Great Article in this Month's Modified Magazine - General Forum - j-body.org

Great Article in this Month's Modified Magazine - General Forum

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Great Article in this Month's Modified Magazine

Saturday, April 23, 2005 12:57 PM

Couldn't agree more...

"When the first Import Shows began in 1995, most of the show cars in the building were driven there and then driven around. I would see the same rides in the shows at the local schools, clubs, gatherings, and socials. Non Fujita ruled the show scene in Southern California for half a decade. His first car was an FD3S RX-7 with a ton of parts from RE-Amemiya, GReddy, O'Z Racing, and the very first carbon fiber pieces I had ever seen on a street car. On any given day his FD could be spotted at USC, around the streets of Marina Del Rey, CA, or at a local Japanese eatery around the streets of Los Angeles. His car looked fresh and was driven hard. Fujita then moved on to an S14 Silvia that ported a fully built Tomei SR20 motor, every HKS part imaginable, custom adapted Skyline GT-R parts, and loads of other Japanese goodies. This was also driven day-in and day-out by Mr. Fujita. Ron Bergenholtz and I used to battle for top Honda/Acura honors. His car had a custom paint job, a fully chromed engine bay with a drag turbo system, a DFI standalone engine management system, a full audio set up - the works! Ron still drove this car to work everyday while working at Speed Image Performance and even took the booming system out at times to have the car fly down the 1320 blacktop at the Battle of the Imports drag events. The car ran 11s even with all the chrome! I too drove my Integra everywhere. I drove around the UCLA campus, to clubs, to local meets, and just to do errands. I destroyed my car often thanks to the wonderful driveways and sinkholes here in fabulous LA, so the car always had to be freshened up before any competitions and shows. It was a joy to be able to take home awards and then to enjoy the car on the streets and local tracks. I loved rolling around in my car. I had so much respect for both Fujita and Bergenholtz. When I saw their cars around town, I thought they were crazy for leaving them out on the street but they probably thought the same thing when they saw my car in some parking lot.

Fast forward 10 years and it's a bit different. Let me start by saying that I do realize that many of the cars in the shows, especially in the smaller cities, are driven around and that most younger people still have one car that they show and drive. That's the whole point of owning a car, modifying it, and enjoying it. But as the shows have progressed the cars standing at the top of their respective categories have more modifications than ever. You've got more TVs, more speakers, more chrome, doors that go every which way, and all sorts of everything. Speedos don't work or are completely removed, brakes never get depressed, and exhaust gases never make it through the exhaust system. It takes so much more to win top honors at an automotive show these days. The problem, at least for me, is that the best cars of today have become more like movable pieces of furniture. They are like pieces of art that go on walls. They stay stationery unless they are being moved to and from the trailer. I see so many cars that have all sorts of engine upgrades yet the engine has never been cranked over. There are cars that may get driven out but only to and from the house or to and from photoshoots. It's more about the display and undercarriage at many events and how a car drives on the street is no longer of prime importance. I feel sad when I see cars that aren't really cars anymore.

I, too, have fallen in this trap of building show cars. I still try to build every project that I do to be functional but to attract attention next to the rolling couches of today one has to make compromises and nothing makes me more frustrated than knowing that something that I have worked on sits more on the show floor than driving around hugging the pavement. I'm sure that one day I will have to manage a project on what I call a "non-functional" car. By this I mean a car that will not ever see city streets or the open highway, a car that will probably never be started or dyno'ed. I hope that day never conies but progress comes with a price. To be on top of the game, I've always said that you've got to do what hasn't been done and at this point almost everything has been done. We've gotten to the point that street cars, especially in the upper levels, have become scarce. It's the death of the street car I tell you.

Cars to me are meant, above all else, to be driven no matter what is done to them but at the same time I do understand that some things need to done to be the best of the best or to capture attention. I have the utmost respect for the Best of Show vehicles of today but I do miss the days when I'd see someone take top honors and then see them driving the car around. That deserves crazy mad respect. There a select few who can still accomplish this and to them I give the biggest round of applause! May we never forget to look fresh and still drive hard.

-RJ de Vera"

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Performance cars do not win car shows and show cars do not win races.
It's up to you to decide which you'd rather win.