Dubshed is on the way!
Sheds are usually small like the one which you can probably find in your back garden. But this one… this one has grown huge over the years… and it’s full of tasty cars! It’s time for Dubshed, ladies and gentlemen, Ireland’s biggest car show!
Since 2010, when GTINI’s flagship show – Dubshed – appeared for the first time in the show calendar, I’ve missed only two editions of this – now classic – Irish show season opener. A couple years back my mate was about to get the fancy gold plated GPS on his finger and as it happens, before they say “yes” – there was a stag party… and, so unfortunately, Dubshed the next day. As you might expect, the stag went overboard and we stayed on the orbit with Yuriy Gagarin for a little bit longer. Strike one.
Last year, although I was around for the show, I was too busy with, as it later turned out, imaginary business I’ve tried to run what resulted in another, second absence at GTINI’s flagship show. The last time I went north to Dubshed was in 2016. It was the year of big changes for the show.
“Ah, lad” – Paul mumbled when I asked him how was the night out at the before party and he carried on carefully, slowly applying quick detailer on his VW Golf Mk3 to make her look top before the crowds hit the show grounds. The car looked fresh. Paul not necessarily.
There are two main types of car events: expos and benders. There’s also Wörthersee but this is a league on it’s own. I was never a fan of the expo type… bring your car, QD it and get stuck for the whole day at a family fair with hundreds of randomers willing to leave their greasy fingerprints on your perfectly polished paintwork. And these slappers… sorry, hostesses, wannabe-models with a figure of a Bushmills barrel and skin texture as if they had this 40% milk on a daily basis for breakfast. Weetabix and whiskey. Oh, stop!
But the GTINI lads did some great work and distilled a very tasty show! Although Dubshed is more of the expo type event it mixes in a bit of craic too. At the end of the day it’s an Irish show… if you know what I mean. But, perhaps, it might have a hint of polski ways of doing things.
A few years ago the GTINI crew went over to Poland to Wolfsgruppe’s VAG Event… since then every time we meet the conversation ends on this Polish number one laid-back show and it’s unique, almost magical, family-like atmosphere – features which the lads are trying to smuggle into their events. Keep it up!
So far Dubshed is without a doubt the number one car event in Ireland and if there’s any other show to claim the runner up… it’s probably one of the two other GTINI’s shows. Since the before party has been introduced and we got to socialise more – the scene, I think, took off from there and started to grow a bit faster. We got to know each other a little bit more.
Although… we never made it to “The Box” where the before party traditionally takes places, we always had a lot of fun in Belfast. Even if we ended up drinking bottles of, god forbid, warm vodka from plastic cups in a tiny hotel room packed with a dozen of Eastern European blokes. Once we even stayed up all night and got lucky when the boys came back with this bird hungry for some chicken. Boy she liked the chicken. Them Belfast babes.
But Dubshed is no longer in Belfast. In 2016, in the year of the big changes, the show has moved from it’s original location at King’s Hall Belfast to this new spot at Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn. And it was a smart move! The new place is perfect for events like Dubshed. There’s enough indoor space for cars as well as plenty outside. There’s also a decent size food area indoors and usually a good few food trucks out.
The show has grown into a serious automotive festival. The last year I went to Dubshed it also opened up for the very first time to non-VAG cars offering an entire hall free to all makes, which was run by the I Love Bass fellas. Great idea that follows the latest trends. Later in the same year we also have run a similar, open to all makes indoor event in Dublin with the Raceism United crew – we called it xPOSED.
Our event was fun but it was far from the Behemoth of a show like Dubshed, which is clearly the biggest in Ireland. No doubt. For the random Joe it’s a great place to spend a couple hours with the lads or – in case of a bit more mature Joe – with the family. The event has something to offer for everyone.
The cars on indoor display are of top class. You’ll find the best Irish builds there as well as a couple cars which made the sail across the pond from the UK. The spots indoors are allocated to the best projects based on earlier applications, but Niall’s Jetta Mk5 Coupe had a wild card, I bet. Quite likely it’s the only two door Mk5 Jetta in the world and I actually had the pleasure to photograph this very unique car at last year’s Wörthersee – fruit of that work will be delivered in print at some stage.
An another car that caught my attention was Graham Moore’s white Jaguar Mk2… a very unusual build, an absolute stunner with totally perfect fitment. And that ass…
Also John Peden’s BMW E21 did stand out on the day despite not looking like a show car at first sight, but a slammed barn find covered in a lot of dust which somehow never flew away although that huge Holset blower sticks out from under the bonnet. Porn!
Should the indoor selection be not enough, there’s even more cars outside. There’s an area open to everyone who thinks they have a car worth showing to others. It’s designed to allow all enthusiasts bring their VAG to Dubshed to enjoy the day with mates and like minded petrol heads. But don’t be fooled, though you might stumble upon the odd Passat B5 TDI done in the good old bogger style (yes, she does boo) – there are some nice gems to find in the outdoor part of the show too.
Further away, in the public car park a few rare and interesting cars can be found as well. Like this early VW Golf Mk2 GTI sporting this so-80s bodykit. According to a friend who recently had his Kamei-kitted Mk2 VR6 featured in the Performance VW – it’s a rare BBS kit. Ugly but nice!
Back at the show grounds, there’s also an aircooled 1/4 mile drag strip (or something close to it) and a time-attack run of a few kit cars to look at. And that’s not all… but to find out what’s on offer, you’ll have to experience it yourself. Dubshed’s coming this weekend!
Since the last time I went north to enjoy Ireland’s number one show – Dubshed – a few things have changed but one… the people. Though some of them disappeared, many are still here connected in passion for the low, sexy, done up with taste cars. After winter, having done the #dubshedprep it’s time to officially start the show season at GTINI’s flagship show – the one that in my opinion had the biggest influence on our local scene here in Ireland. Well, together with big-data-robbing Facebook 😉
I still don’t know if I’ll get the chance to enjoy Dubshed this year. I hope I will, and if so – see you all there! Let’s have a look what’s in the sheds this year!
