Stories: Lurking Vancouver PT2
So Ive been in the city just over a year and a half, and in Canada Just about two years. If you ever get a chance to make it out here, I highly recommend checking out the sea to sky highway. Sometimes its a little over whelming just how jaw dropping the scenery is around Vancouver and British Columbia.
I have said it on numerous occasions, but you really never know what to expect in this city. Walking down an alleyway I was greeted with this incredible machine, in for work at the Lamborghini Garage. This hands down is the coolest Lamborghini I have seen in a very long time. The fact it was a stripped out purpose built race machine, got me stupidly excited. I was staring at it for hours like a little child, very fortunate to have the camera with me at that moment.
On a random trip one day I accidentally bumped into a Liberty Walk Creation, you really never know what to expect here, its a little surreal. The amount of money here allows for such creations, but being completely out of the car loop here its hard to really know whats hiding in the city, which can make for interesting surprises when you least expect it.
I often find myself talking to randomers about cars that just stop me in my tracks. This Datsun 710 wagon was pristine, the owner had received it from his Dad who had it from new apparently. In a city obsessed with the latest and greatest, its always a real treat to see stuff like this. 
A unicorn car back in Ireland, I’ve come across quite a few of this in the Pacific Northwest, seems to be a popular place for the M3.
Ive almost grown numb to seeing the GT86. This particular one was very nicely done, loaded with an array of Cusco goodies and a TRD kit, it was just a solid build, you dont come across too many well put together ones in the city.
Always a treat to come across a BNR32, check the fitted side lights! I guess this has / had to be done for law.
The owner caught me shooting pics of this, which reinforced how pathetic I am. I couldnt get enough of this little beast! He was sort of confused my the over enthusiastic situation I sprung on him.
Walking through the area where I live, again you never know whats around the corner. Ive always had a huge love for older Trucks and this would be a fine example of why you should too. Maybe someday….
This appeared on my street one day heading for work, such a cool car, Toyota Decals on a USDM spec GT-S, big fan of the fact it remained North American spec.
Everytime I see one in the wild it gets me more excited than id like to admit. Sometimes you just have to laugh. Personally because I come from a country where people would murder each other to have one of these, the owner drives this bad boy around Whistler village completely oblivious as to what this car really is. Incredible.
Sick of seeing these? Ok I promise this is the last one. Again, if a car spends its entire life in Vancouver, there is a good chance it will remain immaculate as the city is inland, blocked from the real ocean, with no salt breeze. Infact there never really is any sort of wind or breeze in the city. Its like some kind of bubble. A bubble which preserves trusty oul Corollas like this.
And every now and again you find a real gem like this. Original un faded paint, and some old woman cruising away, probably garaged and dry stored its entire life. I honestly could not get over how immaculate this s13 was, not a single scratch or dent it looked like something in Gran Turismo. Maybe i’m a sad sad pathetic human who gets overly excited about generic econobox machines from the past but whatever, cant be too many places left in our world with stuff like this rolling he streets, Van is like a little bubble of preservation.
So I got wind of a “Hot Imports Night” show that was happening and decided to make the trip out to have another lurk at what might be hiding around the city and surrounding area. Yes I know its not really a true representation of what may be hiding here but it was something.
The stuff isnt always on show, especially in the area I live in with much of the car scene being out in the other suburbs. The stuff on show in fairness was nice on the eyes. There is a few RWB creations floating around the Vancouver greater area now…
Im on the fence about bagging a GTR, it was cool to see such a mental car like this, especially something so high end done to this degree, but Handicapping a machine like this with bags, I dunno…
Same with this, an incredible display of execution and effort, and something that looks like it belongs in a video game, but its a GTR. Im sure many people out there will probably disagree with me but thats perfectly fine. There is room for everyone to do whatever they please with their creations and to each his own. But it does make me a little sad.
I literally felt like I was walking around a showroom inside a Video Game. All the nonsense stuff you do in the game, right here infront of me… Absolutely mental.
I took the photo, and while taking it the car didn’t even seem like it was real. Its so un – relatable and insane I wanted to touch it just incase it was a video game. Even looking back over the pic now and uploading it here, it looks totally photoshopped, like a kids poster on a wall.
The show was a mixed bag, right across from a dribble of Liberty Walk and an RWB car was this type of monstrosity.
At the other side of the show was a bunch of cool stuff like this K swapped Miata, I bet this is heaps of fun to drive.
I wish I made it out to more Drag racing events while I was here. Im sure this is pretty quick quick… it has that look about it no?
Because Canada has so many 240sx’s, seeing a genuine RHD s13 is always a surprise.
Bippu game is strong, good to see some well executed examples. 
There was a naked shot of this in PT1, I quite liked the more naked approach.
Delightful Blingy Honda engine bays.
There is some seriously solid Honda builds hiding around the lower mainland, I would have liked to uncover it a little more. Its a whole other puzzle I didnt have time to crack.
What can I say? This is exactly how I’d build a Y56 DC2, lots of work put into this, the front end conversion. Such a good car.
Always wanted to see one of these transplants up close. It would be interesting to take a spin in this and see how it would feel. This just wouldnt make sense outside of North America…
No real words for this except “Lovely”
Another bonkers build.Ce28’s and an essay worth of parts…
“Murica”
The show was a little strange, sort of a mixed bag of whatever.
Things started to go downhill from here. There was a revving competition, where everyone cheered for the loudest “Rev” This somehow was the highlight of the entire event.
It was almost uncomfortable listening to the announcer cheering on the “loudest car” It seemed completely pointless so I continued snapping other stuff missing out on the action.
Not often you see these given any real love. A cage, stripped out and some fat Meisters.
Goodvibes… Stunning RHD Kouki tailed RPS13, gleaming!
This was super awesome, removed side lights, JDM bumpers, skirts and other bits, and a 20valve. Cool.
Surprised there wasn’t more stanced Honads like this around being that the EM coupes are everywhere.
Seen these around a few times, super cool.
The 15 year limitation has been lifted so Id expect to see a boat load more of these heading for Canada over the coming years.
White on white with some meaty Regas, cool combo. Shame the picture is blown out to shit!
THIS! Everything about this. Possibly my favourite car at the event.
North America has such an insane amount of Hyper built Impreza’s. This looked fully built from the outside, stripped with a cage. Such a new car too, this cant be a cheap project. Many a human must be deep in over their heads with modern builds like this.
Another flawless, timeless combo dressed in Mugen. Loved everything about this car.
I wasn’t lying about the amount of good AP1/2s I have seen.. Any I have come across have been done to perfection. Definitely a big fan of the circuit inspired look, suits these cars more than anything else..
More Rocket Bunny kitted goodness. There is quite a few of these around the city. Looks great though, The world is doing its best to ensure this look will be played to death but it might just end up in the same category as the TE37, nice to look at always, maybe?
The Revving got even more hectic, with huge applauds, I know so many people who would love to be there for this in the scaldiest of vehicles. It all seemed very sham and didnt make sense for the setting, something you would walk away from back in Ireland, or at least try and laugh at.
With everything being so proper at the show, it was a treat to see these machines. I almost miss the fact that this type of stuff will be completely a thing of the past soon.
Check those 15 lights! I kind of wish because the show was called Hot Import Nights that it was going to be wall to wall of this type of stuff with Neons and a massive scene out of race wars. It was almost more entertaining when people flushed everything and put screens in the head rests.
Maybe just because almost everything was so perfectly done at the show I craved a little more rice and Fast and the Furious, or more of that Midnight club for the play station vibe from these North American car shows. Those days appear to be well and truly gone.
Maybe im looking in all the wrong places, or maybe im just loosing it.
This is the evolution of what that gold Integra and blue Civic one laid out. Rice and modification on an insane scale, I never thought id see the day where even Ferraris could be pushed into the bagged and modified section alone with a sea of Hondas and whatever else, but I guess just as it says on the rear spoiler #WHATSNEXT bro?
Fuck Who knows really?
Vancouver is just one of those places, where a seventeen year old can pull up in a Maclaren and take interest in the ropey EP82 you rolled up in. A place where situations like this co Exist. Being some random Irish guy I always find these scenarios amusing, it almost mirrors many situations back home.
One thing to note about this place. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, or what you drive, Everyone loves a good late night drive and few Donuts. Excuse the Pun…..
No matter where in the world, there is a universal language to drive around at night and get some nonsense food and talk shit about cars, its been rad to find some cool people here to hang with, and basically i kept laughing at really, how much this would mirror the kind of situations that would take place back home for many of us.
Canada has constantly surprised me especially Vancouver. Ive said it numerous times in the article and ill say it once more, You really never know what to expect over here, literally anything could be parked around the corner.
Ill say it a million times though, in the journey over here, it constantly had me saying to myself just how much of a good situation Ireland has in the world of modified cars. We have such a serious amount of metal for such a small country and we really give ourselves a hard time and focus more so on the misery for enjoyment too often.
If you take a look around, the grass is not always greener and on the mission I was constantly showing people cool stuff from our little green Isle. Many of them were all to excited and jealous of what we have. Canada has been an amazing little adventure but it most certainly helped me to appreciate everything I have come across in Ireland over the last fifteen years, we’ve had such a run, I can count all the other countries in the world on the same hand that have shared a similar type of car culture…
Ive been fortunate enough to bump into some interesting characters here and im looking forward to sharing it in part three. A place to call my second home.
Updates will become a lot more regular now that I have made my way back to Ireland. Thanks for enjoying this article and check back or part three coming real soon.
Watch this space…