Going Home: Riverside Chattanooga 6 Event Coverage
This week, we’re taking it back to our roots. Specifically, my hometown roots. Last week, I drove back to my lovely city of Chattanooga, Tennessee for the Riverside 6 spring meet. This is my favorite event of the year and generally the longest regular road trip on my schedule with my M52-swapped E30. Every year, I make the trek down to see my childhood friends and the car community that made me who I am today. Take a look back with me to some of the best builds the South East has to offer and enjoy my coverage of Riverside Chattanooga.
Riverside’s motto is: “Come for the Cars, Stay for the People.” As a Chattanooga native, I can attest that the city is one that uniquely allows that phrase to perfectly encapsulate the atmosphere. Friendly people, a warm and welcoming environment, and genuinely engaged enthusiasts populate that city. From outdoor enthusiasts to car enthusiasts, Chattanooga is a gem in the south that feels completely isolated, yet entirely accessible, in an otherwise completely different culture. It’s incredibly progressive and geographically interesting, yet perfectly at home there in south east Tennessee. It’s a city you’d expect to find somewhere on the north west coast, or perhaps Europe, but then also only capable of being placed where it is on the boarder of Tennessee and Georgia. It would feel odd anywhere, honestly. | | The people are friendly, the food is incredible, the scenery is unmatched in the region, and, most importantly, the car community is alive and well there. What began as a mostly Japanese Import-focused event has transformed into an anything-goes type of show, which has only furthered the message of inclusivity that Chattanooga and Riverside promote. For me, that relaxed atmosphere, lack of focus on competition or attention, and the quality of car builders in the region makes Riverside my favorite annual event. This year, the unbelievable turnout once again shattered my expectations with some truly astounding cars.
Now, I know many of you are quite focused on track builds, lap times, and competition by nature. There are plenty of cars in this showcase that are just as much at home parked in a photogenic scene as they are setting lap records, but the point of this show is to be our first look into the car season with a completely stress-free environment. There are no awards, no clout-chasing, and no competition whatsoever. It’s simply about the people, the cars, and welcoming warm weather. | | This year, I once again set out from my garage in the trusty E30. After a winter’s hibernation, some annual maintenance, and a week of shakedown driving to ensure nothing would go wrong, I was still not surprised that my 33-year-old steed experienced a few hiccups along the way. Every year, I drain the gas tank before I store the BMW for the winter. After a few years of that, I’m guessing enough of whatever is in the bottom of the original gas tank clogged my fuel filter. The day before my drive, I filled the tank up and drove into work, only to find myself stopped on the side of the highway with my M52 choked for fuel. Fortunately, I was able to replace it that evening under a shower of fuel that sprayed all over me like a waterfall of wasted money. Oh well, live and learn.
The drive itself proved fairly uneventful, which I was more than happy about, despite the nearly nine hours spent in a frame-banging, straight-piped, vintage BMW with no power steering. Regardless, I arrived in Chattanooga to my good friend and host’s home ready for a solid night’s sleep in preparation for a weekend of cars. | | Friday morning came early. I joined John Ludwick of Ludwick’s Garage/The Governor’s Club for his intimate morning brunch meet-up where I was graced with the presence of his absolutely stunning BMW 700. This car sports natural patina, evidence of its decades spent abandoned in a field where it nearly became part of the earth upon which it sat. Fortunately, John and his father came along and rescued the poor micro-car to breathe new life into the old chassis.
The story behind this car is as entertaining as the owner. After he discovered what little was left of the floors, John and his father cut out the sole of the car, shortened a VW Beetle floor pan and frame, picked a peppy VW air-cooled boxer engine to replace the little two cylinder heart originally found in the 700, and dropped the body down. Much more work, like relocating the driving position farther back, preserving the remaining body, and accounting for the air suspension setup to drop the body down to the ground went into this build. If you want to see more of this car, which I suggest you do, please go visit his website and give him a follow on Instagram to see some of the incredible work that brought this car back to life. (@john.ludwick and @thegovernorsclub) | | After a morning spent with John and his posse, I went in search for food with my high school best friend to refuel for the evening’s pre-meet gathering. The pre-meet is always as interesting, if not more so, to me than the actual event that takes place on Saturday morning at the First Tennessee Pavilion. With all the show cars, local builds, spectator cars, and folks who aren’t able to make the Saturday event intermingled, the variety of what can be found in the pre-meet is unmatched. The atmosphere is even more relaxed, as everyone spends their Friday night hanging out, eating street food, drinking, and enjoying all the Chattanooga car scene has to offer.
With the pre-meet over, my little group of hometown E30 enthusiasts all thundered back to our host’s home, already eager for the following day’s event. Little sleep was had, as is tradition, while we all caught up after having been apart for the last year. Fortunately, all our E30s were healthy, we were full of beverages, and everyone slept soundly, if only for a few short hours before the morning breakfast, wash, and wax. | | While this may be a strictly BMW/MINI platform, it’s difficult to leave out some of the other vintage cars present. One aspect of Riverside I thoroughly enjoy is the variety of not only vehicle styles and makes, but also the range of eras present. Everything from 1960s microcars like John’s BMW 700 or this Honda 300 to 80s DTM legends and JDM kōsoku-dōro stormers, to modern-day Autobahn cruisers can be found sprinkled amongst each other. This layout perfectly fits Chattanooga and it’s ‘time outside of time’ setting.
The vibe for the whole city is hard to pin to a specific time period. It’s perfectly normal to have interactions that would be at home in decades past, often forgetting you’re in modern day. It reminds me a bit of the TV show ARCHER where Cold War-era technology and cars sit alongside modern day culture and colloquialisms. Its just this blend of everything from 1960 to present that offers the collective experience all at once and honestly can’t be found anywhere else. | | | Observations aside, this show is one I encourage anyone within reasonable driving distance to attend. Last year, despite the inconvenience of the pandemic, we were fortunate enough to have not one but two Riverside events, one in the spring that was technically canceled last minute, and another official version in the Fall, but we won’t be so lucky this year. Sadly, we’ll have to wait until next March to venture back home once again for the best show of the year. Hopefully, you’ll join us there and take in the sights that make Chattanooga one of the most magical places in the South East. | | | | |
