Pause Muna..

There's a life that is attached to this industry and not everyone knows it. When its getting too artificial, or a bit gloomy, or Laguna-beach-esque like in MTV, it kinda drains you a bit especially if you’re really an enthusiast more than anything else. When relationships seem to shallow already and it starts to in a way lessen your spirit. Observe as the others proudly post and seem to be absorbed by the perks of it, that it seems that it has taken over their life, may it be the beautiful faces or the nightly hang outs and what not. When you’ve seen to much attitude, or basically things which are definitely way off the mark as what a good education can provide. Or even questioning yourself as why you have gone down from a queen sized bed to a mat spread out on the floor in exchange for freedom and a view of what they call the real world. When you’re completely blanked because sometimes its never rational anymore and you end up wasting much clock.

Times like these, makes me want to step back, take a closer look at my roots, and well, just basically build another car. It's not pride or a simple whim, it's not trying to prove something or even competition. I call it a cure or a major therapy. Nothing else trumps all these emotions but an excellent canvass to start with and a slew of parts. Go old school with some post its, a calculator and writing down the things you need plus a budget to work on. It is but a simple gesture, or maybe a symbolism of a car guy. That no matter how deep or been tainted by the workings of this industry, he can pause, think over, and do what he does best. Something that is brought about by his passion, what ultimately, what brought him to what he is today. I think I want to go back now. Read between the lines. 

Staying true to your roots..

As I am writing this, I am headed to one of our country’s poorest areas. We need to work at night time, as not to attract any attention and more importantly, move faster without any distractions. 

The SUV market is exploding and we are all aware of that. I am taken aback by a conversation I had with a fellow shop owner in Banawe of the thought of gradually crossing over to accommodate such. I listened to him carefully and well here are my thoughts. Since its my birthday month, I won’t hold back too much so read carefully because the manner of thinking or writing won’t happen again anytime soon. 

I am an enthusiasts, who was influenced by my EX’s kuya with his Spoon Car back in the 90’s. I drooled when he and his brother in law would drive the streets of Kalookan with their B-Series EKs with those shiny TE37s and Advan tires. I promised myself to work every summer then so I could save some cash and experience a bit of the same. Fast forward to college.

As an enthusiasts, as abundant are the very pretty women in our school, we also had “car personalities”. There was this guy who had a B18 Civic EK with a Group5 visor and now owns a very well respected shop, I  also remember a kitted Mitsu Galant with 18s or 19s 5zigen wheels, it was basically an introduction to what they would now call VIP. A bunch of Civic SIR’s here and there, and a true pocket rocket in the form of a EG Hatch also with a B16. Of course Botchi would have his Evo back then, and an afternoon barkada of Spoon Caliper equipped EKs parked at Johnny’s for a quick game of billiards. Fast forward to after college.

I was lucky enough to find a good set of friends whom till now I am together with, and in form, are still one of the figures or personalities in the industry. We were ripping though the Subic racetrack on track days, talk about parts all night long at Alan’s place at Splitsecond Greenhills and spend wads of cash on karting at the once Mario-kart like location in Bicutan. JDM and rare are common words of discussion, it is by all means high level. Fast Forward to now..

Looking back, to my background and the parts which I have dealt with and the hard core clients I have been able to serve, I don’t see myself crossing over if you know what I mean. Its not as if we woke up one day as businessmen and thought of selling parts to a wide variety of audience. It does not work that way for me. Sometimes money isn’t always the driver here, we give way for passion. We cater to sport compacts, and would want to keep it that way. We envision projects the way they deserve it. I dream of K20 EKs, FDs and Jazz’, or wide body 86’s and BRZ’s. I aspire for track-attack Evos and STIs with those tasty diffusers which makes you wanna tail them for a glimpse, or a driving experience with an S2000 which clearly you had a hangover with. As much as I hate to say it but not all cars are meant to be modified. The SUV your dear parents gave you, no matter how many chips and beans you put unto it would never be a sport compact. If you see yourself drawing your enthusiasm and putting too much cash on a vehicle which is basically really not meant to be, I would plainly say buy a Jazz, a Silvia, or an Sti, because I know, that at the back of your mind, that is the pinnacle of your purpose. 

Let SUV's be themselves, let them serve their real purpose. Let sport compacts be sport compacts, and let have the parts they truly deserve.

And that is the reason why our shop is not crossing over. We stay true to our client base, we stay true to their passion and most importantly, we pattern the cars we modify to the same ones the Japanese are fixing too back in their homeland.

The Afternoon Feel

Maybelle annd I made a stop over after watching a epic play by Floy Quintos at Palma Hall in UP to grab a few fish balls, a hotdog sandwich and drinks at the nearby sari sari store. We sat amongst the trees with a clear view of all the joggers in the area and the field as it housed a mix of football and frisbee. The area is highlighted by the signature afternoon shade from the sky, as the air is filled with energy and enthusiasm. Such “firsts” for me like spontaneously just stopping over, buying some fish balls, the sandwich, even that pink cotton candy and randomly just hanging under the tree for a casual conversation are things which do not happen often, thus are now engrained in my head. It is as if I didn’t want it to end but as I always say, time sets all the rules and I knew it was ending in a few minutes, prompting me to absorb every detail. The setting, also solidifies my idea of what it feels to study in UP. In the past I have discarded it as just another school managed by the government, but after spending that moment, and a few days before it I finally caught the UP “feel”. though hard to explain, it can be described as life in college with a huge amount of diligence, freedom, expression, and the typical “Pinoy Life”. In my honest opinion, the campus has a certain chemistry which is hard to beat even with the likes of Lasalle or Ateneo. 

Cars on the other hand share the same sentiment of you ask me. Different cars have different feels unto it. Others may feel so reliable, others feel so luxurious and distant to the road, and others feel as if they are exclusive machines with the only purpose of ripping the road. As I always say, its best to drive as many cars as possible for you to complete such idea. It would be better of course if you built a lot f cars during your lifetime, because beyond the body kits, lights and aesthetic pieces, are a car’s soul. That of which is rooted upon handling and driving performance. What makes you Civic FD different from your sister’s Altis? :) What makes your Evo7 different from your best friend’s legendary EVo5? Why does a Nissan Silvia put a smile on your face when you drive it as compared to a car 20 years younger? Questions that may guide you for many years to come.