At the time I’m writing this blog post (which is July 2024), it has almost been a year since I took these photos. During this time, I was working at a Honda dealership as an Express Technician whose role is to do basic maintenance on cars such as: oil changes, tire rotations, transmission and differential drain and refills, and MPIs (multi-point inspections). I have got to meet a lot of technicians, and there were only a couple I vibed with. One of them was a good homie, Matt Shinn. We had similarities in interests such as Dr. Pepper, League of Legends, affordable tools, and Civic SIs most importantly. Working at Honda, you would assume the employees would be as enthusiastic about Hondas as we were, but in the automotive industry, those sentiments may vary… Either way, Matt told me there was a Honda meet going on after work, so I told him “I’ll be there!”

With little to no expectations of how this Honda meet was going to turn out, I was impressed by the crowd that attended that evening. Again, with my bias towards California/West Coast Honda builds in mind, I had to be open-minded. While there were some interesting builds, a promising handful of Hondas came through which we’ll view shortly. To be honest, I was quite pessimistic about Denver’s car culture due to a previous car meet experience. This gathering restored my faith in Denver’s automotive car culture to say the least, admittedly!

(photos taken in August 12, 2023)

I hopped out of my car and the first thing I noticed was the Evasive Motorsports license plate frame on this Rio Yellow Pearl S2000 AP2. The Californian in me was excited to see some of the West Coast influence in this region (being that Evasive Motorsports operates locally in Cerritos, CA – or generally SoCal). It’s no surpise to see aero pieces fitted to the car that is remiscent of Evasive’s background in motorsports: APR Wing, APR GT3 Mirrors, Seibon fenders, and Gramlights 57cr wheels.

Here is the homie, Matt Shinn’s, 7th generation Civic SI Hatch EP3. I remember I said “EP3” in front of him and he was impressed LOL. I’m glad someone at Honda was able to refer to chassis codes, oof. (Alright that’s the last of my jabs at the Honda dealership I worked at.) Nothing too crazy on his EP3 besides parts he said he bought off eBay.

Here’s our SI’s parked next to each other in a random RTD (Regional Transportation District) Parking Lot in Denver.

We parked along with the S2000 that introduced the blog, a Civic Del Sol, and another S2000.

The 2024 Civic Type R FL5 was released in North America and I caught this Sonic Grey Pearl FL5 making its introduction into the parking lot. I was quick to jump on the 11th generation Civic train because of its much more elegant and subtle body lines as compared to the 10th generation Civic. As an Express Tech, I got to become physically close and personal with the 11th gen chassis. Sitting inside the cockpit of either the sedan or hatchback, I felt the love and dedication that Honda has put into this chassis.

Simply put, the FL5 is a really great car and I can’t wait to get my hands on one – yet, drive one.

Suprisingly, a 2024 Acura Integra Type S DE5 in Platinum White Pearl also made its appearance at this Honda meet. The wide fender flares of this particular Type S arch over a new set of Mugen MF-10s with anodized blue center caps.

Exclusive to the Integra Type S exterior-wise would be the: vented hood, wide fender flares, enlarged air ducts, rear diffuser, center-exit exhaust, and 19-inch OEM wheels.

Close-up shot of the fresh Mugen MF-10 wheelset wrapped with Continental tires.

Here’s a glimpse of the mentioned diffuser and center-exit exhaust. The owner even debadged the “Type S” logo that would originally be positioned above the driver-side taillight.

This was a super clean zenki Integra Type R DC5 clone. Freshly repainted in Championship White gave this DC5 a nice refresh along with the silver Volk CE28’s and minor touch of the J’s Racing front fenders.

Golden hour sun rays highlighting the bronze Volk TE37 Sagas of this Honda Civic Del Sol.

At the peak of the meet, the row Matt and I parked in was filling up. Occupying the spot next to Matt’s EP3 was this silver S2000 on a set of white-faced 5-spoke wheels I’ve never stumbled across. The wheels look to be a retro set from the 90’s or early 2000’s. Overall, it looked period-correct to me on this well-maintained S2000 AP1.

Coming to a close on this Honda meet coverage, ironically, I was obsessing over this kouki Nissan 240SX S14.

I must have been dreaming when I saw this car in-person as this is what I considered a dream built S14. Kouki S14 with OEM aero, SR20DET powerplant, Volk TE37 SL wheels, and no cracks on the dashboard = perfection.

The interior was immaculate as the exterior as seen above. And yup, no cracks on the dashboard that’s infamously evident on most Silvia chassis’.

Not sure what else to say but this car f*cks. If I had a bottomless pit of a wallet, I would have offered the owner my money right then and there LOL.

In summary, making new friends who love cars is cool, Hondas in Colorado are cool, the FL5 and DE5 are a step in the right direction for Japanese auto manufacturers making cars for car enthusiasts, and my favorite car at the meet was not a Honda.

What I loved about this meet was the fact that I felt like I was a part of a bigger community. This gathering of Honda enthusiasts gave me reassurance that Colorado automotive culture isn’t just about AWD vehicles, lifted trucks, and overland builds. There are still a handful of enthusiasts out here that engage in tuning Honda’s. It’s rare to see such cars like these out in the streets so it was pleasant to see these cars assembled together in a random public transportation parking lot. If I had one regret, it would be lacking to engage with fellow community members and forming a sense of familiarity. Anyhow, thanks again for viewing this coverage and I will see y’all next time! Peace!