Do you miss the days when your ‘race car’ was your daily… and also your show car? When it was all one gritty, high-octane, unapologetic thing? A true lifestyle? Well… what happened daddy-o? When did you get old exactly? And when did everyday start beginning with a push-button-start… and a fart… in a leather heated seat. What happened to the real thing? When you fired the ignition in the morning & it actually woke you up. The point is:
Today’s car culture has evolved into something different…
Something more in the vein of social media private groups, and over-builds that are grossly under-driven. Hell, today’s weekend track-day cars are faster than yesterday’s race teams. And probably nearly as expensive lol. Car culture is still an ‘I identify as’ part of the modern middle-aged male. But the reality is – they’re usually identifying from the comfort of some cushy country-club truck 6 days a week.
And that’s kind of the tragic flaw behind all this. Because – the clock is tickin’. Everyday you get up and choose conformity & sensibility… it’s one less day you get the choice.
So maybe we need to check-in with ourselves…
Remember where we came from. And remember what we used to see in the FAST CAR magazines circa 2000… and how it used to put such a fire in us. Something reactivated in me when I photographed these cars. I saw an energy through the lens I hadn’t seen in a while. And I can’t really explain it, but something about these Jzilla team cars flicked me right in the nuts (in a good way). I saw the proportions, the stance, and the attitudes of the cars that were prominent before social media set the trends. Not over-swapped, not over-stanced. And not pushed to absurdity… but also not conservative.
Could it be… the sweet spot?
The place where car culture truly thrived? I felt the seemingly bygone era flood over me – when we were way more stoked with way less. When 5-digit horsepower numbers & 6-figure sports cars weren’t even on the table. But neither were the chains of that kind of ownership. Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls – THAT was the true car culture. When it was more grounded, and more of an everyday thing. When 5 of you went to grab lunch… and you took FIVE cars (wtf is Door Dash). Infiltrating the parking lot with blow-off-valves, big wings, high-profile graphics, turbo timers, clear taillights… all that stuff. The scene was triumphantly cocky & confident. Daily was a nerd-word that literally hadn’t been created yet.
I bring up the ‘lunch scenario’ thing…
Because we took these two cars to lunch after the shoot at Mod Junkie Garage, and it reminded me of the old days & the old ways. As we pulled out, traffic going the opposite way was stopped due to construction. And you could absolutely witness these twin cars pull people out of their phone comas. Kids pointed, moms bit their bottom lip lol. Even the construction guys gave us the go-ahead with a groovy nod & a thumbs-up.
It’s not about the fastest, or the status… it’s about the relatable impact.
It feels cool… to feel cool. And to make others feel the same. So in a world of Tesla & crossovers & anti-depressants… be not that. I don’t know how to explain it, but the air just felt better coming through these windows. And that’s the problem, a lot of us claim car culture. We fly the flag… but we’re not living it. Rather, we slipped into a life of convenience, and the path easier traveled. Easy is cheesy. But here, let me get to the best part!
These cars belong to James Marcellana from Jzilla Track Days…
James puts literally his whole heart into Jzilla. His passion is exemplary & selfless. And over the years, he’s created one hell of a grassroots track day community… with some of the most loyal, supportive, and uplifting drivers/crew I’ve ever witnessed. Just for example, he brings gift cards to the corner workers at the track! How do I know: My dad’s a corner worker at Road Atlanta. And it wouldn’t even cross your mind to do that… unless you had a genuine, big-picture appreciation for all the people around you. You put that kind of good energy out there in the sport/culture, and good things happen. What if I told you…
BOTH these cars were $6,000 – combined!
Alex Alvarado owns Mod Junkie Garage near Road Atlanta. They work on anything, but they specialize in Euros. And Alex is the key. See – Euros aren’t as bad as most of their ghost stories. But this part is true: When something goes down, you really need someone who’s specialized in these cars. Someone who speaks the language. Due to the nature of modern VAG cars, mechanical issues can compound fast… diminishing the cars’ values. So one day Alex called James about a crazy-cheap manual-transmission 2.0T Beetle for sale…
The Volkswagen Beetle kept giving the previous owner problems…
The previous guy was tired of it, and wanted it gone: $2,500, rebuilt title, but under 100k miles. AND – did I mention it’s a manual car with the 2-liter turbo?? Turns out, it only needed a $40 part. For good measure, they replaced the timing chain & other general maintenance items. Originally the plan was to flip it, but as the cards fell on the table, they kinda realized how cool the Beetle was. And they figured, “This would actually make a pretty neat track car.” Coincidentally – James just raffled-off his Fahrenheit GLI at the end of last year… meaning they did kinda need an ‘official’ car again. So boom – they made it official.
Liqui Moly came on board to support the build…
It’s nothing too extreme, and it’s not trying to be. Just a fun, sorted, street/track-day car. Basically a track rat with decent interior. But with Liquid Moly on board, it gave James the momentum to go to other Jzilla parters/sponsors for the car. But hang on a second…
The phone rang – it was Alex from Mod Junkie Garage again…
He said, “Guess what… I found another deal.” This time the deal was a MK7 GTI. The motor was bad, and like the previous Beetle owner, the MK7 owner wanted it gone. $3,000 was the price. James called Liquid Moly and basically said, “Wanna do a 2nd car?” Approved! So James bought the MK7 – plus a busted-up Audi TT with a good motor – for $3,000 each. Mod Junkie (once again) performed their magic. And that’s how James & Jzilla went from no cars… to 2 team cars. Both of these cars tagged & running for less than 10k… at least in boy math. PS: The MK7 is available to rent for track days.
This past weekend, Jzilla was at Barber Motorsports Park…
James was driving the MK7 GTI… running nose-to-tail with the Beetle for laps on end. And somewhere in that euphoric moment, as if it were even possible, James’s heart grew 3 more sizes that day. To the point where he had to call me & tell me about it. And even though it’s hard to explain those kinds of feelings… I got it. I understood. Because sometimes the true measure of success doesn’t come in dollars or GT3 RSs. Instead, it comes in those little moments… where the kid inside of you, high-fives the adult version of you. And in some cosmic clarity, it all just makes perfect sense as to why you do what you do. So to wrap it up – stop wasting your years farting in the seats of cushy country club trucks… start letting your passion get a win every now & then. You never really know where it’ll lead. Spoiler Alert: Debt… it’ll lead to carnage & debt. Haha – just playing.
2012 Volkswagen Beetle
Liqui Moly – fluids
Apex forged wheels – 18×9 +42
Bridgestone – tires (235/40/18)
Unitronic – intake
034 Motorsport – Stage-1 ECU tune, mounts, rear sway bar, wheel stud conversion, & catch can
Milltek – exhaust (turbo-back)
Fortune Auto – coilovers
Brakes – 986 Porsche Boxster (w/ Creation Motorsports adapter kit)
Clutch – Sachs clutch kit
USP – traction control button retrofit
Mod Junkie Garage – service (Hoschton, GA)
Mikey Harland – wrap design (Australia)
Lone Wolf Wraps – wrap install (Chattanooga, TN)
2015 Volkswagen GTI
Liqui Moly – fluids
Apex forged wheels (18×9 +42)
Bridgestone – tires (245/35/18)
034 Motorsport – Stage-1 ECU tune, DSG tune, mounts, rear sway bar, & catch can
Milltek – exhaust (turbo-back)
Fortune Auto – coilovers
Brakes – MK7 Golf R
Mod Junkie Garage – service (Hoschton, GA)
Mikey Harland – wrap design (Australia)
Lone Wolf Wraps – wrap install (Chattanooga, TN)
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