Early Bird: Coffee and Cars With Pelican Parts

Wake up before dawn, drive your car, get coffee, and talk about your car – that’s what Coffee and Cars with Pelican Parts is all about. Gatherings put on by enthusiasts have been around since the first car clubs went out to eat at the local diner or drive-in before cruising around town. However, the most recent trend has been for the early birds. Pelican Parts got in on that act with Coffee and Cars with Pelican Parts at the Promenade on the Peninsula.

What’s great is that, even though it’s put on by the European parts aficionados, it wasn’t limited to just the Euros. Several fans brought in Nissans, Subarus, Fords, Chevys, and many other makes. That’s the secret about putting on a good, free show: keep it open to everyone. Even a JDM head can take the time to appreciate the USDM and EDM.

There were even cars you probably wouldn’t expect, like a classic Porsche with a Chevrolet LS-V8 installed. Yes, that is a LS, but the valve covers feature chrome covers to replicate a small block 350. However, it’s the intake that gives it away. It’s set up facing backwards – thanks to the intake ports being the same because you can use either head on either side on a LS – to give the piping just a little bit more room and to allow the boot to close. Another interesting swap was a Mercedes-Benz W186 300 with the LT1 swap. It’s impressive and a little brave considering what classic Mercedes fans would say and feel about it.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an event with Pelican Parts if there weren’t some Euros there. You couldn’t miss the Ferrari F40 except for the fact there were also a pair of 356s. Then there were the Slant Nose Porsches, one a targa and the other a hard top. If you can’t say you were a fan of those, you just can’t love a Porsche. Love the BMW 2002? There were well in attendance as well as a 3.0-liter CSL.

With the success of this event, Pelican Parts has announced there will be another Coffee and Cars event on April 25th. This one will be back at the Promenade on the Peninsula, so if you missed this one you have another shot. It’s well worth the early morning wakeup call.