Motoring J-Style brings JDM flavor to Vallejo, CA
by Damon Lavrinc on May 26th 2008 at 1:25PM 
Click above for a high-res gallery from the Motoring J-Style show.
Memorial Day is the traditional kick off of the car show season, and despite some cloudy skies and a few scattered showers, the Motoring J-Style crew returned to Vallejo, California to provide JDM obsessives a venue to show off their wares.
In addition to the obligatory drifting exhibition, the show played host to all manner of Japanese iron, spanning the spectrum from a late '60s, right-hand-drive Toyota Crown to several examples of impeccably equipped late-model Mazdas. The show was broken up into separate sections for Nissan and Toyota, along with a BRE booth, a pseudo-concours event and enough F20C-powered Celicas to have us considering another addition to our Project Garage.
Some of our favorites included Adam Carolla's race-prepped Datsun Roadster, an impeccably restored Mazda RX2, an all carbon fiber Honda hatch, a Toyota Corona with a Lexus SC430 V8 swap and a 1971 Datsun 510 wagon motivated by a 7M-GTE Toyota Supra engine, with a Ford rear end and Corvette C5 front rotors clamped by Dodge Viper calipers. Not to mention that we watched Speedhunters' main man Antonio Alvendia take a spill from the back of a hopped-up golf cart. He survived unscathed and being the consummate professional, he never let his camera hit the ground.
Our boy Brad happily snapped away and we've assembled a massive gallery to keep you occupied between beer runs and barbeque.
Gallery: Motoring J-Style - Vallejo, CA 2008
Photos Copyright ©2008 Brad Wood / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Juan 2:13PM (5/26/2008)
Great pictures guys, thanks! Love all the unusual combos in the cars.
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chiefy 707 2:29PM (5/26/2008)
I was there this year and last. In some ways last years show was better but somehow the R35 GTR and the 5Axis cars on display this year still made it worthwhile. I actually won some swag too and I never win swag. The weather sucked this year compared to last but here's to hoping this show only gets bigger and better.
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Torrent 11:36PM (5/26/2008)
I really should have gone. I'm like an hour away from Vallejo. So they have this every year? Weird. I've never heard of it.
Franz 2:31PM (5/26/2008)
Some pretty cool vintage JDM iron in attendance. That F20 powered Celica is pretty sick, and I love the 510s as well.
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colyevo 2:31PM (5/26/2008)
wow, does anybody know how many TME evo's there are in the states? i'm from ireland and am an owner of one but i never taut i would see one on american registration plates.
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Damon Lavrinc 2:33PM (5/26/2008)
That's the only one. It's one of five left-hand-drive TMEs in the world. That one was imported into the States back in 1999 (if I recall correctly) and is the only one I've ever seen in the U.S. It's a staple of Northern California car shows.
colyevo 2:43PM (5/26/2008)
cool, it must have been 99/00 because thats the year of the TME. i wasnt aware of there being any left hand drives one made, cheers for the info.
josh 3:02PM (5/26/2008)
I saw a red one at casting for Fast and Furious 2 in Miami...
I guess that's 2 in the US hehe, here are the pics:
http://mycanes.miami.edu/~jjuroch/evo/IMG_0636.JPG
http://mycanes.miami.edu/~jjuroch/evo/IMG_0637.JPG
Ilya 4:05PM (5/26/2008)
I'm also sure that there is a black RHD TME in the US, you can find it on the EvoM boards.
hoosker_doo 6:13PM (5/26/2008)
@ josh
It wouldn't be impossible to take a US spec Mitsu Mirage 4dr and convert it to a TME Evo. It would probably cost quite a bit but it wouldn't be impossible. Not saying you're wrong, just saying that it's possible.
coly 3:09PM (5/26/2008)
either way 2 isnt very man for such a large country, in ireland id would say we have around 20-25 of them which still isnt a large amount. brilliant car.
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Stuka 3:50PM (5/26/2008)
Wish I could have been there. I *LOVE* the Mk1/Mk2 Celica's. And the Mk1 Celica-Supras.
Awesome picts!
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cahal00 9:11PM (5/26/2008)
What are the cars in pics 56-58?
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Damon Lavrinc 9:16PM (5/26/2008)
1st-gen Toyota Celicas (1970-1977)
PJ 9:25PM (5/26/2008)
Funny... I think the red 240Z in pic #36 passed me last Friday on Treat Blvd in Walnut Creek, merging on 680N towards Vallejo.
Tasteful vintage mods FTW!
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Harrison 10:28PM (5/26/2008)
Someday, I shall enter one of these shows with a panda AE86 with a 2JZGTE!
(evil laughter)
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EvolutionVII 12:57AM (5/27/2008)
Any1 notice the cardboard girl on the passenger seat in the AE86?
I'd hit it ^^
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StickShift 10:10AM (5/27/2008)
Another reason to move to California...did I need another? Do they do this kind of thing on the east coast at all?
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Kotse 3:01PM (5/27/2008)
Hah! In my old country, trick retro Nippon Irons a dime a dozen...Toyopets, Coronas, Mk I TRD Celicas, SR5 Corollas, 240Z Fairladies, etc abound...my bro back home still owns one Mitsu Galant (same on one closeup pic in yellow)w/ Brit Minilite rims....gotta love em old skool J-Rides!
Seeing the above J-Ride "looks"...I'd bet quite a few transplants from my old country are owners of these awesome cars up there in Vallejo...
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Gerald 11:22PM (5/27/2008)
I really love old Japanese cars. A shame the US didn't get more of them.
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