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The authentic Kouki Type X wing hits harder than Sam the butcher bringing Alice the meat.
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Vivi, Shawn, and Kosuke came so close to being the first trio to successfully walk the duc
According to our own Greg Yamamoto, There are some people who get it and some people who dont. What exactly is it and why would you want to catch it? Is it that inexplicable rash that some people get and when they scratch it, the burning only increases and when we go to the doctor he quarantines us and thats why we miss work and why we scream, It burns! when were urinating. Its not that we know this firsthand, we have this, um, friend who had it. In reality it is the currently fashionable obsession with the tuners and products from the other side of the Pacific Rim.
Yamz wont give the nod to just anyone, and having a grasp of this concept requires more than just a funky air freshener, a set of Altezzas, and an anime fetish. Shawn Leung does indeed get it and his legitimacy is certified through his carthis 180SX conversion and his business, ProjectD AutoImaging. In fact this car, in conjunction with a change of venue, were the seeds that inspired ProjectDs launch.
The 180SX has been my dream car from the day I first saw this Japanese street racing movie with some friends, Shawn recalls. The main vehicle was a yellow 180SX. I was hooked from then on. However, I was pretty bummed to learn that the SR20DET motor was not available in the U.S., but no matter. I love the body style, and all the high quality parts available for it, including aero kits and performance partsonce the SR is thrown in.
Since I grew up in Torrance, I was always around [the J-spec scene]I didnt really need to learn, it was just there. All of my Japanese friends were building their vehicles, so it was just natural to be around and learn it whether I wanted to or not.
But Shawn didnt really see a good future in Cali and he migrated to Minnesota to live with his father. Coming from Torrance, I was so used to Yaohan and J-Town that I got withdrawals, Shawn says. I always used to go to the car section and buy all the air fresheners and interior lighting and whatnot. When I finally got my dream car, I looked everywhere for that stuff in Minnesota. Of course, I had no luck. Nobody here knew what I was talking about when I mentioned Carmate, Razo, HKS, and the like. [At the time] there were parts available in the U.S., but not much to choose from. I wanted the parts I would always either hear about from friends, or see in Option2 and Young Version magazines.
From that, a light bulb flashed. I got lucky and scored with Carmate Japan and directly imported Razo, Carmate interior lighting, and other stuff from them. It was mainly just for my friends and I, but in larger quantities. I went around to stereo shops and solicited parts from the back of my 240SX. Then I put up a Web sitewww.autoimaging.comand from there it all began.
Shawn also told us how he became part of a global distribution network. When we first started with Carmate Japan, it was all done via e-mail. They had this impression I was this huge company from the Midwest importing their parts. They would e-mail me about coming out to visit sometime and I would do my best to talk about something else, or say, Thats OK, Id rather go to your place instead. I didnt really want to disappoint them as my shop at the time was my trunk and the warehouse was my extra bedroom. Plus, my apartment managers hated meId get these huge trucks coming in, dropping off pallets of cup holders, air fresheners, shift knobs, and stuff all the time! I had to bribe one of the office ladies with Squash Air Freshener beads to keep her quiet.
Today ProjectD is no longer fronting out of the back of a trunk and Shawn and his wife, Viviana, carry products from such exotic companies as 5Zigen, Bee* Racing, JIC Magic, Endless, Zeal, JUN, GP Sports, C-West, Ings, All Round, Do-Luck, Defi, Crimson Racing, SSR, Advan, Buddy Club, Volk, Razo, Carmate, Bride, Takata, R1, Pivot, Hiper, and more. You can find more ProjectD cars within our pages in the near future because Shawns 180 is only the first creation from a guy who truly gets it.
By Frank Grimes
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