Last year a fantastic new show called the Bayline Gathering emerged on the NorCal scene. It brought out some of the best cars the region had to offer and filled a void that desperately needed filling. Last month, the organizers were back with another event called Shokuji J-Tin.
In Japanese, shokuji means “to have a meal together,” hence the awesome Ed Roth-style octopus driving a hakosuka design on their T-shirts. If you missed out on the shirts, they’ve made more and are available here.
The group behind both events is the HJCG, and one of our favorite parts of this show is the location at the San Leandro Marina, which gorgeously overlooks the the San Francisco Bay. If you can find a location more reminiscent of Tokyo Bay, let us know.
That’s why for our first installment of Shokuji J-Tin coverage, we’re turning an eye towards the JDM and techno-sled look that you’d see along the infamous Bayshore Route along Tokyo Bay. Oppa Wangan Style!
It’s hard to get more Wangan Style than with an angular, turbocharged GT from the Bubble Economy. We loved Art Lingad‘s Z31 300ZX last year and it returned to wow us again. Louvers, T-tops and a turbo scoop. You can’t get more 80s than that!
One of the standouts at this show was this MX73 Cressida. Not only was it an extremely clean base, but a rare combination of both restraint and bosozoku style.
The hako-type wing is an increasingly popular accessory for shakotan Cressys, and the red stripe is what’s known as a “Day Two” modification. You get your boso ride on Day One; add a diagonal line on Day Two.
We what we love most is that it’s a rolling tribute to Hoshino Impul wheel, complete with star logo on the fender. Now that’s taking vintage barrel admiration to a whole new level.
If you prefer your Cressidas stock, feast your eyes on this bone-stock champagne X60. Can you not envision this sweet ride gliding down the Shuto in 1984 with a proud new owner behind the wheel? It was probably purchased from some Bay Area senior who has no idea that her ride is a favorite amongst Japanese car gangs.
Not all Wangan cruisers had to be long-wheelbase sixes. A first-gen Honda CRX with a Houseman widebody kit would be just at home blasting through the concrete jungles of seaside Tokyo.
The Toyota MR2 is another iconic 80s wedge, and red Rebel Alliance center caps on gunmetal RS-Watanabes are the perfect match to its crimson paint and black canopy trim.
Takumi Fujiwara in da house. You can almost see him standing by the water, gazing into the horizon as the dramatic music swells.
Although the height of Wangan street racing coincided with the rise of the Bubble Economy, plenty of pre-80s cars look right at home on the waterfront too. Ed Dizon‘s 2T-G Celica would have been the hot ticket back in ’71.
Enkei Turbo Mesh are not the first wheel that comes to mind when you think of a JDM 510 Bluebird Coupe. Somehow, though Sean Shokouh pulls it off on his daruma rival.
Another Bluebird coupe on Enkeis, this time the classic 92 meshies. We love the slightly yellower off-white color on this example. NorCal’s quickly becoming a rival to, if not surpassing, SoCal in clean 510 builds!
The definitive JDM car these days seems to be the hakosuka Skyline, a white GC10 on Wats is about as Japanese as you can get. Especially when it’s parked between a red-on-black DR30 and gold Savanna RX-7.
The Bay Area is home to Mark Arcenal and the Fatlace brand, so it was natural that he’d make a brief appearance in his Work CR-01 shod kenmeri before making a fashionably early exit.
The Bayline Gathering is probably most famous for bringing Diane “Mary” Krey-Wesley out of retirement and back into the nostalgic limelight. Since we last saw her at JCCS our very own Jason Kusagaya has helped her fulfill her dream of returning to Japan after a 40 year absence. Here she is holding up the newspaper article about her visit.
We’ll have more coverage from this event coming up. Stay tuned!
That black CRX has a Houseman Replica bodykit and no intercooler… Not to be picky. 😉 Sweet cars though.
Arigato, noted!
If you want to be exact the kit is called “Mugen style” street kit, direct replica made from the 1st gen mugen crx
http://www.housemanautosport.com/crx.htm
Looks like an amazing event..
East coast needs more shows like this.
556171
Go go 61 71.
Nice Cressida’s !!
’71 Celica looks sick!
I wonder if Hot Wheels gets their ideas from some of the cars you showcase here.
So, we have one little snippet of info about the red stripe. It’s a “day two” mod, but why red on white? Why the double stripe? Someone has got to know the meaning behind it. There’s a thread here somewhere; I believe the OP is stationwagonguy, if that helps with searching.
BTW, love the shirt.
I still dont understand how these cali people can own modified cars. Are they garage queens that they trailer to these shows?
With roadside emissions testing and nazi-like anti-modification squads patrolling the streets, I would be hesitant even to change the color of the spark plug wires!
Geoff, many people have an unrealistic view of California in that regard. Roadside smog is not common and besides that, 74 and older cars are exempt. Or modification laws otherwise are not as strict as many other states, actually.
75 and older cars are exempt.
I own couple of old cars and I wouldnt want to live anywhere else but SOCAL.
Where else can you drive these beautiful cars 12 months out of the year?
Pretty sure you could drive them year round anywhere in the southern half of the US.
My understanding is that you can get pulled over for suspicion of modification if you have things such as – custom tail lights; lowering kit; aftermarket rims; body kits, etc. Police can demand you to pop the hood to inspect for modification, if you refuse your car will be impounded on the spot. If you agree and you have modification, you will be impounded on the spot.
Is this information incorrect? I lived in Oakland for a while and was shocked the more and more I learned about the rules and regs.
Completely incorrect. The police cannot pull you over for modifications. They can only pull you over for moving violations or safety violations. Now, once they have you pulled over they can cite you for mods, but they can’t pull you over for them unless they are safety hazards. They also can’t search your car or impound it without cause. Of course, they can be dicks and try to intimidate you, but that’s cops everywhere. Know your rights and they can’t do shit.
And to put it in perspective, I haven’t been cited for a car modification in over 10 years and I only drive modified cars. I got a speeding ticket 3 months ago in my wife’s forester, and let me tell ya, that car had a while slew of citeable mods. He just gave me my speeding ticket and sent me on my way. Hell, he even have me some advice on how to fight it and get out of it. Assholes are everywhere you live, they’re a of life .
Geoff
I have lived in Cali for 11 years now moivng from texas before that. I havent had any issues with cops and my modified cars. I guess my take was as long as you dont drive or act like an ass you cant really intice the cops to pull you over and cite you. Once you are pulled over then its pretty much fair game. As long as you arent causing attention to yourself you are good. You actually would be surprised how many chips and various PD are into cars and motorbikes..
I have to admit sometimes im not a fan of living in NorCal but the meets like this and the Bay Area weather make me forget about alot of gripes I have of the state lol.. There isnt anywhere like I have found in the US and being military I have lived alot of places.
Thanks, guys, for all the clarifications! I much prefer to have facts than wifes tales 🙂
From everything I had heard – I was getting scared to even road trip in my FB down there!!! LOL!
And correct – I was aware of the 74 and older law. However that would exclude all except the oldest of these cars – like the datsun 510 and the 240z – (260 and 280 are out as they are 75 and newer). All RX-7s are out. Additionally, even if you do register as a show or track car you still have to pass initial smog. Correct? Incorrect?
The only thing that would keep me sane living in Cali would be the 240.
I would love to take my web-app development skills down and bank in on the Bay Area, but my god its so expensive and nazi like.
This is actually not true. You omitted one critical word. California law, as well as federal law states that it is illegal to remove or modify any emissions control device on any road registered car. Period, full stop. In California, pre-1975 cars receive a smog check exemption (thanks Arnold for killing the rolling 25 year smog check exemption.) The car must retain all of it’s original emissions control devices. You just don’t have to go in for an inspection every 2 years. If you swap a later engine into a smog check exempt vehicle, you need to meet the emissions requirements for the year of the later engine. If you swap an SR20 into a 510, you would need have all the smog stuff from, say an Infinity G20, including OBD2, if it is a post-1995 engine. If you get a BAR ref ticket, you’re in deep doo doo. There’s a reason there are so many SR swapped 510’s on craigslist.
Except that pre 75 cars have no emission control devices, hence the year cutoff. That year was specifically chosen because it is when catalytic convertors became federally required on every vehicle produced. I don’t know how old you are, but I’m old enough to remember when pre 75 cars still needed to be tested, the only thing they ever checked as far as “emissions” equipment was concerned as the heat riser tube from the exhaust manifold to the air cleaner. That’s about the only semblance of an emission device those cars had before cats and air pumps.
Catalytic converters were not themselves federally required after 1975. Hondas did have them until 1979, because the CVCC engine could met the federal emissions standards without one. It was meeting the new emission standards that was required, and most carmakers could only achieve that, especially the unburned hydrocarbons limits, by using a cat.
As for roadside testing in CA, many pre-1975 cars have emission-control devices, though they are primitive things like heat risers, PCV valves, etc. Pre-1976 cars are exempt only from the biennial Smog Check test, not from meeting requirements for equipment and emission levels. An older car is also not exempt from random roadside testing. Just FYI!
Love this type of thing going down stateside
So glad to see that Diane made it back to Japan. Hopefully it will not be her last visit.