EVENTS: The Bayline Gathering, Part 02

In Part 01 of our Bayline Gathering coverage we gazed upon the show’s centerpieces, a collection of rare vintage Nissan Skylines that had journeyed across the Pacific to be revered by a new generation of enthusiasts. But with nearly 200 cars present the show offered plenty of rare machines that were sold new right here on American shores. Case in point: a T130 Toyota Corona Wagon.

The Datsun 710 was not hugely beloved in the US, but that’s only because its exploits as the Nissan Violet in chassis-bending rally races across Australia and Africa were largely unknown in America. Sometimes we Yanks can have blinders on when it comes to international motorsports.

With a dangling tsurikawa and bent-up license plate, this one looks like like the owner has intentions of transforming it into a zokusha sled. Is that a good idea or not for this gem? Sound off in the comments.

Whether the A40 Celica is simply rare or unloved is still up for debate. Coupe versions were actually quite popular among SoCal’s nikkei street racers back in the 80s but we have yet to see a resurgence in this model at shows like Toyotafest.

This early Datsun 240Z is a prime candidate for the Brown Car Appreication Society. Just look at those lustrous expanses of chestnut Nihon steel. This one, massaged by Bay Area tuners Performance Options also happens to exude a strong USDM flavor, what with the presence of side markers, inlets on the front air dam, and Superlite (Rota?) wheels. It’d look right at home blasting down the 101.

Contrast the brown beauty with this Fairlady Z, which emits a powerful JDM vibe. It bears no side markers, a solid front air dam, and Volk TE37V (or Rota copies) wheels that are all the rage with nostalgic tuners in Japan right now. Plus, it’s got fender mirrors and it’s a gleaming shade of off-white. Wangan, here we come!

Mitsubishi‘s answer to the Z? Starion! Does this look like a scene out of Tokyo or what? Concrete waterfront, massive gray bay, testaments to civil engineering spanning the waves, and an origami angled turbocharged sport coupe. Bonus points for rocking a flatty.

Seeing this X60 Cressida loaded with stock barrels has spawned a Trend Prediction: wagon hipsters showing off their wheel collections in their trunks and not on their rides. Is this happening yet? We don’t know; we’re not hipsters.

In the history of autodom there have only been a handful of cars that manage to look totally bad ass despite being, at their root, just a small three-box sedan. The Datsun 510 is one of them. There’s not one extraneous piece of design on the entire car It’s got windows, doors and lights, yet looks completely awesome as a whole.

Toyota‘s answer to the 510 was the E70 Corolla. And because it’s basically got all AE86 running gear aside from the engine it, like the 510, is easy to turn into a killer vintage racer. Perhaps someday we’ll host a JNC 510 vs E70 Battle Royale race series to crown the true king of three-box compacts. E30 BMW 3-series also welcome.

This is the difference between Los Angeles and San Francisco. SoCal Datsun Fairlady Roadster drivers bundle up so their skin doesn’t fry under the searing sun; NorCal ones bundle up just to stay warm.

There’s more from the Bayline Gathering in the gallery below and in future installments so stay tuned, and in case you missed it, here’s Part 01.

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11 Responses to EVENTS: The Bayline Gathering, Part 02

  1. mikeyee says:

    never say never!

    mr. hrenko from heartbreakers strikes again!

  2. Brian says:

    Love the backdrop to this meet :).

    I believe the two rims on the Z’s are Rotas? Rota RB in 16 or 17×8 +4 for the brown one, and the Rota Grid Classics in what looks like 15×8 for that beautiful white Z.

    • jivecom says:

      I don’t see that little R logo Rotas usually have on either of them, and anyway Rotas are cheap copies of other wheels, so if you’re right then he’s almost right too. Ihe fact that they aren’t broken or peeling makes me think they might be genuine, but there’s not enough evidence for either side here

    • Ben says:

      Foiled again! Rotaaaaaaa! /shakes fist in air.

      • john says:

        FWIW, The brown Z is rocking the huge by wide Rota RB-R. Deeper lips and slightly different spoke design than the regular RB.

  3. Dominic says:

    I’m super psyched to see my car on the JNC site, thanks for the awesome photo. The wheels are Rota Grid Vs, maybe one day I can afford a set of real deal TE37Vs. That brown Z had an RB25DET, it was very well done.

  4. Thomas says:

    Any photos of the orange Celica next to the brown Z?

  5. Nigel says:

    Yes a lowered 710 with wide 13’s and a chin spoiler is a good idea.
    Like that white Corolla also.

  6. 510Finn says:

    I’m happy to see my KA24E-T powered 4 door 510 with the Longchamp wheels I got from Koji (the same Koji who is responsible for organizing JCCS).

  7. Kyusha Kai says:

    Haha, I have been planning on loading up all the wheels I want to sell in the back on my wagon when/if I ever get her ready for an event.

    Hella hipster!

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