The car enthusiast has, for the most part, come under attack in recent years. Whether it be the trend of crackdowns on vehicle modification across the country or the ever-increasing media coverage of the ugly sides of the hobby, it hasn't been a proud moment in the history of this community.
For what our opinion is worth...L’oe Show took a big step in putting all of that to rest Labor Day weekend. Entering its third year it comes as no surprise that the hype was big. Store displays were teased from the beginning of the week. Cars began rolling into town as early as Wednesday. By Friday the Euro enthusiast had a clear presence up and down High Street. It’s always cool to see a town full of enthusiasts and their cars, but it hits different when its your town.
The FCP Euro meet kicked off the weekend on Friday evening with good vibes, cool cars and a unique location complete with an antique carousel on full display. Urotuning followed that up with the official Cars and Coffee on Saturday morning which brought out a huge number of cars and really set the tone for the weekend. From our vantage point, Saturday evening was where it really turned special.
Red Horse Motoring Club, a local auto lounge here in town, hosted the Pottstown Nights Car Show on Saturday evening. Street parking began to fill in around 3pm…and the entire stretch of roadway was jam packed well before the scheduled 5pm closure with a beautiful mix of Euro cars and American muscle. And the vibes man, the vibes were so right. It’s like the old heads in the crowd showed everyone else how an event is supposed to go down. And everyone took notice like it was a graduate class. We heard of zero nonsense. No issues with police. No issues with those that call this place home. Just two groups of enthusiasts from different sides of the garage that came together to appreciate automotive culture. We parked, we walked the street, we gawked at fully restored 69 Camaros beside show quality VWs and Audis. An opportunity rarely offered in this age of niche shows and carefully manicured meets.
Speaking of meets…Saturday evening brought about an event with results that much exceeded expectations – our Golden Hour meet at the Route 100 overpass. As is the case with any good hosted event, you never think anyone is going to show up. Frank was sure to put that fear to rest quickly with his update of nearly 25 cars at the spot before the meet even began. And it only grew from there. We lost count around 60 cars, far beyond the number we anticipated. But it went off without a hitch. We tapped a few guys to grab their cameras; Phocus, Orihon, Xero and our own Frank W. Saylor, and a few more came up big to contribute their services unsolicited. Click here to see the full collection.
We started with a spot with thought embodied what Pottstown was all about – a little rough, a little forgotten, but a ton of potential when used the right way. We ended up with a meet that embodied what this community is at its core – an appreciation of our cars, the passion that fuels them and the people that share that passion with us. It was a beautiful thing to see. And a thing we hope to recreate, bigger and better, next year.
Sunday. Show day. If you want to talk about embodying Pottstown, look no further than this show. Vendor load in was 6am, show start was 10am, we rolled in around 7am to get to work. By 8:30 people were in the streets. By the time we pulled in with our booth car at 9:45, fifteen minutes before the official start time, it looked like the show had been going for hours. The streets were buzzing with a mix of enthusiasts and locals who hit the town to see what the hype was all about. And boy did it live up to it. All the notable industry vendors teamed with the 500+ registered cars to pack High and Hanover Streets and deliver a day rich with all the things that are right about this hobby. It was a proud moment for everyone involved.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway -- L’oe Show is a must attend show, and really a must attend weekend.
It had the vibes of the good times at a show we lost. In our opinion a show, and a weekend, we all need. L’oe weekend offered a glimpse back to that. What a feeling.
]]>The result has shown itself in years of beaten down daily drivers coming through our shop. It's helped us build this business. But it's also given us an increased appreciation for the true clean examples that we come across. Like the 2000 tropic orange 12v vr6 GTI I daily drove (and then regrettably sold) that came complete with a binder detailing all work that had been done and a code reader that we still use to this day. That's one of those cars that got away. We know what that feels like. So it wasn't happening twice.
We took a ride up to see our friend Brandon - a lot of you are familiar with his wookie rescue chronicles - with the intention of purchasing a mk4 R32 that needed some work. We knew this car was there, and planned to check it out, but never really thought much would come of it. We couldn't have been more wrong with that thought.
Walking in, it was pure infatuation at first sight. Everything on this car is exceptional. The engine bay looks like it hasn't done a day of work in its life. The interior appears nearly untouched in most places. The steering wheel leather still holds its matte finish, inside still has that new car smell.
The reflex silver paint has very few imperfections. The Aristos are some of the cleanest you'll see with factory finish. This R has seen 48k miles of love. It truly is a one of a kind example of an iconic car.
And the drive...oh man the drive. We all know the feeling of the sloppy shift box often found in these cars. The creaks, rattles and random noises that arise due to years of parts coming off and going back on. What few of us get to experience is the feeling of these cars the way they were meant to be. Effortless shifts, a smooth ride and driving characteristics that elevate the car to a level not often attained by an "economy hatch". And that classic vr6 sound that pairs so well with the factory exhaust. It really is a different experience when these cars are right.
This industry has a way of dulling your senses to things that should be so cool. Cars come and go, and most don't garner much attachment as it's all part of the game. But this R32 will be different. We're happy, and proud, to have owned it. I can personally still vividly recall how our first R32 purchase went down. Cars like this allow me to appreciate how far we've come. Bringing this one in was, and will continue to be, a milestone moment for me and for One Love.
But, all good things must come to an end. For now, this R32 resides in our showroom, on display for others to enjoy when they stop by. The miles won't go up - we'll save that for the next owner. It'll be paired with our collection of R32 memorabilia and will make for a great piece for an enthusiast ready to enjoy the best of what Volkswagen had to offer in 2004.
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