Meathman’s Diary: Car meet-ups Focus on the positives – Meath Chronicle

Gavan Becton

Published:
Thu 3 Feb 2022, 10:59 AM

In the movie about the downfall of notorious 1920’s mobster Al Capone, it’s Sean Connery who delivers the immortal line, ‘never bring a knife to gunfight’

The same can be said of rocking up to a car meet in a scruffy Ford Focus estate in need a good wash and an exorcism.

Alas, that’s where the Diary and its dusty motor found itself last Saturday evening, slap bang in the middle of lines of beautiful cars being proudly displayed and admired by other like minded individuals.

The cars poured into Navan Retail Park from 7pm, many announcing their arrival with what sounded like gunfire coming from the exhausts, others with an array of whooshes and whistles on the gear change, while others had modified horns – the Baby Shark song being one notable ear worm.

While most parked in orderly lines in the spacious carpark, others were keen to cruise around the edges, like automotive peacocks strutting their stuff and wanting to be seen. Extra caution was needed so as not to catch freshly buffed grilles and trims on the carpark’s myriad speed ramps but drivers’ radar were well tuned to the large number of youngsters darting between the souped-up Subarus, customised Corsas and Golf GTIs. This wasn’t the time or place to rapidly devalue low profile rubber tyres.

Like moths to the flame, youngsters would run to where the most noise was coming from. Generous owners let car crazy kids sit into their pride and joys and rev the engines, check out the custom dashes and dials and explain the modifications.

Talking to some of the drivers there, it was clear to see the passion and commitment they have to their vehicles. As one enthusiast from Dublin put it to the Diary: “It’s easy to go out and buy a fast car, but we build our fast cars,” pointing to his Opel Corsa that he had invested a whopping €10k to turn it into a very impressive plaything indeed.

These car meet-ups have become huge in the North East in the last couple of years in no small part due to the pandemic, where the only outlet for many of these young enthusiasts was open air chats about all things combustion engines and catalytic convertors.

This one was organised by North East Modified which arranged the meet-up over Facebook where followers stay tuned for updates of events and locations which alternate so as not to annoy the local community.

Car meet-ups have, in the past, painted pictures of boy racers and reckless donought-spinning drivers causing havoc in communities. In truth, such events are benign, friendly and inclusive gatherings albeit with a bit of noise and some localised congestion thrown in for a short period. The bottom line is most of these drivers have spent far too much cash on creating these pieces of auto artwork to be pulled for no tax, insurance or NCT.

By the time the Diary took its leave of the proceedings, the grimy Focus was surrounded by glittering GTI’s, buffed BMW’s and mint-condition Mercs. We slipped away as quietly as possible. No doubt the kids felt this particular car belonged with the Untouchables.

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Published:
Thu 3 Feb 2022, 10:59 AM

Source: https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2022/02/03/meathmans-diary-car-meet-ups-focus-on-the-positives/