Gerpan 2020

Another year, more growth, more cars; Gerpan is further cementing itself as an event that showcases car culture at its finest. The setup is the same as years prior, classic Japanese cars, classic German cars, real enthusiasts, and inspiration for those who attend. With Quaker Steak & Lube as the backdrop for this late February gathering, it becomes the perfect location for people to have adequate parking as both participants and attendees as well as being a good place to fuel up on the "Best Wings USA" and the beverage of your choice. I could personally go on a long tangest talking up the event, but I'd rather let you see for yourself; enjoy the Toyotas of Gerpan 2020!

The TE72 Toyota Corolla 1.8 pictured below is lightly modified, resprayed in its original hue of copper, and used as intended by the Puerto Rico native. Most of the common modifications exist here when revisiting what is "island style" on the coast of the United States, Weld Racing rims, polished OEM bumpers, and plenty of shiny bits throughout. The 3TC under the hood looks to be in good running order, a Toyota logo embossed air filter covers the carburetor while on the opposite side an aftermarket header runs down and out to an enlarged muffler out back. Cars this clean and purposeful seem to be coming back in to style as Toyota models of yesteryear slowly move from practical to collectable.

Angel's TE71 made an appearance, you might remember his car featured here but if not please give that article a read to learn more about this special ride.

The AE101 Corolla is the car of the people for many places throughout the world during the 1990's when the economy sedan was at the forefront of sales similar to how the compact utility vehicle has been successful recently. But today the AE101 is more than just a normal, everyday car; people are starting to broaden their palettes and look to their own childhoods for inspiration on how to modify the small 4-door (For the U.S. we only received the sedan and wagon). From JDM front and rear end conversions, the choice of a plethora of 4 x 100 wheels in various sizes, and engine swaps like the 20 valve 4AGE make for a lot of ways to turn this front wheel drive Corolla in to something unique. For the owner of this bright blue Toyota Corolla, white 5-spoke wheels with a polished lip were used to contrast against the lowered bold body. The front end uses the more aggressive Japanese market front bumper and lip with clear corner lamps and turn signals to go with the crystal clear headlights while out back a set of JDM center lights match up with the much shorter Japanese rear bumper to seal in the look.

Of course LowKee Legend Ron Dilks was present with his sky blue TE72 wagon, clean as always.

The good people over at Endless Imports brought a very clean AE86 Kouki Levin hatchback on a set of classic Watanabes. Parked next to their stand selling imported snacks from the land of the rising sun, it was a good showcase of the products and services they provide, sellings two of my own personal favorite things from Japan, cars and food. Overseeing the exterior details like the rear hatch and window visors brought me back a couple of decades when those parts were still available for reasonable prices but with the popularization of this chassis the scarcity of quality OEM parts has become apparent. Luckily for the owner of this panda Levin, they have kept everything intact and didn't deviate too far from the original purpose of the car, a utilitarian vehicle sitting on a sports car frame.

Our good friend Russ was of course in attendance with his two-tone right hand drive AE86 coupe which he upgraded with a new set of Linea Sport wheels, a beautiful period correct Italian wheel that is eye catching and rare.

You might all remember this Toyota van from last year's pictures, well new owner Walter from LowKee Oldskool has turned it up a few notches redoing the whole car. A fresh coat of white paint drapes the classic van as it sits on some very rad cherry red wheels. A lip kit was added to the front and rear which by the owner's history with some ultra-cool Volkswagens, I'm sure he borrowed from that parts bin to create the look. The stance has been perfect in my opinion, lower than before, but seemingly still comfortable, this is the van you want to take on the long haul or just to beach to hang out with your family; I'll have to seriously consider a newer generation Hi-Ace which has been haunting me for years.

Happy wife happy life, that's what they say and who wouldn't be happy owning this unmolested AE86 SR5? Jonathan has modified his wife's car to go with his beautiful Corolla GTS that stops people in their tracks everywhere he goes. His focus has now turned to painting this blank canvas with the same attention to detail he used on his own vehicle, I look forward to see what's in store.

This is my kind of car, an understated exterior, a few mods that give you an idea of what's going on but you truly don't understand what the grand scheme of things are until you pop the hood. Toyota MR2s lived through three generations, the second gen or SW20 being the most popular with it's Italian inspired looks, rear-mid mounted engine, and turbo power. The intercooler peaked out from in between the fog lights, of course anyone can upgrade something like this fairly easy right? But not the case with the MR2 where the engine's placement makes modifications difficult but rewarding if done properly. Walking towards the back of the shiny red two-seater I caught a bit of glare from the rear strut mount which sat atop some serious work done on the 3SGTE which propels this midship runabout. The pictures tell a thousand words, an RMR intake manifold, a larger turbo covered with a blanket, Tial wastegate, upgraded exhaust manifold, coil pack conversion, and two large fans housed in a nicely done aluminum shroud to pull out all of the horsepower robbing excess heat.

And we end things with this article by taking a brief look at this vibrant yellow TE27 Corolla. Skinny and wide Weld Racing wheels are the only changes made on this pristine classic outside of an upgraded exhaust. I don't know what was under the hood but one would guess that a 2TC or 3TC sat between the strut towers, enough power to push along a very lightweight car that has survived five decades of use, it demands appreciation.