Car Meets And Their Forgotten Role

Experiencing Car Meets

Growing up in the Bay Area, the car scene is absolutely lively. . I still remember my first car meet at an In N Out parking lot. The meet sparked the car mod bug in me. The car meet had a huge variety of cars. Not only did I see cars I haven’t seen in person before, but I saw what car modifications do firsthand. I left the car meet that night and stayed up all night researching car mods for my 2001 Acura CL.

The idea of gathering with people to enjoy cars was exciting to me. I felt I was able to dive into automotive knowledge and learn from others’ experiences. Most importantly, I liked the sense of community and the opportunity to network and make friends. Unfortunately, it seems as if car culture isn’t fostering these ideas anymore.

What Has Happened To Car Meets?

At first glance, this is an extremely loaded question. Go on YouTube or any automotive forum and every reason for why car meets suck today will be there. On one hand, you’ll have people defending takeovers stating this is the modern car culture. Alternatively, you’ll have those who oppose takeovers and long for the local car meets that showcase the blood, sweat and tears put into a car.

You see, when I think of a car meet, I think of it like an art gallery with a collection of artists. Cars are an extension of their owner and it should show. While people make fun of the “sex-spec” early 2000’s Honda scene, you can’t deny the individuality, creativity, and effort. Nowadays, your local show (if there even is one) will most likely consist of clapped out 350Zs and G35s, slightly tuned BMW 340i clubs, and stock cars. Personally, I blame social media platforms a bit for this one. The builds that are unique go viral are big money builds. This scares the new enthusiast away when there are mods you can do even on a budget. Today, it seems like the “artists” forget to attend car meets.

Recently, I went to a recent local car meet and was underwhelmed to say the least. While I got a laugh that Hondas on cut springs are still a thing, I was saddened to see a lack of effort. The cars seemed to be put together poorly or just not done up at all. When I was growing up in the car scene, even the budget high school builds had more character. Maybe it’s a reflection of society lacking creativity that’s spilling into the car world.

How Do We Reignite Car Culture?

Local car meets are the heart of the car community. Friendships are started and memories are made in these shopping center parking lots. How do we as a community improve and make the car scene a unique and friendly space? Do we “respect all builds” or should we just simply be humans and help each other out to fulfill our car goals? Personally, I think we need to look to the newcomers. Assisting new car enthusiasts with their first car modifications or guiding them in the right direction will pay off in dividends. Build relationships with others rather than break them down. Collectively, we can inspire the next generation so our hobby doesn’t fall.

Car meets are a necessity for our hobby and can be a great experience for everyone! If you don’t have a local meet, be the facilitator or organize a car cruise! Regardless, I encourage you to be a good steward of car culture and help us reignite the passion and creativity in our hobby.

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