A Car Show, An Old Friend and the Itch to Mod My 370Z

I went to the Driven Car Show at Sherway Gardens in Toronto this past weekend with my brother.

And unexpectedly ran into a university friend I hadn't seen in a while — someone who used to be deep into JDM cars just like us.

The three of us spent 5 to 10 minutes just catching up — what he's been up to with cars, what we've been into on our end. It was a quick but warm conversation, with that particular kind of nostalgia that only surfaces when you're standing in a parking lot full of modified cars with someone who used to do the same thing you did. Then he went on his way with his friends, and my brother and I kept moving through the show.

Later, we found ourselves stopped in front of a DC2 Integra Type R and an EK9 Civic Type R — both imported from Japan and right-hand drive. We lingered there because the DC2 Integra Type R holds a special place in JDM history. It was available in Canada as a left-hand drive version and became one of the most iconic cars of its era — most have probably been rusted out or out of commission by now in Canada.

Then our university friend appeared again with his group, and we all fell right back into conversation. What cars are you driving? Which shop do you go to? Where do you meet up for drives? It was one of those conversations that feels effortless because everyone in it speaks the same language. By the end we all agreed — we need to meet up again soon, but next time with our own cars.

That's what's genuinely great about car culture. There's almost never any judgement. People at car shows want to talk about their cars — someone with a built S2000 talked to us about building a 9-second quarter mile monster. I could see different generations of enthusiasts there too — younger guys discovering JDM for the first time alongside people who've been in the scene for decades.

And car culture is clearly making a comeback. Sung Kang is coming to Canada for a show this summer — which I wrote about here — and my Instagram has been surfacing a couple more Toronto car events coming up in the warmer months.

Damn. I am now seriously itching to mod my 370Z.

I was up last night googling body kits for it while watching Spurs vs OKC Game 7. 😂

No regrets.