I feel like import culture has grown a lot over the last decade. Ten years ago the market was flooded with rice. Around these parts civics, J-bodies and any other affordable chassis made up most of the scene. It was safe to say that the bandwagon was at max capacity. It was rare to see a lot of diversity, yes there were the a few who were ahead of their time but they were over shadowed by the loud style of “rice.” Every year the local scene grows in new directions, but perhaps a new direction isn’t the right way to describe this meet.
Local Datsun enthusiast, Tyler Smith organized the Rice meet but as you can tell by the pictures this isn’t really what we think about when we say rice.
Tyler is Datsun truck nut, but has helped many people rekindle nostalgia for cars that they never really knew. Yes, that seems to be a contradiction, but think of it this way. Many of us have a love for these old cars even though we weren’t around when they debuted. They serve more as an honorable lineage to the cars we love today.
Cam from CWS Tuning brought out his two door 510, I was told that more Datsuns were going to make the trek but had engine issues.
Even though there were very few old school Japanese cars there, I have no doubt in my mind this scene will grow locally over the next few years.
As younger fans start picking up these old chassis there is no limit what we can come to expect.
The great part about younger people getting into the old school JDM scene is we will see even more diversity.
Why the meet was called Rice still confuses me a little, it stands in complete contraction to what these cars represent. These cars have stood the test of time and never lost their cool.