A silver Nissan Skyline parked by a decked-out Impala convertible on chrome wire wheels. A green Alfa GTV sat across from my 911. Ahead of me, a chopper straight out of “Easy Rider.”
The occasion: a cars and coffee hosted by Orlando’s Not Another Film Lab–and, as the name suggests, they do process film. For photography.
I’d be the …
I went to another Orlando cars and coffee the day before this one. I wasn’t planning on that one, but the night before, my friend asked.
If you don’t mind me riding with you, I replied. I just didn’t feel like driving to Orlando twice in one weekend.
It was the more traditional cars and coffee.
An hour after getting there, my friend walks up to me: Let’s go.
Similar events, totally different vibes.
Small update: A friend read this piece and wants to join me at the next one. It’s a healthy vibe, I told them.
Fingers crossed that we'll get more shows like this in Sanford now that Ace Cafe Sanford is open.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
That’s great writing!
Colin Wood said:Fingers crossed that we'll get more shows like this in Sanford now that Ace Cafe Sanford is open.
I know! I have the November 1 Legends Orlando event on my calendar.
SV reX said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
That’s great writing!
Thank you.
So, some behind-the-scenes: I wrote that at like 1:00 in the morning–more specifically, from midnight to about 2:00 a.m. I was in bed when the hook came to me. At that point, gotta go downstairs to write it.
Then I had to wait for the photos to come back from the lab to share it here.
Thanks.
These are the types of events I love. I mostly only go to car shows when I'm a vendor, and unfortunately the events I vend at sometimes get out of hand. I can't stand the two-step competitions, multiple people ignoring the DJ and blaring their own music, and lack of respect for the venue.
I think I need to follow David to more events.
I went to one at a Ford's Garage restaurant here the other night with my kids. Didn't plan on it but while we were on a walk we stumbled upon it. Look fairly organized and large. Wasn't my cup of tea the few people I tried talking to about their cars were like Brian O'Conner in The Fast and Furious, just blanks stares. Got the tough guy bit from a dude because "Your kids are walking to close to my car bro."
Not my cup of tea and reminded me why I don't bother with those kinds of things anymore. Plus most of the vehicles were just underglow, wraps, wheels, and wings (U-Dub-Cubed/UW3). Maybe I'm just getting old but I used to love casual meet ups in a parking lot to shoot the E36 M3 with friends and random people that would join in.
DirtyBird222 said:I went to one at a Ford's Garage restaurant here the other night with my kids. Didn't plan on it but while we were on a walk we stumbled upon it. Look fairly organized and large. Wasn't my cup of tea the few people I tried talking to about their cars were like Brian O'Conner in The Fast and Furious, just blanks stares. Got the tough guy bit from a dude because "Your kids are walking to close to my car bro."
Not my cup of tea and reminded me why I don't bother with those kinds of things anymore. Plus most of the vehicles were just underglow, wraps, wheels, and wings (U-Dub-Cubed/UW3). Maybe I'm just getting old but I used to love casual meet ups in a parking lot to shoot the E36 M3 with friends and random people that would join in.
Unfortunately it seems like those are most of the meets / events now. Lights / wraps / wheels / wings are a "build" now I guess. I get tons of compliments on my Versa when I use it as a booth car, and it's just a regular car with cheap wheels and coilovers. It's nothing special.
I mourn our old Cars and Coffee. We just showed up one day. Maybe 10 of us. A turbo in my friend's Noble blew a seal and filled my 360 with smoke as he parked. :)
For a while, it was pretty awesome. We were never official. It was a decent sized lot, Starbucks was the only open business on a Sunday morning and we kept that area clear. We might get 30 or 40 cars and people would bring all kinds of things. Yeah, John has (had) a Carrera GT but he brought that last time. Today's the Caterham. Or the E-Type. Connor has a Viper but he got a cheap Fiat for the summer, so that's what he brought so we could check it out. I brought a Volt when they just came out. Later an e-golf. Basically, anything interesting vs every color modern Lambo, which is what it became just before we got kicked out.
Now I go hang out with some motorcycle friends on Sunday morning at a shared shop.
In reply to DirtyBird222 :
Different people, different vibes.
What a good read, David Wallens: very satisfying and it really put me right there. These kinds of small meets are clearly the most enjoyable for someone like myself and there is a clean, peaceful vibe that stays with you throughout the day at least. The buzz of near-perfect car culture. The way things ought to be. This small venue beats the large one that Larry Chen YouTube video spoke about everyone attending 'self-policing' the event due to idiots who like to show off and occasionally get confrontational with police. No thanks. I'll take small meets like this cars & coffee event, speak with owners who actually know their own cars and generally like other people who share similar interests.
I wish ours locally were more chill like this. They aren't overly terrible and its small town but starting at 2pm on a Sunday means my afternoon is now shot from getting other things done. I'd rather they start early and end early. I may try to organize something myself next year..
In reply to DavyZ :
Thank you and yeah, small and simple totally work for me.
How big is this lot?
Not very–but large enough to make some magic.
I was parked kind of across the angled spot near the handicap spot.
DjGreggieP said:I wish ours locally were more chill like this. They aren't overly terrible and its small town but starting at 2pm on a Sunday means my afternoon is now shot from getting other things done. I'd rather they start early and end early. I may try to organize something myself next year..
This isn’t a weekly event, either. It happens a few times a year. Orlando has some big weekly events.
Small BTS*: This same lot used to host our annual zine fest. Now it’s held in Maitland.
* Behind-the-scenes
Austin Cannon said:Unfortunately it seems like those are most of the meets / events now. Lights / wraps / wheels / wings are a "build" now I guess. I get tons of compliments on my Versa when I use it as a booth car, and it's just a regular car with cheap wheels and coilovers. It's nothing special.
Could be worse. Golf cart parades are a thing where I am. Not just Christmas or Halloween, but whenever they feel like redecorating. There's even a golf cart owners club. I know, they have wheels and a motor, but...they're golf carts. 
In reply to Warlock :
Do you live in The Villages?
We have a monthly show, early on Saturday mornings, on the town square (the streets around the courthouse - think of the "Clock Tower" in Back to the Future) of a small town here in central Texas. It's a little of this, a little of that - new Porsches parked next to patina pickups, some real hot rods, Model T's and 'A's, the occasional panhead Harley. It's small, friendly, laid back. no judging. I get there EARLY - like pre-dawn, grab some breakfast tacos, and sit and enjoy. Everybody's gone by 9:30 - 10 am, so the local shops can open up and customers can park.
No loud music, no burnouts, just some healthy V8's firing up.
It's perfect.
Loud music: I go to car meets to see cars and talk to people about their cars. Yet 90% of them insist on having some DJ blasting music so loud I have to yell to be heard. I don't dislike music, or loud music, but TIME AND PLACE, PEOPLE. At least the endless 50s doo-wop music has given way to classic rock from the 70s and 80s now. Still wholly unnecessary.
And don't get me started about car owners blaring their own preferred music, which usually sucks.
ddavidv said:Loud music: I go to car meets to see cars and talk to people about their cars. Yet 90% of them insist on having some DJ blasting music so loud I have to yell to be heard. I don't dislike music, or loud music, but TIME AND PLACE, PEOPLE. At least the endless 50s doo-wop music has given way to classic rock from the 70s and 80s now. Still wholly unnecessary.
And don't get me started about car owners blaring their own preferred music, which usually sucks.
Yeah the DJ blasting music is annoying, but at least I can try to park away from it (or when I'm a vendor, the DJ and vendors are in separate spots). But people playing their own music, over the DJ's music, is the worst.
in life the people are more important than the activity.
APEowner said:in life the people are more important than the activity.
I agree with that 100%
David S. Wallens said:In reply to DirtyBird222 :
Different people, different vibes.
You know I've never thought of that. Thanks. 
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