After the brutal winter we’ve had on the East this year, I’m glad it’s May. This time of year always means one thing; car season is back in action. Unlike the West and some parts of the South, we here in the East actually have an off-season when it comes to car related events. But Panda Junction serves as the official start of the season on the coast. It’s the first big event here in the Mid-Atlantic and everyone gets excited itching to bring their cars out from their winter thaw. Tuner Evolution in partnership with Los Goonies, held Panda Junction once again at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. The venue is fitting with it’s laid back vibe, which fits the overall atmosphere of the event. People are just as excited to see the cars as they are to see one another. Some of us haven’t spoke in person since SEMA or even H2Oi, so it is always good to reconnect and see familiar faces. The off-season is always hard because of the lack of car related events between October to about April or May. Danny and I met up again to cover the event for SN. From what I could observe, it seems that wide-bodies are the thing to do this year. There were a lot of cars with wide-body kits but one notable mention would have to be the Liberty Walk, Satin White GTR, that was built at APAC. The attention to detail on that Nissan was insane. Fender flares were another common theme as well. When done correctly the look can come off very decent, but in some applications, the body lines of the car get lost and things just begin to look haphazard. Vinyl wrap is another popular modification I noticed running rapid at the event as well. Vinyl allows for a cost effective means to doing a full color change, while it doesn’t beat the finish of full quality enamel paint job, I can see the appeal. Wheel finishes took center stage at Panda Junction as well, there were some beautiful wheels on some of the cars at the event. People are thinking outside the box when it comes to choosing colors, some go with colors that compliment the cars existing modifications, while others decide to run a bold color as a statement piece. All and all the event was a great time and great start to the East Coast car season. Thank you Tuner Evolution and Los Goonies for having us out at the event.
