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Hyped up from heated discussion on the websites, flyers floating around the north coast – there wasn’t many who didn’t know that something big was happening in Portrush. Coined a show and shine event and the fact there was magazine coverage had everyone interested. It was just typical then that the heavens opened for a morning of grey clouds and rain!

We couldn’t believe it. The cars were sitting mint and the roads were a mess, the result of some nasty weather – and we had a 60 mile journey from Belfast ahead of us. But, not easily put off we took an easy run up to the north coast. By the time we had arrived though, the rain had eased off completely and we were met by another obstacle, a drive in Church! This was in one part of the huge East Strand Car Park but needless to say the modified motors were all turned away, and a quick detour moved the whole cruise to Lansdowne Car Park. Despite the poor weather, the place was packed including well over 200 heavily modified cars from all ends of the country.

People had really made the effort to turn up, and the general standard of the cars was awesome. It wasn’t long before they had all formed a massive queue, waiting excitedly to get their photo taken by Jacqui, the resident RMS photographer. A stunning green Pug 206cc with full multimedia ICE install was getting was one of the fine chariots getting the full camera treatment. Adding to the lineup were Imprezas, CRXs, Vectras, a Focus RS, Clio v6… even a Smart Car complete with dump valve!

We were asked to pick a ‘car of the day’ – not an easy one by any accounts. After hundreds of photos and a lot of chat and craic we decided that it could only go to one car, Michael Ferguson’s flip painted Saxo VTR. Michael had just returned from Max Live where the car came joint second in the Saxo competition there, and rightly so.

It was good to put more faces to names as forum members cropped up left right and centre. A special mention goes to Whippit from the RMS forum for all the help and introductions! What was even better was the crowd remained civil (probably due to the recent crackdown more than anything), though I think some of the drivers of the RWD machinery were twitching for some action. The cops came in for a few laps of the carpark and left us to it.

Of course it was only a matter of time before a convoy of Corolla Twincams, BMWs and the like headed up the twisty coast roads to Macracross, a small carpark out on the coast for some circles. We managed to follow them up to witness the inevitable tyre shredding action of donuts and burnouts whilst others headed to the Coleraine Safeway, only to get thrown out by the PSNI! We stayed out until the tyres popped before cruising home after a mental evening!

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Andy is the founding member of RMS, and when he's not following motoring events around the UK and Ireland he can be found on the track (sideways, having competed in top level drifting for a decade), or of course he'll be on the forum.