Circa 2011

In 2011 – I dropped a graffiti engine bay on the game. Was I the 1st one to do it? NO. Will I be the last? NO. I’ve never claimed to be the inventor of that. Truth be told – Hybrid’s Del Sol was probably the 1st to publicly drop it… and there were probably others before them. But Hybrid’s car was a beautiful build that inspired many – myself included. In all honesty, I’m not quite sure why mine has gained all the attention that it has over the last few years. But what I am sure of, is that I am humbled by the overwhelming love that the fellow enthusiasts have shown. And for that – I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The car that I built is loved by some and hated by others. It has been seen in magazines, yet skipped over by some of the industry ‘elite’ because it didn’t follow the guidelines of many praised Hondas out there. No sleep lost – because I built the car with my heart, not following the average trends. I let my personality show through my build. And is that not why we build them?
Which brings me to my point: They say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery, and I could not agree more. I have seen so many graffiti bays executed over the years, and again, I am humbled if I had any part in that. I’ve seen graffiti bays copied almost to the ‘T’ in countries I can barley pronounce. It’s an amazing feeling… that something I did can reach that far & inspire others.
Trends will always come and go, but at the end of the day, if you build something… it should be done however you want it. That is the best feeling in the world.
And if someone inspires you, don’t be ashamed to say it! Because at the end of the day, we were all inspired by someone. – @Joe Backyard Schneider (Photos by Shocker Joe… a different ‘Joe’… from back-issue 21)