We’re living in an upside-down world, where our reality has moved from what’s in front of us… to what’s on Facebook/Instagram. Our lives playing out, on a screen. Us – seeing our own selves in 3rd person video clips & highlight-reel newsfeeds. It’s mental, and it’s swallowing us. SMH. Wake up & unplug from the Matrix.
Remember when sports cars like the Z, spoke to our soul? Remember when driving was… a sport?! Remember when it was sensory-engaging, and mechanical? Remember when it was exciting & calming all at the same time… and it realigned & re-centered us? Remember when you couldn’t put it into words… and you didn’t have to?!
Driving represented freedom. And we longed for it.
But generally speaking, today’s cradled society doesn’t seem to value freedom all that much. Most are full-on willing trade it in for convenience & comfort in bulk.
And like everything else ‘physical’, driving has turned into a burden for most of the masses. Laziness overrides all. In fact, laziness has become a marketable trait. Pay serious attention to how many advertisements & apps appeal straight to middle-aged laziness & gluttony. Everybody wants it easy.
Well honestly… f*ck easy.
95% of the population are driving appliances. Disposable, highly-compromised, gimmicky blobs.
5,000-pound cell phone chargers… that’s about all they are. And they come with Lane Departure… a feature that literally protects you from killing your family while you’re texting + driving. Makes you wish they had a “Hey the light’s been green for 10 seconds, you sack of potatoes” feature.
No soul; no engagement. No commitment; no reward or growth.
And it’s perfectly fitting, considering who’s driving them. It’s a metaphor for the the direction our society is going. We consume everything, while creating not much, and standing for ‘nothing. We invest more into our ‘social media personas’ than we do into our real life selves. We’re living on the wrong side of that smart phone screen.
Richy Contreras’ 1977 280Z
ENGINE
2.8L 12-valve L28 engine
Racer Brown cam
cold-air intake
custom headers
straight pipe exhaust
polished valve cover
WHEELS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES
BC Racing Extreme Low coilovers with custom Swift springs
Techno Toy Tuning front camber arms & rear tension control rods
’79-’83 Toyota Pickup 4-piston calipers
Panasport G7-C8S wheels: 15×10″ -40 front &15×11” -70 rear
Toyo Proxes R888s: 225/50R15 front & 235/50R15 rear
EXTERIOR
Marugen Shoukai fender flares
Marugen Shoukai 3-piece spoiler
TheRetrofit Source sealed headlights with Panamera LED shrouds
Custom grille, corner bumpers, paint, shaving and bodywork by Fast Eddie’s Hotrods OE Bluebird fender mirrors
INTERIOR
Custom woodgrain Z steering wheel
Custom headliner
Eddie Olisar’s 2009 370Z
WHEELS / SUSPENSION
Work VS-TX re-lipped and barreled, refinished in Cartel Chrome. 19×10.5 -25 front & 19×13 -23 rear, with a 20mm spacer for fitment
Stance Super Sport coilovers
SPL rear toe, caster and camber arms
Whiteline front & rear sway bar end links
Z1 front upper adjustable control arms
Nitto NTO5 – 275/35/19 front & 335/30/19 rear
Elite performance reverse lugnuts
INTERIOR
Corbeau fixed bucket seats
Corbeau harnesses
DND extended track shift knob
EXTERIOR
Aimgain International widebody kit. 50mm F. 70mm R.
OEM Nismo front bumper, purchased through Nissan
Front bumper emblem shaved/smoothed
Custom 1-off Alumilight front diffuser with a Zspeed skid plate
Fly1 CF side bladed
Fly1 concept wing off their prototype Z
AeroJacket rear spats color matched
Fly1 CF rear vortex generators
Modified rear sport bumper, rear OEM diffuser removed
Marlboro livery
ENGINE
Giken triple disk and light weight flywheel built to 900 TQ
Z-Speed hydraulic slave cylinder
650 injectors
Walbro 255 fuel pump
Z1 ported intake
AEM cold air intake
Motordyne high-flow cat
3in catless Y-pipe
Tomei titanium single back