Beastcoast's event "The Collective" has been a long running, invite only event hosted in South Boston for years. Since the 'vid, there hasn't been a Collective until a couple weekends ago. The relationship with their previous venue had changed resulting in a new location in Springfield, MA.
Before heading out, I linked up with some homies to ride out with. Jared Cabral put his FD3S back on the road for this event. He keeps threatening to sell it which is lame. Jared's FD manages to look exotic yet relatively restrained compared to the aero a lot of FDs run. The front bumper is a rare item from Zesty Racing, the side steps from Fujita Engineering (FEED), and diffuser from RE Amemiya. Car Shop GLOW makes the tails and the subtle wing that drags out the car's silhouette while FEED fenders and monstrous 18x10.5 et15 TE37s widen it. Inside is simple with Defi gauges, a Nardi wheel, and Recaro SP-JJ seats dominating the style.
Arron Zhao came in his S2000 that I've detailed in the 7's Day coverage but he's since added a Voltex Type 7 GT swan neck wing. This is not a look I typically like but I think he's really pulled it off here!
Jing Li brought his Z33 cool guy machine out for the night. Do Luck fenders, an Amuse front bumper, and Nismo sides and rear make for a unique 350Z profile. 19" SSR Koenigs make use of the added width.
Jason Yung took a break from enjoying his IS300 drift car to give his turbo BRZ some exercise. Yes, it's a BRZ, it only looks like a Toyota with the kouki GT86 front, C West lip, and TRD skirts.
I spent the first hour or so chatting with people until I realized cars were thinning out and I hadn't taken any pics or really looked around so I missed a lot of stuff. Here's what I grabbed when I could grab it!
I was stoked to see Justin Noun's E30 at the event since Gridlife was going on at the same time. I'm, typically not a fan of Cliqtuning aero but I do like this one for some reason. Maybe it's the color and the dope spec Weds Kranze Cerberus (in 4 lug too).
This Miata felt like 2011 seeing a car with a bike as an accessory. Loved the simple look of Work Equip CR01s a super low static height.
My car of the event was probably this gangster W140 S500 on Walds. This chassis really needs nothing other than cool wheels and an altered height to look impactful.
Mike Hogu is a fixture at these events with his coupe. This is a crisp, OEM styled EJ with a B18C swap and 16" SW388s making it a timeless looking build.
Speaking of Hondas, it was a trip seeing Dalton's old EF up here on Mass plates. I had forgotten he sold it and I'm glad to see the new owner is taking care of it since it was a really cool build. It looks a little different from when it was last photographed on here but it still features the Southsiiiiide Sweeper front lip and Zero Fighter center exit. The wheels are the coolest part being original Advan TC!
Fast Audi wagons on Porsche wheels are always a successful combination.
Datsun 620s definitely sit on the more forgotten side of classic Japanese car history. It's nice seeing examples like this one sympathetically restored and modified.
Having a pickup bed to cart around a matching Honda motorcycle makes it extra practical and extra cool.
Volkswagen's competitor in the minitruck segment, the Volkswagen Caddy, has been far from forgotten. Similar to the 620, this one also features a mostly stock body with just a chin spoiler and Euro, round headlights. I may be wrong but I believe it was taken from a MK1 GTI. Ronal Turbo monoblocks are a good fit for the simple, slab sided silhouette. Motivating it is a 2.0 ABA which is a bit of a dog in its native, heavier chassis but a great swap for a light MK1.
Zack Joslyn's SVX is a good exercise in not overdoing things. These are weird chassis and the majority of their small modding community feels the need to do a lot, but it really doesn't need much to look special. Less height and a set of Super Advans is all you need to look at while a manual swap makes it more enjoyable to drive than the slushy 4 speed these all came with.
I'm not much of a big VW fan, but there's a few I would consider owning some day and Henrique's MK3 Cabrio makes a solid case for the chassis. A bagged 4 seat convertible seems like quite a cool cruiser. The Jetta front end and OZ Mitos definitely make the look!
Not something you could ever prepare yourself to see at an event. This is a '73 Dodge Challenger laid out onto insanely rare Super Star SS-08s. These wheels are almost non-existent and were only produced in the mid-80s in 14" and 15" sizes. Seeing these pieces of Japanese obscurity in Western Massachusetts on a 70s Challenger is just insane.
This STI is actually a bit of New England tuning history. Kaizen Tuning was a legend in JDM parts and car building, especially when it came to Varis. They were often the first in the US to get their hands on a Varis kit and this STI was the first stateside to get this kit. It was even featured in Super Street when it was first completed and has remained mostly unchanged since. Check out the article on it here!
Cool Toyota Crown taxi. I'm not sure if it was a real taxi at one point but it was certainly interesting to run into regardless.
Closing out with this trio of weaponized turbo K series Hondas. Absolutely immaculate!