Taking It Back to the '90s at JCCS Street Neo Classics
Import car shows tend to only have a small section dedicated to the classics, and out of them all, it's harder to find one that specializes in them completely, with the exception of JCCS. Even there it's too "old school", and you'll see less that come from the '90s era of cars, the Hondas, Acuras, Nissans and Toyotas that created an untouchable subculture of car enthusiasts.
I was lucky; I grew up during that time, and a '91 Honda Civic hatchback was my ride. Years after selling it, I bought another and built it the way I would've done back in high school, except for a few modern tricks. But the car (and others from that time period) often go unnoticed in today's car scene: they're either too new to be considered classic, too old to be considered modern. JCCS changed that by adding a new show into their rotation: Street Neo Classics is for the '90s enthusiast.
Hosted at Toyota's main HQ earlier this fall, this small gathering brought a uniquely diverse group of enthusiasts together. There were the typical JCCS old schoolers ('70s/'80s Datsuns and Toyotas) and oddly some that fell into the late '90s/early 2000s generation but I knew I felt at home when I was parked near Hondas similar to mine.
What made modifying cars in the '90s so fun was that there was innovation to be made, style was original and it was more about what you could do on your own to go faster, as opposed to modern times where you can pay a nominal fee to have a turnkey engine package put together for you.
Even the AE86 Corolla hadn't quite reached cult status in the States, let alone drifting. That would catch on until the early 2000s.
Even a real Skyline was mythical, only way you could "see" one was in an Option2 magazine or video...
A Supra was the super car of the era - funny how things never seem to change.
The SW20 MR-2 was always one of my favorites: notoriously difficult to work on but one of the best looking and ultra quick for the price.
240s weren't that cool back in the '90s either! Drifting changed all of that, and now they're highly sought after if they're in great condition like these.
It still remains to be seen if Street Neo Classics will make a return appearance, but I hope it does. One thing it desperately needs more of are the actual '90s styled cars and less of the older JCCS/new school type builds to make it a true to theme show.
What are some of your favorite '90s era cars and styles? Drop a comment below and view the gallery for more Street Neo Classics outtakes!
