Time is a necessity to freedom

Time is a necessity to freedom.

Meaning – you can’t truly be free if all your time is spoken for. Remember that. Because the people out there with real money?? With opulence?? Often what they DON’T have… is real time to invest into themselves, their passions, or their loved ones. So the money becomes a luxurious band-aid of sorts.Therefore they gobble-up high-end European SUVs, stark white beach houses, designer gear, liposuction… anything & everything to make them look the part. We call it privilege.

But you know what money can’t buy??

Authenticity, substance, character. That stuff is not for sale. They didn’t drive a single nail into the beach house. Their Peloton will never get them riding outdoors during a workweek. And the ‘matte paint code upgrade’ on that G-Wagon or Range Rover doesn’t make them enthusiasts… just customers.

There’s a difference between consuming VS creating. One is a temporary high, and the other endures…

So please learn to appreciate the real value of your hobbies & passions. Soak it up. Respect the time spent, and appreciate how it’s molding & shaping you into something that money can’t buy. Because in a lot of ways… it’s priceless.

In mainstream culture, we idolize the money…

And we directly correlate money with ‘success’. But it’s never that simple. Because the TRUE TREASURE on this earth is time & freedom. Money is not the root of all evil… just be careful what you pay for it.

This 1973 Mercedes Benz 450SE (W116) belongs to Jose Torres.

The W116 is the first S Class model that Mercedes made… a full body V8 sedan with power windows, power steering, fuel injection, and all the bells & whistles. And according to Jose, there are only about 120 that are currently registered in the world.

This Benz has a gritty elegance & hard-edged finesse that you can’t fake or finance.

It’s got serious swagger. The ‘Euro bumpers’ actually came on this early-model American-bound car… before Mercedes was forced to retrofit the US models to meet the US’s (then new) stupid 5mph impact bumper regulations.

For Jose, the key was to keep the nostalgia & luxury of a vintage Mercedes… but through a modified eye.

Mission accomplished; this Benz is timeless. It gives off major connoisseur vibes, but does so with a flippant attitude. Like when you know the finer things in life, but could give a shit less really. It has deeeeep broad appeal. The car would look just as photogenic in front of an old beach shack, as it would a new beach mansion. It’s the kind of cruiser the rich boys want to show up in… but can’t deal with. And for that reason, it leaves a little bit of mystery as to ‘who really is the man behind the machine’.

Text by Wooley Photos by Jose Torres & Kyle Yamanaka