Jim Clarke’s ’98 Kawasaki ZX7R Ninja

When Jim Clarke was 17 years old growing up in England, the first motorcycle he owned was a Suzuki GS-125 electric start. In the UK, the biggest engine anyone under 18 years of age can ride is a 125cc with no more then 14.6 brake horsepower.

“I had my 125 for just over a year and wanted to move up in size as soon as I could,” says Clarke. “I joined the British Army and was sent to Germany, and we can buy things tax-free, so I bought a Kawasaki 600. I took it out on the Autobahn and had that for about five years. I loved that bike.”

At the end of 2006, Clarke was looking for a sports bike as a daily rider and scored this ride. It was mechanically sound, but the body was a little scraped up — and that’s when he met Ivan Gabriel.

“I saw some of the work Ivan did and wanted him to work on this bike,” says Clarke. “We spoke about doing something between a street bike and a show bike, so I gave it Ivan and that is where it all ended, I should say. We both got carried away and what was supposed to be a street bike became a show bike.”

South Seas Cycle Exchange presents its inaugural Invitational Bike Show Feb. 22 at its sales lot near the airport. Jim Clarke’s Ninja is one of the bikes invited to appear at the show.

YEAR – 1998

MAKE – Kawasaki

MODEL – ZX7R

ENGINE In-Line 4cyl, 750cc, 38mm CVKD (Constant Velocity) carburetors, Ram Air System (dual intake), 4 degree ignition advance, K&N filters, jet kit, Muzzy race exhaust giving, 145 bhp at the crank

DRIVETRAIN DID 520VM chain, Vortex 15-tooth front sprocket, 44 tooth rear

SUSPENSION 43mm USD (upside down) front forks, Uni-Track rear monoshock

WHEELS Black nickel chrome rims, Galfer stainless steel braided brake and clutch lines, Wave rotors, EBC sintered brake pads

ELECTRONICS Digital ignition

FRAME Black nickel chrome

STEREO iPod in my pocket

EXTERIOR/BODY Custom candy apple-green paint with gold pearl, custom made rear seat cover, custom chain guard and wheel, intergraded rear led light (turn signals and rear lights all in one light fitting), custom adjustable racing rearsets, Yana Shiki custom billet grips, Pazzo racing levers, custom flush mount LED front turn signals, Vortex clip on bars, stainless steel engine/body screws, Vortex racing gas cap, aluminum anodized brake and clutch fluid caps

Jenny Nakata’s 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 442

Jenny Nakata grew up around cars and has fond memories of her father working on cars in the pits at the stockcar track. Today she still has an admiration for cars, but her favorite form of racing has changed to the quarter mile.

“For the past four or five years I’ve been going to Las Vegas to attend the NHRA nationals,” says Nakata. “Ashley Force, who drives a Funny Car, and Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel are my favorite drivers. And after the races are done, I usually stay a week to attend the SEMA show.”

Judging by this ride and her taste in drag racing, many would never guess that her daily driver is a 2009 Acura TL AWD. It is a very luxurious ride, but when it’s time to lay down the hammer, the TL AWD can give you a swift kick in the pants.

“There are only two of these cars on the island. The one I have and the other is on the showroom floor at the Acura dealership,” says Nakata. “I use to drive an ’04 Acura TSX, then I got a ’07 Acura TL Type-S and then I upgraded to the one I have now. You could say I am an Acura fanatic.”

The Street Toys Car Club that Nakata belongs to is always looking for new members who share the same enthusiasm for custom rides. Checkout the club’s MySpace page for more information.

YEAR – 1986

MAKE – Oldsmobile

MODEL – Cutlass Supreme 442

ENGINE 355 small block Chevy, steel crank, .030 pistons, Comp cams, 512 lift, 288 duration, gear drive, heads 2.02, 1:94 port and polish, triple springs, guide plates, 1.5 roller rockers, single plain Edelbrock manifold, ceramic coated heads, aluminum radiator, line lock, Milodon deep sump oil pan, Holley 780 dual pump, 4-inch K&N filter, MSD 6AL ignition and distributor, MSD 8.0 wires, Diamond E3 spark plugs, electric Holley fuel pump,1-inch filter

DRIVETRAIN Turbo 400, 2500 stall speed, B&M shift kit, Moroso U-joints, Summit trans cross member for dual exhaust

SUSPENSION 1-inch drop springs, Edelbrock shocks, rear-end is from a 1970 SS El Camino, 12-bolt, 3.73 posi-traction, Drag bags, drive shaft loop

WHEELS 15-by-10-inch Greg Welds, 5.5-inch back space on Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R 26X12:15, 15-by- 3-inch front Greg Welds on 24-by-5.15-inch Mickey Thompson S/R, Alloy performance axles, extended studs & Summit aluminum girdle support cover

INTERIOR American Racing Seats (black leather), Auto meter gauges, blue flame floor mats, new blue headliner.

STEREO Alpine CDA 9855 MP3/WMA CD receiver w/ Kicker speakers

EXTERIOR The bodywork and paint (car restoration) was done by Gary Cera of Rustbusters Hawaii located on the West side of Oahu. Tint: Hi Tech Tinting Blue 20 percent tint to match the blue pearl paint. Tint done by Hi-Tech located in Wahiawa PPG white base coat, clear coat, blue pearl (sprayed by Gary Cera, a good friend, owner of Rustbusters Hawaii, specializing in car restoration, paint and body work), 3-inch Cowl Induction hood

Eldon Bolahao ’98 GMC Sonoma

Modifying mini trucks back in the 1980s when they were the ride to have wasn’t as complicated as it is with today’s trucks. Cutting springs, adding blocks between the axle and leaf springs was the old school way of lowering trucks.

“My first mini truck was a 1990 Nissan hard body with the NAP-Z engine,” says Eldon Bolahao. “We had a club back in high school called EZ Scanken, which was made up of low-rider mini trucks. VWs were pretty popular, but more people were into trucks, so that’s where it started for me.”

Although today’s technology allows for more radical modifications like hydraulic suspension and eventually the latest in air ride systems, Bolahao prefers the old school method because of its simplicity and sturdiness.

“The Nissan was easier to work on because it was just blocks, springs and no electrical system to hook up,” says Bolahao. “The bummer was that you would scrape every bump in the road. With airbags you can do all kinds of stuff. Drop one side, lift the other side and raise one wheel. Some pretty cool stuff.”

Bolahao plans to install a C-notch kit and adding a set of 20s or maybe 22s before the next car show.

YEAR – 1998

MAKE – GMC

MODEL – Sonoma

ENGINE- 2.2L

DRIVETRAIN- 2wd

SUSPENSION- Air ride tech, four-link setup

WHEELS- 17-inch American racing

INTERIOR- Factory

STEREO- Panasonic CD player,12-inch Kicker CVR, 300 watt amp

EXTERIOR- Black, stepside, savers, roll pan

Bobby Gouveia’s ’97 GMC Sierra Stepside

Bobby Gouveia was 8 years old when he made his first trip to Hawaii Raceway Park, which was when he became a car enthusiast. He began building model cars and sometimes using three model cars to make one custom model car.

“I was out of high school when I got my first car,” says Gouveia. “But during my high school years, I had all kinds of ideas of what I was going to do to the car when I did get one. First I got a Toyota Celica that I built and sold, then I got into Corollas, which led into what I have now.”

Japanese four-cylinders were the fad during the 1980s, and Gouveia built a 14-second Corolla before buying a 1967 Chevy Nova SS. Since then, he hasn’t missed the shoyu burners of decades past one bit.

“I bought the Nova from this guy in Ewa Beach, Bobby Jones, who built the car,” says Gouveia. “I had it for eight years before selling it because I was in a bind. I bought the car for $5,000 and sold it for $2,500. That was wrong of me to sell the car. It was worth $14,000. I wish I hadn’t sold it.”

Today Gouveia has this GMC truck, a full-race Nova, a semi-pro street Cutlass Supreme and is currently restoring another Nova for the street. He’s definitely made up for the loss.

Vehicle Modification List

YEAR -1997

MAKE -GMC

MODEL –- Sierra

ENGINE - LS 350 with cam, headers, aluminum intake, MSD ignition, aluminum valve covers, chrome 120 Amp alternator, Spectra air cleaner

DRIVETRAIN - 4L80 transmission, B&M shift controller, 10 bolt rear end, 3:73 posi-traction

SUSPENSION- Air Ride Tech, 2 compressors, 1 tank (front to back), side to side, pancake, chrome air ride controller, digital reading

WHEELS - 20-inch chrome TYFUN 12 spoke rims w/ 255/35 series Nexen tires

ELECTRONICS/STEREO - Neon interior lights, 3.5-inch in-dash XO Vision DVD stereo system, 1200 watt Kicker amp, 2 10-inch Kicker Solo Barics speakers, 10-inch headrest monitors, Kicker highs and mids sounds

INTERIOR - Gray terry cloth interior, speed loader shifter, tribal pedals, neon lights, custom dash cover, flame floor mats

EXTERIOR - (Undercarriage) blue neon lights, 3-stage base coat, clear coat laguna blue/green Color, yellow and black graphics, Diamond headlights, parking lights, LED third brake light, rear lights, tailgate LED lights. chrome door, tailgate handles. Lambo doors

John “Boogie” Bugarin - ‘78 Chevrolet Camaro

This ride was the first car John “Boogie” Bugarin bought when he got his driver’s license while attending Damien Memorial School.With no formal training in automotive technology, Bugarin taught himself how to wrench on this car through research and reading.

“I’m fortunate to have customers who loan me their cars for a month so I can display them here in the store,“says Ian “Yoshi"Yoshizawa, manager of Ron’s Performance Center.“John’s been a loyal customer for many years, and he has built that car by himself. John’s the type who reads, gets tips and goes to shows and gets ideas.He’s built the motor,overhauled the transmission and shortened the rear end. That’s impressive.”

When Bugarin began building his first engine,it was during the days when piston rings did not come pre-fitted. He had to file each ring down to specs on an engine that had been bored .030. The allowable tolerance for error is very small, so if the clearance was off, it could cause engine failure. “I bought this car from a Japanese man who lived in the Kinau Street area,“says Bugarin.“It was in bad shape when I got it - faded factory maroon paint, 305 two barrel,the interior was shot.Basically everything was shot. For a thousand bucks, I was happy.”

Bugarin plans on putting EFI injectors and a stand-alone computer on this already radical pro street ride.Nutz!

ENGINE

GM 355c.i., 8:1 compression, Brodix Race-Rite aluminum heads, Weiand 6-71 blower, Schneider roller cam, Comp Cams “beehive” springs roller lifters and pushrods, billet aluminum valve covers, Dynatech stepped and coated headers

DRIVETRAIN

TH-350 transmission rebuilt by John Bugarin with 36-element sprag, Alto clutches, heat-treated drums and shafts, TCI 3000rpm stall,

Transgo 1&2 shift kit, B&M Pro Ratchet shifter, custom driveshaft

SUSPENSION

Front - Speedway tubular front control arms,

Energy suspension poly bushings, Weaver coil-springs, Alston Race Cars “G-brace” firewall brace, Rear - 12-bolt Gm differential, 4.88 ring & pinion gears, Moroso Brute Strength posi, Moser axles, Strange c-clip eliminator, Chris Alston Chassisworks ladder bars and 2-by-3-inch back-half chassis kit with Gabriel chromed coil-overs

WHEELS

Bogart “Force 5” two-piece wheels, front -15-by-3.5-inch with Mickey Thompson tires, rear - 15-by-14-inch with 31-by-18.5-inch

Mickey Thompson tires

ELECTRONICS

MSD 6btm boost-retard ignition, MSD Blaster SS coil, MSD Pro-Billet distributor, MSD Super Conductor wires, NGK plugs

Alan Zane - 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

Alan Zane’s earliest memories of what would eventually make him a profound car enthusiast began when he was attending Liliuokalani Elementary School in Kaimuki. The rhythm of heavy trucks shifting through the gears driving past the school was music to the young Zane’s ears.

“I remember looking out of the classroom window daydreaming in class,listening to these trucks hauling gravel shift through the gears,” says Zane. “And after awhile you could hear the difference in the shifting from truck to truck. Some would shift smooth and others would miss a shift or be out of sync. These are my fondest memories of things related to four wheels and cars.”

As Zane got older, his daydreaming in class led to him drawing and doodling Cobras, Panteras and other cars. Today he owns or has owned many of the cars he once drew growing up.

The racing lineage, sleek design and rarity are a few reasons for its appeal to many who see this ride.

“The nicest thing about this car is the people you meet,“says Zane.“There is something about an American-built car with this heritage that attracts people who are not hesitant to start talking to you about this car.With a Ferrari (Zane owns one), it’s different. They like the car, they like the looks, but they are afraid to come up and talk about the car because they think Ferrari owners are stuck up.”

Zane and this ride just returned from a long road trip on Route 66, where he drove as long as eight hours at a time. The car, he says,“It’s akeeper.”

ENGINE

Roush Racing Enterprises, 515 HP, 500 ft.-lbs. torque, 402 ci, Dart Iron Eagle Sportsman block, 4-bolt mains, 4.0x4.0 bore and stroke, forged 4340 steel-H beam connecting rods, compression Ratio 10.0:1.0, Pistons Wiseco forged, Plasma molly rings, lightweight wrist pins, timing chain double roller, cylinder heads aluminum AFR 186, carburetor Holley 770 CFM vacuum secondary, electric choke, fuel pressure gauge, K&N air filter, Holley Billet HP 125, redline: 6250 rpm, Melling, adjustable high output, starter super high torque, oil pan 8 quart, baffled, front sump, oil cooler Derale, electric fan, radiator aluminum, twin thermostat, controlled Spal fans, manual override, headers ceramic coated

DRIVETRAIN

Tremec T-56, 6-speed, rear axle by Strange Engineering, Hydra Track limited slip differential, final drive ratio 3.46, McLeod clutch, racing aluminum flywheel

SUSPENSION

Full independent front and rear, unequal length dual A arms, Bilstein adjustable shocks, H & R coilover springs, powered rack and pinion steering, 12.8-inch front disc brakes, 12.0-inch rear disc brakes, Wilwood brake calipers.

WHEELS

Front, 8.5-by-18-inch; rear, 11.0-by-18-inch, Fiske forged polished alloy, designed by Peter Brock, BRE Racing, 5-pin Knockoffs, Tri-Wing Spinners

‘06 Nissan 350z - Reyn Agcaoili

A few years ago while still in high school, Reyn Agcaoili would argue with his older sister over who would use the Mazda MX6 they were suppose to share.

Today he owns this Z that he modified two weeks before entering last year’s Hot Import Nights.

“I bought this car in ‘07 because I was going to work on my Hachi,” says Agcaoili. “Then I bought generic parts for this car but nothing fit, so I left it in pieces for two months. Two weeks before HIN I decided to challenge the other Z’s in the show, and I bought and installed most of these mods you see before the show.”

Two weeks ago Agcaoili entered HIN and although he didn’t win his class, he did win the Hottest Performance class.

Because he didn’t win his class, he has a few secrets up his sleeve before the next import show.

“This is about half of what I want to do to this car,“says Agcaoili.“I might change the exterior look of the car because I’m starting to see replica body kits similar to this one. I want to be different from everyone else, so a change is coming, and it’s a secret.”

The work Agcaoili has done to his Z over the short time he’s has it makes him a real a trendsetter.

It’ll be interesting to see this car in a few months.

ENGINE

Kinetix SSV manifold, Greddy twin turbo kit, x2 TDO5H-18G turbos, x2 Cast-Iron manifolds, x2 external Tial type T wastegates, x1 E-manage, x6 550cc injectors, x2 Airinx AY-SB, Greddy 3 core intercooler, Synchronic Synaspe BOV, Greddy oil pan, oil catch tank, ARC cooling panel, 3-inch downpipes, True dual 3-inch exhaust, two 3-inch resonators, x2 Blitz Nur Spec exhaust

EXTERIOR

Power Enterprise stubby antenna, C-west full kit; front bumper, side skirt, rear bumper, JP Type-A wing, , VIS VT style carbon fiber hood custom painted, Aero catch hood locks, Volk Formula racing lugs (black)

SUSPENSION WHEELS

Tein hood dampners, Tein Flex with EDFC controller, Hotchkis sway bars front and rear Volk GTF, 19x9.5 front wrapped with 245/35/19 Nitto 555, 19x10.5 rear wrapped with 275/35/19 Nitto 555

INTERIOR

x2 Sparco Torino II racing seats, x2 4-point Takata harness, custom harness bar made by SRD, custom low seat brackets, Nismo shift nob

STEREO

Alpine double din, Focal speakers front and rear polyglass, x2 10-inch Rockford sub-woofers P3 in custom sub floor made by Mobile Car Audio

EXTERIOR

Power Enterprise stubby antenna, C-west full kit; front bumper, side skirt, rear bumper, JP Type-A wing, , VIS VT style carbon fiber hood custom painted, Aero catch hood locks, Volk Formula racing lugs (black)

Yu-Wei Tsai’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

While attending the import show back in August Yu-Wei Tsai was inspired by the Evo owners there to build himself a sick E-8. After hours of researching the parts and feedback from other owners, Tsai had this ride show ready in time for last week’s Hot Import Nights.

“I did a ton of research, and I didn’t want to be just another Evo,” says Tsai. “I went with stuff that other Evo’s didn’t have, like my trunk. I have the only 4-point trunk cage in Hawaii and I upgraded my strut bar in the engine bay. There are several other things I have that others don’t — I wanted to be unique.”

Getting the car done in time for HIN was exciting for Tsai, especially since it was his first car show. Once at the show he found out how brutal the car show world can be on a first-timer, even though his car is one of the top 3 Evo’s on the island.

“HIN was a pretty strange experience. I followed all of the rules that they e-mailed me only to find out that nobody was abiding by those rules,” says Tsai. “And when they announced the Mitsubishi winners, Third took the Wild category and they never announced the Mild category. There was seven of us Evo owners waiting with our friends and crew until the end of the show and they never announced the winner.”

The experience hasn’t deterred Tsai and he plans on upping his game for the August show where he hopes for a more pleasant experience.

Models: Kathryn Harrison, Marilyn Kiriakos

YEAR – 2005

MAKE – Mitshibishi

MODEL – Evolution VIII

Shout out to my wonderful wife Celheen who supported me all the way. To Third J. who was always there to help me out. To Christy from Krazee Thoughts for her support. And to 25th Transportation Company 3rd Platoon, who supported throughout HIN 2008

ENGINE- HKS 272 exhaust camshaft, HKS 272 intake camshaft, AMS tubular manifold, AMS 1000cc injectors, AMS intercooler cold pipe, AMS down pipe, AEM engine management system, AMS Garrett GT35R turbocharger, Tial 38mm wastegate, ETS intercooler cold pipe, Odyssey Racing battery, Turbo Smart RFL blow-off, RSR test pipe, RSR exhaust system, Samco Racing radiator hoses, Ingalls Stiffy Engine Torque Damper, Hallman Evolution RX boost controller, ARP head bolts, Cometic head gasket, K&N Air Filter

DRIVETRAIN- Perrin short shifter

SUSPENSION- Tein S-Tech springs, Greddy front triangle strut bar, GT Spec complete trunk cage

WHEELS- 17 in. Gram light 57s bronze rims, BF Goodrich KDW 245/40 tires, Rays Light-Weight lug nuts

ELECTRONICS- Apexi Turbo timer, ProSport EGT gauge, ProSport boost gauge, ProSport water temp gauge, ProSport oil pressure gauge

INTERIOR- ARC polished shift knob, RalliArt neck pillow, ATI E-Pod 60mm gauge pod, 60mm triple dash gauge pod

STEREO- Stock

EXTERIOR- C West front bumper, C West front bumper carbon fiber canards, Charge Speed carbon fiber side skirts, Charge Speed Carbon fiber rear bumper caps, MR Vortex, Perrin Shorty antenna, JDM OEM rear bumper, JDM OEM EVO VII tail lights, JDM side markers, JDM spoiler extension, Seibon carbon fiber hood painted

Steve Yoshimoto’s ‘65 Corvette Coupe

This Vette is the outcome of several friends getting together once a week to help another friend rebuild his dream car. The job was a complete frame-off restoration, which takes days and days to do. It gives you an idea of the kind of friends Steve Yoshimoto has.

“I bought this car from John Pinero, and back then the color of the car was Nassau blue, same as the interior you see,” says Yoshimoto. “Then friends like Mel Sakaba and Larry Caetano would come up to Dennis’ house to work on this car. A lot of people from cruise nights helped me out, too.”

Just knowing that Pinero, Sakaba and Caetano were involved in the rebuild gives many who know them an idea of how meticulous it was put together. Although there were a few things that didn’t go as planned.

“The most difficult part of the build was getting the parts from the Mainland,” says Yoshimoto. “A lot of the times when they sent me the part, it wouldn’t fit. So we would have to make adjustments in order to get the part to work. So it was the little things that made the difference.”

The midnight blue paint job is what Yoshimoto is most proud of, and as if building this ride wasn’t enough, Yoshimoto is looking for another Corvette to build.

YEAR - l965

MAKE – Corvette

MODEL - Coupe

ENGINE – 331c.i Chevy

DRIVETRAIN – Muncie M-21, 3:90 rear end

SUSPENSION – Stock front end, rear composite monosprings with polyurethane bushings

WHEELS – 15x6 rallys front 15x8 rallys in rear

ELECTRONICS – MSD ignition

INTERIOR – Stock nassau blue interior

STEREO – AM/FM radio

EXTERIOR – GM midnight blue

Wayland Lum’s ’67 Shelby GT500E

The first thing people say when they see this car is “That’s the car from the movie Gone In 60 Seconds!” This is not an original Eleanor but a replica that has caught the eyes of many car experts since its resurrection from a regular fastback.

“My son, who goes to college in San Diego, saw this car for sale there and called me and sent me some pictures,” says Lum. “I wasn’t looking for a ’67, but I always liked the ’67s —  not so much the ’65s because they are a little smaller, and the ’70s are too big. But the ’67, ’68 and ’69 were the size I liked.”

The Mustang Shop in Tucson, Ariz., built this ride, which was owned by David Threshy and was featured in a popular car publication. Representatives from Unique Performance, who were the premier builders of Eleanor when they were in business, were quoted in the article saying this replica has the same level of workmanship or better than what Unique Performance used to put out.

“When you sit in the car you feel like you’ve just stepped back in time,” says Lum. “I don’t know what it is about the car, maybe it’s the dash — the way the instrument panels are designed with the chrome pieces. And when I drive down the road people have their cell phones out taking pictures of the car. So it’s great to see other people showing their appreciation.”

A car of this caliber isn’t easy to find, and Lum plans on keeping this in the family for a long time.

YEAR – 1967

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Shelby GT-500E

ENGINE 392 ci Windor balance and blueprinted, aluminum GT-40 heads, Holley 750cfm double pump, aluminum intake manifold, aluminum Griffin radiator, twin thermostat controlled fans, custom fan shroud, stainless steel braided hoses, anodized regulator, fuel pressure gauge, billet pulleys, polished aluminum Ford racing valve covers, chrome breathers, Ford racing wires, chrome air cleaner, Sanden A/C compressor, Ford alternator, street performance brackets, custom power steering reservoir, serpentine belt, Motorcraft distributor, MSD coil, MDS 6 Al ignition system, rack and pinion power steering, chopped steering linkage, billet shock tower reinforced plates, hi-torque starter, Miloden oil pan, powder-coated control arms

DRIVETRAIN Tremec 5-speed manual transmission, 9-inch rear end, custom aluminum driveshaft, custom aluminum safety loop, custom Spintech 2.5-inch exhaust system, side exit exhaust sytem

SUSPENSION QA-1 rear coil over shocks, adjustable front shocks

WHEELS Aluminum GT-40 wheels, Michelin 245/40/17 front, 315/40/17 rear, rear disc brakes, custom powder coated rear calipers, vented front disc brakes

ELECTRONICS Shelby rear lights, custom backup lights, mini PIAA driving lights, twin PIAA halogen lights. Exnon turn signals

INTERIOR Custom Restomod shifter with billet linkage, stock pedal with billet trim, Simpson harness, custom black wool carpet, pro car black vinyl, stock dash, custom underdash A/C vents and control panel, custom instrument cluster, Grant GT steering wheel

STEREO Trunk mounter multi-disc CD changer, custom deck and speaker system

EXTERIOR Custom metallic blue paint with white super snake stripes, Fatman fabricated front end kit, custom molded fiberglass bumper, custom front air duct, billet grill, custom fiberglass hood, flared front wheel arches, custom faux side vents, Sebring gas flap, fiberglass rear deck lid with spoiler, fiberglass rear bumper

Elton Yoneda ’69 Camaro RS/SS

Most Camaro enthusiasts will recognize this ride as the RS/SS that Eddie Kaito built. Through a gentlemen’s agreement made years ago, Elton Yoneda was the first person Kaito offered to sell this custom rod to.

“I’ve known Eddie for a long time, and I told Eddie if he ever decided to sell the car please let me know first,” says Yoneda. “And that was a gentlemen’s agreement, so when he was ready to sell it, he was gracious enough to call me and sell the car to me.”

When Kaito called Yoneda he was about to write a check and buy a 1941 Willy’s, which has been a dream car of Yoneda’s for a number of years. The timing of Kaito’s call as Yoneda had his pen and checkbook out made him stop and rethink his pending purchase.

“I had my checkbook out and the pen was just about to touch the surface of the check when Eddie called,” says Yoneda. “So there must have been a reason for Eddie calling at the time he did, which made me reconsider buying the Willy’s and getting this car instead.”

If and when Yoneda decides to sell this ride, the first person he will offer to sell it to will be Eddie Kaito.

YEAR – 1969

MAKE – Chevrolet

MODEL – Camaro

ENGINE- Chevrolet 502

DRIVETRAIN- 5-speed manual

SUSPENSION- Global West

WHEELS- Budnic with Nitto tires

ELECTRONICS- MSD Ignition

INTERIOR- Stock

STEREO- Kenwood

EXTERIOR- Dusk blue metallic w/ white stripes

Brendon Lau’s ’93 Lexus LS400

For the second year in a row, Bryan Lee of Eurosport brought Junction Produce and the local VIP community together at his annual barbecue at the park. Shigeo Tsuzuku, who heads JP export division, was wrapping up a five-city tour that is making Junction Produce a household name.

“Junction Produce is the Gucci of VIP products, and it’s the stuff you want on your car,” says Brendon Lau. “Their products are very well made compared to other products I’ve used. And the fact they come down to meet all of us shows they stand behind their products.”

Tsuzuku, whose trip started at the SEMA show in Las Vegas then continued to Los Angeles, San Diego and Vancouver before stopping here, took the first steps of making JP available worldwide. He’ll return to Japan for a short time, and then he’s off to other parts of Asia to continue JP global reach of the VIP market.

“It is difficult to estimate how much revenue my trip throughout North America will generate, but we have a really good feeling about the contacts we’ve made,” says Tsuzuku. “But, on the other hand, we are facing a recession and huge difference in the exchange rate, so this is something we will be addressing in the near future.”

Sales at the Japan-based company have not slowed, and the popularity of VIP styling shows no signs of recessing either.

YEAR – 1993

MAKE – Lexus

MODEL – LS400

ENGINE 4.0 liter, 250 hp

DRIVETRAIN 4-speed automatic w/OD

SUSPENSION Junction Produce air ride

WHEELS Junction Produce

ELECTRONICS None

INTERIOR Factory

STEREO Custom

EXTERIOR Junction Produce body kit

Darwin Fernandez 2004 Mistubishi Lancer Evolution viii

Two years ago Darwin Fernandez entered this Evo in the August import car show but didn’t place. That year Third Jarlego swept all of the awards in the AWD category and that’s when Fernandez wanted to up his game.

“I meet Third back in 2004 at a car show, and he had a white Evo that appeared in several magazines,” says Fernandez. “I said to myself I wanted to be like him so I started building this. Over the years Third and I help each other, and he is the Godfather of my daughter.”

A few months ago while hanging out together the two Evo owners formed the Evo Club of Hawaii. The clubs mission is to be leaders in the custom car community and promote family values.

“We have 18 members in the club and they range from military to regular Evo owners,” says Fernandez. “We have meetings every first week of the month and we have picnics and play basketball. Right now we are working on this guy’s car for free which is how we help out each other.”

If you’re interested in joining the Evo club of Hawaii email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information. Go forth and modify is their motto.

Vehicle modification list

Year – 2004

make – Mitsubishi

model – Lancer Evolution viii

Engine - 4g63 2.0l dohc, 16-valve inline-4, twin-scroll turbo charger (td05hr-16g6), ARC front mount intercooler, ARC intake filter, ARC titanium tri color spark plug cover, ARC titanium radiator shroud, ARC titanium manifold cover, ARC thermostat, ARC radiator cap, HKS ssq blow-off valve, HKS 272 intake camshaft, HKS 272 exhaust camshaft, HKS cat-back exhaust, HKS hi-flow muffler, HKS cam gears, HKS oil cap, HKS upper intercooler pipe, Cusco titanium strut bar, Cusco blue turbo induction pipe, Cusco blue upper radiator hose, Cusco blue lower radiator hose, Cusco blue vacuum hoses, Varish carbon fiber cams cover, Varish carbon fiber fuse box cover, JDM red carbon fiber power steering cap, Nisei small aluminum battery tray, Kinetic blue small battery, tuned by AMS 330hp from the wheels on 92 octane pump gas

Drive - train 5-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive

Suspension - Red swift super street drop springs, McPherson struts, Brembo brakes

Wheels - 18 inch advan rgii racing wheels, 235/40 nitrogen racing tire, Rays blue light weight lug nuts, Rays tire valve caps

Electronics - Viper remote start alarm, rear view camera

Interior - Recaro full leather interior, Defi bf boost gauge, Defi air fuel gauge, Defi controller unit, HKS Evc monitor unit, HKS electronic boost controller, Sparco racing pedals, Sparco racing shift knob, Ralliart floor mats, Ralliart seatbelt pads, Apex turbo timer, Takata racing seatbelts, Momo steering wheel

Stereo - Dual in dash 7” motorized touch screen dvd/cd/mp3, 800 watts audiobahn amp, 10” Rockford subwoofer

Exterior - JDM blue rear bumper, JDM side markers, JDM carbon fiber hood, JDM carbon fiber front lip, JDM carbon fiber front bumper air ducts, JDM carbon fiber rear bumper extension lip, JDM Evo mr taillights, JDM Evo mr head lights, JDM window deflector, JDM blue vortex generator

Darrel Pestana’s Mini Classic

With 34 years of dealership experience, Darrel Pestana has sold just about every car made — domestic or import. As sales manager, his expertise has made Mini of Hawaii one of the top dealerships on the island.

“I first started off as a lot attendant back in 1974 at Honolulu Ford,” says Pestana. “At first I wanted to become a mechanic but I was offered a sales position, which I hesitated to accept. But it ended up being the best decision of my life.”

After managing several other dealerships, Pestana has found a home at Mini of Hawaii and he is proud of his happy staff, which produces satisfied customers, some of whom have come together as members of the Mini Club of Hawaii, which will have its Mini Cooper car show at Aloha Tower this weekend.

“We partnered with the Hawaii Mini motor club a few years ago and did a show at Ala Moana Park, then Keehi Lagoon. And for the past three years the show has been at Aloha Tower,” says Pestana. “So clients get to show their cars to the public, and it also is a toy drive for homeless children here on Oahu.”

The car show, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9,  is free and open to the public. Organizers are asking for new, unwrapped toy donations.

OWNER: DARREL PESTANA

MAKE: Classic Mini

MODEL: Limited Edition British Open Classic Cooper

SPECIFICATIONS: 10 feet long-by-4 feet 2 inches high-by-5 feet wide

CURB WEIGHT: 1,640 pounds

ENGINE: A- series, 4 cylinder, transverse OHV,1275cc MPI

HORSEPOWER: 63hp@5,500rpm

DRIVETRAIN: 4 speed manual

SUSPENSION: all independent, Koni shocks

EXTERIOR: British Racing Green metallic

BODY FEATURES: power operated webasto sunroof, Sportpack wheel arch flares, opening rear quarter windows

ELECTRONICS:12 volt negative earth,4 halogen front driving lamps, , electronic ignition with quad dry coils, full permetric alarm system, rear fog lamp

INTERIOR TRIM: Green leather seat facings

INTERIOR FEATURES: burled walnut dash and door trim, magnolia face gauges, 3 spoke-burled walnut/leather steering wheel,

IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT: JVC KD-AVX dvd/cd receiver w/ 6” Sherwin vega speakers

WHEELS: 13”X6” Minilite style wheels with 175/50R13 Dunlop tires

ECONOMY: urban-33mpg, extra urban-52mpg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 90mph

FUEL CAPACITY: 5gal.

Rod Laszlo 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Targa

When most people hear the name Porsche they think of speed, handling and racing, not something the local soccer mom would use to haul kids around. Rod Laszlo told his wife that this 911 Targa would make a great family car as well as accommodate his need for speed.

“That’s how I sold it to my wife,” says Laszlo. “She said, ‘no one uses the back seats,’ but the Porsche event I took her to on the Mainland had a family that drove 500 miles, and they had their two kids in the back seat. I said to her ‘Look, there’s a family car.’”

Laszlo uses the car to drop off his 11-year-old son, which gives his son props from all of his friends who think the Porsche is a cool car. Then its off to Hawaii Raceway Park where he and other Porsche enthusiasts go to stretch out the gears.

“We really need to get a racetrack here,” says Laszlo. “This is my second Targa and I’ve run at Road Atlanta, Sebring, Mid-Ohio and Portland International on track days. I ran at HRP twice with this car, so what we really need back here is a racetrack.”

Hopefully having professional racecar driver Leilani Munter on Oahu in November on behalf of the Conservation Council of Hawaii will help the cause. She’ll be speaking about being a racecar driver and environmentalist. (http://www.LeilaniMunter.com).

YEAR - 1992

MAKE - Porsche

MODEL – 911 Carrera 4 Targa

ENGINE – 3.6L, 250 HP, dual plug, fuel injected, flat six, air intake, ProMax Motorsport performance chip, Fab Speed custom exhaust

DRIVETRAIN – All wheel drive, with the Sputnik first generation traction control system

SUSPENSION – Upgraded H&R performance springs, Bilstein Sport shocks

WHEELS – 17-inch factory Carrera Cup alloys, Bridgestones

ELECTRONICS – Power everything

INTERIOR – Classic gray leather seats

STEREO – Blaupunkt Daytona with 10 CD changer

EXTERIOR – Cobalt blue color, upgraded lighting, European front lenses, Targa top design

John M. Cummings III ’04 Mini Cooper S

Mini of Hawaii will have its third annual Mini Cooper car show and toy drive at the Aloha Tower Marketplace on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cars will be parked along the Boat Days Promenade at the base of Aloha Tower, and the public is welcome to talk to the Mini owners.

“In 2004 I had a booth at the Food and New Products Show, which was across from the Mini Cooper booth,” says John Cummings. “And for three days at the show I got to check out the car and learn more about the vehicle. The following week I was at the dealership and took the Mini Cooper for a test drive, then I drove the Mini Cooper S.”

That same day Cummings test-drove the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works, and that’s when he was sold and bought this Mini. The John Cooper Works package had to be installed, and that took a few days to complete before he took delivery of the car.

“From the exterior the car looks small, but when you get inside there is a level of comfort and luxury I find hard to match in anything else,” says Cummings. “Plus this car has a great safety rating. It has air bags all around and a good steady feel on the ground. You don’t drive a Mini, it’s more of an experience.”

Admission to the Mini show is free and open to the public, but organizers are asking for new, unwrapped toy donations, which will go to homeless children on Oahu.

YEAR - 2004

MAKE - MINI Cooper

MODEL – S – John Cooper Works Tuning Kit

ENGINE – 207-hp supercharged 1.6-liter inline-4 cylinder, John Cooper Works Kit: enlarged supercharger, abradable ceramic particle rotor coating, modified cylinder head, 15 percent higher compression, smaller blower pulley, colder spark plugs, reprogrammed ECU, improved air filtration, new cat-back stainless exhaust system, JCW badges, 2005 upgrade, JCW CAI Kit, new fuel injectors, new ECU programming to increase engine performance from 200hp to 207hp

DRIVETRAIN - 6-speed manual with Helix 13 Short Shift Kit

SUSPENSION - Sport package, dynamic stability control, front Indent McPherson strut, rear Independent multi-link, Helix 13 slotted front rotors, EBC green stuff brake pads front and rear

WHEELS - Panther Intimidators, BFG G-Force Sport 205/45 ZR17

ELECTRONICS - VDO Gauge Pod

INTERIOR - Sport Bucket Seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel

STEREO - Harman Kardon CD stereo with six speakers

EXTERIOR - Front fog lamps, rear spoiler, bonnet stripes; xenon headlights, headlamp washers, Indi Blue Metallic paint, driving lamps

Joe Schnablegger’s 1989 Ford Mustang LX

One day while on a Mustang cruise, Joe Schnablegger watched as his 1993 GT burned to the ground after a fuel leak in the engine compartment ignited when he tried to start the car. Upset at the loss but still a Mustang fan, he bought another GT only to have it sideswiped while parked on the street.

“I’ve learned so much and know what to watch out for after experiencing it for myself,” says Schnablegger. “So far this car hasn’t given me any problems, knock on wood, and I don’t take things for granted. When things happen like they have to me, you think twice about parking your car in certain places.”

Aside from the fire extinguisher, Schnablegger has some serious parts to add to this Mustang and plans on getting it up to 500-plus horsepower in the next few months and 600 hp within a year. So expect to see this car really rumble down the street after all of the modifications are installed.

“The setup on this car is a little more extreme, and with the tuner I have on this car I get about 15 miles to the gallon,” says Schnablegger. “So if I can get the same mileage at 500-plus horsepower, I can’t complain.”

Schnablegger is the director of the Hawaii Performance Mustang Club, and for more information on membership and the club, log onto HawaiiPerformanceMustangs.com.

YEAR – 1989

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Mustang LX

ENGINE Ford Racing crate motor E-cam, GT-40 aluminum turbo swirl heads, GT-40 intake manifold, 1.7 crane roller rockers, 42# FRPP injectors, 70mm BBK throttle body and spacer, 3-inch PMAS Flotube MAF, Procharger 12 Rib P1SC, 3 core inter-cooler, Kirban adjustable fuel pressure regulator, FRPP aluminum radiator 2 row, Edlebrock high-flow aluminum H20 pump, FlexFan 17-inch, MSD Distrubutor, MSD coil, cap, rotor, FRPP spark plug wires, 255lph Walbro GSS340 fuel pump, MAC shorty headers, BBK Off_Road X-pipe, 2 chamber flowmaster with stainless 2.5-inch tips

DRIVETRAIN RAM HDX heavy duty clutch, Ford Racing flywheel, ARP flywheel bolts, Ford Racing aluminum driveshaft, Ford Racing driveshaft safety loop, Ford Racing 3.73 gears, Trick Flow rear end girdle, Ford Racing traction loc rebuild kit, Pro 5.0 shifter, Steeda adjustable clutch cable, Steeda Billet double hook clutch quadrant, Ford Racing steel bearing retainer, Centerforce throwout bearing, Converted from an auto to a T-5

SUSPENSION Ford Racing “C” springs, SVO sub-frame connectors, Steeda adjustable lower control arms, Ford Racing upper control arms, Ford Racing strut tower brace, BBK caster/camber kit, Tokico Illumina 5-way adjustable shocks and struts

WHEELS 17x9 front / 17x10.5 black deep dish bullitt rims, Cobra center caps, Gorilla locking lug nuts

ELECTRONICS 6AL Ignition, 140 amp alternator conversion, PA 4gauge wire/250amp fuse kit, Innovative Wideband

INTERIOR Corbeau GTS II seats w/Sport Tan Interior, Autometer Sport Comp II gauges, Gtech EGS Unit, Bullitt Shift Knob

STEREO Alpine ipod/mp3/cd/stereo tuner, Alpine type S 6 1/2-inch in doors and 5x7’s in back diamond audio 3 1/2-inch in dash, 2 12-inch kicker CVR in Custom box w/amp rack (Vinyl), 1.2 farad digital cap, 250 Kicker Impulse 4channel amp, 1000w sub amp

EXTERIOR One piece black headlights, Shortened antenna, Factory sunroof, Factory “Adobe” paint (single stage), HPM stickers

Cyrus Wong’s 2009 Nissan GT-R

At a glance, a lot of people (who are not familiar with cars) have mistaken this GT-R for a Corvette, Mustang and even Ferrari, depending on the angle they are looking from. But a glance is all you’ll need for it to get your attention. This is one of five GT-R’s on the Island, and the third to be delivered to its owner, Cyrus Wong.

“I’ve always been interested in cars, and when I was in intermediate school I used to draw cars and wanted to be a car designer,” says Wong. “I still have a couple sketches that I kept. And when I was going to Kaimuki High School my first car was a 1966 Opel Cadet that I bought from my brother.”

Wong never thought his drawings were good enough for him to pursue a career as an automotive designer, but he never lost his admiration for cars. One of the many cars he has owned was a 1971 Dodge Colt with a Mitsubishi engine.

“Oh, that car I bought brand new, and it had a 4-cylindar with a 4-speed transmission,” says Wong. “I put on headers, a Dyno tune kit, traction bars and it did 17 seconds down the quarter mile. It was a good car for what it was.”

If you’re interested in buying one of these land rockets, do your research. You can’t walk into your nearest Nissan dealership and buy one off the showroom floor.

YEAR – 2008

MAKE – Nissan

MODEL – GT-R

ENGINE Turbocharged 3.8L V6 DOHC-4v, HP: 480@6400, TQ: 430@3200

DRIVETRAIN 6-speed automated manual, AWD, 6-speed dual clutch transmission with three driver-selectable modes

SUSPENSION 4-wheel independent suspension with Bilstein DampTronic system, three driver-selectable modes, electronically controlled variable-rate shock absorbers, high-accuracy progressive-rate coil springs, front double-wishbone/rear multi-link configuration, aluminum members and rigid aluminum subframes, hollow front and rear stabilizer bars.

WHEELS 20 x 9.5-inch (front) and 20 x 10.5-inch (rear) super-lightweight forged-aluminum wheels with gunmetal gray finish, exclusively developed nitrogen-filled Bridgestone RE070A high-capacity run-flat summer tires, 255/40R20 front and 285/35R20 rear, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), optional exclusively developed nitrogen-filled Dunlop® run-flat all-season tires, 255/40R20 front and 285/35R20 rear

ELECTRONICS HDD-based GPS navigation with touch screen, driver-configurable performance monitor, developed with Sony Polyphony, graphical readouts of vehicle data and driving data displayed on a total of 11 screens, 7-inch WVGA high-resolution color-LCD display for audio, navigation and performance monitor

INTERIOR Automatic Temperature Control (ATC), electronic analog instrument cluster with multi-function trip computer and digital gear indicator, power front windows with one-touch auto-up/down feature, intelligent key system with pushbutton start, power door locks, cruise control, Tilt/telescoping steering column, bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice recognition

STEREO Digital Bose audio system with AM/FM/in-dash 6-CD changer, 11 speakers including dual subwoofers, HDD Music Box system, including hard drive with 9.4 GB for audio storage, MP3, WMA and DVD audio capable, in-dash compact flash card reader

EXTERIOR Wide-beam headlights with High Intensity Discharge (HID) low beams, LED taillights and brake lights, dual heated power mirrors, flush-mounted aluminum door handles, body-color rear spoiler with integrated center high-mounted stop light, UV-reducing tinted glass

Ambro Ilagan’s 1997 Porsche 993

While on vacation in California, Ambro Ilagan drove his brother in-law’s 1976 Porsche Turbo on the San Diego freeway, and his mind was made up. The one time GM enthusiast was now a hooked on German engineering.

“When I got on the freeway I just couldn’t believe the power and handling,” says Ilagan. “It was the first turbo Porsche and it was really something to drive and that’s when I fell in love with the Porsche.”

A little while after that Ilagan bought himself a 1973 Targa 911 and has been a Porsche guy ever since. This 993 is the sixth Porsche he has owned, which is the last of the air-cooled engines that Porsche built.

“I usually keep my cars for five years before selling them,” says Ilagan. “I like to upgrade my cars after a while. And when I sell the car that I have it is in better condition than when I got it. I got this car about a year ago, and it is pretty unique and hard to find so I’ll keep it for at least five years.”

The Porsche Club of America Hawaii region’s next event is an island cruise in October and will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year. For more information log onto http://hi.pca.org/events.html.

OWNER – AMBRO ILAGAN

YEAR -  1997

MAKE -  Porsche 993

MODEL –  Carrera S, Wide body

ENGINE – 3.6 l air-cooled h-6, 282 hp @ 6300 rpm, 300 hp with upgraded exhaust, torque 250 ft/lb @ 5250 rpm, 3,064 lbs

DRIVETRAIN – 6-speed manual transmission, rear wheel drive

BRAKES – 4 wheel vented, anti-lock system

WHEELS – 18” Porsche technology silver alloys

INTERIOR – Black leather

STEREO – Kenwood

EXTERIOR – Original Porsche black

EXHAUST – Dual SS Fabspeed Maxflow

Troy Sueoka’s 2003 Mercedes Benz S55

This Mercedes Benz S55 took home first place in the Euro class at the NEO Street car show last month. Troy Sueoka bought this car last December from a dealership in Michigan, and today it is one of a few European cars sponsored by Junction Produce.

“After I bought this car I took a trip to Japan to see the Tokyo auto salon,” says Sueoka. “When I was there I met Tsuji from Junction Produce, and we talked about my car and what I wanted to do to it. That’s when he and Mike Irion said they’d partially sponsor my car.”

By now everyone knows that VIP style-cars originated in Japan and used by the yakuza gangs. Today the style has become common among car enthusiasts of all generations and has a huge turnout at cars shows.

“Mike Ji had to custom fabricate a mold so the front grill and hood would fit better,” says Sueoka. “Then he had to cut and fabricate the rear skirt so the dual AMG exhaust could fit too.”

This car has several firsts done to it by Junction Produce. Sueoka is going to make some minor changes and has more audio work to do before the next show in December.

YEAR – 2003

MAKE – Mercedes

MODEL –  S55

I would like to thank Mike Irion from VIP Emporium and all the Night Garage members for their help and support.  Mike Ji from GXAuto for doing all the paint and fabrication and progressive sounds for doing the audio and video.  Shuji Fujioka and Junction Produce for your continued support.  Last but not least, my wife Faye for your love and support.  We just had a baby boy on Aug. 17, 2008. His name is Kai Kazuo Sueoka.

ENGINE AMG supercharged V8 500hp, AMG quad exhaust

SUSPENSION Airmatic air suspension, adjustable ride height links, KMac front and rear camber kit

WHEELS 20x9.5 front, 20x10.5 rear Leon Hardiritt Beil wheels, Falken FK452 tires, AMG brakes, cross drilled rotors

ELECTRONICS HID headlights, LED floor lighting

INTERIOR AMG active response seats, AMG door sills, AMG gauges, AMG floor mats, cell phone hookup in center compartment, L-Tide seatbelt covers, Sessions neck pillows, VIP Curtains, Junction Produce pillows, Junction Produce tissue box cover, Junction Produce Fusa, Junction Produce Tsuna

STEREO Myron & Davis din DVD player with custom hideaway installation, Alpine head rest monitors, Rockford mono amp, Rockford subwoofer and enclosure, Xbox 360 Elite, NAV

EXTERIOR Junction Produce front bumper (second front bumper was fabricated to JP bumper to fit), Junction Produce rear bumper (custom fabrication to fit AMG exhaust), Junction Produce side skirts, Junction Produce door panels, Junction Produce wing, Junction Produce roof wing, Junction Produce bonnet spoiler, Junction Produce fogs with HID, Junction Produce fender vents (custom fabrication to fender), Junction Produce eye line garnish, Junction Produce pillar bars, 2002 Mercedes sensors, molding and chrome trim to fit JP front and rear bumper, shaved front side markers, pulled and rolled fenders

Mike Ji’s ‘03 Dodge Viper

Some of the sickest cars seen in car shows and cruising the streets of Oahu were built by Mike Ji and his crew at GX Auto. At last month’s NEO Street car show, GX Auto had one of the biggest display booths, which featured several works of art the custom shop has produced.

“I got this car four months ago, and back then it was red and in fair condition,” says Mike Ji. “Before this I had a NSX, but I always wanted a Viper. The most difficult part of building this car was making the custom LED taillights. We had to remove it, cut it in half, remake the insides and reglass it back together. It took us two-and-a-half days to make one side.”

Most of the modifications done on this car are not sold in stores, and are made by GX Auto or a Mainland fabricator. So other Viper owners won’t be able to shop at their nearest parts store and ask to buy any of the parts on this Viper.

“I had to get these brake rotors custom made because they are not on the market yet,” says Ji. “So I had this company in California make the cross-drilled and slotted brake rotors. The car is not show ready yet; I have more chrome work and carbon fiber parts, but it should be ready by the time Hot Import Nights happens in December.”

Ji also has plans to install custom front- and side-view cameras and an exhaust that will blow away all other exhaust systems.

YEAR - 2003

MAKE - Dodge

MODEL - Viper

ENGINE - K & N intake, roller rockers, SRD titanium exhaust

SUSPENSION - Eibach springs, crossed drilled slotted rotors

WHEELS - 19X10 Ifurged Aero, 20X13 Ifurged Aero, 275 30ZR19 Pirelli Pzero, 345 25 ZR 20 Pirelli Pzero, lightweight aluminum lugs

INTERIOR - Rear camera, custom rear view mirror, custom double din dash panel, custom A/C control relocation

STEREO - Kenwood KOS-L702 deck, ADS P amplifier, Boston 5.25 separates, 8-inch RE-subs with custom box

EXTERIOR - Custom yellow with pearl gold, Serpent fiberglass hood, custom LED taillights, HID fog lights

Jim Brazeal’s ’04 Mustang Cobra

This Sunday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Hawaii Performance Mustangs will hold its inaugural Rumble on the Roof at Honolulu Ford. There is a $10 entry fee for cars entering the show with proceeds going to the Hawaii Foodbank. Food donations are welcome and admission is free to the general public.

“I came here from Florida, so we bought this car and shipped it here,” says Chief Petty Officer Jim Brazeal. “The Hawaii Performance Mustangs has been around for two years, and I joined the club a year and a half ago. So it’s matured a lot and we’ve added some guidelines in order for members to be in the club. We don’t want to be one of those clubs that HPD looks for.”

There are several Mustang clubs on the island, and each one has its own personality. The Hawaii Performance Mustangs club has just the right number of members so everyone is recognized and no one is left out.

“Honolulu Ford contacted us (Hawaii Performance Mustangs) and asked if we would be interested in sponsoring the club,” says Brazeal. “Of course we were interested, and we came up with the idea of doing this event to benefit the Hawaii Foodbank. We know it’s kind of tough on some people, so we thought the Foodbank would be a good organization to team up with.”

With the right parts, this weekend’s Rumble on the Roof has the potential to become a major car event during the summer. For more information, log onto HawaiiPerformanceMustangs.com.

YEAR -2004

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Mustang Cobra

ENGINE - 4.6L 32V supercharged.  Mods include Whipple 2.3L supercharger with 3.00” nonslip pulley and Whipple’s extra idler pulley, 60-pound injectors, SCT2400 Maf, K&N FIPK, Ported throttle body, BBK longtube headers, Dynotune Nitrous Dry system (haven’t tried it with the Whipple yet), Vortec Intercooler tank, Gords heatexchanger with fans, fluidyne upgraded radiator.

DRIVETRAIN - Fidanza lightweight flywheel, DFX Clutch assymbly,  upgraded 26 spline input shaft, Pro-5.0 shifter with MGW adjustable handle and knob, Kenny Brown IRS brace with upgraded bushings, Differential cover brace .

SUSPENSION - Upgraded Steeda lowering springs

WHEELS - Stock in front, Upgraded 17x10.5-inch wheels in the back with 315/35R17 tires and 3/8-inch spacers to clear IRS.

ELECTRONICS - Dynojet wideband commander Airfuel gauge. Sniper performance tuner with custom engine tune. Custom-made and painted battery box in trunk with Optimus Battery.

INTERIOR - MGW shifter knob, CDC Styling bar.

STEREO - Stock, don’t make the car faster

Jim Harrow’s ‘69 Datsun B2000 Fairlady

For some car enthusiasts, it’s not always about speed but the curves and bodylines of a car that spark their attention to any particular make or model. Jim Harrow spent five years looking for a Datsun Fairlady in Hawaii, and could never find one in good condition.

“I’m attracted to elegant and what I call artistic designs in vehicles that have shapes that I think make an art statement,” says Harrow. “And I’ve always thought that the Fairlady has that kind of lines. It’s very understated but sporting looking, and I haven’t seen that many in Hawaii because they haven’t survived the wind and sea air.”

This roadster was in production from 1959 and came with a 988 cc engine until 1970, when it offered a huge 2.0-liter engine with dual carburetors. It was replaced by the sportier 240Z, which has evolved into the popular 350Z and G35 coupe.

“I bought this car from a guy in Berkley, so when I got it I cleaned it and changed the oil and other fluids,” says Harrow. “Then I turned it into a surfmobile. I stripped out the interior and removed the carpet, then I painted the inside. It’s real easy to maintain this car.”

There might one or two more cars in this condition cruising the streets of Oahu, but no more than that. Harrow plans on driving this car for a few more years before getting a Ferrari 308 like the one Thomas Magnum drove.

YEAR - 1969

MAKE - Datsun

MODEL - B2000 Fairlady

ENGINE 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, 135 hp @ 6000 rpm

DRIVETRAIN 5-speed manual transmission, rear wheel drive

SUSPENSION Coil spring front, leaf spring rear

WHEELS P185/75R14, 2280 wheel base

INTERIOR Black vinyl

STEREO AM radio

EXTERIOR Silver gray

Gary Yanagihara’s ‘05 Porsche 996 Turbo-S

Over the years, Aloha Tower has become an important venue for the car and motorsports community. The harbor front property is the host of several unique venues and Monday, Sept. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon the Porsche Club of America Hawaii Region will hold its annual People’s Choice Car Show.

“When we do this contest or Concours events, it takes me several days, sometimes longer to clean my car,” says Gary Yanagihara. “You have to go through every nook and cranny with Q-tips and stuff, and there’s a guy who polishes under his car. So we (Porsche owners) are really into our cars.”

Yanagihara had a relative pass away at an early age, and that’s when he decided to get himself a Porsche. This is his third Porsche, and noticed a huge difference compared to the ‘01 Turbo he owned previously.

“I believe that when you buy a car you should keep it stock as much as possible,” says Yanagihara. “Only because - and this is from my past experience -  the value always held. And most people want to buy a stock car, and if they want to modify it they can.”

This will be Yanagihara’s third Porsche show, and last year he placed first in his class and is in good shape to place on the top again.

YEAR - 2005

MAKE - Porsche

MODEL - 996 Turbo S

ENGINE 3.6 liter, twin turbochargers, twin intercoolers, DOHC, aluminum-alloy block, heads, pistons, Porsche VarioCam Plus, X-50 package, 450hp @ 5700 rpm, torque-457ft.lb. @ 3500-4500 rpm

DRIVETRAIN AWD, 6-speed manual transmission, rear engine, sport shifter

SUSPENSION X73 sport suspension

WHEELS 18x8 with 225/40ZR18, 18x11 with 295/30ZR18, GT Silver Metallic painted Turbo II rims, ceramic composite brake system, Yellow calipers

ELECTRONICS Porsche stability management system, traction control, cruise control, navigation system

INTERIOR Black full leather, yellow deviated stitching on seats, dash and door, carbon/leather three spoke steering wheel, brake/shifter carbon aluminum, electric sport seats with full leather, billet aluminum sport pedals, automatic climate control, A/C, central locking system

STEREO Bose Premium Sound, 10-inch speakers and two sub-woofers, CD Player, CD Changer, AM/FM Stereo

EXTERIOR Carrara White, dual exhaust, front spoiler, speed activated rear spoiler, Xenon lights, fog lamps

Raybern Freitas Sr. ’88 Porsche 930 Targa

One famous connection Porsche and Hawaii have is Danny “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” Ongais, who raced for Porsche in the IMSA (International Motor Sport Association) series during the late ’70s. Some 30 years later, the relationship remains intact.

“In 1953 or ’54 they brought a pile of cars to Dillingham Field in Mokuleia — a Jag, a Lotus and a couple other exotic cars — and they had a big race. And ever since then I’ve been hooked on cars,” says Raybern Freitas. “I used to build V8 Fords and raced a Volkswagen up until 15 years ago, when my brother told me to drive his Porsche 911, and the handling is what I fell in love with.”

Twelve years ago Freitas bought this Targa from his brother and since then he has maintained its showroom condition. The interior, about 3 weeks old, was redone with genuine leather by Bob Arkus Custom Upholstery.

“All kinds of people drive Porsches — doctors, lawyers and blue-collar workers, too,” says Freitas. “We like to show off our cars. Let’s face it: We like when people stare at us as we drive by. And it’s not big head. I bust my butt to own this car.”

The Porsche Club of America Hawaii Region holds its annual car show at Aloha Tower on Monday, Sept. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon. The show is open to the public and admission is free.

Freitas Mods

YEAR - 1988

MAKE - Porsche

MODEL – 930 Targa Slant Nose (one of 14 produced in 1988)

ENGINE - 3.4, upgraded larger turbo unit, intercooler, C2 cams, B & B headers, K & N filter setup, fuel enrichment system

DRIVETRAIN – Standard 4-speed transmission, lower gear ratio ring and pinion

SUSPENSION - Bilstein shocks, Pro-type sway bars front and back, Big Red calipers, rotors front and back

WHEELS - Racing Dynamics rims. Yokohamas front and back, 17x 8-inch 205/40 in front, 17x11-inch 275/40 rear

ELECTRONICS - Permatune electronic system

INTERIOR - All new Italian leather, wine colored, matching carpets

STEREO - Nakamichi, 2 MTX amps, Rockford-Fosgate speakers

EXTERIOR - Original black paint. Custom “whale” tail w/carbon fiber wing

Vincent Hiu’s ‘65 Ford Mustang GT Fastback

A dream job for many car enthusiasts would be to work as an automotive technician at a dealership that sells his or her favorite car. Before entering the automotive industry, Vincent Hiu attended UH and received a degree in mechanical engineering.

“One of my classmates at Saint Louis High School in the late ‘70s had a 1965 Mustang coup that we would cruise around in,” says Hiu. “My older brother bought that car from him a few years later and he let me use it. And it was that car, which he still owns today, that got me interested in Mustangs.”

Hiu worked as an automotive technician at a rental car company before landing his job at Honolulu Ford, where he worked on everything Ford made. Over the years, he has worked on every Mustang and has seen the evolution of the American icon.

“Working here gave me the chance to see the new products Ford was putting out and the progression and changes in technology,” says Hiu. “The Mustangs have really come a long way. The early Mustangs are true driver’s cars, and the newer models have power windows, power steering - power everything - and almost drive themselves.”

From a technician’s standpoint, Hiu says fuel injection is the best thing that could’ve happened to the Mustang.

YEAR - 1965

MAKE - Ford

MODEL - Mustang GT Fastback

ENGINE - “A” code 289 cu in, Edelbrock Performer RPM engine package, heads, intake cam, carb, Speed Pro forged flat top pistons, Hooker headers, Magna Flow stainless 2 exhaust

DRIVETRAIN - Ford Top Loader manual transmission, Ram clutch and pressure plate, Hurst shifter, 8-inch 3.25 ratio posi differential

SUSPENSION - Addco front and rear stabilizer bars, KYB shocks, 1-inch drop on front suspension

WHEELS - American Racing Torq Trust D 15X8-inches

INTERIOR - Standard black bucket seats with fold down rear seat

EXTERIOR - Stock, Ford Wimbledon White, blue GT side stripes

Gavin Lohmeier’s ’07 Ford Mustang GT

While in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery, Gavin Lohmeier made the decision to buy himself this brand new Mustang GT. The fact that he had come down with a life-threatening disease played a major roll in buying either a new or used Mustang.

“I was looking for a used Mustang, something I could fix up, before being diagnosed with cancer,” says Lohmeier. “Then early one morning while in the hospital, I was watching ESPN’s classic car auction and that’s when I said I’m going to do things now. So yeah, it was sort of a near-death experience that told me I’ve got to do stuff now. I’m not going to wait.”

The life-changing commitment went into effect immediately, and Lohmeier bought this GT over the phone from a friend’s dealership on Kauai while he was still in the hospital. This car was at Honolulu Harbor ready for pick up before Lohmeier was out of the hospital.

“The first thing I knew I was going to change was the exhaust, and I put in a cold air intake,” says Lohmeier. “I was going to keep the car the same because I got the extended warranty, but then I thought about my original plan to do it. Whatever I wanted, do it.”

Lohmeier and his friends at the Hawaii Performance Mustangs Club are putting on a show on the roof of Honolulu Ford Sunday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Hawaii Foodbank.

Lohmeier 07 GT Mods

YEAR – 2007

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Mustang GT

ENGINE 4.6 L / 281 cubic inches, Whipple supercharger, BBK ceramic coated long tube headers, BBK off-road x-pipe, Mac Boomtube axle back mufflers, SCT tuner with custom tune

DRIVETRAIN Ford Racing 4.10 gears, Pro 5.0 short throw shifter

SUSPENSION stock

WHEELS 20-inch American Racing chrome Razors, Falken 452 tires

ELECTRONICS 3-gauge A-pillar pod, Innovate wideband air/fuel digital gauge, Autometer Z-series mechanical boost gauge, Autometer Z-series electrical fuel pressure gauge

INTERIOR Stock leather interior

STEREO Stock Shaker 500 stereo

EXTERIOR Stock

Larry Caetano 1936 Ford

Since his days at Farrington High School in the mid-‘60s, Larry Caetano has built and sold close to 400 cars. They varied from domestics to imports, Japanese to European, and all of them had some sort of modification done by Caetano.

“I’ve been into cars since high school, and my first car in 1964 was a 1958 Chevy Impala,” says Caetano. “After that, it’s been years of buying and fixing, and when there is nothing else to fix on the car, I would turn around and sell it and buy another one.”

Buying and selling cars has been more of a hobby for the retired telephone technician. A few years ago, while in Hilo, he came across an ad that listed this car - which was all in pieces - for sale.

“I went over to the guy’s house to look at it and what intrigued me was that the car was being set up as a pro street car,” says Caetano. “A dream for me has always been to build a pro street car. And this car had the framework done and an all-steel body and fenders, so we worked out a price and I bought it.”

It took Caetano four years to get the car in this condition, and he just rolled it out last year for the world to see. He says he’ll keep it for a while but admits to saying that many times before.

YEAR - 1936

MAKE - Ford

MODEL - Coupe

ENGINE - 454 ci, aluminum heads, 850 Barry Grant Carburetor, 425 hp

DRIVETRAIN - Turbo 400 automatic, shortened Ford 9-inch rear end, 4:11 posi traction gears

SUSPENSION - IFS front suspension, 4 link rear suspension, TCI pro street frame

WHEELS - 15x6 front, 15x16 rear, Center Line Warrior rims

ELECTRONICS - MSD set up, power doors and windows, AC with over head controls

INTERIOR - Custom leather, Naugahyde, velour striped seating, koa wood paneling

STEREO - Pioneer Stereo system with 2, 8-inch woofers, 2, 6x9 separates with tweeters

EXTERIOR - Custom made Candy Apple Red with gold ghost flames, suicide doors

Dennis Kohagura’s ‘68 Chevy Camaro

Since his days at Kalani High School, Dennis Kohagura has been the quintessential hot rodder. He’s owned and sold two ‘56 Chevys and a 1970 Barracuda. Three years ago he bought this RS Camaro as a retirement gift to himself.

“I’ve wanted a Camaro for a long time before I retired, but I had a house to pay for and kids to send to school, so my wife said to wait until I retire,” says Kohagura. “I looked at half a dozen cars before Mel Sakaba told me about this car that Dwight Min built and was selling.”

Today Kohagura enjoys driving his two grandsons to and from school and other activities in the first-generation muscle. And since making some changes to the carb, ignition and shocks, Kohagura has become a regular at cruise nights.

“There have been complete strangers who have come up to my house and ask if the car is for sale,” says Kohagura. “I tell them no, and I wouldn’t sell this car unless there was another Camaro ready for me to buy. Plus, I plan on changing the engine and doing some other things to it.”

The next independent cruise night is at Kapolei Home Depot Saturday, July 26, from 5 to 10 p.m.

YEAR - 1968

MAKE - Chevy Camaro

MODEL  - Rally Sport

ENGINE 327 ci, Summit HEI dist, MSD wiring, Edelbrock performer carb, mild cam, headers

DRIVETRAIN  TH350 trans, 10-bolt posi-traction differential

SUSPENSION  Front power disc brakes, power steering, KYB shocks

WHEELS  15x7 Rallys front, 15x8 Rallys rear, BF Goodrich Radial TA’s

INTERIOR  Auto Meter tach and gauges, Grant steering wheel

STEREO  Kenwood

EXTERIOR  Cowl induction hood, rear spoiler, Monte Carlo blue w/white Z-28 stripes

Steve McLaughlin’s 1946 Indian Chief

This is one of a handful of Indian motorcycles you’ll see screaming down the streets of Oahu. Steve McLaughlin acquired this bike four years ago from a museum that closed in Buffalo, New York.

“Shipping the bike was a nightmare. It got lost twice so you want to pick your motorcycle shippers,” says McLaughlin. “It was in a museum for 20 years, so when I got it, I tore it down completely except for the basic engine case. And with a set of Sears tools I did a frame up restoration.”

The Indian motorcycle became popular with the public since the release of the movie The World’s Fastest Indian starring Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro. One day while in Kailua McLaughlin was approached by someone’s grandmother, and she began to tell him a story she has about an Indian.

“She told me her life story and that her boyfriend during World War II had a bike just like this,” recalls McLaughlin. “She was a nurse at the time and she used to stomp on the pedal with both feet in order to kick-start it for him, and they rode all over the place. So I offered her a ride on the bike, and her family followed us in their van around Lanikai.”

McLaughlin plans on taking this bike to heaven with him and is putting together an Indian motorcycle club. He can be reached at www.pixi.com/~mcjitsu.

Owner – Steve McLaughlin

YEAR – 1946.

MAKE – Indian Motorcycle

MODEL –  Chief

ENGINE 74 ci stroked to 84 ci, 550 pounds, 57 hp, Bonneville racing cams. Bonneville Linkert racing carb, 41mm Keihin, dry sump oil system with automobile oil filter kit.

DRIVETRAIN Chain drive, 3 speed crashbox, foot clutch, hand shifter,

SUSPENSION Rear spring-shock suspension, seat spring post with shock system, and girder front end with Monroe shock absorber, front suspension adjustable neck post tensioner

WHEELS Stock Indian 16-inch laced wheels, tubed white wall tires, 5.60x16 with 22 pounds air rear, 18 pounds in front.

ELECTRONICS Three wires, belt-driven generator/alternator, 12v conversion with Chevy Sprint alternator, high-performance coil, electronic points dropped into distributor cap.

Tig Kehm 06 Scion xB

When Tig Kehm was 10 years old and living in Orlando, Fla., she was helping her dad swap a transmission out of a Camaro. Since then, the car bug has had her build a mini truck, which was popular in the ’80s, and later a Cavalier.

“Actually I hated the xB’s. I thought it was a box on wheels,” says Kehm. “I saw quite a few of them that had been modified, and one in particular just triggered me to have one. They’re easy to mod, and then no two xB’s look alike after you start to mod it.”

After getting her xB, which she named Temptress, she knew the plan was to compete in car shows and win. So the basic model was sufficient for what she had in mind.

“I installed the vertical doors two months after getting it,” says Kehm. “I probably voided every warranty on the car within the first two or three months of getting it, but I kept the mods hidden until I had more mods installed. Then I entered Hot Import Nights and since then I’ve taken 12 trophies.”

The direct port NOS (Nitrous Oxide System) is only a few weeks old, but Kehm prides the awesome ICE (In Car Entertainment) system as the car’s best feature.

YEAR – 2006

MAKE– Scion

MODEL – xB

ENGINE - Zex direct port Nos, Zex show L.E.D. purge kit, Zex safety blow down kit, 16 Zex steel braided fueland NOS lines, Zex hyperformance spark plugs, custom hand milled valve cover, Perrin fuel rail, Long-Arm cold air intake, upgraded electrical wiring, 300 Amp circuit breaker, Kinetics 1800 power cell, TRD performance exhaust

SUSPENSION - 4-inch Tein drop springs

WHEELS - 18-inch Cataluyna chrome rims with skinnies

ELECTRONICS & STEREO - 8 Kicker comp 12s, 8 Kicker 6.5s, 10 Kicker tweeters, Kicker 1500.1 amp, 2 Kicker 750.1 amps, complete Kicker hyperflex wiring, Alpine IVA D310 DVD player, 26-inch Phillips flatscreen HDTV, Wii, rear view camera

INTERIOR - StreetGlow gold neon lighting, One-off custom carbon fiber door panels, One-off custom carbon fiber pedals, One-off custom carbon fiber visors, OBX carbon fiber shifter, white fur floorboards

EXTERIOR - Vertical doors, Custom Body graphics, floating hood, StreetGlow gold neon lighting

Richard Carvalho’s 1926 Ford T

The Fourth of July marks the birth of the United States and to help celebrate the momentous occasion, Ron’s Performance is putting on its inaugural Hot Rod Picnic and Parades at Aloha Stadium. Organizers expect to have more than 500 cars on display under the shade trees that surround the stadium.

“I was a hot rod guy from the time I was a small kid,” says Richard Carvalho. “I grew up around stock cars and race cars, and when I was going to Honolulu Tech School I had a `55 Chevy that I souped up. It had a 6-cylinder and I took that out and threw in a V-8.”

Carvalho was taking up welding at the tech school and did all of the work on his cars back then. Three years ago he bought this car from a guy on Kauai, and when he shipped it here there were a few things he wanted done to the car. So he called his mechanic friend to help him out.

“One day my mechanic went to Ron’s Performance and, by the way, all my parts come from Ron’s. He saw the flier for this Hot Rod Picnic so he brought it back to me,” says Carvalho. “I sent in a picture of my car and they sent me back the application for the show. I used to entered my motorcycles in shows before, but this is going to be my first car show.”

The Hot Rod Picnic and Parades starts at 10 a.m. and continues through 4 p.m. on Independence Day. Admission is $5; free for children age 4 and under. For more information log onto HotRodPicnic.com.

YEAR - 1926

MAKE - Ford

MODEL - Model T

ENGINE - 350 ci Chevy, Edelbrock carburetor, Edelbrock intake, Edelbrock valve covers, headers

DRIVETRAIN - Chevy turbo 350 automatic transmission, Heidt’s independent rear axle

SUSPENSION - IRS, rack and pinion, coil over shocks

WHEELS - 15-inch Centerlines

ELECTRONICS - Electronic ignition, MSD

INTERIOR - Custom

STEREO - AM/FM/CD player

EXTERIOR - Charcoal black-silver

Sonny Lim’s ’06 Lexus GS430

The first thing that comes to mind when you lay your eyes on this GS430 is that the owner is some kind of purist. Aside from it being a high-end car, the accessories are absolute Junction Produce products. And if you’re familiar with JP, you know they don’t come cheap.

“I wasn’t much of a car guy until I moved to Hawaii,” says Sonny Lim. “Then I met up with some guys who were into the VIP scene and in the magazines. That was right around when I bought my first Lexus back in 2001, so ever since then I’ve been getting more and more into cars.”

In the short time that Lim has been into cars he has made a couple trips to Japan and brought back a lot of parts for this GS. Samson Mak from Revision Audio also has helped him with the VIP transformation, which is three-fourths complete.

“I didn’t really see too many VIP cars when I was in Japan because they mainly come out at car shows or at gatherings,” says Lim. “Most of my ideas came from magazines, and I’m waiting for the rest of the kit that comes with the car. Then I’ll have the side skirts and under-spoiler.”

Lim’s plan is to have the kit installed by August just in time for the Falken car show later that month.

YEAR – 2006

MAKE – Lexus

MODEL – GS430

ENGINE  – 4.3L 300HP 4Cam 32-Valve V8, Tanabe Medalion touring exhaust

DRIVETRAIN –  Eight-speed sequential-shift automatic

SUSPENSION –  Japan Air Runner suspension

WHEELS –  20-inch Junction Produce Heritage III (first ordered outside Japan, first in Hawaii), 225/35ZR20F 245/35ZR20R Kumho tires, Garson valve caps, Swarovski crystal accented rivets

ELECTRONICS –  Lexus Mark levinson 14-speaker premium audio system, Lexus full option package with DVD and backup camera

INTERIOR –  Junction Produce black Kiku battle Fusa, Junction Produce Silver Kitsuna knot, Junction Produce seatbelt covers, Junction Produce neck pads, Anceltion curtains, Bellezza neck pads, Napolex pedals, Razo RA118 shift knob, Garson cigarette lighter, Swarovski crystal accents

STEREO –  JL Audio 12W0 subwoofer, Kenwood KAC-6201 350W amp

EXTERIOR –  Junction Produce front half spoiler, Junction Produce hood bonnet spoiler, Junction Produce roof wing, Junction Produce trunk spoiler, Junction Produce side skirt and rear half spoiler (first to place order before debut in Japan, first in Hawaii /on order), Junction Produce bonnet badge, Junction Produce front base plate, Junction Produce emblems accessories, Xenon Depot HID extreme fog light conversion kit, Lextasy chrome front grill, chrome door pillars, chrome door handle covers, Garson keyless emblem, Weatherflector side visors

George Shishido’s 1930 Ford Phaeton

One day George Shishido drove this car to the grocery store to do some shopping and when he returned to the car he saw an elderly Japanese man standing next to car crying. Suspicious that the man may have backed into his antique car Shishido walked around to inspect for any damage.

“I walked around the car to see if there was any damage and the car was fine,” says Shishido. “So I asked the man if something was wrong? He turned to me and said that he met his wife in a car exactly like this. I told him to jump in I’ll take you for a ride and I drove him around the block. I’ll never forget that day.”

Shishido sees himself as the custodian of this car and enjoys sharing it with everyone. A few years back during the filming of the Massie Affair, producers paid Shishido to use his car in the film.

“My wife Momi was hanai by her grandmother Nancy and we thought the world of her,” says Shishido. “So we named the car after her. You can search your whole life and not find a car like this. I wish I had a bigger garage so I can get another one like this.”

Eric White, who is the saxophone player for the band Go Jimmy Go, will have Shishido’s car on display at his roaring twenties theme wedding in July at Kualoa Ranch.

YEAR – 1930

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Phaeton

ENGINE - 4-cylindar, 24 horsepower

DRIVETRAIN - 3-speed manual transmission

SUSPENSION - Leaf springs, friction shocks

WHEELS - 19-inch spoke rims, 4-ply Goodyear whitewalls

INTERIOR - Original interior

EXTERIOR - 2-tone lacquered paint, duel deluxe side spare tires, trunk rack

Lee Lewis’ ’06 Corvette Z06

The second annual Build the Track car show will be held at Aloha Tower this Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organizers want to bring awareness to the public regarding the sport’s popularity among local race enthusiasts and the economic impact it can have on Oahu.

“This year we are bringing in an older Ford-powered Swift chassis from the Champ Car series to show everyone,” says Mike Kitchens, event organizer. “We hope to show how much money people put into their cars and how many of them still have race cars even though we don’t have a track.”

Another car that will be on display is this 2006 Corvette Z06, owned by Lee Lewis. Straight from the factory, this ’Vette has more than 500 horses under the hood, which wasn’t enough for Lewis.

“I’ve had several Corvettes but this is my first Z06,” says Lewis. “About three months after getting it I began tweaking it with a new exhaust, then a cam and lifters and aluminum heads. So it has about 687 horsepower and a lot of money went into it, but there’s no place to really open it up. So we need a race track.”

The show is free and open to the public and will have games, prizes and live entertainment. For more information, log onto www.BuildtheTrack.com

YEAR – 2006

MAKE – Chevy

MODEL – Z06

ENGINE -  LS7 (427C.I.), LG long tube headers, LG 3” merge collectors, LG 3-inch X Pipe, Borla Sport exhaust with 4-inch quad tips, LG port and polished intake, LG port and polished throttle body, K&N air intake, LG aluminum port and polished racing heads, 680+ H.P. LG cam and lifter kit, engine management system tuned by LG Motorsports

DRIVETRAIN - Exede stage 2 clutch and flywheel kit

SUSPENSION - Stock

WHEELS - Front 10X18 CCW, rear 13X19 CCW

ELECTRONICS - EMS tuned by LG Motorsports

INTERIOR - Stock

STEREO - Bose seven-speaker sound system

EXTERIOR - eight-color custom paint done by D & N Auto Paint, Dennis Mathewson at Cosmic Air Brush

Mike Merrell’s ’71 Plymouth Duster

If you were to look around the island for muscle cars, you’ll see Mustangs and Camaros just about everywhere. And it’s pretty much the same wherever you go in the United States. So when Mike Merrell set out to get himself a muscle car, he did extensive research on the Firebird.

“The first car I looked at was a Porsche Speedster,” says Merrell. “But it only sits two people, so I’ve always wanted an early model Firebird. My friend said, ‘Let’s go to the Pomona Swap Meet.’”

When Merrell got to the famous swap meet for car enthusiasts, he began searching for his Firebird dream car. But this Duster was looking really good and was the best deal of all the cars he looked at. When everything was said and done, Merrell threw down the cash and drove off into the California sunset. Or so he thought.

“In order to ship the car to Hawaii, one of the requirements is that the car must have parking brakes, and I found out at the docks that there was no parking brake assembled,” says Merrell. “So I took the car to my friend’s house and we had to order the parts, and the car finally got here months after I paid for it.”

Merrell is entered in the Build the Track car show, which will be held at Aloha Tower next Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

YEAR – 1971

MAKE – Plymouth

MODEL – Duster

ENGINE - 340 ci solid motor mounts, Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap Dual Plane intake, Holley 650 double pump, Holley Red electric fuel pump, Optima red top battery, Mopar performance electronic ignition, Mopar Performance Valve covers, Flow Master exhaust. 300 HP at the flywheel, Dyno performed at Nakaz Car Care

DRIVETRAIN - Power steering, Torque Flight 727 transmission, Turbo Action Cheetah SCS shifter floor mount, Sure-Grip 8 rear, 3.9.1 gears, manual brakes, front disc brakes, 10-inch rear drum

SUSPENSION - Front sway bar, KYB Strut/Shock (Front), Air shocks (rear) with leaf springs rear

WHEELS - American Racing Hopster (Series 550) two-piece alloy polished 17x7 inches front and rear

TIRES - Front: Falken Z1EX 225/45ZR17, rear: Toyo PROXES FZ4 245/45/ZR17

ELECTRONICS - Auto Meter gauges, 10000-RPM Tachometer w/Monster Shift-Lite, dash lights 4-point LEDs blue.

INTERIOR - All Stock, black vinyl bench seat, stock carpet

STEREO - Clarion DB185MP CD/MP3/WMA 50Wx4 receiver, two Pioneer 6x9 speakers in stock location, rear package tray, installed by NU Image Kapolei

EXTERIOR Two-stage 1972 high impact paint, code Y1 lemon twist with formal black hood, 340 call outs with stripes, dual snorkel hood scoop with trunk mounted Go-Wing

Kawena Chun’s ’97 Harley-Davidson Trike

Anyone who is into cars or bikes will recognize Kawena Chun as the spokesmodel for the Big Boys Toy Show back in March. She is not just another pretty face in the custom bike and car world, but is an enthusiast herself.

“I’ve been into bikes since I was a little kid,” says Chun. “It stems from my dad, who’s been building bikes for as long as I can remember. And when I was attending Holy Trinity, he used to pick me up on his chopper. That was really exciting.”

Chun’s father bought a Sportster from Kauai and converted it into this trike she rides today. But it hasn’t always been easy riding for the actress and model.

“I’ve been riding on the back of a bike for a really long time, so it’s nice to be in the driver’s seat,” says Chun. “But there have been a couple times when I’ve gotten the bike on two wheels while making a turn. So it can get pretty scary.”

Her four-wheel vehicle is a 2008 Scion xB, which she plans on modifying in the near future.

YEAR – 1997

MAKE – Harley-Davidson

MODEL – Sportser

ENGINE 1200cc Harley Davidson air cooled

DRIVETRAIN 5-speed stock

SUSPENSION Torbleau trike kit

WHEELS 19-inch front, 15-inch rear

Darrin & Kristy Wagatsuma’s 05 Scion xB

If a man told his wife that he was buying a fully loaded car with all of the options just so he can drive it on the weekends, you can bet that a frying pan and stitches would come into the picture real quick. Fortunately for Darrin Wagatsuma, that’s not how it happened.

“Yeah, it was supposed to be a family car,” says Wagatsuma. “But I bought this xB because it came fully loaded ,so when I told my wife how much it was, she said OK. Then about four months later I met up with the Scion club, and that’s when I started modifying the car.”

Wagatsuma has replaced almost every option the xB came with, and wishes he bought the base model instead. Today this xB is a weekend-only, during-clear-weather, dust-off-your-shoes-before-you-get-in driver. This Sunday May 25,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wagatsuma and friends will display their rides at Aloha Tower during the fourth annual School Supply Drive.

“The school supply drive is real important,” says Wagatsuma. “My wife is a former teacher, and we would buy supplies so she could give them to her students who couldn’t afford it. Plus, when kids have their own school supplies, they’re more motivated to learn.”

Organizers are asking the attendees and show participants to donate school supplies at the free event. Prizes will be given away, including a free trip on the Hawaii Superferry.

Year – 2005

Make  – scion

Model –xb

Owners :  Darrin and Kristy Wagatsuma

Engine : 1.5 liter 4-cylinder, TRD exhaust, AEM cold air intake AEM battery bracket, AEM oil cap

Drivetrain : 5 speed manual transmission

Suspension : Tein s-tech lowering springs, KYB rear shocks

Wheels : Axis wide track, 18x18 front, 18x9 rear, Toyo proxies p4 215 35 18 front, 215 35 18 rear

Electronics : Lighted cup holder, interior lights (blue), door lock plungers (blue), Verad suspension lights (blue and white), Verad under carriage lights (blue), Verad suspension lights (blue), LED door handle lights (blue), reverse camera, voltage stabilizer, TRD ground kit

Interior : Black carbon fiber dash overlays, black carbon fiber shifter bezel, black carbon fiber, power window switch bezel, TRD short shifter, SS step plate, Fabulous steering wheel, Garson curtains

Stereo : Kenwood 8017 dvd head unit, Scoche floor mount 10 sub box, Jl 10-inch sub, amplifier

Exterior : Scion pro ss engine shroud, Scion pro SS header plate, Hotchkis front strut bar, Tein hood dampners, Yakama racks, dual halo projector headlights, silver carbon fiber hood, clear side marker lens, silver carbon fiber rear wing, Fabulous grill, silver carbon side mirror covers, silver carbon rear hatch handle, LED taillights

Steven Mix’s ’00 Ford Saleen

This Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mike McKenna hosts the 16th Annual Mustang Madness All Ford Show at his Windward Ford dealership in Kailua. One of the cars in the show is this one-of-a-kind 2000 Ford Saleen, which is owned by Steven Mix.

“I was looking for a car and I wanted to buy a Mustang Cobra,” says Mix, who is the coordinator for this year’s event. “So when I was at McKenna’s, I was looking at another Mustang and I asked the sales guy if this car was faster than a Cobra, and he said, ‘no not this one, but that one is,’ and he was pointing to this car. So I bought it.”

Mix worked as an executive chef for 21 years before he retired and moved back home 19 years ago. Today he serves as the president of the Aloha Mustang and Shelby Club of Hawaii, and he enters every local car show that will let him.

“I’ve won 18 first-place trophies and four second-place trophies with this car,” says Mix. “That’s pretty much everything for the categories I can enter. So, to make things interesting, I plan on shipping the car to the West Coast later this year and entering car shows in Oregon and in Florida.”

Mix installs nothing but authorized Saleen parts on his ride, and has no plans on selling the car regardless of how much gasoline costs.

YEAR – 2000

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Saleen

ENGINE - 4.6 Liters, 529 hp, polished aluminum heads, supercharged rotors

DRIVETRAIN - 5-speed manual transmission, 4:10 end gears

SUSPENSION - Saleen pakage

WHEELS - 11x18 rear, 11x9 front

ELECTRONICS - Factory

INTERIOR - Tripod autometer gauges

STEREO - Factory

EXTERIOR - Charcoal mineral gray

Larry Respicio 1951 Ford Pickup Truck

This is the same kind of truck that Sanford & Son used to haul junk around South Central Los Angeles. Larry Respicio bought this truck in 1993 and used it to haul junk around San Bernardino while he was living in Los Angeles.

“I was born and raised here in Ewa then moved to LA after high school in 1965,” says Respicio. “My brother in-law worked at a muffler shop and wanted me to work for him. So I moved, and lived up there until now.”

Respicio eventually worked his way up to exhaust system designer, at which time his brother-in-law opened his own muffler shop. Around the same time, a friend offered to sell this truck to Respicio at an unbelievable price. After some repairs to the inline 6-cylinder engine, the truck was running like a champ.

“I’ve had the truck for a while and it was blue back then, and I had to do some small repairs on it to get it running,” says Respicio. “Then in June 2001, I had some time off and decided to work on the truck, and five months later it looked like this.”

Respicio says this truck is not a garage queen and he uses it as a daily driver to haul junk, go to the dump or to Cruise Nights.

YEAR – 1951

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Truck

ENGINE - 351 Windsor, 600 Edelbrock carburetor, 270 competition cam, custom headers

DRIVETRAIN - C-4 3-speed automatic transmission, 9” inch Ford rear end

SUSPENSION - Stock

WHEELS - 15X4 front Ensens, 15X8 rear Ensens

ELECTRONICS - MSD ignition

INTERIOR - Stock

STEREO - Panasonic CD

EXTERIOR - GM neutral

Butch Meyer’s ’51 Chevy

The custom car community here is pretty huge, but if you were to mention names of certain car owners, Butch Meyer is one that always pops up. Not only is he a longtime hot rodder, but has worked in automotive part industry for more than 30 years, which explains the engine make.

“This car was originally a four-door and then I bought a two-door and swapped the body,” says Meyer. “And because I worked at a Ford dealership as a parts technician, I decided to put a Ford engine in this car.”

Meyer gets ribbed by friends who make remarks about his Chevy with a Ford engine, which seems sacrilegious. But the modification didn’t bother Meyer because this 5.0-liter engine replaced a 289 cid he installed years earlier.

“I bought this car in 1965 and in 1968 I took out the 6-cylinder and put a Ford V8 along with the trans and rear end,” says Meyer. “And all my friends worked on Fords and they knew how to fix Fords, so that’s why I went with the Ford.”

This car has had five different paint jobs before this sunset orange, and Meyer hopes to put together a Mainland cruise now that he is retired.

YEAR - 1952

MAKE - Ford

MODEL – 2-door hard top

ENGINE - 5.0-liter Ford, 510 Lunati cam, dual Edelbrock tunnel ram, 289 hi-perf heads

DRIVETRAIN - Ford C-4 automatic transmission, Ford 9-inch rear end, 4:11 gears

SUSPENSION - Fat Man front end, stainless coil over springs, rack and pinion, stainless control arms

WHEELS - Intro 5-spoke rims, 18-inch rears, 17-inch fronts

ELECTRONICS - MSD electronic ignition

INTERIOR - Gray leather

STEREO - Kenwood 6-disc CD player

EXTERIOR - two-tone sunset orange with white pearl

Benny Stegall’s ‘57 Chevy Bel Air

Chevrolet’s tri-five cars are more than a half-century old, but well worth their weight in gold and real beauties to look at. This ‘57 spent 31 years in storage before Benny Stegall had the time to rebuild it to its current condition.

“An Air Force buddy owned this car, and I tried to buy it from him for two years and he said it wasn’t for sale,” says Stegall.“Then he wanted to restore a Corvette and he needed the money, so he sold this car to me in September of 1977 back in Virginia.”

The Air Force sent Stegall to Germany, so he stored the car at his brother’s place until he got back. After Germany he was sent to Hawaii, where he retired and began working for the state, then retired again in 2002. As a retirement gift, Stegall’s brother, daughter and her husband took the ‘57 out of storage and prepared the car for shipping to Hawaii.

“Because the car sat so long the engine was frozen, so they did an engine change,” says Stegall.“They redid the brakes and had an exhaust system made for it and got the car running so it could be driven. I agreed to pay $35 a month for storage and intended to keep it there for three years, which ended up being 22 years.”

When it arrived in Hawaii, Stegall took the whole car apart by himself and put it back together. He also taught himself to paint and painted the car at the Hickam paint booth.

ENGINE

GM 350cid 4-bolt main crate engine, Holly Street Dominator intake manifold, Edelbrock 600cfm carburetor, HEI ignition, MSD distributor, Powermaster 100 amp alternator, BE Cool 4-core aluminum radiator, polished aluminum Mickey Thompson valve covers, Billet aluminum pulleys, Flex-a-Lite 16-inch electric fan. Optima battery, MSD 8.5mm spark plug wires

DRIVETRAIN

Muncie 4-speed transmission, custom drive shaft, custom dual exhaust, twin turbo mufflers, Summit Racing gas tank, Summit Racing sending unit, 57 Chevy rear end with 4.11 gears

INTERIOR

Late-model 6-way power bucket seats, original pattern headliner by Kings Upholstery, original pattern carpet set from A1 Auto in Boston

EXTERIOR

Onyx Black, PPG primers, urethane 2-stage paint, rechromed bumpers by Hawaii Plating, Blue-dot Halogen headlights, LED taillights, optional factory back-up lights.

SUSPENSION/ WHEELS

Gas coil front shocks, Gabriel Hi-Jacker rear air shocks, power front disc brakes, rear drums American Racing Torq-Thrust II polished aluminum wheels, 15x7 front, 15x8 rear, 235/60/15 BF Goodrich tires

STEREO

Alpine stereo AM/FM/CD deck, two 6x9 rear, two 5x5 kick-panel Clarion speakers

 

Karl Kawachi’s ’05 Mini Cooper

Car audio maker Rockford Fosgate needed a demo car and Mini Cooper of Hawaii wanted exposure to a younger demographic, so Karl Kawachi, with the help of Chad Paredes of Extreme Audio Systems and Earl Shimabukuro of Island Sound Customs, turned this Mini out.

“We were looking at a number of cars before the Mini, like the Mazda,” says Kawachi, who is the Fosgate representative. “I thought the Mini was for short people, but someone suggested the Mini so I went down and talked to Darrel Pastana, and they (Mini Cooper of Hawaii) were really supportive of the project.”

One of the goals was that the car had to be completely functional and interactive at car shows. Whatever modification was going to be done to the car, it had to be sturdy and user-friendly so people could climb into the car and touch all of the components and crank up the stereo.

“I was pretty excited about being a part of the project because I’ve only installed alarms on Minis,” says Paredes. “We drew up several different designs for this car, but by the time we gutted the car we knew what we were going to do with the car. The door panels are the part of the car that we pride ourselves on.”

Kawachi has had offers to take the car on tour across the Pacific and has had an offer to buy the car from someone in South Africa.

YEAR – 2005

MAKE – MINI Cooper

MODEL – MINI

Owner Karl Kawachi

CUSTOM FABRICATORS Chad Paredes -Extreme Audio Systems, Earl Shimabukuro – Island Sound Customs

WHEELS Tenzo RS-5 -18x7.5, Fedral 595RS tires -225/40ZR18

ELECTRONICS Two bridged 55 amp power supplies (power source at car shows), CompuStar 2-way remote start security system

INTERIOR Custom fabricated overhead console containing two 5-inch LCD monitors and custom shaped neon’s, custom fabricated door panels with electronic door latching, custom-shaped neons and etched plexi-glass, 7-inch LCD monitors in each side windows, 23-inch LG LCD monitor mounted in custom rear panel with custom-shaped neons and etched plexiglass, custom fabricated woofer wall facing with custom-shaped neons, all metal surfaces covered with two layers of Dead Skin sound dampening

STEREO JVC -KDNX5000 AM/FM/DVD/navigation source unit with 3.5-inch monitor and 40gb hard drive, one Rockford Fosgate Power1000 limited edition 5 channel amplifier, two Rockford Fosgate T115D4 -15-inch woofers, two pair Rockford Fosgate X152 -5.25-inch two-way component speaker system, one Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty, two wireless signal processor, controls whole system via Bluetooth, one Rockford Fosgate 50 farad capacitor

EXTERIOR BMW Aero body kit, rear spoiler

Aaron Stuart’s 1952 Chevrolet Sport Coupe

A few years ago Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Stuart wanted to buy a classic car and asked his father in Spokane, Wash., for some help. In the process, Stuart almost bought a Corvette, but a friend of Stuart’s father was building this car.

“I didn’t want to buy a new car, I wanted a classic car,” says Stuart. “I like the way a classic car looks and the way it feels when you drive it, so my dad told me about this car that Sam Sprague was building.”

When Stuart saw this car it was in pieces and in the process of being built in Spokane. Originally Sprague was building this car for himself and had already picked out the color of the car, even though it was far from completion.

“It was torture waiting for the car,” says Stuart. “They would send me pictures of the car as it was being built and I would show them to my friends. And my friends would call it my imaginary car because I was talking about it for two years.”

This car is unbelievably immaculate from headlight to taillight and turns heads everywhere it goes. It can be seen at most car events, and Stuart plans on keeping this car forever.

YEAR – 1952

MAKE – CHEVY

MODEL – SPORT COUPE

ENGINE- Work done by Sam Sprague of Spokane, Wash. 1988 350-ci Chevrolet small block from a Police cruiser, factory rollers, lifters, vortec heads, large cam, 670 Demon Street Avenger dual feed carb.

DRIVETRAIN- 700 R4 automatic transmission

SUSPENSION – Mustang II front end, 342 posi rear end, front disc brakes, rear drum brakes. front and rear sway bars, Tim’s hot rods of Spokane, Wash.

WHEELS- Polished Centerlines rims

ELECTRONICS- Mallory distributor, updated gauges, power windows, and painless wiring kit

INTERIOR- Grey interior with red break, Chevy emblems in all seats, tilt column, modified dash, interior done by country cutters of Spokane, Wash.

STEREO- 4 Polk audio 6”speakers, crossover components, tweeters. 2/12-inch Perfect 12’s, 2 Infinity amps, Pioneer deck, iPod controller, all hidden

EXTERIOR- Raspberry red, modified gas tank, rear fenders with ’39 tail lights, ’51 grill, shaved door handles and trunk, modified front fenders, modified firewall

Abe and Donna Cabral’s 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe

In 1954 while attending Saint Louis High School, Abe Cabral purchased his first car for $100 — a 1932 Ford Roadster. Back in those days, ’32s were dime a dozen and commonly converted to stockcars and raced at Honolulu Stadium.

“That time I always wanted a ’32, but I had to ask Mama for the money and she gave me the money,” says Cabral. “After high school I was going into the service, and Mama said there were too many cars and I had to get rid of some cars before I left. So I sold the ’32 to Clifford, and gave my mother back the $100 she gave me.”

Years later in 1993, Cabral wants to build another ’32, so he drives up to Clifford’s house in Papakolea and offers to buy the same car he sold him. By this time, Clifford had handed the car down to his son, who had no interest in selling the car.

“The car was up on blocks in the garage and covered, so it was in good condition,” says Cabral. “So I went to the Good Guys car show on the Mainland to look for a ’32 and I found this. Actually, the car wasn’t for sale. The wife wanted to sell the car but the husband didn’t, but in the end they sold the car.”

After buying the car, it took three years to get it to this stage. Cabral and some friends shipped their cars to the Mainland for a cruise. While he was parked in front of the Reno Hilton with his friend Butch, someone offered Cabral $50,000 cash for the car. Obviously he turned down the offer.

YEAR - 1932

MAKE - Ford

MODEL – 5-Window Coupe

ENGINE - 350 ci Chevy, gear drive, mild cam, pistons, 2:02 heads, Edelbrock hi-rise intake, Edelbrock carburetor

DRIVETRAIN - Chevy turbo 350 transmission, Ford 9-inch rear end, 4:11 gears

SUSPENSION - Rear coil-overs, front sway bar

WHEELS - 15X7 front, 15X10 rear

ELECTRONICS - HEI electronic ignition

INTERIOR - Tweed leather

STEREO - Kenwood deck

EXTERIOR - All original body, Canary yellow paint (19 years old)

In Memory of David Wing Kerng Tang

David Tang February 28, 1976-February 22, 2008

The world lost one of Hawaii’s most prolific car enthusiasts and pioneers in motorsports media. Dave Tang lost his 19-month battle with cancer Feb. 22, 2008 six days shy of his 32nd birthday.

“When Dave was born it was a proud time for the family,” says Ron Tang, Dave’s father, “because he was a son and the first child of the family I was starting. So at the time, we knew the Tang name was going to continue on with Dave.”

Ron Tang, a car buff himself, passed on the knowledge of cars to his son at an early age. A game that father and son played was “name the car.” As cars passed by, Ron would ask his son, “What kind of car was that, Dave?” This admiration for cars led Dave and two other friends to start one of the import world’s renowned video production companies, Grip Video.

“The only plan I had for Dave was to play volleyball because I enjoyed it,” says Ron Tang. “So around seventh grade he started playing volleyball and around ninth and 10th grade he shot up four inches. I didn’t think he would reach 6 feet 6 inches, but that’s what he grew to.”

After graduating from Mid-Pac, Dave was invited by coach Wilton to walk on and join the UH volleyball team, and was a member of the 1996 team that finished the season at 27-3.

Everyone who knew Dave will remember him for his infinite compassion, unremitting thoughtfulness and unconditional love he shared with everyone. If the world had more Dave Tangs, it would surely be a better place.

Dave is survived by his father, stepmother Linda Tang, mother Lily, stepfather Dwight Miyashiro and sister Tiffany. Services for Dave Tang will be held at Diamond Head Mortuary March 11 with a viewing 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., services 11:30 a.m. to noon, burial at noon followed by lunch. Casual attire.

Academic

Ma’ema’e Elementary 1981-1987

Niu Valley middle school & Star of the Sea 1988-1989

Mid-Pacific Institute 1990-1994

University of Hawaii 1995-1999 BA Communications

Hawaii Pacific University 2000-2001 Masters Information Systems

Professional

Paradise Beverage, Stocker 1993-1994

KHNL, Video editor 1998-2000

Hot Spot Café 1998-1999

Architecture, Office manager 2000-2001

Pearl Harbor Shipyard, Office manager – 2001

Grip Video, Owner – 2000-2008

Cars

1991 Honda Civic

1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee

1990 Nissan 300Z

1991 Lexus LS400

1998 Lexus GS400

1989 Nissan 240SX

2000 Mercedes-Benz S430

Car Clubs

Shadow R

Sub Zero Racing

Pimp Lux

Executive Konnexion

Carlton & Rachel Tanaka’s ’32 Ford Vicky

Some car enthusiasts can build and drive cars throughout their lives and still never find the car for them. Carlton Tanaka has owned several different kinds of muscle cars but it wasn’t until he drove this 1932 Ford Vicky when he realized that this was the car for him.

“Before this car I found a ’69 Camaro that had a good motor and the body was in good shape,” says Carlton Tanaka “So I made the guy an offer in the morning and he said okay. Later that afternoon he calls me back and tells me that he sold the car. So I told the guy ‘I was going to buy the car,’ but that’s okay, whatevers, I believe that things happen for a reason.”

Tanaka continued his search for a muscle car because at the time a street rod was out of his price range. Milton Arakawa, who is a long time friend of Tanaka’s, had this car on display at one of the cruise night events and asked if Tanaka wanted the car.

“I told Milton that I wanted the car and he told me to take the car home and break your wife in with it. The biggest surprise was when my wife said if you want it, go get it,” says Tanaka. “No why, if or how come? And til today I thank her and she knows the value of the car. I found my car and it’s made my life.”

When man and machine make this kind of connection asking how much he wants for the car would be considered rude.

YEAR – 1932

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Vicky

ENGINE 350ci Chevrolet, polished TPI intake, polished aluminum heads, a/c compressor, valve covers, alternator, water pump, pulleys, stainless steel exhaust

DRIVETRAIN Polished and chromed 350 transmission, Corvette rear axle

SUSPENSION TCI frame, polished and chromed, 4 independent Kugel coil-overs

WHEELS 15” Billet Specialties, Vintage Legacy series

INTERIOR All leather, Billet Specialties tilt steering column, Lecarra steering wheel, VDO gauges, power windows, A/C

STEREO CD player

Chris Messer’s ’88 Chevrolet IROC Z-28

Anyone who has turned a single lap at Hawaii Raceway Park would know Chris Messer as one of the driving instructors at the Hawaii International Racing School. This 1988 IROC Z-28 is one of two race cars Messer owns and maintains regularly — even though there is no place for him to run these cars.

“About a year before the racetrack closed I pulled everything out of the car to lighten it up,” says Messer. “And I put a lot of racing parts in it, and I ran in four or five SCCA regional events and won one of the races. And I ran it in the Super Lap series that Tom Bryant and I ran for a while.”

Messer is one of nine members who make up the Oahu Motorsports Advisory Council (OMAC), which is an advocate for a motorsports facility and the promotion of organized auto racing. His second race car, Thunder in Paradise, is an older Winston West car that he raced, and in which took passengers for a lap around HRP’s road course.

“I represent Thunder In Paradise and the Super Lap series on the advisory council, and we communicate with the state and developers about building a racetrack,” says Messer. “Then we (OMAC) pass that information onto the public and get input from the public, and pass that on to the state and developers.”

OMAC is continuously trying to find a place for racers to race while the future of a permanent facility is uncertain.

YEAR – 1988

MAKE – Chevrolet

MODEL – IROC Z-28

ENGINE: 350 ci, balanced and blueprinted, factory specifications with roller rockers, roller cam, Moroso racing oil pan and pump, customized Hooker headers with open side pipes

DRIVETRAIN: Tilton lightweight flywheel and triple disc metal clutch, Muncy super T-10 4-speed racing transmission, Robello aluminum driveshaft, Curries Ford nine-inch limited slip rear end with 3.50 gears

SUSPENSION: Tokiko Illumina shocks and springs, Hotchkiss trailing arms and panhard bar

WHEELS: Kenesis 17” K-5 three piece wheels, 11-inch rear, 9.5-inch front, Hoosier 315 x 35 rear, 275 x 35 front

ELECTRONICS: MSD ignition, Optima battery, insulated Moroso spark plug wires, Racing Radios harness and communications radios

INTERIOR: Momo racing seats and harnesses, Momo steering wheel, Momo shifter knob, fire suppression safety bottle, relocated battery, Simpson window net, gutted, lightened reinstalled upholstery

EXTERIOR: Carbon fiber radiator shroud, Bear 13-inch front disc brakes, 11-inch rear disc brakes, paint by El’s auto body and paint

Glenn Barretto’s 1926 Model T Coupe

In 1997 Glenn Barretto saw this 1926 Model T (five window) Coupe in a national magazine and purchased it for $4,000. At the time, it wasn’t running and was still in its original condition.

“This is my second T,” says Barretto. “Model T’s were always my favorite car since I was a kid. My first car was a 1927 Model T roadster pickup in the early ’80s, which was featured in Street Rodder magazine in 1982. Then I sold it in order to buy a house in Waipio.”

As soon as this ride reached Hawaii, Barretto went to town and tore the car apart down to the bare frame. Not many car enthusiasts today do this kind of work because it is easier to hire someone else to do it.

“I took it down to the frame,” says Barretto. “I cut both front and rear cross members off and boxed the frame. Then I installed a tube front axle and a Jaguar rear end. Then you’re constantly lifting and lowering the body to check the height, and I had to cut the firewall in order to fit the tunnel rams.”

It took Barretto four years to get the car in the condition it is in today. His next project is to build a ’33 Speedster and have it handle like a Corvette.

YEAR - 1926

MAKE - Ford

MODEL -“T” five window Coupe

ENGINE 350 cc Chevy, dual tunnel ram, two Edelbrock 600 cfm carburetors, Erickson hydraulic cam kit, Sanderson headers, Billet air filter

DRIVETRAIN 350 3-speed automatic transmission, 350 shift kit, Floor Master dual exhaust, Holley electric fuel pump, Vega steering box

SUSPENSION Chrome 6-inch drop tubular axle, XJ6 Jaguar rear end

WHEELS Billet Wheels, 17x8 Front 215/45ZR17 Toyo tires, Talledega 17x9 Rear 255/60X17 tires

ELECTRONICS MSE Ignition, EZ Wiring

INTERIOR Original steering column modified, T steering wheel, custom pleat upholstery, Ford motor sport gauges, bench seat from a station wagon

STEREO Pioneer CD stereo system

EXTERIOR PPG violet pearl, PPG polyurethane flo-clear, flames by Undertaker Kamaile, Total Performance brass radiator, chrome tunnel ram, Edelbrock chrome valve covers, dual chrome airfilter

Vinnie Cantere’s 1972 Toyota Corolla Coupe’

This ride is only 35 years old and many in the import community already consider it old school. A few decades ago, these Japanese imports were the only cars that could go up against the once popular VW Bug.

“I’ve been interested in Corollas since the ’80s when I was 15 years old,” says Vinnie Cantere, who owns a headlight restoration and auto detailing business. “This is the second generation of Corollas so it’s kind of old school, even though it was made in 1972. I liked the car because it gave VW owners a hard rub in a race.”

If this ride looks familiar, it’s because it was parked in front of the Chevron gas station on School Street where it was built. Cantere bought this ride from the station owners two years ago, and for a short while was trying to sell it until his wife said to keep the car.

“At the time I was trying to sell this car I was building a 1971 Toyota Hilux with a V8 Chevy motor in it,” says Cantere. “I was able to work around some things and managed to keep this car, and I’m almost done with the truck. So I ended up giving this car to my wife, Autumn.”

Cantere hopes to have the Hilux on the road cruising the streets by next month and at the next Cruise Nights event in Kapolei.

YEAR – 1972

MAKE – Toyota

MODEL – Corolla

ENGINE - 3T 1800cc, dual Mikuni side-drafts, 350 Noris cam, port and polished head, dowel pin crank, lightened flywheel

DRIVETRAIN - 5-speed manual transmission, 10 bolt rear end

SUSPENSION - Rear leaf springs, traction bars, front coil springs

WHEELS - Polished 15-inch Centerline rims, 15x3.5 front, 255/90R15 rear

INTERIOR - TRD 4-point roll cage

STEREO - Alpine CD deck, Punch speakers, Fosgate amp

EXTERIOR - Honda ice blue

Brian Ho’s 1937 Ford Phaeton

Brian Ho’s parents purchased this 1937 Ford Phaeton in 1941, right around the same time he was born. Back then it was used to drive the family to and from wherever they needed to go.

“My father worked in the shipyard and bought this car from a Navy lieutenant commander at Pearl Harbor,” says Ho, who is the cousin of the late, great Don Ho. “My mom used it to drive us to school. And when I was attending Roosevelt High School in the late ’50s, my dad gave me this car.”

The car was used in a lot of school functions like the homecoming game and various parades. In the mid ’60s Ho pulled the stock 60 hp flathead V8 and dropped in a more powerful Buick engine, and raced the car out at Kahuku.

“The car had all kinds of engines,” says Ho. “After the Buick engine it had a 283 then a 327 and a 454 in the ’70s. In the ’80s several of us shipped our cars to the Mainland and drove from Las Vegas all the way to Minnesota for the Street Rod Show.”

For as long as the Ho family has owned this car it has always been running, except during the times when the engine was being changed. Before Ho passes this car down to the next generation he hopes to make one more run across the country.

ENGINE 1994 ZZ3 350ci, 350hp, aluminum heads

DRIVETRAIN GM 350 turbo, shift kit

SUSPENSION Heidts independent Mustang II suspension, Ford 9-inch rear end

WHEELS 15-inch Weld polished alloy rims, 7-inch front, 12-inch rear

ELECTRONICS GM HEI distributor

INTERIOR Tan leather

STEREO AM/FM Cassette stereo

EXTERIOR PPG Chrome yellow, tan rag top

P. Gregory Frey’s 1956 VW Kabriolett

What car enthusiast hasn’t watched the Barrett-Jackson car auction and wished they could bid on some of the cars? Greg Frey, who is a longtime viewer of the renowned auction, got his wife on a plane and headed for Scottsdale, Ariz., to attend last year’s auction.

“I finally got my wife to go to the Mecca of car auctions,” says Frey. “And I told her that I have no intentions of buying a car. And at the time I had a nice Volkswagen in the garage. Then I saw this in the display area and that’s when I took an interest in it.”

Not all enthusiasts are into the bling bling and big horsepower cars with aftermarket parts. Frey, like many others, finds cars that are still in their original condition attractive, and this is a growing trend among collectors.

“I’m a Volkswagen and Thunderbird guy,” says Frey. “And I looked at all of the cars in the catalog, and for this car it was the originality and period correct construction that was real important to me. This one has a numbers matching engine and transmission, and tacked on to it were all of the period pieces that came with the car.”

Frey also has an all-original ’55 Thunderbird, and says his AAA membership card comes in handy with these kinds of cars.

YEAR – 1956

MAKE – Volkswagen

MODEL – Type 1 Karmann Konvertable

ENGINE - 1300cc 36 hp, single solex

DRIVETRAIN - 4-speed transmission, swing axles

SUSPENSION - Torsion front and rear

WHEELS - 15 inch

INTERIOR - Black and tan two-tone vinyl

STEREO - AM radio

DAVID SILVA’S ‘07 HUMMER H2

This is the 2007 Hummer H2 and according to some conservationists, the Hummer is the cause of global warming, melting glaciers and rising sea levels. But to those who own and drive the Hummer it is a sign of success, prosperity and, most of all, freedom.

“That’s ridiculous,” says Dave Silva, who is the president and CEO of Revolution Motorsports. “This Hummer represents the hard work that the owner had to perform in order to afford this SUV. And if you were to count all of the Hummers in the world, its carbon footprint is still smaller than all of the compact cars in the world. Those people need to find something else better to do with their energy. No pun intended.”

Silva has been in the automotive business since the early 1990s and has pimped out a large portion of cars, trucks and SUVs on the island. This Hummer was one of several vehicles that were being prepped for entry into the Hot Import Nights car show.

“This is the forth vehicle I’ve worked on for this particular client,” says Silva. “We started with the exhaust system on this Hummer and then the intake, so we’ve increased horsepower and gas mileage, making it much more fuel efficient. So take that, you tree huggers. Then we did the under-carriage and body.”

Revolution has the heads up on the next big auto fashion that will hit the streets soon and Silva says that this will definitely impact how European cars will look in 2008.

YEAR – 2007

MAKE – Hummer

MODEL – H2

ENGINE

Volant Hummer H2 Volant Full cold air intake system with MAF Sensor

Volant Hummer H2 stainless steel exhaust system

SUSPENSION

McGaughy’s deluxe 2- to 3-inch drop kit

WHEELS

26-inch Asanti forged Af-131 2 tone black wheel with spare with Pirelli 315/40/26

ELECTRONICS

Diablo Predator power programmer

STEREO

DVD system

EXTERIOR

Strut Zambezi Collection, Strut field dress up kit, upper chrome mesh and lower bumper end caps, chrome fog light bezel, chrome roof rack knobs, chrome rack letters, custom Strut side vents, chrome rear louvers, painted front bumpers, custom chrome door buckets, custom chrome door handles

Mark Chang’s ’97 Nissan Sylvia 214.5

This is the 240 that all other 240s wish to be when they grow up. Mark Chang bought this ride brand new in 1997, and over the years he has managed to turn this Nissan into an award-winning show-stopper.

“In the beginning, I built little parts of the car here and there, nothing major,” says Chang. “Then the import scene gained popularity, and I’d see everyone driving nice import cars, so in 2002 I really began getting into the car scene and I rebuilt this car from the bottom up.”

Chang’s plan was to build a car that would blow everyone away, which came about after a lot of research and finding the right people to do the job. In 2005 he rolled the car right into the Hot Import Nights car show. There he won his first of four Best of Show trophies, and was waiting to see if he would win a fifth BOS at the ’07 HIN.

“I’m a real anal person and I like quality work, so finding the right shops to do the motor, suspension and stereo was the hard part,” says Chang. “Since 2003 the car has had three paint changes and I’ve had this color, chrome illusion green, for two years now. So for this upcoming show I had the front and rear fenders widened. Every year I change something on the car before the next show.”

At the end of Hot Import Nights a few weeks ago Chang took home Best Motor, Best Bodywork, Best Undercarriage, Best Nissan and Best of Performance, which used to be Best of Show.

YEAR – 1997

MAKE – Nissan

MODEL – Silvia S14.5

ENGINE - SR20DET Engine, Blitz Turbo Kit, HKS cams, Autronic Stand Alone System, Greddy intake plenum, Border fuel rail w/850 cc fuel injectors, Blitz exhaust system, NOS, Kinetic battery

DRIVETRAIN – ACT clutch, Cusco lightened chromoly Flywheel, B&M Short Shifter, Nismo LSD

SUSPENSION – Ikeya Formula, Cusco, Battle Version, Tein, KTS, Nismo

WHEELS – HRE rims front- 19x10-inch, rear- 19x13.5-inch, Toyo Proxy Tires front- 255/30/19, Rear- 315/25/19

ELECTRONICS – Apex & Blitz gauges, Security System with GPS tracking, custom engine bay, trunk and under carriage lighting

INTERIOR – Bride seats, Cusco roll bar, custom door panels, kick panels, rear deck lid, trunk panels

STEREO - Kenwood deck, Zapco amps, PHD speakers, Alumapro subwoofer

EXTERIOR – Chameleon paint, Works9 front fenders, custom rear widebody, carbon fiber Hood, Carbon Fiber Trunk, Ings Body Kit, D-Max Rear Spoiler

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Sean Igawa at Munky Wurks Garage, Ryan Nakamura at Tech One Customs, Edric Taira at Audio Architechs, Brandon Fujimoto, Justin Izumi, and my girlfriend Karen for all of her support.

JOANNA YOUNG ‘05 HONDA ACCORD EX

The import scene here - like most car communities - is made up mostly of guys and a handful of girls. Joanna Young is one of two or three girls who make up this popular subculture, and she’s made a name for herself in the VIP styling part of the import scene. But her start as an enthusiast came in the tuner scene while attending Hawaii Baptist Academy.

“When I was in high school, a lot of my guy friends were into cars,” says Young. “At first, I didn’t see what the big deal was, but after seeing what you could do to a car and what my friends did to their cars, I began getting into it. So I got a ‘98 Accord and I put a turbo in it, a body kit and a custom paint job.”

After driving the tuned Accord for a few years in high school, Young was entering UH and wanted to upgrade her ride. She began researching what kind of car she was going to get and saw a photo of a Honda Inspire (Japan’s version of the Accord) and was blown away by the VIP appearance.

“I had all the parts before I bought the car,” says Young. “After I saw the photo of the Inspire, I began getting the parts and finding where to get the work done. So the Inspire inspired me to get this car, and all of the work was done within three months of getting this car.”

Young prides herself on the custom front end she managed to create on her ride, and this is the only Inspire front end on an Accord in the U.S. She also has plans to finish her stereo system and bolt on a new set of wheels.

ENGINE

Junction Produce dual exhaust with extension tips, JDM OEM Inspire engine cover, Authentic

Mugen Radiator cap, Authentic Mugen Oil cap, Authentic Mugen Reservoir cover

SUSPENSION

Air Runner full suspension, custom black painted 5-gallon tank

WHEELS

19x8 SSR Vienna Courage, Falken tires

ELECTRONICS

6000K McCullochs HID headlight conversion,

3400K O-nyx HID fog light conversion

INTERIOR

LED Interior/dome light conversion, 35 percent black tint, Junction Produce Kitsuna

STEREO

Alpine IVA-330 DVD Indash player

EXTERIOR

JDM Inspire Front End Conversion (JDM OEM Inspire Grille, JDM OEM Inspire front bumper,

JDM OEM Inspire Fog Lamps, JDM OEM Inspire headlights, JDM Inspire modified hood), JDM OEM Inspire Tail Light Conversion,

JDM OEM Inspire Modulo Rear Spoiler, JDM

OEM Inspire Door Handles, JDM OEM Inspire Emblems, JDM OEM Inspire Side

Mirrors, Authentic Mugen Front Lip, Authentic Mugen Side Spoilers, Authentic

Mugen Rear Under Spoiler, Authentic

Mugen Window Visors

Hector Aparra’s ’01 Lexus LS430

Two weeks ago Bryan Lee arranged a cruise that allowed the VIP crews of Oahu to meet Junction Produce CEO Takahiro Taketomi and Sessions CEO Kenji Yamada. Junction Produce and Sessions are the leaders in VIP automotive parts and accessories around the world, and have been setting a style that is becoming more and more popular.

“I got a chance to speak with both Kenji and Takahiro, which was cool,” says Hector Aparra. “I was surprised by how young they were, around 30 years old and probably millionaires. I have several Junction Produce accessories in my car and I’m looking at getting the Junction Produce exhaust.”

Aparra had a Honda and a Nissan previously, but always knew that he wanted a Lexus LS 430 and six months ago, he picked up this ride. As soon as he got the LS he ordered a set of Varianza wheels, which were made to order and finally delivered and mounted a few weeks ago.

“I was looking for an aggressive full body kit for my car when I got it,” says Aparra. “But all of the kits I saw from Junction and a few others were lip kits, so Ken from Eurosport showed me this kit, which is made by Fabulous. This has the full bumper version and all of the sides too.”

This ride is going through the early stages of its VIP transformation, and in a few months will be one sick ride.

YEAR – 2001

MAKE - Lexus

MODEL – LS 430

ENGINE: 4.3 Liter V-8, 290 horsepower, 320 pounds torque

DRIVETRAIN: Five-speed automatic transmission

SUSPENSION: Teins adjustable comfort sport

WHEELS: Varianza wheels, front 20 x 9, rear 20 x 10

INTERIOR: Junction Produce cushion, Junction Produce neck pad, Junction Produce steering wheel, Junction Produce fusa

EXTERIOR: Fabulous full body-kit

Derwin Yamaguchi’s ’65 VW Crewcab

A few decades ago you didn’t see many Crewcab trucks, and the ones that you did see were usually for commercial use. Truck makers today offer the Crewcab option to the public, and it’s become very popular.

“I bought this from a fellow bus driver who bought it from another bus driver who bought it from a guy who brought it here from the Mainland,” says Yamaguchi, who works as a city bus driver. “When I got it, I had to hold the shifter down so it wouldn’t pop out of third gear, and the steering had a lot of play in it. So I had to fix a few things, but this is the same paint job that it had when the first guy had it.”

Yamaguchi had his eye on this ride for a long time and would have owned it sooner, but the owner at the time promised it to someone else. He finally got the chance to buy the truck six years ago, and since then he’s had a lot of work done to it.

“My friend Roy Dunlop helped me with a lot of things on this,” says Yamaguchi. “We got everything pretty much done within the first year after I got it. Plus I hang out with a lot of guys who are members of the Vintage VW Club, so getting parts for this was pretty easy.”

This is one of the sickest rides of its kind, which has won first place in the truck category at the Blue Angels Air Show, and placed first again at Motorfest 2007 two weeks ago. Yamaguchi wanted to thank his wife, Sharon, for making all of this possible, and he wants an air ride suspension next.

YEAR – 1965

MAKE – Volkswagen

MODEL – Crewcab

ENGINE - 1650cc, progressive carburetors

DRIVETRAIN - ’67 transmission geared for dropped suspension

SUSPENSION - Bilstein shocks, 3 1/2-inch drop spindles, 2-inch dropped rear

WHEELS - 5.50 X 14 front, 7 X 15 rear, Porsche rims

ELECTRONICS - Super coil

INTERIOR - Custom press sheet metal door panels and ceiling, Banjo steering wheel

Mike De Carlo’s ’06 Scion xB

When a car is detailed at Mike De Carlo’s shop, you can rest easy knowing that all of the chemicals he uses to give your car that showroom shine are earth-friendly and biodegradable. With 26 years of experience, De Carlo has seen the changes in how auto detailing is done.

“When I first started off detailing cars it was mobile and by appointment only,” says De Carlo. “Today I have two shops, and I will be opening a third shop in Waikiki. We are the only shop on the island that uses an oil-water separator. We are environmentally friendly.”

De Carlo uses a water catchment system that collects all of the used water, which goes through a filtering system and is reused again. Adding to his green theme is the latest in detailing technology, a mobile Spot Free Water System.

“In this custom xB is the only mobile Spot Free Water System,” says De Carlo. “This technology allows me to shoot water from this system on a black car in direct sunlight, and when it dries there won’t be any spots on it. And the water that I used is absorbed by portable berms that I lay down, so none of the water goes into the storm drains while at someone’s home.”

The most difficult part of the modification was getting the two 60-pound tanks (which are the main components of the Spot Free system) to fit inside the xB.

YEAR – 2006

MAKE – Scion

MODEL – xB

ENGINE 1.5L I4 VVTL

DRIVETRAIN Automatic transaxle

WHEELS 16-inch Chrome AME Shallen LX, Kumho 195/50/16

ELECTRONICS CON 560 Water purity monitor and controller, dual batteries, 2000w AC power inverter, Viper security system, High Intensity Discharge Headlamp conversion, 150psi Air compressor

INTERIOR Rear seats removed and converted to flatbed, custom steel mounts holding two-stage deionization tanks, Honda 2500psi pressure washer, 100ft high-pressure hose on reel

STEREO Alpine IVA-W200 double din in dash, DVD, Navigation, Blackbird dock, Bluetooth phone

EXTERIOR Custom airbrushing and graphics, custom marker lamps and tail lamps by Tech One Customs

George Lucas’ ’03 Chevrolet Avalanche

When Chevrolet introduced the Avalanche in 2002 it was seen as a cross between a truck and SUV. Some in the car making industry called it an SUT (Sports Utility Truck) with its folding midgate construction that allows access to the cab from the bed.

“I started off as a Volkswagen guy in my teens,” says George Lucas. “My first car was a ’72 Super Beetle and after that I got in to Chevys. I built my first muscle car for my wife. It was a ’79 Cutlass with a Chevy motor, but it wasn’t practical when we had our daughter.”

Lucas sold the muscle for an economical Toyota, which upset his wife who was used to driving a car that rumbled down the streets. Later he sold that and built a couple of Monte Carlos, but was still looking for a family car to drive.

“I had my son, so now I have two kids and that’s when I went down to Dodge and looked at the Magnum,” says Lucas. “ So the next day I brought my wife with me to look at the Magnum, but I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. This was on the lot too, and it caught my eye and I always wanted to get a truck.”

Lucas sweet-talked the wife and they drove off into the sunset with this Avalanche. It’d be safe to assume that every mod done on the truck required more sweet-talking.

YEAR – 2003

MAKE – Chevrolet

MODEL – Avalanche Z66

ENGINE

5.3 liters V8, 96 mm bore, 92 mm stroke, 9.5 compression ratio, overhead valve and two valves per cylinder. K&N 77 series metal cold air intake, Airaid PowerAid throttle body spacer.

SUSPENSION

5-inch suspension drop, drop kit on the rear and torsion on the front.

WHEELS

20-inch Rozzi Peel 20x8.5 with Hankook 275x55x20 directional tires.

ELECTRONICS

Strobe lights under the hood flashing on the Hulk with green LED lights for eyes, under carriage lights, 15 multifunctions and six different colors, green LED lights for interior

STEREO

Clarion ProAudio VRX755VD DVD/MP3 receiver with 7-inch LCD monitor, Cerwin Vega 6 front doors, Alpine MRP-F450 4/3/2 channel power amplifier, JL Audio 5 rear door speakers, JL Audio 5 W7 12-inch subwoofer, 07 Kenwood KAC-8152D mono amp bass knob 1100W, 7-inch head rest monitors, 2 “A” pillars tweeters

 

Benjamin Kaneaiakala III ’05 Nissan Titan

Sun, surf and trucks is the lifestyle for many people living in Hawaii. And when Nissan introduced its first full-size truck in 2004, many of us stood there looking at the massive powerhouse wondering if this truck could handle the sun and surf.

“I was looking at getting a big truck,” says Benjamin Kaneaiakala III, who is the program supervisor at Healthy Start Leeward. “I looked at the F-150 and test drove the Harley-Davidson truck, and then looked at the Dodge Hemi. I test drove ’em all! One day I went to Nissan and test-drove this truck, and I liked the space it had and loved the power.”

When you compare the Titan specs against any of the other trucks, the Titan (by the numbers) is the better buy. Just ask any of the 200-plus members who make up the Island Titanz Truck Club.

“I bought the LE edition because it was fully loaded, and then I ran into a couple guys from the Island Titanz Truck Club,” says Kaneaiakala. “I started off by picking up a set of 22-inch rims. Now I have 24s, and over the past two years I’ve upgraded the stereo four times. I’ve done so much to the truck.”

This Sunday, Oct. 28, the Island Titanz Truck Club will have a Truck or Treat Halloween Barbecue/Potluck at Kualoa Beach Park from 10 a.m. to sunset. Kaneaiakala says everyone is welcome to join them. www.IslandTitanz.org

YEAR - 2005

MAKE - Nissan

MODEL – Titan LE, crew cab, 4 door

ENGINE

5.6L V8, 305 horsepower, Volant Intake w/AirAide Throttle Body Spacer, SpinTech Exhaust: Single In/Dual Out w/Dual 4-inch Rolled Stainless Steel Tips, Custom Graphic Painted Engine and Intake Covers

DRIVETRAIN

Detroit - Tru Trac Gearing, Hurst - Line Lock System

SUSPENSION

Rear Dropped 2 ¾ Inches

WHEELS

24” Black Rhino – Kenya Chrome Rims & Tires 305/35/24

ELECTRONICS

Power: Windows, Locks, Brake and Gas Peddles, and Seats. Red Strobe Lights in Engine Compartment, 7-Color Undercarriage Lights, 7-Color LED Interior Lights, Python Alarm System w/Remote Start, Boyo-Rear Mirror 6 Inch Color Screen, Micro Vision 5 ½ Inch Color Headrest Screens, White LED-Third Brake Light & Interior Lights.

STEREO

Kenwood “Excelon” Double Din Deck

JL Audio System:

• JL Audio ZR’s in the front & back doors

• JL Audio XR’s in the front dash & tower

• JL Audio 2-10” W3 Stealth Custom Box under back seat

• JL Audio 12” W7 High Output Custom Box

• JL Audio 1000/1 Amplifier

• JL Audio 500/1 Amplifier

• JL Audio 300/2 Amplifier

• Hooker Audio 1.2 Digital Capacitor

• Kinetic 2000 Battery

EXTERIOR

LED chrome taillights, Halo Projector headlights, Chrome Side Step, Vertical Billet Grill & Antenna, Chrome Molding & Trims, Snug Lid SL Tunnel Cover-White, Reverse Sensors, 7-Color Halo Projector Fog Lights, Boyo-Back-up License Plate Camera

INTERIOR

Grey Leather Interior

Sonny Phillips’ ‘32 Ford Model B

In 1932 the Democratic Party nominated Franklin Delano Roosevelt as its presidential candidate. Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, and Ford introduced its latest car dubbed the Model B. The Model B was powered by a 4-cylinder engine and a more popular flathead V8.

“I’ve always wanted a ’32 Ford ever since my younger days,” says Sonny Phillips, who is a retired merchant marine. “Back in the ’90s I bought a ’55 Chevy Nomad, and my cousin on the Mainland asked me if I wanted to swap my Nomad for a ’32 Ford. So I told my wife, let’s swap the car.”

When Phillips got the Model B it was red, and was sitting on a hydraulic suspension, which gave the car a very rough ride. So the first thing he did was install an air ride suspension and put in a beefier small block Chevy.

“This car just makes me happy, and my wife loves it,” says Phillips. “Every day I can’t wait to get in it, and sometimes I let my wife drive it to work. It makes me so happy, I wish I could drive it every day.”

A few weeks ago Phillips bought a ’55 Chevy two-door and has big plans to Pro Street the car. He hopes to have the ’55 ready by the middle of next year.

YEAR – 1932

MAKE – Ford

MODEL– Model B Sedan

ENGINE 350 cid Chevy, Weiand dual quad tunnel rams, dual Holley carburetors, aluminum heads, 510 Comp cam, 1.5 roller rockers, mechanical Holley fuel pump.

DRIVETRAIN Turbo 350 GM transmission, 3K stall, shift kit, 9-inch Ford posi rear end, 4:11 gears

SUSPENSION Air Ride Technology

WHEELS Polished aluminum Boyds, 15X14 rear, 15X9 front

ELECTRONICS MSD, power windows

INTERIOR Howdy Ledbetter interior

STEREO Alpine

EXTERIOR Yellow paint by Ryan Nakamura of Tech One Customs, 4-inch chopped top, all curved glass

Chad Kobayashi’s 06 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 WALD

If you think your factory-installed stereo is awesome, think again. In any car Edric Taira (who is revered as one of the best car stereo installers in the country) can assemble and install car stereo components that would blow away most home entertainment systems.

“There are three things you need to do when getting a car stereo. The first is to get the best components you can afford,” says Taira. “After that, you need to have it installed properly because if it’s done wrong you may as well have bought standard equipment. And finally, having it tuned correctly.”

This Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 is one of Taira’s latest creations and is his finest work to date. Chad Kobayashi heard a car stereo system that blew him away and found that Taira was the person who did the work. So he asked him to do the same for this CLS 500 with certain conditions. He needed to be able to put a baby chair in the back seat and be able to use the trunk.

“The most difficult part of this install was the glowing rear deck,” says Taira. “It’s something I never did before ,and I’ve never seen it done anywhere — period. And I go to CS every year and I go to SEMA every year. Some installers like shining lights on things, and I made this deck with the light shining through it. A lot of people are asking how I did it.”

Taira’s workmanship blends well with the car’s stock interior, which makes it hard to notice and takes car stereo installations to a whole new level. And he is constantly upping his game. With several upcoming projects in L.A., Taira is sure to rock the custom car stereo industry again.

YEAR - 2006

MAKE – Mercedes-Benz

MODEL – CLS 500 WALD

WHEELS - Radenergie 20X9 front, 20X11 rear

ELECTRONICS - KINETIK KHC2400, KINETIK KHC1400

STEREO - Alpine IVA-W205, DVD/CD A/V Source unit

AMPLIFIERS - ZAPCO DC650.6, 6 Channel amplifier, ZAPCO DC1100.1 Mono-subwoofer amplifier

FRONT SPEAKERS = ZAPCO COMP KT-8.25 tweeters, ZAPCO COMP CM-8.165 6.5” mid-bass

REAR SPEAKERS - ZAPCO RH-16.2 6.5” component set

SUBWOOFERS - Alumapro MX10

SOUND DAMPENING - Hush mat ultra damping mat, Hush mat insulating foam

Calt Ferreira’s ’37 Ford Slant Back

When Calt Ferreira was growing up in Heeia Kea Valley, he saw a ’37 Ford in a neighbor’s garage that wasn’t running. A teenager at the time, he asked the family if he could have the car and they said, “Yeah take ’em.” But they couldn’t find the ownership papers and told the young Ferreira that they would give him the papers when they got them from an uncle.

“I took the car home, and as a kid I’m thinking, wow, this car is mine,” says Ferreira. “So as I’m fixing the car and my dad is helping me learn about the brakes, electrical and engine, the whole time I’m thinking that this is going to be one bad hot rod.”

In between repairing the car, Ferreira’s father would stop by the house where his son got the car and ask for the ownership papers. And on every visit the family would come up with some explanation of why they didn’t get the ownership papers.

“My dad came up to me and said, ‘You’ve got to release the car,’” says Ferreira. “And I said, ‘But, Dad, this is my car, I’ve been working on it, it’s in my yard, it’s my car. And my dad said, ‘No, it’s not your car because I know how the process works. We’ll finish this car and the owner will magically show up saying he never signed the car over to you.’ So it broke my heart.”

Four years ago Ferreira’s father passed away, and a few months after in memory of his father, he bought this ’37 Slant Back, which he found in Indiana.

YEAR – 1937

MAKE – Ford

MODEL – Slant Back

ENGINE

468 cid big block Chevy, balanced and blue printed, custom head work, 3-angle valve, gasket matched, flat-top piston rings, forged, Torker intake, Holley carburetor, Pro spark plug wires, Stewart water pump, all aluminum acc, Lunati cam, roller rockers, Rhodes lifters, HPC coated exhaust system.

DRIVETRAIN

TCI power glide automatic transmission, trans break, B & M shifter reverse lockout, shortened Ford 9-inch rear end, 4.45 gears, Detroit locker

SUSPENSION

Custom tube chassis frame, Morrison control arms, ladder bars

WHEELS

Tubed rear wheel 18.5, Weld wheels, Mickey Thompson’s

ELECTRONICS

Mallory ignition, power windows, electronic entry

INTERIOR

6 point roll cage, custom tweed upholstery, Autometer gauges

STEREO

Stereo with mega amp

EXTERIOR

Paint by Laurens hot rod shop green blue, 2 1/2-inch chopped top, tunneled taillights, widened fenders and running board

Shane Nojiri’s 74 VW Meyers Manx

There was a time not long ago when Shane Nojiri was working a full-time job and repairing auto A/C systems out of a van. Today Shane has his own A/C shop in Pearl City and has ventured into the music industry by starting company that provides sound systems for live performances. But if you were to look deeper into his past, you’d fine that Nojiri used to be a car thief, among other things.

“I started doing drugs in the sixth grade at Dole Intermediate,” says the former OCCC inmate. “That led to stealing cars, and by the time I became a freshman at Farrington I was smoking ice. I did pretty good in school, but in the end I was a half credit short and didn’t graduate.”

Nojiri’s family wanted him out of the house at which time he became a fulltime criminal for several years. A girlfriend who he had two kids with left him, and eventually the law caught up with him at which point he was in put into prison. Because of over crowding he is released early and realizes he is homeless has nothing to his name.

“I asked my dad for help and he said, ‘I’ll help, but you have to stop the drugs and if I catch you doing drugs again I’ll disown you,’” says Nojiri. “I enrolled in an out-patient drug program at Castle and my dad baby-sat me through those tough times. And while in the drug program, they talked about a higher power, God. Since then I’ve dedicated my life to God and he has blessed me with many things.”

Nojiri got his GED, became an ASE certified technician, and married the girlfriend who left him. They had two more children together. And the dune buggy is not for sale.

YEAR - 1974

MAKE - Volkswagen

MODEL – Meyers Manx

ENGINE - 1650cc bored 1904cc, duel 48 Webers, 120 cam, 0.41 big valve heads, Tri Mill exhaust, Holley electric fuel pump, assembled by Abe Baradi.

DRIVETRAIN - Race transmission, 3rd gear 1.58 ratio, 4th 1.21 ratio, Porsche axles assembled by Showtime.

SUSPENSION - Rear coil over shocks, Geneberg lowered front end.

WHEELS - Centerline rims, 10X15 rear, 135X15 offset front.

ELECTRONICS - 0.9 distributor.

INTERIOR - Raised flame, marine vinyl, assembled by Fred’s Auto Top Shop, Autometer gauges, Dino shifter reverse lockout.

STEREO - Kenwood.

EXTERIOR - Candy apple tangerine, flames graphics and airbrush by Luis Art.

Tobias Tenorio’s 04 RC Components, Pro Street

With movies like Easy Rider and motorcycle gangs like the Hell’s Angels, most people back in those days got a bad impression of anyone who rode custom bikes or choppers. Fast forward 40 years and you’ll see corporate executives and politicians riding custom bikes as if the shady past of bikers never existed.

“I grew up riding bikes when I was a teenager in Pismo Beach, Calif., and we used to ride at this place called Competition Hill,” says Todias Tenorio. “I took a big break from riding, and then I started bike shopping and one day while looking online I saw this bike.”

This bike that Tenorio saw online was located in Kihei, so he sent a mechanic friend to Maui to check out the bike. When the mechanic returned he gave the bike a thumbs up, and soon after that money exchanged hands. The bike was shipped to Oahu.

“I decided to purchase a chopper because I am tempted to go too fast with a sport bike, with the chopper it’s a cruise kind of bike,” says Tenorio. “Plus I like the sound of the Basani pipes that I got on the bike, and I love setting off car alarms when I ride by them.”

Tenorio sold his Xterra in order to get this bike, but he has his eyes on a Range Rover. But he needs to make room for it in his garage.

YEAR - 2004

MAKE – RC Components

MODEL – Pro Street

ENGINE

113 ci, El Bruto, chrome spiked air cleaner,

DRIVETRAIN

6-speed Baker transmission

SUSPENSION

Legend Air Ride suspension, RC forward controls

WHEELS

RC Components

EXTERIOR

Custom cobalt blue paint with purple flames, drag bars, 240-inch rear wheel, Metzlers tires front and back, diamond taillight.

Darrel Cox’s 64 Chevrolet Impala

The Chevrolet Impala made its début in 1958, and the angle by designers was to build a performance car with good looks at an affordable price. This formula proved to be the winning elixir for GM, as it became their best-selling car for a year. The following year it became the best-selling car in America, and then sales hit the 1 million mark in 1965.

“I was driving a ’62 Chevy six cylinder that couldn’t keep up with the traffic on the Oakland freeway,” says Darrel Cox. “So I bought my first Impala in 1964 from a dealership in San Jose, and it had a four-speed transmission and looked just like this one. And I shipped it over here to Oahu in 1968 when I became a teacher in Waipahu.”

In 1964 Cox paid $3,773 for his Impala, which wasn’t a much of a deal — that’s what most mid-range cars cost back then. In 1969 he decided he needed a car with more utility and an automatic transmission so he traded the Impala for a 1970 Datsun Station Wagon.

“I started looking for another ’64 Impala several years ago, and every June I’d go to the Car d’ Lane Classic Car Show in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,” says Cox. “And every year there were fewer and fewer of these ’64 Impalas. So I looked online and found this one, which was in Benicia on the West Coast, and I bought the car in March.”

Buying cars online is becoming more and more common. If there is one thing that experienced buyers and sellers recommend is to go to see the car before you finalize the sale.

Year 

1964

Make

Chevrolet

Model

Impala Super Sport

Engine

327ci, 300hp

Drivetrain

Automatic 2-speed Powerglide transmission

Suspension

KYB Shocks, power steering

Wheels

Stock rims, Uniroyal Tiger Paw P215/7514 tires, Super Sport wheel covers, power brakes

Electronics

Delco AM Radio

Interior

Red; SS tissue box, Factory A/C

Exterior

White

Chuck Spainhower’s 33 Graham Blue Streak

In 1984 while attending the NHRA Western National Car Show in San Jose, Chuck Spainhower was on a mission to buy himself a hot rod. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of cars on display, this car caught the attention of Spainhower’s son.

“My son wanted to look at this car, so I talked with the guy and asked him how much he wanted for the car, we made a deal and bought I it,” says Spainhower. “The body of the car was all there but the engine and interior needed some work. There are less than two dozen of these cars left in the world, so finding a taillight or headlight would be impossible.”

When Spainhower got the car home, he did a frame off restoration and redid the front end. Shortly after that, he entered a couple of car shows and won the People’s Choice award on several occasions.

“This is the second time I’ve redone the whole car,” says Spainhower. “It rides like a Cadillac, drives good and has everything me and my wife need. So this is the car I’ll keep.”

And being the only Graham in Hawaii might be another reason Spainhower is keeping the car. To get a closer look at this 1933 Graham Blue Streak logon to www.HawaiiIndependentCruiseNights.com for the next show in your area.

YEAR - 1933

MAKE - Graham

MODEL – Blue Streak

ENGINE 440 ci, bored .030 over, dual quad tunnel rams, 11.5:1 pistons, custom dual exhaust.

DRIVETRAIN 727 automatic transmission

SUSPENSION Rack & pinion steering, coil over shocks.

WHEELS Front 255/40R20; Rear 265/40R22

ELECTRONICS MSD Ignition.

INTERIOR Recaro bucket seats, Autometer tachometer.

STEREO Clarion AM/FM cassette.

EXTERIOR PT Cruiser gold and black.

Mark Steffens’ 03 Subaru WRX

Originally, Mark Steffens drove a Nissan and had no admiration for Subaru until he caught the WRC (World Rally Championship) bug. As he watched more and more rallies on TV, the name Peter Solberg kept coming up - on top.

“In the beginning, I watched all of the teams that raced in the WRC,“says Steffens, who is an LPN during the day.“At the time I noticed Subaru was winning quite a few races, and Peter Solberg was the driver. In rally racing, you have to race against the clock, and they have to deal with the different weather and road conditions, so that was part of the attraction.”

When Steffens bought the AWD rocket, he said he wasn’t going to modify the car and just drive it the way it was. But three weeks after getting the car, he began playing around with body parts and then different rims. One thing lead to another, and the car began to develop into something you want to drive in the pineapple fields in Wahiawa to see how it’ll handle.

“I started going to these I Club Impreza meetings,” says Steffens.“They showed me what you can do to your car, and that’s when I started modifying the car.A lot of the parts I have are Pro Drive parts and most of them came from Japan or the U.K.”

Steffens’ car has a very conventional look, but if you read the mod list, it will certainly raise your eyebrows. And next month, he is having the car tuned by a professional tuner to put the car at the 300 hpß bracket.

Nothing conventional about that.

ENGINE

2.0L turbocharged boxer engine, IHI VF39 turbo, STI injectors, Walboro fuel pump, Forge boost controller, TurboXS exhaust with Prodrive axle back, APS up pipe, Helix top mount inter-cooler, Greddy oil catch can, Modified intake box/filter.

DRIVETRAIN

Modified 4EAT, Weapon R engine damper.

SUSPENSION

Tanabe coilovers, MRT camber plates, Whiteline ALK, STI front and rear strut bars, H-brace.

WHEELS

Prodrive Japan GC-10G, Kyowa KR206.

ELECTRONICS

Greddy ground kit, Hyper voltage stabilizer.

INTERIOR

2005 full interior swap in black, Prodrive rally type race seat, Prodrive race harness, Prodrive floor mats, JDM WRX cluster, OEM boost gauge, OEM arm rest extension, OEM underseat subwoofer, OEM shift boot assembly, Ver8 STI steering wheel.

EXTERIOR

Prodrive front lip, Prodrive wing, Prodrive headlights, Prodrive grill, Prodrive rear differential protector, Prodrive oil cap, Prodrive battery tie down.

STOPPERS

JDM black 4-POT front brake calipers, Stop-tech rotors/EBC rotors, Stop-tech braided brake lines, HPS hawk pads, MRT brake cylinder brace.

Kawika Kahanu Jr.’s ’64 VW Type 3 Notchback

Volkswagens were hugely popular during the ’80s, and everywhere you turned there was a Volkswagen. Back then Kawika Kahanu was in high school and inherited a VW from his father, but he has been around VWs since the age of 7.

“I’ve always had a VW, and during the early ’90s I got heavy in to four-wheel drive trucks and that was the big thing until the mid ’90s,” says Kahanu. “But for the past five years I’ve been getting back into Volkswagens. I’ve gone through eight VWs in the past four years.”

If this Notchback looks unfamiliar, it’s because it is. There weren’t a lot of Notchbacks made by VW, and they were only produced from 1961 through 1972. So if someone was looking for a Type-3 (Notchback) VW, it would be like looking for gold.

“I’ve been looking for a Type-3 for a long time, about four years,” says Kahanu. “I kept going online and looking and looking, and about a year ago I came across this one, which was in California. I read what the car had, and the owner sent me about 40 pictures and I sent him a cashier’s check.”

As soon as Kahanu got the rare ride he went to work, and has attracted the attention of some VW publications with the custom modification he did to the Type-3. And if you want to catch a closer look at this and other VWs on the island, check out the Labor Day VW show at Ala Moana Park Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007.

Arnold Dowling’s 1939 Ford Sedan Deluxe

Thirty years ago this month Arnold Dowling formed the Hawaii Independent Cruise Nights with longtime friend and fellow hot rodder Chuck Spainhouser. From their early days gathering at several local drive inns to now covering whole parking lots with hot rods at major box stores and shopping malls, Hawaii Independent Cruise Nights is the mother of all car shows.

“Chuck Spainhouser and I got together and thought of forming a show that was family-oriented and brought back the old days of hot rods hanging out,” says Dowling. “And our first Cruise Night was at Scotty’s Drive Inn, and there were about 100 cars. From there we started spreading out to other drive ins like Andy’s and Jolly Rogers.

” Today the Hawaii Independent Cruise Nights can have as many as 400 cars at a single show, which can draw 600 or more people to the hosting store or shopping mall. And these are just the participants, not counting several hundred spectators who come to see the cars and eventually work their way into the stores.

“The shows we have today are tremoungus, really, really huge,” adds Dowling. “It’s becoming an epidemic because stores and malls understand the amount of people we attract and foot traffic it brings to their stores. So we bring business to the establishments not just take up valuable parking space. We bring money.”

Dowling has plans to redo the engine in this 1939 Ford, but that’s after he catches up on the several other hot rods in his garage. www.HawaiiIndependentCruiseNights.com

Jim Lackey’s 1923 Ford T-Bucket

There are not a lot of T-Buckets on the island, and the few that you see are usually all shined up and sitting on the floor of a custom car show. So when Jim Lackey got his hands on this Bucket, he wanted to build a rod that was made for driving.

“When I was 15 or 16 years old, I saw a 1923 T Bucket that George Barris built in California,” says the retired Army colonel. “It was candy apple red, and didn’t look as good as this one because the technology wasn’t there back then. But to me that was kind of the ultimate street rod, and I’ve always thought that it would be kind of neat to have one.”

Lackey bought this ride two and a half years ago from a person in Florida, who neglected the car and drove it into the ground. To make things worse, the Bucket sat for eight years, which allowed rust to ravage the whole car and cover the custom engravings done by Von Dutch.

“The guy I got it from drove it until it quit running and threw a dust cover over it,” says Lackey. “The salt air got to it and every piece of chrome was rusted. If you compare the pictures of when I first got it off the boat to what it looks like now, it doesn’t look like the same car.”

Lackey has done a great job in backtracking the Bucket’s history, especially the engravings done by Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard. If you ever get the chance, ask him about what Von Dutch told BDS regarding the blower.

ENGINE

350 cid NASCAR engine detuned to 540 hp, Chevrolet JE pistons, Cirrillo rods, Stealth crank, 850 cfm, Barry Grant carburetor (gold- and silver-plated), 471 Tulip-Top BDS blower, engravings by Von Dutch (aka Kenny Howard).

DRIVETRAIN

TH400 transmission with Lokar shifter, 1970 Jaguar XKE rear end with 4/11 gears.

SUSPENSION

Leaf springs (front), double coil-over-shocks (rear), Wilwood front brakes.

WHEELS

Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires, front 7.5 x 26 x 15 mounted on Gasser ET wheels, Rear 21.5x33x15 mounted on Weld Draglite wheels.

EXTERIOR

Candy Cobalt Blue, mahogany rear rack, 1950 Pontiac rear taillights.

‘57 FORD THUNDERBIRD

Allen Denis saw this Thunderbird parked on the street in Manoa Valley rusting away for several years. One day he went to the house where the car was parked and asked the owner if he wanted to sell it.

“The car was a light yellow and the whole bottom of the car was rusted out and the interior was completely shot,” says Denis. “Initially the owner said he didn’t want to sell the car and that he was going to restore it, this was about five years ago. A few months after that the guy called me and asked if I wanted to buy the car.”

One of the first things Denis noticed when he got the T-Bird home was that the engine was frozen. The Manoa rain managed to find its way down the carburetor and into the cylinders.

“I took out the spark plugs and shot WD-40 in all of the cylinders and slowly worked the engine with a breaker bar,” says Denis.“The engine eventually started turning so I changed the fuel system, put new plugs and added new gas and it started right up.”

It took Denis three and a half years to get the T-Bird in this condition - which is really fast considering his last project, a 55 Chevy two-door hard top, took 13 years.

ENGINE

312 cid

DRIVETRAIN

Automatic 3-speed transmission

INTERIOR

Completely restored T-Bird interior

EXTERIOR

Custom paint with flames and billet grill, Custom rear taillights

SUSPENSION WHEELS

Hopster rims on Goodyear tires

STEREO

AM/FM cassette stereo

Third Jarlego’s ’06 Mitsubishi Evolution 9MR

When Mitsubishi introduced the Evolution I in 1992, one of its main functions was to compete in the World Rally Championship. This was the same time Third Jarlego laid eyes on the all-wheel-drive tornado and became its biggest admirer.

“I’ve always wanted an Evo ever since I was 16 years old living in the Philippines,” says Jarlego. “I bought my first Evo in ’03 then I sold that one and bought this MR limited edition. And I have two more at home, another ’06 Evo 9 GSR and a ’05 Evo 8.”

Jarlego has taken first place in the Mitsubishi class at a number of car shows over the past several years. And for this year’s August car show, Jarlego added a new set of JDM rims and a different hood, which will be accompanied by a new bumper.

“The most difficult part of putting this car together for next month’s show was getting these rims,” says Jarlego. “After ordering these rims I waited four months before they arrived because they are made to order — but most JDM parts take a long time to arrive.”

After changing the bumper Jarlego also plans on upgrading the turbo. And if he gets the right offer, he said he’d be willing to let the car go because he has his eyes on the Evo 10.

ENGINE
HKS RS intake, HKS Kansai carbon fiber airduct, HKS suction kit, Samco Red limited edition radiator hoses, Ralliart spark plug wires, Ralliart radiator cap, Ralliart thermostat, Ralliart red cooling plate, Koyo aluminum radiator, Tial racing blow off valve, Garage HRS titanium manifold cover, Oddessy small battery, ARC oil cap, ARC titanium tricolor spark plug cover, ARC front mount intercooler , Nisei intercooler custom red piping kit, Nisei billet battery tray, red vacuum hoses, Walbro fuel pump, Greddy titanium full racing exhaust.

SUSPENSION
Garage HRS titanium strut tower, Cusco version I brace, Cusco version II under brace, Cusco center power brace, Cusco front power brace, Cusco trunk power brace, Cusco side power brace, Cusco rear strut tower brace, Stillway engine dampering, HKS hypermax II coilovers, Volk racing te37 magnesium blue rims 18x9.5, Toyo proxes t1r 235x40x18 tires, Rays blue lugnuts.

INTERIOR
ARC titanium shift knob, Bride stradia kevlar front seats, Bride low max seats slider, Bride custom rear seat, Bride custom front floor mats, Bride custom rear floor mats, Takata racing seat belts (racing), Sparco harness bar, Ralliart carbon brake handle, Ralliart sports pedal, Defi bf boost gauge, Defi bf oil pressure gauge, Defi version ii control unit, Street glow led lighting, Street glow control unit, Alpine ida-d900 dvd head unit, ATI steering gauge pod.

EXTERIOR
Ralliart carbon front lip, Ralliart carbon fiber side mirrors, Varis carbon door pillar, Perrin small antenna, Voltex rear diffuser, JDM rear bumper, JDM MR tail lights, JDM amber side marker, Cwest dry carbon hood, Beatrush aluminum under panel.

Dwight Min’s ‘69 Camaro Z/28

For the past 20 years, Dwight Min has been restoring Camaros to their original factory condition and matching the part numbers. It all started when he was attending McKinley High School and learned that the Ford parts on his 1970 Cougar weren’t as interchangeable as Chevrolet parts.

“Yeah, after the Cougar I bought a ‘68 Camaro and went to work,” says Min, a former high school industrial arts teacher.“In the beginning I restored Camaros to own them, but every time I finish one someone comes up to me and asks if I want to sell it. So for the right price I’ve sold them, and they haven’t been outrageous prices. But because I love to build them, I build another one.”

To date Min has restored five Camaros and two Ford Model A’s, which were built in between his volunteer work at the YMCA’s Camp Erdman on the North Shore. Min and a few members from the Men’s Leadership of Hawaii group stopped at Camp Erdman to do some volunteer work around the camp.

“In 1993 we went to the camp and I went to look for the cabin I stayed in when I was there during the sixth grade and it was gone,” says Min. “So about 12 of us offered to help build rubbish can bins for the property. And that led to us building and restoring cabins at the camp for the past 15 years now.But we’ve noticed that the cabins we built in 1993 need some repair, so this is an ongoing project.”

Min and his friends have rebuilt 12 buildings at Camp Erdman and his next project, a ‘69 Camaro SS, should be completed sometime next year.

ENGINE

302 cid 290 hp

DRIVETRAIN

12-bolt rear w/ 3.73:1 positraction

EXTERIOR

Hugger orange with black rally strips and black vinyl top.

SUSPENSION

Stock leafs in rear and coils in front

WHEELS

Stock 15 X 7 Rally wheels

ELECTRONICS

Stock

INTERIOR

Comfort Weave interior

STEREO

Stock AM radio

Morgan Pattison’s ‘63 Chevy Impala

When Morgan Pattison was in the fifth grade, he and his father were huge radio control car enthusiasts and raced just about every kind of RC car there was. By the time Pattison was a sophomore in high school, his grandmother said she would buy a car for him to drive.After searching the Internet, the father-and-son team found a suitable car in Seattle.

“The car was on a trailer, not driven,” says Albert Pattison, Morgan’s father.“I told the guy we have to drive it before we buy it. So he took it off of the trailer and when he started it up I said,‘Oh oh, this thing needs some work.‘We didn’t drive it, but we ran the engine for a while and there was a lot of smoke coming out of the exhaust. And we got it in gear, so the transmission was all right, and Morgan still wanted it.”

The duo got to work as soon as the Impala arrived with plans of getting the car restored by the time Pattison graduated from Kaiser High School. The ambitious timeline proved to be a little too much for the Pattison team.

“The car was running but the body was pure primer by the time I graduated,“says Pattison. “Then we met a guy who said he’d paint the car for me for a $1,000, and then we put some rims on it and I was happy with the car. So that was the end of 2000 when the first phase was completed.”

This ride has had two paint jobs,two motors, four transmissions and three sets of rims - all of which were done by the father-and-son team who say that it was well worth the effort.

 

ENGINE

350-cubic-inch bored 30 over, Melling high flow oil pump, 4-bolt main, 750 cfm Edelbrock performance carburetor, Edelbrock RPM performer manifold, high performance Comp Cam, I Beam connecting rods, GM performance 1.6 roller rockers, Hypereutectic flat top pistons, dual roller timing chain.

 

EXTERIOR

Custom red and white, shaved door handles, twin rear antennas, polished side molding, chrome grill, all new hood moldings, chrome molding around gas door.

 

FRAME

Frame-off restoration and painted with Por 15, all nuts and bolts replaced with grade 5-8 stainless steel.

 

WHEELS

20x8.5 in the front 20x10 in rear Boyd Dictator, Falken FK452.

 

EXHAUST

2 1/2-inch steel dual exhaust, custom designed and installed.

 

INTERIOR

Tuck and roll custom design, custom door panels, chrome Impala script on door panel, custom Autometer gauges oil, temp and volts, custom dash with Viair gauges.

 

AUDIO

Alpine head unit, 2 Kicker CVR 15-inch subs, Kicker DS 5 1/4 coaxials, Kicker DS 6x9 coaxials, Kicker ZX350.4 amp, Kicker ZX1000.1 amp.

 

SUSPENSION

2-inch Belltech drop spindle, air bag suspension Slam Bags in front Air Ride bags in the rear, twin Viair compressors, Air Ride shocks.

Dana Smiths ‘05 Pontiac GTO

The first Pontiac GTO rolled off the assembly line in 1964 and was engineered by John DeLorean. This marked the beginning of several muscle cars built under the Pontiac badge, which led to GM’s eventual dominance in American muscle cars.

Dana Smith admired muscle cars, but because everyone was into Japan imports he followed the crowd.

“Yeah, I was just following the crowd. But I really enjoyed the Japanese style of racing, which utilizes the car’s ability by sliding and coming around the corners a lot faster,“says Smith.

“And that’s what caught my eye and how I got into the whole car thing.

I’ve lost a lot of girlfriends because of the cars I’ve owned and modified.”

For the past decade,Japanese imports have been the cars to have for most Generation X and Y car enthusiasts.And late last year Smith was looking at buying an STI or a G35.

“At the end of 2006 I was looking at a Mitsubishi and an Infinity, then a friend told me to checkout the GTO,” says Smith. “And at the time I wanted something completely different. So I did some research on this car and found it to have a lot of horsepower, and it was something I was looking for. The biggest hurdle was getting the suspension parts fabricated.”

Smith never planned on keeping any car he’s previously owned until he got this Goat, which makes a great billboard to plug his website addictiondrift.com.

YEAR - 2005

MAKE - Pontiac

MODEL - GTO

ENGINE

6.0L V8 Gen IV LS2 505 hp @ 6400 rpm, ported and polished stock heads, mass air flow sensor, heavy duty oil pump, 160 degree thermostat, double roller timing chain, 1.85 Rocker Arms, Gear-up team custom engine tuning, Borla exhaust, AEM brute force intake

DRIVETRAIN

Close ratio 6 speed transmission, Dana Axle with a 3.46:1 LSD exedy twin plate clutch and flywheel, Hawk HPS brakepads.

SUSPENSION

Koni shocks, SLP front and rear camber kit, rear polyurethane kit.

WHEELS

Luff m1 racing rims, Falken Azenis tires.

INTERIOR

Recaro GTO front and rear seats, BMM rip short shifterpack, 480 drift spec shift knob, Razo pedals w/kick plate, 4 point Sparco harness, Sparco mats, gauges by Saga.

STEREO

Sound system by Rockford Fosgate.

EXTERIOR

GM Performance bodykit

Ivan Gabriel’s ‘07 Ivan Repentance

Some people would never think of finding religion in the rough and tough world of custom choppers. Some builders don’t credit their talents to anyone, much less God. Ivan Gabriel, however, openly credits his grandfather and faith in God for his stylishness in the sometimes contemptuous world of custom bike building.

“I’ve always been around bikes for as long as I can remember,” says Gabriel.“My grandfather Huggy built bikes,and being around him is how I got into bikes. Everyone has to find a way to express themselves, and for me building bikes for friends and family is how I express myself. And it’s my way of showing my worship for my Lord.”

Growing up in the gangland world of Kalihi in the ‘80s, Gabriel got caught up in the many worldly temptations that were leading him down the road of perdition. Enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps was supposed to be a way of straightening out his life, but it had the opposite effect. Until he found New Hope.

“I try to build my own style,” says Gabriel, who is the service manager at a local motorcycle dealership. “Everybody is trying to follow one another and I don’t want to go down that road. A lot of my creations - and you’ll notice in the names - have to do with the worship to my lord Jesus Christ. Like this bike is named Repentance - and I’m coming to the Lord and asking the Lord for repentance. I had a radical life growing up.”

Repentance will be on display at

Aloha Tower during the

Chopper Bash July

3, 6 p.m. until closing.

ENGINE

1200cc Hi-output RC51

DRIVETRAIN

Ivan billet jackshaft

SUSPENSION

Air Ride suspension rear, Mean Street front forks

WHEELS

Front: 120/70-10,

Rear: 300-18

EXTERIOR

John Ruberti custom seat, Guy Miyamoto carbon fiber

Mel Sakaba’s ‘68 Camaro RS/SS

Mel Sakaba could be considered the ambassador of Camaro enthusiasts. If there’s a car show or cruise to attend, Sakaba and his black Camaro are always there. But when a friend of Sakaba’s said he was selling his Camaro, Sakaba sold his and bought this red Camaro.

“I’ve always had offers to buy my black Camaro, which I sold about six months ago,” says Sakaba, who is a retired Verizon technician.“And I sold it because my friend was selling this Camaro. My son and I built the black Camaro and I really enjoyed it, but it was too much of a hot rod for me. I wanted something I can jump in and drive without worrying about getting under the hood.So I bought this.”

Sakaba is also co-founder of the Hawaiian Island Camaro Club, which was one of the most active clubs in the community. And now that Sakaba has this user-friendly Camaro, he plans on supporting the custom car community just as much as he did with his previous Camaro.

“As far as keeping the car, I can never tell what the future is going to be,” says Sakaba. “And if I sell the car I’ll need to fill the void. I’ve owned enough cars to know that I don’t want to go through that again. I’m enjoying the car and like going out to car shows. Maybe if someone offers me some unreal money I’ll sell it.”

The hard battle with American muscle cars will always be between the Mustang and the

Camaro. And with the return of the Chevrolet Camaro in 2008, the world had better brace itself for the second coming.

ENGINE

396 CID 350 HP, Bored .030.

DRIVETRAIN

Turbo 400 automatic transmission,

12 Bolt posi 3:73 ratio rear end.

WHEELS

15 X 7 front, 15X 8 rear, Rally Rims

INTERIOR

Black and white Houndstooth seats,

Delux door panels.

EXTERIOR

Matador Red.

ELECTRONICS

MSD ignition.

Alex Yang’s ‘00 Acura Integra GSR

When today’s car enthusiasts think back to when they first became interested in cars,many relate to their days in high school. But if you think back to when you got your first Matchbox or Hot Wheels - that would be when you became a car enthusiast.

“I’ve been interested in cars since I was a kid,” says Alex Yang. “I remember shopping with my mom when I was 5 or 6 years old and buying all sorts of Matchbox cars, and being amazed on how the car looked, how it worked and by all the different types of cars there were.”

It’s one thing to push a car around as a kid, but by the time you’re in high school it’s time to wrench.And it does-n’t matter if you’re wrenching on your car or your friend’s car, just as long as you get your hands greasy.

“While I was going to Punahou I drove a ‘90 Integra,” says Yang.“So the toy cars was like a seed and it didn’t blossom until midway through my years at Purdue. And back in 1996 the import sport compact scene wasn’t as profound as it is today. But by college I was working and had money coming in, and I knew what I wanted. So in 2000 I bought this brand new and started working on it from there.”

Yang was hoping to get the Type-R,but there weren’t any on the lot and he needed wheels right away to get to work.And today the car doesn’t have the rollbar,and the back seat has been put back. So now it’s more streetable and not as radical.

ENGINE

Apexi GT Header, J’s 60R Full Titanium Catback, Apexi Power FC Stand Alone with FC Commander, JUN Stage III cam shafts, JUN cam gears, JUN titanium valve springs and retainers, JDM ITR Intake, J’s Racing valve cover, AN-R intake manifold, AEBS 68mm Throttle body, Hondata intake manifold gasket, Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator with Autometer gauge

WHEELS

JDM ITR 5 lug conversion w/ ARP Extended Studs, J’s Racing lightweight lugnuts, 16%thou Volk CE-28n rims wrapped in BF Goodrich KDWs 205/45/16 (show), JDM ITR 15%thou rims (daily).

SUSPENSION

ZEAL B2 Function coilovers, J,s Racing C Pillar Bar, Carbing 3 point aluminum bar, JDM ITR Swaybar, JDM ITR Lower control arms, Progress camber kit, Beaks Products lower tie bar, Beaks Products rear sway bar reinforcement kit.

EXTERIOR

JDM Full Metal front end, JDM ITR 2000 rear tail lights, JDM ITR Sidemarkers, JDM ITR Rear spoiler, JDM ITR Power folding mirrors

STEREO

Eclipse LCD with JDM pocket, MB Quart PSC 216 Separates, JL XR rear coax, PPI 4400.2 4 channel AMP, Avital auto start with 555u and key, Viper 800 ESP alarm

INTERIOR

Spoon Sports Steering Wheel, Spoon Sports Titanium Shift Knob, Spoon Sports Cluster, Works Bell Quick Release RapFix2, Works Bell Splash Hub, Works Bell QR Rapfix Flipper

Bryan Lee’s ‘02 Lexus SC430 (Soarer)

The automotive evolution Lexus has developed today can be traced back to one of Japan’s industrial heroes, Sakichi Toyoda, who developed the concept of Five Whys. The Five Whys is a question-asking method used to explore the cause or effect underlying a particular problem.The ultimate goal of applying the Five Whys method is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem.

“Before I got this car, while I was stationed in Iraq, I began researching for VIP and JDM parts for the SC430,“says Bryan Lee, who manages So Gong Dong restaurant.“Last May I got a good deal on this car, and I already knew what I was going to do to the car and what Japan conversion kit I was going to install.”

In Japan the SC430 is called the Soarer, which Lee’s car has mirrored quite well and then some. But JDM parts are not easily found in the United States, so the challenge was getting all of the parts shipped here to Hawaii.

“Getting all of the Toyota JDM parts from Japan was the biggest hurdle,” Lee says. “The rims and kit were fairly easy to get, but the hardest things were the JDM steering wheel airbag with the Soarer emblem. If you look on the car, all of the emblems have been debadged except for the trunk, because in order to change that I’d have to change the whole trunk.”

It took a year for Lee to get the car to where it is today, and he still has a roof spoiler and a headlight conversion kit to install. He also has a Lexus GS he is working on and hopes to have that car ready by August.

Exterior:

WALD SC430 Executive Edition front bumper spoiler, side skirts, rear bumper, spoiler, JDM OEM Soarer grill badge, JDM OEM 2006 tail lights, Auto Couture luxury crystal Lexus symbol plate, fog light hid kit 43K.

Suspension:

Auto Couture full coilover suspension, Tom’s front upper suspension brace.

Interior:

JDM OEM Soarer steering wheel airbag, JDM OEM 430SCV wind deflector, JDM OEM Soarer seat back plate, JDM OEM Soarer door sill, Junction Produce fusa, Junction Produce gitsuna, Junction Produce hello kitty, Sessions neck pad, Garson shift knob, Garson luxury tissue box case, Fabulous side table

Wheels/Tires:

19” AME Shallen CX Polish. 19x9 (15) 19x10 (15) staggered setup, Dunlop Sportmaxx front 235/35/19, rear 265/30/19.

Engine:

RSR Exhaust, Injen intake.

David Thompson’s ‘67 Cobra Replica

While attending high school in Des Moines, Iowa during the early ‘60s,Dave Thompson was the biggest car enthusiast and drag racer in the Hawkeye State. This was a time when cars had a lot of iron, and big cubic inch engines dominated the streets.

“I didn’t have a favorite make or model,“says Thompson. “I drove what ever I could afford. I raced a 1950

Oldsmobile, and a 1950 Ford. I was never particular about Ford,Chevy, Chrysler or General Motors. My biggest success was with the DeSoto, of all things, because it would actually beat and nobody could believe it was a Pontiac Tri-Power.”

Thompson worked as a mechanic before heading to San Diego State University, where he planned to continue his recreational racing. But upon arriving in Southern California the almighty DeSoto’s engine blew up.

“So when the engine blew I sold it and bought a 1963 Studebaker Avanti, which had twin four barrels and a supercharger,” says Thompson. “And the owner of the Ford dealership let his son drive the showroom Cobra down to where all of us were racing. And the father said that there isn’t anything that will beat you. And his very first race was against me in the Avanti, and

I blew him away.And from that day on I’ve always wanted one.”

Thirty years later, Thompson finally got his Cobra, which won first place at Mustang Madness a couple weeks ago.

ENGINE

410 horsepower, 351 Windsor bored (.030), balanced, ported, polished, W2 heads, roller competition high lift cam and lifters, Edelbrock intake manifold, 700 four barrel Edelbrock carburetor, Keith Black pistons, Total Seal rings, Pete Jackson true roller timing system, steel crank, ARP rods and mains and bolts, Windridge tray, high velocity oil pump, Ford motorsports bearings, Ford motorsports dress-up package, MSD ignition and distributor, custom dipped headers, chrome side pipes, aluminum racing radiator, steel braided lines, Carter electric fuel pump, adjustable liquid filled fuel pump pressure regulator with gauge, remote oil filter, Mocal oil cooler.

SUSPENSION

4 bar link, rear QA1 Silver adjustable shocks, aluminum links, limiter straps, front QA1 Silver adjustable shocks, custom A-arm, Moog rack and pinion steering, all wheel disk brakes, four cross members, Cragar chrome wheels with knock-offs 15-by-7, all parts powder coated

DRIVETRAIN

Reverse lock-out, powder coated, four speed top-loader, fourth gear (overdrive), Lakewood bulletproof bell housing, hydraulic clutch, Wilwood master cylinder, Thor clutch and pressure plate, 9-inch Ford rear-end Detroit locker, 323 gears, Moser 31 spline axles.

INTERIOR

I Didi it steering column, VDO gauges, Burlwood glove box, four point Peak racing harnesses, drop down foot boxes, chassis mounted chrome roll bar, custom Cobra floor mats, full tonneau cover, full top, side curtains with sliding Plexiglas windows.

Lloyd Chong’s ‘03 Ford Lighting Truck

In 1993 Ford introduced the Lightning series of trucks to compete with Chevrolet’s 454 SS. Although the Lightning shares some of the same features as the F-150, it is its factory performance that’s caught the attention of many owners today.

“I had a 2005 Mustang before I bought this truck,” says Vietnam veteran Ed Chong. “I’ve liked the Ford Lightning line since 2002, so when I ran across this truck in 2006 I had to buy it. Since then,I’ve slowly built it up and gave it a paint job. It was originally red when I first got it.”

A few months ago Chong wanted to touch up the paint on his Lightning and hooked up with Mike Gi (one of Hawaii’s top custom painters) at GX Auto. With Gi’s help, Chong decided to paint the whole truck instead of touching up the existing paint.“Romy, who did my rims and tires, was the one who referred me to Mike,” says Chong.“And what I like about Mike is that he’s honest. He doesn’t try to sell me stuff I don’t need. Plus I watch him work and I’ve seen the cars he’s worked on. Just last week one of the cars he painted won at the NEX car show.Blue is my favorite color,and Lamborghini blue came out real nice. This truck is my girlfriend now.”

Now that this truck is complete, Chong plans of driving this ride only on Sundays.

ENGINE

5.4L supercharged V8, Hypertech performance chip, K&N intake, Billet Coolant reservoir, Billet water to air intercooler, Billet engine dress up kit, custom painted engine components, C&L throttle body, C&L intake plenum, custom dual exhaust by BSM

Performance.

SUSPENSION

Rear Traction bars, Belltech drop kit 2 inches in front and 3 inches in rear.

EXTERIOR

22x9 Front and 22x11 Rear Swiss SW-2 Billet

2-piece wheels, 255/40/ZR22 Front 285/40/ZR22 Rear Falken tires from Atomic Performance, Cervini’s Cobra R-Hood, Cervini’s smooth rear bumper, Cervini’s smooth steps, Harley Davidson headlights, Gaylords tonneau cover, Trendz billet grills, Custom Blue Caelum pearl paint by GX Auto.

INTERIOR

Wet Okole seat covers, Kenwood DDX-6019 in dash DVD w/ rear view camera, Boston Acoustics speakers by Progressive auto sounds.

68 Ford Mustang Fastback

This Sunday (May 20) the Aloha Mustang and Shelby Club of Hawaii will hold its annual Mustang Madness All Ford Show at McKenna’s Windward Ford in Kailua.The show starts at 9 a.m. and will have an autograph session with world-renowned car builder Steve Saleen. For Ed Chow, this year’s show is another opportunity to parade his 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback.

“I wasn’t always a Ford person,” says

Chow, who has been a member of the Aloha Mustang and Shelby Club of Hawaii since 1981. “My first car was a ‘39 Chevy,and that’s when my involvement in cars started. My stepdad told me to never buy a Ford.”

Chow purchased his first Mustang in 1979 and since then has become a staunch Ford owner. About 14 years ago he picked up this fastback, which was parked on the street for years in Kahala. The car barely ran and almost didn’t make it to his home in Aina Haina.

“When I first got this car, it had so much rust on it,“says Chow.“So it took a few months for me to figure out how to do the work and who to get to do the work. Oh, and how to pay for the work. But the guy I got the car from gave me extra body parts, like the hood, trunk and doors, so it helped the process.”

This fastback has body parts from four other Mustangs, which blend well with the rest of the car.And the custom rear side windows open up the blind spot that some owners found dangerous.

ENGINE

302 bored .030 over 302 4V heads Mild cam Headers Torker II intake MSD electronic distributor Edelbrock 4 bbl carb

DRIVETRAIN

C4 Trans with shift kit 9 inch rear end 3.50 Posi

SUSPENSION

Stock Front end lowered 3 inches

WHEELS

Mag Star Shelby 15x8 rims 195/60 tires in front 225/60 tires in rear

ELECTRONICS

None

INTERIOR

Standard factory with fold down rear seats White faced gauges Wood grain steering wheel

STEREO

Stock

EXTERIOR

Replaced rear side vents with plexiglass window from a ’66 Shelby Added hood scoop from ’69 Mach1 Rear valance panel from a ’68 California Special and added quad exhaust tips. Removed chrome moldings and added C stripes Added fog lamps in front

2003 Honda S2K

There are people who dream of owning their own home and some who just want to win the top spot in a custom car show. Darci Naboa’s boyfriend wanted to enter their Honda S2000 in the Street Car Showoff, so she gave him their down payment for a home to get the car ready for competition.

“Here’s the way I see it,” says Naboa. “His dream is faster than mine. He wants to go to the car show once, and my dream is going to take 30, 35 years to pay off. So I may as well take care of his dream now and get it over with.”

When the couple decided to enter the car show, they had about a month to get the car modified and painted. They already went through three sets of rims and two body kits before they were happy with the car’s appearance. After spending the down payment and then some, they entered the car show pretty confident.

“There was a 240SX that won the category we were in, so we didn’t win,” says Naboa. “But it was well worth the smile and seeing how happy my boyfriend was to be at the car show along with his friends who entered too. So we’ll have to work harder because we’re going to enter the next car show and keep going until we win.”

The mods that Naboa has planned for their S2K could put them over the top and win their category in August. Then they can concentrate on getting that house in Ocean Pointe.

ENGINE

AEM V2 Cold Air Intake, Carbon fiber spark plug wire cover, Cusco oil catch can Cusco radiator cooling plate, Veilside dual titanium exhaust, Hi-flow catalytic converter Koyo radiator, Samco hoses, Spoon radiator cap, Spoon radiator stay, Spoon socks, Comptech Headers, Cusco Hyper clutch, Cross member, J’s Racing valve cover

SUSPENSION

Cusco Front H brace, Cusco front strut bar Tein Type Flex

EXTERIOR

18-inch Gram Light 57F-Pro’s Staggered with Rays Metal Coating with Pirelli P Zero Nero tires, 3 stage custom paint by GX Auto, Carbon fiber gas lid, Carbon fiber trunk, Project Mu Carbon fiber wing, Fiber Image carbon fiber hood, Ings full body kit, JDM clear side markers, JDM headlights, Rick’s S2K badge, Spoon 4 pot mono block calipers

INTERIOR

Apex-I SAFC II Controller, ARC Titanium shift knob, Cusco roll cage, Dual gauge pod with air fuel ratio and volt meter, Momo hub adapter, Carbon fiber center console

ACCESSORIES

Custom housing for 12-inch subwoofer, Provision all-in-one head unit with built-in 2-inch monitor

David Tang’s ‘98 Lexus GS400

When drifting and the tuner scene hit Hawaii, there was a handful of guys who played a crucial role in its growing popularity. Some built tuner cars. Others sold after-market parts, and Dave Tang recorded it all and put it on DVD. Although Tang is well-known as one of the owners of GRIP Video, his first business venture was a café for car enthusiasts.

“In 1998 through 1999, a friend and I had opened a café in Salt Lake called the Hot Spot Café,” says the former UH volleyball player. “It was an alternative hangout to Zippy’s or McDonald’s,and was geared toward car enthusiasts.

We had Gran Turismo gaming tournaments, organized car cruises and we stayed open until 2 a.m.”

Working in the restaurant business until 2 in the morning proved to be harder than expected, so Tang closed the café, went back to school and got his master’s in information systems. Around the same time, he and two friends launched GRIP Video, which helped shape the tuner industry in Hawaii. But there were times when Tang thought of ending his adoration of cars.

“It’s all about loving cars,” says Tang. “I’ve tried to get out of cars, because being business-oriented it’s hard to spend money on something that depreciates instead of investing money on something that appreciates, like real estate. But because I’m in the business and I love working on cars and modifying them to my own taste and different from everyone else. I keep coming back to cars.”

Although Tang has been a longtime builder of VIP yakuza-style cars like this ‘98 Lexus

GS400, he’s building a 240SX which will hit the streets soon.

ENGINE

JDM VIP dual exhaust with 3.5-inch quad tips

SUSPENSION

Custom prototype Universal Air bag suspension kit, custom floating 5-gallon chrome air tank, custom installed two Viair 380 compressors, 1/2-inch air lines and brass fittings, 1/2-inch brass blowproof fast solenoid valves, Chrome nine-way switch control box and computer

WHEELS

JDM WORK Euroline KH 19X9 +20 offset front, JDM WORK Euroline KH 19X10 +20 offset rear, Dunlop Sport Maxx 245/35/ZR19 front, Dunlop DZ-101 Direzza 245/35/ZR19 rear, CADD cross-drilled slotted rotors

ELECTRONICS

6000K HALO HID headlight conversion, JDM VIP underbody blue LED lighting, JDM VIP underbody strobe lighting

INTERIOR

JDM Junction Produce fusa (Special Edition), JDM curtain set for side doors, rear doors, rear windshield, JDM black leather pillows, JDM double DIN A/V bezel, Custom built mini liquor bar, crystal Champaign glasses, 35 percent window tint

STEREO

Sony XAV 7-inch motorized in-dash screen, Custom mounted in-dash Sony single CD, Custom trunk mounted Sony 10 CD changer, Custom glove box mounted DVD/CD/MP3 player, 8-inch front headrest monitors, Custom fabricated 5.6-inch rear headrest monitors, XO Vision video amplifier/controller, Soundstream Picasso 4.880 amplifier, Soundstream Picasso 4.440 amplifier, Custom polish plating on amplifiers, ViFa 6.5” separates door speakers, Four 12-inch OZ Pro subwoofers, Custom Plexiglas and mirror sub enclosure, Custom amplifier rack in raised spare/trunk floor, Custom etched Lexus logo in Plexiglas on amp rack, Neon illuminated amplifier rack and sub enclosure

EXTERIOR

JDM Final Konnexion front bumper, JDM WIN Racing side skirts, JDM WIN Racing rear bumper, JDM WIN Racing rear lip wing, Shaved front side marker lights, Custom chromed front grill, 2001 taillight conversion

Junior Anacleto’s ‘01 MVW Jetta VR6 Turbo

Behind most male car enthusiasts there is a woman who is willing to compromise. He wants rims and tires; she wants a gold bracelet. He wants a new suspension and turbo kit; she wants a house.

If only it was that simple.

“Three years ago he would try to show me pictures of VR6s with a turbo in them, and say to me,‘babe, look, this could be my car,’ and I would say no without looking at the photos,” says Summer Colton (Anacleto’s girlfriend of 11 years).

“I knew how much the turbo cost, and I said no.

And when he finally got the turbo he told me he needed additional accessories, and the final cost was $7,000.”

Depending on whom you ask, there seems to be a difference of opinion on how much the turbo kit cost and how long it took to get the turbo installed. But it’s obvious that the happy couple is very proud of their VR6. And both agree that the compromise on the turbo was a 50mm gold bracelet.

“For anyone who plans on getting into customizing your car, be sure you’ve got a good-paying job, a girlfriend or wife who is supportive, and be prepared to spend a lot of money,“says Anacleto.“I’ve got more stuff coming, like a new stereo system, and I’m going to have the trunk redone and another paint job.”

Right after he said that, Colton remarks, “He wish!”

Engine: 2.8L 12 valve VR6-Turbo, DSR 256 cams, BORLA XR-1 3-inch racing exhaust, 3-inch custom turbo-back exhaust, Neuspeed billet aluminum caps, Unorthodox racing pulley’s, Chrome plated intake manifold, Color matched/shaved engine and battery covers, Kinetic stage 1, Garrett GT35 ball bearing turbo, C2 stage II software, C2 head gasket 8.5:1, C2 quickflow intake manifold, Kinetic exhaust manifold, Tial 38mm wastegate, Forge 007 polished DV, 2.5” DP, Bosch green top 42# injectors, NGK spark plugs, 4-inch MAF, AEM dryflow intake filter, Boost valve MBC, Hose Techniques couplings, SS T-bolt clamps, Treadstone FMIC, custom intercooler piping.

Driveline: Five-speed manual transmission, Concept-1 short shifter, Diesel Geek side-to-side reducer, Quaife LSD, Spec stage II clutch.

Suspension: FK silverline plus coilovers (INOX line), Neuspeed polished upper strut tie bar, H&R 25mm front/rear sway bar.

Wheels and Tires: I-Forged Daytona fully polished 19-by-8-inch (front and rear), Yokohama Parada Spec-2 tires 225/35/19.

Brakes: ECS Red Porsche Boxster 4 Piston Monobloc front calipers, 13.1-inch lightweight two-piece floating cross-drilled/slotted cadmium plated rotors, Hawk HP brake pads, Red OEM rear calipers, ECS rear big brake upgrade, 12.1-inch light weight two-piece floating cross-drilled/slotted cadmium plated rotors, Neuspeed SS brake lines, ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid.

Exterior: Custom Lumma front skin molded on with shaved rub strips, Custom Lumma lower lip spoiler, Custom Rieger rear valence molded on with shaved rub strips, Rieger side skirts, VIS Invader carbon fiber hood, Mattig single post side mirrors, ABD sport grille molded on, Billet aluminum antenna, FK crystal clear tail lights, FK Bora xenon look angel-eye headlights, shaved all emblems and side moldings, Kamei mesh powder-coated black, 2004 GLI trunk with shaved license plate lining, Street Glow under car neon kit.

Interior: Leather interior with custom Sparco Torino racing seats, Momo race steering wheel, OEM 25th anniversary brushed aluminum dash kit, OEM rubber Jetta floor mats, Audi TT manual pedals, Bettle turbo-s dead pedal, Billet aluminum door pins, Audi TT carbon fiber shift console, Audi TT shift ring and boot, Sparco shift knob, ABD silver gauge faces, billet aluminum gauge rings, Aero windshield wipers, Street Glow interior neon kit, Stewart Warner boost gauge, AEM wideband air/fuel gauge, 42 Draft Designs column pod.

ICE (In Car Entertainment): Kenwood KVT/911/DVD head unit, Fully motorized 6.5-inch wide screen touch panel LCD monitor, Playstation 2 custom mounted in passenger air bag, Playstation 2 wireless remotes, Custom fiberglass/Plexiglass speaker boxes, Custom vented rear deck, Audiobahn A4125HCQ - 2,400 watt amp, Audiobahn ACAP100Q - 3 farad capacitor, 2 Audiobahn 1000Q sub-woofers 1,200 watts each, Elemental Designs 6.5-inch separates and amps, Accele Vision 5-inch monitors custom mounted in visors, Accele Vision 10-inch monitor custom mounted in trunk, Accele Vision 15-inch drop down monitor, Audiobahn digital fuse block for battery, Audiobahn fuse block for amplifier, three Optima red top batteries, custom neon lights in trunk.

Samson Mak’s 2002 Honda Inspire Type-S

As the owner of a custom stereo shop for cars,Samson Mak is constantly researching the latest in car audio, wheels and body kits to stay ahead of the game. And when people ask about the kind of work he does, all he has to do is show them his car.

“We do everything, not just audio, so there’s a direct relationship in setting a unique style as a business owner in this industry,“says Mak. “People look toward us for ideas when they want to customize their cars. So my customer cars are references, and my car is a sort of business card.”

Mak’s Honda has appeared in most major custom car shows, which gives his business huge exposure, especially when he wins his category. And in between car shows, his ride can be seen cruising with the Pimplux car club, which prides itself for being the first VIP car club in the nation.

“The trophies I’ve won are good references for customers to see,” says Mak. “But entering car shows, attending meets and cruises, is a good way of networking and coming up with fresh ideas.And being a member of a car club helps with exposure because we build these cars to share with other people.”

As much as Mak likes sharing his car with the public, he says he has retired his ride from car shows - but he has said that before.

ENGINE

S14 SR20DET, Koyo copper radiator, \R32 Skyline GTR intercooler, Greddy oil pan, Megan Racing Exhaust Manifold, Megan Racing O2 Housing, Megan Racing turbo lines, HKS SSV blow off valve, Greddy rebreather tank,Electric fan w/ adjustable thermostat, Nismo Thermostat. Custom downpipe. APEX-I GT spec cat back exhaust. Hypersports air filter.

DRIVETRAIN

Manual. B&M Short Shifter, Nismo 2-way LSD.

EXTERIOR

Julius front bumper, Version Select side skirts and rear bumper.

SUSPENSION

Kei Office XT-A Coilover set, Battle Version rear control arms Battle Version tension rods.

WHEELS

SSR Proffesor SP-1’s 17x9.5 +35 front, 17x10.5 +18 rear.

ELECTRONICS

APEX-I Power FC, Greddy Profec-BII Boost controller, Timex Boost, Water temp and oil pressure gauges.

INTERIOR

Recaro SRD seat, Option 320mm steering wheel, SABELT harnesses.

STEREO

Clarion DX845MC CD/mp3 player, Diamond separates.

Todd Matusmoto’s ‘66 Dune Buggy

The first bill vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle during her first year in office back in 2003 was SB460, which was nicknamed “the dune buggy bill.” The bill, introduced by Todd Matsumoto, president of the VW Club of Hawaii, was to make dune buggies street legal.

“Yeah, the veto was disappointing, but my dad went back to the Legislature and answered questions the governor had about dune buggies,“says Matsumoto’s 12-year-old daughter Taylor. “I’m very proud of what my dad did, and now when all of us get our license we can drive our dad’s dune buggies on the streets legally.”

The administration confused pipe buggies with dune buggies, and once Matsumoto addressed all of these concerns the bill became Act 126. Now dune buggies fall under the street rod special interest category, which excludes them from the vehicle reconstruction inspection.

“Prior to 1988 dune buggies were legal and could be driven on the streets,“says Matsumoto. “Then in ‘88 they wrote a recon law for kit cars, which required a present day engineers certification, which is impossible to get. So now with this new street rod replica law our kids can enjoy the thrill of driving a dune buggy.”

Matsumoto says he’ll pass his dune buggies on to his kids, and is thinking of putting a clause that will keep them from selling any of his nine dune buggies.

ENGINE

2014 cc with a single 48 IDA

DRIVETRAIN

Full race transmission first-fourth gear

EXTERIOR

Bob Bardo’s Hot Rod Company Candy blue paint with candy flames

SUSPENSION

Fully modified

WHEELS

Centerline Convo Pros

INTERIOR

Johnny’s Custom Auto Top Shop

STEREO

Alpine stereo and Fosgate amplifiers

Jason Boyd’s 2005 Scion Tc

Up until two-and-a-half years ago, Navy Petty Officer Jason Boyd’s only means of transportation was mass transit.

From his days growing up on Staten Island in New York and then being stationed in Japan,mass transit was the way to go up until he moved to Oahu.

“Before being stationed here I knew that there wasn’t a mass transit system and I refused to ride the bus,“says Boyd.“So the plan was to get my license, and I failed the driver’s test three times before I finally passed.And then I went and got this car, which was to get me from point A to point B.”

Boyd wasn’t a car enthusiast and had no plans to modify his car, which stayed stock for the first year he owned it.Then several friends came to Hawaii to visit and told him that he should at least get some custom wheels mounted.

“A Navy friend who also owns a Scion tC, Terrance Ritter,came to Hawaii.Then we began modifying our tCs together,“says Boyd.“I didn’t know anything about cars,and then we both got into the car scene and started researching things. I learned about the engine, interior, all that other stuff, and here’s what I have today.”

Just by looking at Boyd’s tC you would never know that his knowledge of cars came in such a short time. And in a few months you’ll see a turbo kit bolted to the 2.4-liter engine. Look for this car at the NEX car show in May.

ENGINE-

VVT-I

Injen intake

MMW stainless steel race header

Greddy front strut bar

Carbon Fiber engine cover

radiator cover

Sciontech radiator cap

Sciontech oil cap

Hood Quick Lift Elite

Kinetik battery

AEM battery tie down

dual exhaust by Radmotorsports

SUSPENSION-

TRD shocks

TRD springs

WHEELS-

18-inch Zinik Minardi rims

Federal tires

ELECTRONICS-

VARAD underbody light kit

Custom Blue gauges

Custom Blue HVAC gauges

INTERIOR-

Marble Wood dash trim kit

Aluminum floor mats

Euro Style shift knob

T-Cover

STEREO-

Kenwood DDX8017

custom enclosure by Progressive Auto Sounds

Memphis Belle MCH1300

3 10-inch JL AUDIO W1 V2 SUBWOFFERS

KCA-IP500 for iPod Nano

EXTERIOR-

M Power body tit by Street Concepts
painted and installed by GX AUTO

TYC taillights

Wade In channel visor

chrome license cover

Pedestal spoiler

chrome signs by Aloha Signs

David Taylor’s 2005 Ford Mustang

Since its birth in 1964, the Mustang has become one of the most popular American muscle cars in production today. For many former Mustang owners who saw the return of the old body style in 2005, it brought back a lot of memories. In David Taylor’s case the sight of the fifth-generation Mustang stopped him dead in his tracks.

“I was driving down Kam Highway on my way to buy new shoes for work when I saw this car on display and I just had to have it,” says Taylor. “I liked the car because back in high school I had a ‘66 fastback, and this car looks just like that car.”

It wasn’t easy getting a good price on a car as popular as the ‘05 Mustang. So to save some money, Taylor settled on buying the V6 package. And at the time he thought the money he saved could go toward other things, like performance parts.

“The V8 package was $8,000 more, so I thought I’ll get the V6 and save some money,” says Taylor.“But after a couple years with all of these mods, which comes to $30,000 later, I don’t think I saved too much. But I like being the underdog; it’s easy to make a V8 go fast, it’s harder to make a V6 beat V8s. So right now with 400 horses I can beat some V8s. And it’s fun to drive.”

Taylor’s Mustang has made several appearances in a number of car shows and has won its share of awards. And there are still another $10,000 worth of modifications that need to be installed before the next car show at McKenna’s in May.

ENGINE
400 BHP V6 Custom Dyno Tuned
Procharger 13 PSI Supercharger
Procharger 2 Core Air to Air Intercooler
Procharger Racing Blow Off Valve
39.5 lb/hr Fuel Injectors
JBA Headers
JBA spark plug wires
Cervini’s Glasspack Side Exhaust Kit
Modular Mustang Racing 71 mm Throttle Body
Helix Power Tower Plus Throttle Body Spacer
Ford Racing GT40 Fuel Pump

DRIVETRAIN

Hurst Short Shifter
Powerhouse Automotive Aluminum Drive Shaft
Modern Driveline Kevlar/Metal Racing Clutch
Ford Racing 3.73 Gears
Ford Racing Trac Loc
SUSPENSION
Modular Mustang Racing Fully Adjustable Lower Control Arms

Eibach Front and Rear Sway Bars

Air Ride Level Pro Air Suspension

5 Gallon Air Tank and dual Compressors

Front Strut Tower Brace

WHEELS
R1 Racing 3 Piece Solid Forged Chrome Rims 19"x 8.5” Front, 19"x10” Rear
ELECTRONICS
Autometer Phantom Tach and Shift Light
Autometer Gauges- Air/Fuel, Boost, Voltage, Electronic Oil Pressure, Electronic Fuel Pressure
Innovative Motorsports LC-1 Wideband Controller
Blinder - Two Sending units
Lidatek Laser Echo - Two sending units

INTERIOR
Katzkin Venom Leather Seats, Black Leather and Red Suede
Custom Perforated Red and Black Leather Door Inserts, Dash, Shifter, and Brake Boot
Mustang GT Door Panels
Mustang GT Door Sills
Carbon Fiber Dash Kit
Custom Red Carpet
Ford Red Floor Mats
UPR Polished Billet Interior Accents
Side pillar and Dash mounted gauge pods
Full custom interior color change, Tan to Black and Red.

STEREO
Valor Double Din Entertainment Center
Mark Antony 1500 Watt, 1 Ohm Sub Amp
Rockford Fosgate 400 Watt 4 Channel Amp
Rockford Fosgate Separates Front and Rear
Dual Tsunami 40 Farad Capacitors
Digital Designs 10-inch Sub
Stinger 80 Amp Power Supply AC/DC Converter
EXTERIOR

Shelby Hood
Steeda Captive Hood Pins
Cervini’s Side Skirts and Rear Bumper
Cervini’s Window and Quarter Panel Scoops
LSD Lambo Style Doors.
Polished Aluminum Gas Cap
Custom Paint: Ford Performance White, Stripes, Red Metal Flake over Dragon Fire Red.
HID headlights.
3D Carbon Boy Racer Wing.
Plasma Glow Light Kit
Future Mods in the Box Awaiting Install
Diablo Sport Mafia Mass Air Sensor Controller
Baer Big Brake Kit
Dunlop Sportmax SP 2 Tires
Custom Trunk by Island Car Audio
Strobe Lights
8 Point NHRA Approved Roll Cage
Street Scene Generation 1 Front Bumper
Sponsors
Al’s Auto Upholstery
Naka’z Car Care
DJ’s Motorsports
Nu-Image Motorsports
Da Muffler Man
Island Car Audio
Extreme Prints
LSD-Doors
Tsunami Audio
Invisible Glass
Painter: Russell Souza

2003 BMW M3

Car enthusiasts make up a global brotherhood/sisterhood of people who have a profound fondness for automobiles.No matter where you go in the world, car enthusiasts speak the same language.

But having a mentor who is well-connected in the after-market industry can be a big help, as Danny Chew would learn.

“I’ve liked cars for a long time when I was living in Taiwan,“says Chew.“I couldn’t afford a car myself back then, but when I came here for college I bought an ‘02 Audi TT because I thought it was cool to have a convertible.”

After rotating the odometer for a several months, Chew felt the need for more speed and traded in the TT for this ‘03 BMW M3. That was about the same time Chew met motorsports TV producer Dave Tang, who took Chew under his wing and began mentoring him on the chi of car.

“Dave is an instigator, and a lot of the work done on this car was because Dave recommended it,” says Chew. “But I’m grateful. Dave has been pivotal in building this car. And I got my first sponsor through Dave. And he also helped me get into a couple of prestigious car clubs, primarily the one he founded, Executive Connection.”

If Chew keeps this car, he plans to install a supercharger in the next few months, but his eyes are looking hard at the new M3.

ENGINE

Eisenmann stainless racing exhaust (4x83mm tip) w/ section 1 & 2

SUSPENSION

H&R Coil Over

WHEELS

IForged Daytona 19x10 and 19x11.5 w/ Dunlop SP9000

ELECTRONICS

6000k HID

EXTERIOR

Flossman GTR Widebody. (Front bumper, rear bumper, front fenders “L&R”, side skirts “L&R,” rear fenders “L&R”) AC Schnitzer rear wing

INTERIOR

Sparco Torino 2 seats, Sparco harness, AC Schnitzer shift knob (w/ Swarovski Crystal), AC Schnitzer E-Brake handle, AC Schnitzer pedals

STEREO

Harman/ Kardon speakers

2004 Infinity G35

When car enthusiasts modify their ride, it’s usually with the idea of being original so that no one will duplicate what they’ve done. But if the formula you’ve come up with is appealing - like a wheel, suspension and body kit combination - you can be sure it won’t be long before someone else does the same to their ride.

“My fiancée Jen wanted to get this car, so I sold the Acura TL type S and got this car,” says Jeremy Diamzon. “About a week after we got this car I lowered the suspension and then added the air bags. Other G35 owners said I was going to lose performance, but I’m not into going too fast. I had to be different, and didn’t want it to look like any of the others.”

Diamzon’s G35 has been in several car shows, and after each show he was asked if he would sell the rims on his car. So as a way of staying original, he sold the rims right off the car after each show - that makes this set of AME Shallen rims his fourth set of wheels.

“If I hang on to this car I’ll probably start on the motor,” says Diamzon. “I’m debating whether to install a super charger or turbo. But the super charger is a cleaner install with fewer problems, so I’m leaning toward that, and also add more DVD screens.”

This G35 should place well in the upcoming show in August - if he keeps it - at which time he plans on getting a LS 430 and giving that car a VIP makeover of his own.

Engine:
Crawford V5 Plenum
ECU Reflash
Oil Pan Spacer Kit
Throttle Body Coolant Bypass
Helix Test Pipes
Custom Resonator Pipe
Custom Non-Fouler Plugs

Exterior:
Kenstyle Front Bumper
Kenstyle Sideskirts
Kenstyle Rear Bumper

Wheels:
AME Shallen CX: Front:19x9 Hankook K104 235/35/19
Rear: 19x10 Hankook K104 265/30/19

Suspension:
HKS RS Coilover Struts
Adjustable Drop Links
(2) ViAir 380C Compressor
(2) Aero Sport Air Bags
(2) Aero Sport II Air Bags
(4) Dual Manifolds
_” Air Lines

Interior:
7 Button Switch Box
5 gallon Polished Tank
Junction Produce Fusa
Hyper White Map Lights
(2)Super Brite Hyper White Tube Lights
(2)Super Brite Hyper Blue Tube Lights
Street Glow 20-inch Blue Tube Light

Brakes:
OEM Brembo Calipers
Hawk Pads
Stillen Sport Brake Lines

Audio:
Custom Trunk Enclosure
(2) 12-inch Crossfire DB3 Subwoofers
1000 watt Distinct Amp
600 watt Distinct Amp
Kenwood 7017 Double Din Head Unit
JDM AC Controls
Finisher Plate
Custom In-Dash Brackets

Accessories/Cosmetic:
Eschutcheon Keyless Cover
Nintendo Power SteeringWrist Band
JDM Battery Cover
JDM Clear Corners
Custom Side Marker Flasher
Custom Mirror on Front Grill
Fog Lights
PIAA H4 Yellow Bulbs
Custom Painted Brembo Calipers
VIP Hyper White Puddle Lights

2005 Dodge Magnum

The car bug didn’t bite Petty Officer Darrell Ferguson until he was stationed in Yokohama, Japan, back in 1993. And even then it wasn’t the huge American-made gas-guzzler many Southern-born rebels find attractive today.

“I used to help my dad work on cars around the farm when I was growing up in Alabama,” says Ferguson. “But I wasn’t into cars at all until I was stationed in Japan. One night, I was cruising the streets of Yokohama, and I came across this drifting location. So I stopped and started watching it, and that’s what lit the fire for me. I picked up a Skyline and got into the racing scene there, and the fire hasn’t gone out since.”

After being stationed in Japan for 14 years, Ferguson received orders in 2004 that he was being sent to Hawaii. So he sold the R31 that he owned since 1995, which pushed 450 hp to the wheels and bought this ‘05 Dodge Magnum.

“When I first got here I looked at getting a Japanese car, but after spending all those years in Japan I thought the Japanese cars here are overpriced,“says Ferguson who plans on retiring from the Navy in the next couple years. “My first car in high school was a station wagon, and I test drove this Magnum and fell in love with it. And now I’m working toward the DUB slash VIP style look.”

Today Ferguson, his family and his Magnum are back in Japan serving out the rest of his tour. He hopes to sell the Magnum for $100k to some lucky person in the DUB scene. Of course, by then it’ll have a supercharger and a few other mods before it’s sold. And when he gets out of the Navy, he plans on making Japan his home and open a business exporting Japanese car parts.

ENGINE
Magna flow exhaust

DRIVETRAIN

SUSPENSION
KW struts with Universal Air Bags.
SPC camber adjustable upper A-arms on front
Hotchkis sway bars

WHEELS
22 inch Ace
Dunlop SportMaxx II tires 265/35/22

ELECTRONICS
Superchips tuner
Remote control Air suspension
Overhead DVD with 7” monitor

INTERIOR
VIP curtains
Black wood dash accents
LED accent lights

STEREO
(2) Rockford fosgate P3 12” subs
Infinity 6x9’s in front and rear
Rockford fosgate 3.5 mids in dash
(2) Rockford fosgate 8002 amps

EXTERIOR
Carbon Fiber pillar accents
Side mirror blinkers
JT Autostyle body kit
Rotora 6 pot big brake kit
LED Tail lights
Painted rear spoiler
Halo headlights
Billet grill
LED pod lights mounted in side skirts

Arin Nagahiro’s 1991 Acura NSX

There are some cars that make jaws drop whenever they cruise by. And unfortunately these same cars, like this ‘91 NSX, attract some of the worst people too, especially while driving.

“I was driving on Kalanianaole, and this girl driving a Porsche and a guy driving a Ferrari were trying to get me to race them,” says Arin Nagahiro. “So I followed them for a little bit down the road, but they were being really dangerous by weaving in and out of traffic.

And I wasn’t about to wreck this car or hit anybody, so I let them go. I’m usually a pretty conservative driver.”

Four months ago, Nagahiro’s boyfriend saw the car for sale in the paper and called her to ask her opinion. Her reply: “Go and buy the car!” Since then the car has gone through a lot of improvements, as you can see by the modification list. And even with all that horsepower, Nagahiro has no problem heeding the new stiffer speeding laws.

“If the speed limit is 50 sometimes people will do 60 if everyone else is going 60,“Nagahiro says. “But there’s really no need to be going 80 on this island. Maybe if you’re driving from Las Vegas to L.A., but not here. Plus, there’s too many cars here to be driving that fast.”

If money were no object, what car would she get next? “A project MR2,” she replies.

ENGINE
Comptech Headers
Taitec GT006 lightweight Exhaust
ARC induction box
Procar carbon intake tube
Polished Alternator
Cantrell Studios Carbon Fiber Engine Cover
Dali Racing Polished Coolant Tank
Comptech Oil Cap
Dali Racing Polished Injector Covers
Dali Racing Polished Coil Covers
Dali Racing Polished Fuse Box Cover
Dali Racing Polished A+B Wiring Covers
Dali Racing Polished Alternator Cover
Powder Coated Valve Covers
Powder Coated Intake Cover
Polished Throttle Body Cover
DRIVETRAIN
SUSPENSION
Tein flex monotube
carbnig strut bar

WHEELS
Junction produce scara
18x8 falken 452 215/40/18
18x10 falken 452 225/40/18

ELECTRONICS
6000k HID bulbs
INTERIOR
Black interior conversion
perforated leather seats
nsx-r shift boot
Mugen shift knob
Suede wrapped door pannels

STEREO
Alpine iva-d900 7” multimedia headunit
Infinity perfect component speakers
10w1 Jl audio sub
Alpine mrd-450 amp

EXTERIOR
OEM 2002+ Front Bumper Conversion
OEM 2002+ Fixed HID Headlights Conversion
OEM 2002+ Rear Valence Conversion
Downforce nsx-r hood

Heather Yoshida’s Honda S2000

Seeing a woman cruising the streets behind the wheel of a heavily modified car is becoming quite the norm nowadays. But not all of them are driving a machine that was built with their knowledge of modified parts. Heather Yoshida, however, is not only knowledgeable about the tuner industry, she’s made a name for herself in the aftermarket world as a journalist. Of course, having a father who’s a car enthusiast helped expose her to cars early on.

“People still underestimate me,” says Yoshida, who works at a downtown law firm. “When I first got this car, some guys would say,‘Hey Heather, let me know if you want to make the car fast and I’ll help you out.’ And I would say, ‘Oh, you don’t think I can make the car fast?‘You know,stuff like that.But whatever.”

This white S2000 replaces Yoshida’s previous car,which was a 1986-and-a-half Toyota Supra that was totaled by a drunken driver while parked on the side of the street. Fortunately, Yoshida wasn’t in the car. While shopping for a car for a friend, she spotted this 2000 Honda in the paper. Surprised at the asking price, Yoshida made a phone call and found out that she knew the owner. The rest is tuner history.

“Oh boy, about a month after I got this car I thought it was so slow compared to the Supra,” says Yoshida.“I souped up the Supra and had it for six years before it got totaled. This car took two months to get all the stuff installed. I got the supercharger installed in November and the stereo in December, and now it is show ready.”

Yoshida’s S2000 has 284 horsepower to the wheels and won several awards in various car shows. Since there is no racetrack on Oahu, all she wants to do is put her car on the Super Ferry and clock her car on the quarter mile at Maui Raceway Park.

ENGINE
Paxton Novi 1000 Supercharger, Comptech Aftercooler Kit, Comptech Intake and Air Box, Comptech ESM, Comptech 255lph Fuel Pump, Comptech FPR, Comptech Coolant Pump, Koyo Radiator, Greddy Oil Catch Tank, Flex-a-Lite Single Fan, Spoon N1 Racing Exhaust

SUSPENSION
H&R Coilovers, Spoon X-Brace

WHEELS
Volk Racing SE37 18x7.5, Bridgestone S0-3 225/40/18

INTERIOR
Rick’s Leather Center Console Cover, Under Dash LEDs, Blitz BLM Boost Gauge, Blitz BLM EGT Gauge, Science of Speed A-Pillar Gauge Pod

STEREO ICE (In Car Emtertainment)
Kenwood Excelon KDC-X789 Head Unit, Kenwood KCA-iP500 iPod Interface, Exile XP65 CompPro Series 6.5‰ Thin Mount, Exile X300.2 300W Amplifier, Exile X600.1 600W Amplifier, Exile (2) X12 12‰ Subwoofers,  Kinetik battery HC 800

EXTERIOR
Custom Paint (Type-R Championship White), Full C-West Aero Kit, Vision Hood Dampers.

BRAGGING RIGHTS:
First Place Girl Showoff Street Car Showoff 2006
Second Place (2.4 Turbo) Torco World Series of Power 2005
Second Place Hottest Female Ride HIN, Honolulu 2005
Second Fastest “Quick Chick” in Hawaii

Charlie Palumbo’s 1957 Chevy

Ask any moderate or profound car enthusiast, and most of them will tell you that they were in elementary school when they first laid eyes on their dream car. In Charlie Palumbo’s case, he was 10 years old when he saw his dream car drive past him in Kaimuki.

“There was this car called the Chrome Angel that was cruising around,” says Palumbo.“It was a blue metal flake ‘57 Chevy. And the whole interior of the car was all chrome. It was this amazing shiny thing, and was the most unreal car I’ve ever seen. It was like a boy’s jewelry box. The last time I saw that car was in 1977 and it was up for sale on a used car lot. And for a long time in the back of my mind I’ve always wanted to get a ‘57.”

Of course, finding a ‘57 Chevy that’s up for sale is not the hard part of getting the car - convincing your wife is. But Palumbo sat back and took a look at his accomplishments: He sent his wife to college, provided for his two daughters and bought a home in Hawaii Kai for his family. These are common feats for many fathers and husbands, but Palumbo also knew that things have been looking up for him for the next few years.

So what man would not want to get himself a little something after years of hard work and dedication?

“I’ve been married for 13 or 14 years, and there is never a good time to ask for a toy, especially one like this,” he says. “So six months ago I started asking her if I could get this car, and after a lot of negotiating, she finally said, ‘OK, go get your car.’ Most guys have to wait until their kids grow up and finish college and move out before they can get their dream car, or some have to retire and then get their car. I have a new saying,‘Life is short, drive your dream.’”

What Palumbo almost forgot to mention was that he had to buy his wife a 2007 Toyota Camry in order to get his ‘57.

ENGINE

383 Stroker GM Crate Engine with aluminum heads, Holley carburated and dyno’ed at 425 HP

DRIVETRAIN

ATI 700R Automatic Transmission with a Currie 9-inch Ford Rear end

EXTERIOR

Black and white Glasurit paint, restored chrome and stainless steel, new glass and crossed flag badges on rear like original Black Widow.

SUSPENSION

KYB Adjustable shocks, 2-inch drop spindles, discs up front, oversized drum brakes in rear.

WHEELS

15-inch American Racing Torque D wheels with BF Goodrich rubber.

ELECTRONICS

Besides electronic ignition and a few digital guages, all other electrical redone during restoration.

INTERIOR

Black-and-white custom interior from Mitch’s Stitches in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

STEREO

Original radio rebuilt by Bob’s Radios in California. It has the old school look and modern electronics, AM/FM with iPod input, new speakers all around. The best solution for classic car stereo.

Marshall Lum’s 2005 Scion XB “Black Widow”

In the short time the Scion xB has been in the American market, it has become one of the most popular imports from Japan, which has led to its explosion in the custom car industry. For Marshall Lum, the Scion xB was supposed to be another form of transportation, not a second coming for the custom show car builder.

“The first car I built was a ‘79 Volkswagen Scirocco while I was in high school at Farrington,“says Lum.“It was a real rust bucket, so I fixed that up as a school project. I’ve always wanted to be a mechanic, and during that time VWs were the cars to have. So that’s how it all started for me.”

After customizing several liquid Volkswagens - one of which was a 1985 Jetta that “won every custom car show award there is"and was featured in a number of car magazines - Lum decided to step away from the car show world.

It was a difficult decision for the heavy equipment mechanic, but focusing on raising his son and buying a home were top of the list at the time.

“I got the xB so I could drive my family around and use it as a daily driver,“Lum says. “I researched the xB even before it arrived here in Hawaii and found that in Japan the xB is called the BB, and that there were a lot of after-market parts available for the xB. I bought aftermarket rims, tires and a drop kit before I bought the xB because I didn’t want to drive a stock xB. So as soon as I got home I took the car apart, and that’s when the bug bit me again and got me back into building show cars.”

Customizing the xB back in August 2004 marked Lum’s return to the world of custom show cars after a 10-year hiatus.

Recently Lum opened his own business selling Scion parts and formed the Scion Evolution Car Club Hawaii chapter, which will be helpful when he builds his 2008 Scion xB.

Exterior
1. Paint. Dupont Hot Hues Hot Rod Black with clear and Rainbow Pearl
2. TRF Lip kit. 1 of only 2 kits made and the 1st and last kit produced for retail. Not made anymore.
3. Carbon Fiber Fiber-FX Hood
4. Carbon Fiber Fiber-FX Bumper Guard
5. M2Motoring Carbon Fiber Fab Style wing
6. Nish Designs 2 Piece Prototype Eyelids
7. Nish Designs Custom Blacked out tail lights
8. One Off Eight08 Custom Prototype Black Widow Smoothie Grill
9. JDM side maker lights
10. Custom Five Axis XB bB style rear emblem
11. Shaved rear Scion emblem
12. ES Style window visors
13. Varad ULS410 - Red Scanning Undercar System
Engine
1. Injen Short Ram Intake
2. Greddy Super Charger “1st Kit in Hawaii”
3. Greddy E Manage
4. Strup Headers
5. Strup Axle Back Exhuast System 1st Edition. “Not made anymore”
6. One Off Eight08 Customs Prototype Polished Aluminum Coil Pack Cover
7. Varad LED Lighting custom mounted
8. Wire Loom Dress up.
9. Nish Designs Carbon Fiber fuse box covers
10. Red Silicon Vacuum Hoses
11. Chrome AEM Oil Cap
12. Chrome AEM Battery Hold Down
13. Nology Spark Plug Wires
14. Greddy Oil Catch Can
15. Kinitick 1400 battery
16. Polished Valve Cover
17. Perrin crank pulley
18. Varad SL210RE red suspension lighting flush mounted
Wheels, tires and suspension.
1. Axis Wide Tracks Front 18x8 Rear 18x9 staggered offset. Maxis Lips in the front and rear
Wheels Custom Painted Candy Magenta with a gold to silver fade/ Red Ice Pearl Base Coat
2. Fusion 18/215/35
3. Gold line 2 inch Drop Springs
4. One Ton Garage 3Deg Camber Shims
5. Rolledl fender wells
6. Varad SL210RE red suspension lighting
Interior
1. Scion Red Leather Steering wheel
2. Razo Aluminum/ Carbon Fiber Pedals
3. Razo heel toe Aluminum floor pad
4. Razo Aluminum Shift Knob
5. Carbon Fiber Hand Brake Cover
6. Nish Designs Carbon Fiber door sills
7. Custom Painted pillars with Hot Hues Hot Rod Black
8. Varad LED Lighting. “AC vents, Under dash, Monitor Pods, Center cup holder”
9. Full Custom interior done in 100% Suede
?  Seats Black Suede with Red Suede inserts with spider webs sewn in
?  Door Panels Red Suede
?  Headliner Red Suede
ICE
1. Kenwood 7017 Head unit
2. Starvision Moniters (4) 6.5 in moniters mounted in custom pods and pods are molded into pillars 2 behind front seats 2 in rear hatch. (1) 10.5 montier in trunk molded into stereo Set up in trunk.
3. Motorized amp rack using Auto Loc 6 in actuator with controller
4. Memphis 16-mch600 5 channel amp. 1500 watts
5. (2) Memphis MClass 15MS104D 10 inch subs in Custom Molded Fiberglass enclosure
6. Custom Painted with Dupont Hot Hues Hot Rod Black
7. (2 Pairs) Memphis MClass Multi-Sync15MSYNC6 6.5 inch mid range. Custom mounted into front door panels and in custom made fiberglass enclosure in rear that is molded the rear window frame with moniters.
8.Varad LED lighting using Varad SL210RE red suspension lighting
  Varad LED ILS300 Orb Interior Lighting
9. Entire Car insulated with 200 ft Rbox Sound Deadening Material
10. Playstation 2
Awards Won
Note: In bold letter are big shows.
1. 2005 Supremacy CC Show and Shine. 2nd Place Euro Class
2. 2005 Lowrider Suppershow Hawaii. 3rd Place Imoprt Class
3. 2005 Scions Hawaii’s “Exprescion Showoff” Best Scion and Peoples Choice awards
4. 2005 Import Showoff Hawaii. 1st place Scion Class
5. 2006 Eight08.net Show and Shine. 3rd Place Import Class
6. 2005 Hot Import Nights Hawaii Show.  Best Scion
7. 2006 Scion Hawaii’s “Exprecion Showoff” Best Scion and Best XB
8 2006 Import Showoff. Scion Hawaii Display XB
9 2006 HIN Best Scion XB/ Best Lighting and Display.

Mark Kato’s 2004 Audi A4

“Never follow” is the approach Mark Kato took when he began shopping for a car just before graduating from Roosevelt.

“I was looking at a Galant and Legend at the same time I was looking at this A4, and at the time there weren’t a lot Audis around,” says Kato. “And my good friend’s dad works at Audi in the parts department, and so after researching the car I knew I just had to have it.”

Kato’s A4 is one of a few Audis that are tricked out, and his is the only Crystal Blue Audi that has been featured in custom car publications and local car shows. When Kato first got the German-made car, he found that getting aftermarket parts was not as easy as it was for his friends who had Japanese-made cars. Today the professional photographer and video editor has made plenty of contacts in the European aftermarket industry. And as you can see, he has taken advantage of his vast network of contacts.

“The last thing I’d like do is upgrade the turbo to a GT28 with the exhaust and reprogram the ECU,” says Kato. “But the car is fast enough already, so I don’t expect to do the upgrade anytime soon.”

Don’t expect to see a For Sale sign on this car either. Kato plans on keeping his A4 forever.

INTERIOR
custom suede doors and arm rest
sparco shift knob with SPP adapter
upholstered (in black) front, side, rear pillars and rear dash
autometer and blitz gauges
NOS bottle

EXTERIOR
Rieger front, sides, rear
Ecode roof spoiler
S4 door blades
trunk wing
Kamei eye lids
APR TUNED badge
Aero wiper blades

DRIVETRAIN
6 spd CVT FWD

BRAKES
Zimmerman cross drilled rotors
Mintex pads

WHEELS
SSR SP1’s 19x8 with KDW 2’s

SUSPENTION
B&G springs
sport package shocks

STEREO
Clarion touch screen DVD
Kicker solo barrek
Kenwood amp

ELECTRONIC
6000K HID’s
ground kit
Hyper Voltage Kit

ENGINE
1.8 liter turbo
custom FMIC
APR stg 1 chip
GFB hybrid BOV/BPV
Greddy intake
custom heat shield
custom cat back exhaust 2.5”
FMIC NOS sprayer, water sprayer
silicoln boost/vac lines

Jason Ryan’s 1990 Nissan 240SX

ENGINE

S14 SR20DET, Koyo copper radiator, \R32 Skyline GTR intercooler, Greddy oil pan, Megan Racing Exhaust Manifold, Megan Racing O2 Housing, Megan Racing turbo lines, HKS SSV blow off valve, Greddy rebreather tank,Electric fan w/ adjustable thermostat, Nismo Thermostat. Custom downpipe. APEX-I GT spec cat back exhaust. Hypersports air filter.

DRIVETRAIN

Manual. B&M Short Shifter, Nismo 2-way LSD.

SUSPENSION

Kei Office XT-A Coilover set, Battle Version rear control arms Battle Version tension rods.

WHEELS

SSR Proffesor SP-1’s 17x9.5 +35 front,
17x10.5 +18 rear.

ELECTRONICS

APEX-I Power FC, Greddy Profec-BII Boost controller, Timex Boost, Water temp and oil pressure gauges.

INTERIOR

Recaro SRD seat, Option 320mm steering wheel, SABELT harnesses.

STEREO

Clarion DX845MC CD/mp3 player,
Diamond separates.

EXTERIOR

Julius front bumper, Version Select side skirts and rear bumper.

---

Soon after getting his orders that he’ll be stationed in Iraq, Jason Ryan and his S14 (95 240SX) had a battle with a concrete wall, and the wall won. Between the time of the crash and being shipped out, Ryan and his friends stripped the engine out of the wreckage and bought another 240SX.

“When I bought this 1990 240 it was five different colors not including all of the rust that was on it,” says Ryan.

“Since I was leaving for Iraq, my friends said they’ll put the car together while I’m away. And for a friend to do that is pretty awesome.”

Ryan, who is a medic in the Hawaii National Guard 29th SIB, went off to war, and his friends here at home began working on his 1990 240SX.They made a detailed plan as to what the car needed and where it was going to come from.

“While I was with Grip Video I made a lot of friends and contacts so that was a big help in getting parts,” says Ryan. “And my friends knew that I wanted to drive the car when I came home on leave.”

And while he was on leave last year the car was ready. Now that he is back for good, Ryan plans to have the car tuned and possibly have more engine work done. But he’s also tossing around the idea of picking up a Mercedes.

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