Coming off Holley’s Intergalactic Ford Fest … I realized I learned a little something from my fellow Ford bros.
Number 1…
Live in the moment. Truly BE where your feet are. And stop trying to live on/for social media. And… learn to rock the sh!t out of a mullet.
It’s just not that serious man.
My advice? Take a few photos & post ‘em up if you want to. BUT THEN come back to earth & soak up what’s around you. Let it sink in. Be vigilant not live the whole damn thing through a camera lens trying to ‘catch a moment’.
Friendships > followers.
Camaraderie > comments.
There’s absolutely no doubt that social media self-centeredness has changed the youth-end of the automotive spectrum. It’s changed the way y’all build cars. And it’s changed WHY you build cars. Hell it’s changed events. Some of you are trying so hard to be different, that you’re all exactly the same. And to make it worse, your car drives like full blown AIDS in the process.
Try & remind yourself that social media really ain’t ‘media’. And it honestly ain’t ‘social’ either. You’re giving the content of your lives away to a platform that’s using it to sell ads. Prioritize it as such.
Number 2…
You don’t necessarily need to have the quickest / or cleanest / or highest horsepower car on the block. Sometimes ‘the best’ can honestly become a little expected & predictable… like fast Mustangs at a Ford event for example lol. Likeminded enthusiasts share a curiosity for the curveball.
People just want to talk cars, meet a cool owner, find some common ground, and get inspired.
They want to see something different than the car parked next to it… different interpretations of performance & badass-ery.
Something forgotten, overlooked, refreshing, surprising, relatable, and maybe even a little underdoggy. And when it can still hold its own with the big boys…. well then that’s like, the ultimate fun, isn’t it.
Sum up…
Ford Fest man… it’s just a party.
Holley’s more established LS Fest is rad because it all revolves around 1 engine. And that single knock-it-out-the-park LS block is the heartbeat of sooooo many different projects & garage-builds out there in the aftermarket. That’s the glue that holds LS Fest together & bonds enthusiasts. And it’s cool.
But Ford Fest feels different. People do not commonly swap Ford engines like they swap LSs. But Ford as a manufacturer has a very dynamic, open-minded, & broad interpretation of performance when it comes to their engines.
You’ve got the American-bred muscle/pony stuff… the 302s, V8s, Coyotes, Cobras, superchargers, and all that. But then you also have Ford’s more international side… the small-displacement wildcard turbocharged 4s, the STs, and the RSs.
Ford’s got a rich motorsports history from Trans Am, to rally, to IMSA.
Meaning – there’s a lot to be appreciated. And it’s cool to see it all blend together at 1 event. If you own & love a Ford of any kind, experiencing Holley’s Ford Fest will light you up. And if you’re not really a Ford guy, but have a friend bugging you to go next year… ride out with ‘em lol. Like I said, it’s a party. And it might just change your perspective a lil bit, and bring a little admiration for all the different Fords of the decades. (See print coverage in S3 Magazine Issue 55)
