It's about the People

Fuck the car, before I even get into posting about the build, let's take a moment to deal with the important part: The People. day 4 You want to know what's the best part of Car Culture? The love of cars and the way they bring people together. Speed Hero is the spirit of these people and their interest in movement with automobiles. During this build a ridiculous amount of people came out to help wrench, chat about cars, and show their support. Adam And James ripping apart the car Adam and James were the first few to Arrive, they spent much of their time stripping the car down, prepping and painting it!!! Adam returned for day two as did James, and James brought Ian along with him. Joey Cleaning up the windshield area Joey was also out on Day 1, ripping, grinding, cutting and scraping to get the windshield area prepped for a new windshield, as well as making the front wheel wells look pretty! Ian and Brandon Chatting cars Ian and Brandon rolled in on day 2, Brandon helped run and grab supplies and food, then prepped the rear axle swap. Ian hopped to it and got the cross member welded!!!!!!!! seriously awesome, Ian would be back later to help with much much more. mike and shelly mike half Mike of the infamous Mike N' Shelly combo came out to help with installing the drivers seat. shelly the bee charmer While Shelly distracted the Bees with some lovely and in depth photography. pretty little robin affixing rivots like rosie My Wonderful Robin was out to deal with Cans. She must hate cans now, but the hood design was her idea, She started at 9am on the hood. building of the arc Phil joined Robin at about noon and the two of them continued to build the Arc until 7pm at night, when the hood was finished and ready for installation!!! phil helping me re-engineer Phil was a major driving force in this project, often offering direction of re-engineering, but also his vast resource known to man as a 'shop'. engineering chat Re-engineering chats were a common theme throughout the 4 days of the build. Here Ian, Phil and I discuss the best next move. Checkmate! Adnrew and quinn engineering More engineering talks occurred with Andrew and I regarding the ridiculous lock of the modded steering knuckles. Dan and Andrew fitting mad lock knuckles Dan tagged along with Andrew as well, and the two of them were quite a combo getting the front suspension done while I stood woozy and dizzy. Joe and Mircea chatting rx7s Joe from RPM came out that night as well, to check out the car, and chat with everyone else who stopped by. Some good stories were shared! Here Joe and Mircea (meer-cha) talk about FD's while I sneak some blurry photos. Ian counting cans Ian and James kept returning to offer a hand, advice and input. Extremely helpful, Ian even brought me a JDM leather FD shift knob! It feels really nice! jeremy getting tech Jeremy Letto came out to help as well. There's something very 'speed hero' about taking the bus up to St.Jacobs just to come help wrench on a car. Jeremy is a smart cookie if you stop to listen to what he has to say, sadly some people don't give him the time of day. brendans mother fucking thumbs up dood Brendan was out as well, and he's got his ghetto fabulous down pat. Not only did he mount my oil cooler completely fucking solid using only zip ties, but his daily beater left a huge oil stain in the parking lot. Gangster. aaron and nick Aaron and nick were out as well, to see what was up, they suited up and got a little dirty before having to run home. They came alllll the way up from London just to lend a hand!!! kyle saque Kyle came by to say hello as well, I now understand his signature on Dorikaze. Sadly, I didn't get photo's of Everyone. Adam J, came out to help with my brakes and might have found himself a job next door! Brent came by, the donater of the car, to help setup the front struts, and Mike Forester showed up late at night to check things out and give some support! The Roll: -Phil: Dude, There's nothing better than helping someone make their dream come true. -James: Your high spirits and 'getr done' attitude was more than helpful. -Ian: There's no stopping you once you've got your mind on something. -Robin: Your smile and charm kept my spirits high, and my focus strong! -Adam: Making your life wait for my build is more than commendable. Gettin' dirrtay! -Joey: You held out to get the windshield perfect, awesome follow through! -Brandon: It was nice you made time to come out and wrench, those hard lines were skillfully removed. -Mike: Perfection was the only option. -Andrew: Good eyes, and smart quick decisions got things done in an efficient fashion. German influence? -Dan: A handy fellow is the most helpful hand. -Jeremy: You surprised me with your work ethic, it was nice to have your help. -Joe: Thanks for the insight, we'll get it over there ASAP. -Mircea: I appreciate you filing the gaps that were overlooked -Brendan: Nothing about your work was 'shitty'. -Nick: The true Patch Adams of the Corolla build ;) -Aaron: Such a long drive just to come hang out! -The Girlfriends: Thank you for letting me borrow your boys, and for the positive feedback with the build! Next time I'll try to return them less greasy. -The spectators: Positive comments are fuel for the fire. The nights went longer and the laughter was louder with your presence. Thank you to all who contributed! This was the true Speed Hero Spirit. A strong focus on community across a common interest. People challenged themselves, exchanged ideas, had a laugh or two, drank all my pop and went home feeling involved and accomplished. I hope this build has inspired and influenced you that there is a strong car culture, that people for the most part are good people and that there's more to life than the regular checklist of 'everyday life'. ~DQ

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16 comments

  • i just love all my neighbors.

    • Anonymous
  • Hello Neighbors.

    • Anonymous
  • […] an incredible AE86 with some good friends on a shoe string […]

    • 2009? Wow! « Speed Hero
  • I also love good neighbors.

    • redguy
  • I support good neighbors

    • great neighbor