Motors and Matcha
This morning I saw an instagram post about a Motors and Matcha event at Mike Auto. The matcha drinks being served were by Whisk & Wrench. It was a small gathering with a small selection of cars. Here’s some photos I took this morning.
Today was the first time I’ve been to Mike Auto but I’ve followed them on Instagram for awhile. I didn’t realize how big the shop was and how many cars Mike could fit in the service bay and in the back lot. Definitely more cars than I was expecting.
From Golf R to Civic Type R
I bid farewell to my beloved Golf R. Meowta 3.0 was born, and its legacy lives on in a 2024 Honda Civic Type R FL5. While I thoroughly enjoyed my Golf R, I never truly felt a deep connection to the European automotive community as I had anticipated. Japanese cars remained my steadfast first love.
Although I had never owned a Honda before, I had always harbored a desire for one since my high school days when I was captivated by the CRX Si (I must admit, I was a bit of a self-indulgent teenager). As my Golf R approached its eighth birthday, I began contemplating the possibility of replacing it. I sought a vehicle that offered more space for my growing family, sporty performance, and Japanese heritage. Above all else, I yearned to regain my passion for manual transmissions. The Civic Type R seamlessly ticked all these boxes.
Despite my enthusiasm, I had reservations about purchasing one due to its limited availability. Honda had even discontinued the option to order it.
I had made deposits at several dealerships for the Acura equivalent, the Integra Type S. One dealership offered a deal that seemed promising, and with the assistance of Steve, we embarked on a negotiation process. However, the deal fell through, leaving me feeling disappointed and disillusioned with the entire dealership experience.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, my friend’s company, DealerShift, unexpectedly acquired a slightly used Championship White 2024 Civic Type R. Remarkably, it came equipped with some of the modifications I had been planning to make anyway. They offered me a trade-in value that I was pleased with, and they made my dream of owning my first Honda, let alone a Civic Type R in iconic Championship White, a reality.
I firmly believe that this car will be a cherished companion for years to come. I have no intention of selling it. Instead, I envision passing it down to my children, Zoe and Ian, when they grow up, so they can experience the joy of driving a vehicle that holds a special place in my heart. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Kevin and Steve for their unwavering support and assistance in helping me achieve this remarkable dream.
When I acquired the car, it had already undergone some modifications from the previous owner. These included PPF work (which I’m having some parts redone or added by my friend Andy at GPFX Graphics), lowering on Swift Springs, and the addition of OEM components like window visors and rubber floor/trunk mats. Since then, I’ve made a few more modifications. I installed CTS Turbo 20mm spacers to flush out the wheels, changed the stock intake to the PRL Intake for enhanced induction noises and power (which I acquired from the previous owner of my car), on the way is a front lip and a set of wheels from Japan, which should arrive in the fall. The factory shift knob is quite good, but I swapped it for a teardrop-shaped one I bought at Garage Five’s 25th Anniversary event. Interestingly, this knob was intended to be the first mod for the Integra Type S, but since that project fell through, it’s now going into the Type R.
I’ve been asked how I compare the Civic Type R to my old Golf R. The Golf R had a quicker acceleration due to its DSG transmission and AWD. There’s no way I can shift as fast as a DSG transmission. My Golf R had about 310 horsepower, making it definitely quicker in terms of pure acceleration.
The CTR handles better, allowing me to corner at speeds I might be hesitant to in other cars. The suspension is more comfortable on a daily basis. I can retain the stock shocks and struts, along with Swift Springs, to maintain the dampening. On the other hand, I had KW Clubsports suspension on the Golf R, which was set somewhat firm. I did install the Integra Type S suspension module, which added comfort and sport modes, but that was done about three weeks into ownership.
Now, let’s talk about the car’s practicality. It’s my daily driver. The CTR has significantly more interior and storage space compared to the Golf R. The trunk is double the size, so I’m likely to sell the roof box from the Golf R. The back seats also have more legroom, which is great for my two kids who sit in the back.
However, there are a few things I miss from my VW:
Heated seats: The CTR sport seats are fantastic, but creature comforts like heated seats will be missed. They’re also manual-adjusting, unlike the power-adjusting seats on the Golf R.
Rear USB ports and AC vents for the rear passengers: A modern car should have these as standard equipment.
Interior design: Don’t get me wrong, the CTR interior is nice, but the Golf R’s interior design and quality felt a bit more premium.
I’ve had this car for almost two months now, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It’s a joy to drive, and my kids love it too (though my son Ian still misses the Golf R because it was blue). It’s an excellent family car with ample space for hauling stuff. I can also have fun with it, taking spirited drives and enjoying its fantastic transmission, which makes it easy to drive even for a mediocre manual transmission driver like myself.
Garage Five 25th Anniversary
Today was Garage Five’s block party as they celebrated 25 years in business. A staple of the Greater Vancouver import scene, one of the most respected local Honda shop in the lower mainland. I felt it was only appropriate to attend in a Honda product to such a special event. So naturally I borrowed my friend Jeremy’s Acura NSX….again. I got to see some old friends and check out some cars from the local scene. Here’s a gallery of some of the cars in attendance.
Fort Langley - Antiques
Yesterday, I walked around the Fort Langley area with my brother and niece. Decided to take the Leica Q out as my camera for the day and grabbed some photos of around town and some of the antique shops in the area.
We started off having lunch at the Planet Java 50s Diner, the burger was alright, fries were good cause they use the Cavendish fries from Costco =D.
The antique shops around Fort Langley are pretty neat and lots of things to look at and photograph.
It was a great way to spend the afternoon as the weather was great. I am enjoying shooting with the Leica Q more and more.
Chef’s Kiss - BMW 1M and M3
A pair of BMW M sports coupe up in the snowy mountains.
I shot a pair of BMWs up at Cypress Mountain one afternoon where apparently there was still snow. I’ve been meaning to photograph Chris’ BMW M3 for a few years now and since Brad recently picked up a BMW 1M, I figured why not try to get both cars together. I shot most of the photos with the Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm 50-140mm f/2.8. Some shots were taken with the Fujifilm 27mm f/2.8 WR pancake lens. Both owners gave me a bit of information about their respective BMWs in their own words.
Chris: “I bought the M3 back in 2013. I was looking for an e46 at first, but with my budget I thought, why buy a mediocre e46 when I could buy an excellent e36. I’m happy I made that choice. The e36 was pretty unloved in North American form until recently as the e30 and e46 both had ITBs and were higher strung motors, but the e36 really solidified the M3s position as a car you could have fun in, every day, in every condition.
I’ve put about 80k on the car in the years I’ve owned it. It’s been on the track, on snowboard trips, taken my family on road trips, did a 5k drive down the pacific coast and made all of it pretty special. Only 127 were made in this colour combo in 1998, all of the parts on the car other than the coilovers and exhaust are OEM BMW Motorsport parts from the M3 GT or LTW.
This car is probably less exciting to most compared to my e30, but I would keep this one if I could only keep one 10 times out of 10. It’s a very good blend between modern and classic that it’s easy to work on, easy to drive, but still exciting enough to just want to go for a drive. The sweet spot IMO.”
I do plan to shoot Chris’ e30 M3 too one day. Yes he has one of those too…
Brad recently picked up his Valencia Orange BMW 1M before this photoshoot. He gave some insight on the 1M:
“I’m a long time german car enthusiast, particularly of the Bavarian variety. I love the combination of performance and refinement. I’ve been drawn to the 1M since it’s tease, and eventual release in 2011. Something about the proportions of the E82 (which remind me so much of the E36) and the skunkworks like nature of this project (which remind me so much of the Z3 Coupe). Eventually a vehicle shakeup presented the opportunity to put this into the garage. Just 220 examples of this car came to Canada for 1 year only. The time was right to snag one.
Initial impressions are great. The car is everything that I hoped it would be. Wonderful hydraulic steering, a linear power curve delivered by the tried and tested N54, and the stopping power of a small freight train. No NAV to distract, no bulky power seats to add mass, no sunroof to put additional weight in exactly the wrong place. BMW built this car for driving enthusiasts.
The debate continues – is the 1M a true M car? A small group of BMW engineers believed in this project, and put it together - at least initially in secret and on their on time. The results speak for themselves, a universally beloved drivers car.”
I had a lot of fun shooting these cars and I am pretty happy shooting with the telephoto lens. Hoping to do more shoots with the 50-140mm f/2.8.
A Walk through Steveston
Photowalk through Steveston
I wanted to get some practice in with shooting the Leica Q. I headed out in the morning to do a walk with a friend to see what I could capture. The sun was pretty bright already in the morning so that was something I had to contend with.
Acura NSXs
A pair of NSXs
I did a photoshoot of my friend Andy’s Acura NSX. Andy does paint protection film and car wraps in Vancouver. His company GPFX Graphics is one of the most respected companies for wraps and PPF. I was also lucky enough to be able to borrow my friend Jeremy’s stock NSX to add to the shoot.
RWB Build Porsche Richmond
RWB Porsche build at Porsche Centre Richmond
Nakai-San of RWB (Rauh-Welt Begriff) was building cars across Canada on a tour. Richmond was the last stop and I decided to go check out the build. The last time I attended a build was in Washington State many years ago at a private event.
This event was taking place at the Porsche dealership in Richmond and there were other local RWB builds on showcase.
