It’s been a full three years since I last made the trip up to Dubshed, and somehow I’d forgotten just how full-on the whole weekend is. Long days, a fair bit of standing around, and more back-and-forth walking than I care to admit—but my god, was it worth it.

This time was a bit different, a bit more special—my 180SX was actually on display in Logan Hall. First time it’s ever been shown at Dubshed(or any car show) and it honestly felt surreal. Parked under the lights, surrounded by some absolutely stunning builds, it made the long nights in the garage feel worth it. The car felt right at home—clean, simple, a little bit rowdy—and it got a good bit of attention throughout the weekend, which was a nice bonus.

Logan Hall itself was buzzing. You couldn’t take two steps without stopping to look at something that made you question your life choices. From fully restored RX-7s to proper gritty drift builds, it had it all. But it wasn’t just Japanese stuff tucked away either—Brian’s '76 Porsche 911 was proudly parked up in the German hall, and it looked class. Classic silhouette, low-slung, sitting just right and with a race-spec exhaust to boot. The kind of car that speaks softly but carries a massive stick. Watching people stop and properly take it in was really cool to see.

And the weather? Would you believe it—actual sunshine. I can’t remember the last time we had such good weather for a show weekend. It gave the whole thing this nice chilled-out vibe. People were standing outside talking for hours, grabbing coffees, just soaking it all in. You could tell no one was in a rush to leave, which says a lot about the atmosphere.

One of the best parts of the weekend wasn’t even the cars—it was the conversations. I ended up in some long chats with people I’d never met before, just properly nerding out over car culture. We went deep on things like tyre profiles, the importance of fitment, and how wheels can either make or break a build. One guy broke down his thought process for speccing a set of TE37s like it was a science experiment—offset, width, tire stretch, everything. And it is a science, in a way. All these tiny decisions add up to something that either looks dialed-in or just misses completely.

What I love about shows like Dubshed is that you see every approach to the scene under one roof. Some people are chasing OEM perfection, others are building wild, impractical monsters that just look incredible and make noise. And neither one is wrong. That’s the thing about car culture—it’s about expression, personality, and just doing things because you love it. Everyone’s got a story behind their car, and it’s those stories that make weekends like this hit different.

I also had a few really humbling moments—people coming up and saying they follow the videos or had seen the 180 online and wanted to see it in person. That still blows my mind a bit. I’m just out here messing around with old cars and cameras, so the fact that anyone’s paying attention is genuinely mad.

If I had one complaint? The travel nearly ended me. Getting up at the crack of dawn, loading the car, then driving for hours while half-awake—it’s not glamorous. And by Sunday evening, I was finished. Like, absolutely wiped. That kind of tired where you stare at your suitcase for 10 minutes thinking about unpacking and then just go to bed instead. But that’s part of the fun too, weirdly. The exhaustion after a big weekend like this almost feels earned.

Big shout to the Dubshed team for pulling it all together. The layout was solid, the vibe was chilled, and the cars were top drawer. Every hall had something that made you stop and stare. Belfast once again proving that it can throw a proper car show.