The best sort of car meets and shows are the kind where folks drive in, hang out, and then get back into their cars and drive off until next time. The monthly gathering of imports in Santa Clara falls directly into the category of low key and casual events where those who dig a certain kind of car can meet and greet. Bugs and dents on daily driven and budget classics speak to us far more clearly than time out dolls with their head stuck into a fender. This month’s Santa Clara gathering brought a Datsun 510 heavy crowd from the Ratsun bunch, but also attracted a few Toyotas, a couple of Mitsubishi-Chryslers, and one Swabian representative from the Audi compact station wagon division. Now if we could only convince the nearby Bombay Gardens restaurant to expertly prepare their world famous all-u-can-eat dinner buffet on a the last Thursday night of every month, we could make this deal a meet and eat.
Mike, I know you’re a Mitsibooshi guy like me, but what is it about those 510s that is so appealing? Could it be that, once upon a time, in a secret laboratory somewhere in Japan, someone actually drew the perfectly proportioned car?
Seriously. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Mitsubishi guy and no doubt will be until I stuff one of the Galants into a ditch somewhere in the desert, but I see some of these 510s you’ve been sharing and the car guy voices start talking in the back of my mind. “So what if you’ve still got two Mitsubishis that aren’t remotely close to being done? Start looking for a 510. You know you want one…”
/slaps self
I like the idea of opening it up to old schools of different makes. We do a 2nd Thursday meet over here in Phoenix at an In-N-Out, but it’s mostly DSMs. Turn out’s been getting smaller, so maybe it’s time to start getting invites out by word of mouth or something. This meet you’ve shared seems ideal.
Mario from Ratsun.net is the 510 force behind these gatherings. And you better get two Five and Dimes and a few Alfa Romeos while you’re at it.
I think I’m going to bring up the idea at our little INO meet next week, Mike.
Next to actually working on the cars, working on the car community is about as good as it gets.
Just a reminders, our next meet is coming up on Thursday 9/24. 🙂
Hope to see you guys out there!
Feel free to post this up on other car sites to get the turn out.
WHAT: Nor Cal’s South Bay Datsun/Toyota/Old School Meet
WHERE: 3605 El Camino Real Santa Clara CA (just off Lawerence Expressway)
WHEN: Thursday 9/24 @ 7pm
This is at Starbuck’s/OSH parking lot in Santa Clara, so come on out and enjoy the end of summer time with fellow old school import owners