like this. Held this year in the Cork marts in Fermoy the show really dragged some gems out of the woodwork.
I honestly feel bad for the AE111 Levin, it had a lot to live up to following the AE86 legacy along with its two older bothers the 101 and the 92. None of them were rear wheel drive but all possessed fresher better engineered hearts than the original Eighty Six.
It’s no secret that we here at Juicebox have a serious love affair with the AE86. There is just something about these cars, the spirit, the reward, and the simplicity, all embodied in a very genuine very simple, honest little chassis.
Intended for nothing more than commuting, the “boxy” starlet as its known here in Ireland was a cheap and cheerful run around from Toyota. Up until a few years ago, these were actually quite a common sight Irish roads, putting up a tough fight with newer cars until the scrappage scheme and insurance companies started to clamp down on the resilient old starlet.
The roads are empty; the average folk are sound asleep. Between the valleys of a Celtic tiger vision, the grumbling sound of a 1jz resonates against the dew-covered embankments.