To wrench, or not to wrench…
Not to get all “High School Musical” on you guys, but we’re all in this together. This whole taking a perfectly fine car from a dealer or a lot and making it all your own by changing parts out, adding parts on, or even deconstructing the vehicle and reconstructing it into something completely different thing we’ve all got going on is really special. It ties us all together, no matter which platform we’ve chosen, which style to follow, or what parts we’re planning to throw at our pride and joy. We’re all doing the same thing. We’re tuning.
A lot of people who have gotten the mod bug have done so with their own two hands, in a garage or a driveway, with one purpose in mind: making that car their own. Those people are what this Tuner Handbook issue is geared towards. Inside, you’ll find tips and tricks from our columnists, inspiration from fellow builders with the DIY attitude, and even some important info on how to buy the right parts and how to get into one of the fastest emerging motorsports.
Follow along with Garry Springgay as he gives you some “old guy tips” that he’s picked up over his years of both audio- and performance-inclined building, while Jacob Leveton fills us in on what the FIA is doing in Formula Drift, and Rob Kochis zeros in on finishing his show-to-track FR-S project.
Our cover and a good chunk of this book belong to Gerbie Reyes and his wide Honda S2000, and for good reason: he is your 2016 Tuner Battlegrounds champion and this is his award! After being involved in a #TBGLIVE award category competition, and eventually making his way up the ladder of the Championship competition, Reyes took home the trophy in the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, earning his car the very front of this issue. Reyes has a great and interesting story about triumph in a competition that he completely threw himself into, and it’s worth the read to get a feel for just what Tuner Battlegrounds is. His S2000 is really nice, too.
Myself and Adam Gordon, PAS’s Associate Editor, both took on an educational piece each for this issue. I wanted to know how to navigate the oversaturated market of carbon fiber to find the good stuff, and he wanted to know the most accessible way for anyone who’s interested to get into drifting. Through some lengthy chats with some passionate individuals ingrained in their respective passion, we feel like we’ve come up with some handy information that’s definitely worth your time. Let us know if you’d like to see more!
As usual, you’ll find our ceaseless coverage of events and the hottest products out there, among everything else you’ve grown to love about PASMAG. We hope that if you’ve never turned a wrench before, this issue makes you want to – and if you have, keep doing so! This is a community you’ll never regret being a part of (well, except for your bank account, but we don’t talk about that). Have fun out there!
Micky Slinger
PASMAG Editor
editor@pasmag.com