Stance:Nation/ISO Show At Jordan Lake

18 May 2015

It seems like opinions on the stanced car scene fall into two categories. It's sort of polarizing. Either "low is a lifestyle, and I enjoy scraping my sump on speedbumps because dammit, it looks good" - or something more along the lines of "All that camber reduces your contact patch, riding so close to the bump stops compromises handling, I hope you like changing wheel bearings, and why make a car look like a race car when it can't handle?" It's the battle of form versus function, and it's not really new at all.

Regardless of where you stand on that issue, it's hard to argue they make great show cars. Two big stance groups - Stance:Nation from the west coast and ISO (Insane Stance & Offset) collaborated on a big show, the first Stance:Nation endorsed show on the east coast. How big? A 600+ car turn out for a first-time show ain't bad. I walked around for a few hours, snapping pictures of whatever caught my eye - hope you enjoy it.

This is unusual. An early-build 3.0L NSX - boosted, too! A little rough around the edges, but it's nice to see exotics being modified and driven hard. Kudos to Carlos Romero.

This Volvo S60R AWD was sporting a plate that said "MRDRD R" and was blacker than Darth Vader's soul. The grey S60R behind it wasn't bad either.

Maybe if my 7th gen Accord had looked this good, I might've kept it. This coupe belongs to Jason Bond.

Black, purple and white doesn't seem like a combination that would work on paper. Clearly some things are better in execution than in theory, this E46 coupe (with CSL trunk, M3 exhaust cutouts, and custom fender work) looked absolutely stunning.

Hyundai's Genesis Coupe has quickly become popular with the stance crowd; doesn't take much to make one look good!

Regardless of it's pedestrian (Golf) roots, I think the MkI Audi TT will be held as a hallmark of design for years to come; they're just damn pretty cars. A little stance modification doesn't hurt either - low, but not overdone.

A classic Honda CB750, modified to look like a Cafe racer - bikes get in on the action too. This thing was seriously loud.

Two very well known cars in the scene. Zeb Magsi's bagged, custom-everything Lexus GS300 on the right (which has a built, huge single turbo Supra motor under the hood), and Steve Nguyen's G35 coupe on the left.

Alex Cruz's 8th-gen Civic Si looks great in the patchy sunlight. Real low.

Most of the Cobalt guys are more concerned with power output than aesthetics (it's a Cobalt, how good can you make it look?) - but Nathan Benton's Cobalt SS Turbo has both, with a great stance and a lot of power. Basic bolt-ons (intake, downpipe, charge pipes) and a custom tune (by none other than Matt Welliver) for 22psi yields 308whp and 324wtq. The Varrstoen 18x9.5 wheels (ET+30) and Stance GR+ coilovers take care of the low.

Spencer Hall's EK Civic Coupe is a great example of the breed.

Being that low does have it's consequences - might be time for a new fender. Maybe.

This Volvo 242 was remarkably straight on the outside (no pun intended), with the period correct Turbo wheels. The view under the hood was pretty impressive, too.

A big top-mount turbo (Holset HY35) in a remarkably clean engine bay. This 242 belongs to Kyle Long.

This used to be a driveshaft. How'd it get this way? It probably has something to do with this.

I'm guessing it got caught in the middle of a fight between an LS1 and the rear tires, and lost. Speaking of LS1 RX7's, that seems to be pretty popular these days.

This time, an LS swap in a 2nd-generation RX7.

Mark Walker's B6 Passat 3.6 clearly enjoys the benefit of air-ride suspension; I'm not sure you could actually go anywhere with a static setup that low. But stranger things have happened. Anyone want a spare wheel?

Justin Schaub's Alpine White E36 M3 - with a bike on the roof, and a Dinan Stage 1 supercharger under the hood.

Tiffany Avina's Civic EG sedan raises a question. What's cooler - the J-swap sticking out of the hood, or the Kayak on the roof? It's different, for sure.

Nissan's GT-R still pulls a crowd wherever it goes, even if it's stock.

Pedro Valenzuela's S13 240SX hatch may not look like much from the outside. But the Z32 wheels and 5-lug swap give a hint to what sort of shenanigans are going on under the hood. (Hint: a lot. There's a feature coming up on this car in the near future.)

Chris Mason's EK sedan, lowered on D2's with a set of XXR 521's - DA and DC Integras in the background.

The attention to detail on Rich Fasanaro's white EK hatch build was just... mind numbing. Excuse me for posting more pictures than necessary. Of course it's super clean on the outside - I like the deep Diamond Racing steelies. But under the hood...

...There's the K20 swap. Just super-clean.

Of course, using the Hasport swap mount kit.

Even the header is gorgeous.

David Whitley's Nissan 350Z. Personally, I think it needs to go lower. Not low enough. It's like a Z71 or something.

The S2000 community in the southeast is pretty strong - people continue to love Honda's high-revving roadster long after the company gave up on making fun cars.