Just last summer I had the pleasure of introducing to our readers a 1950 Plymouth that has since then stuck out in my mind. It was a build that was completed by Joshua Joyce who is owner of Village Customs in Virginia and managed to take a disassembled shell and turn it into a neck-breaking hot rod. Well, Joshua is back at again with is latest handiwork that leaves you jaw dropped down a little more with each angle of his newly-created madness. (Click Picture for Full Feature)

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” This quote has probably been heard by every breathing person at one time or another. Sure, a picture might give us a thousand words, but are they telling us the most important things about its subject? When it comes to a feature, I’d argue no. Sure, photography is necessary, as it shows off the blood and sweat that has been put into someone’s pride and joy, but a picture can’t always tell you the story behind each build. Scattered across the web are pictures of cars, missing their respective stories, modlists, or even an owner’s name, whether you are on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Since everyone is hung up on this idea of how a car looks through a camera lens, it has left some cars being overlooked, lurking in the shadows. But it turns out that some of the best gems you find are the ones you have to hunt for. (Click picture above for full feature on Stanceworks.com)

We live in a society that is wrapped up in possessions more than anything else: big houses, expensive cars, new clothes, et cetera. Even in the car scene, people worry about how long your modlist is or how much your wheels cost. This has led to the loss of some of the soul the community used to have. It’s full of people trying to out-do the next guy and full of people putting each other’s builds down. Sure, this isn’t everyone, but sadly it’s something we see everywhere, whether you want to admit it or not. But there are still some out there that simply build their own way; they don’t care if their car is too “safe” by scene standards or too radical for the general public’s taste. Instead of trying to please the “crowd”, they build something to enjoy; something that reflects their own style or tastes. The crazed S13, owned by Reid Fraser, that spans across your screen isn’t for everyone, but it features a key modification that most builds featuring long mod lists and fancy bolted on parts are missing… passion. (Click picture above for full feature)

The current trend on modern chassis seems to be taking the stock, generic form that rolls off the assembly line, and crafting it to one’s specific taste. Changing bumpers, lights, and spoilers are usually the big alterations included in transforming the car to a completely new look; however, when you talk to a guy who is immersed in the Euros of yester-year, it’s all about small tweaks. When it comes to cars of the ’70s and ’80s eras, the Europeans, namely BMW and VW, came out with cars that, even decades after they filled glossy manufacturer brochures, have a devout following. (Click Picture for Full Feature on Stanceworks.com)

My feature on Tony Lin’s BMW E87 1-series for Stanceworks.com

Some give in and let life control them.

Some give up and let life end them.

Some give no care to the battle and live just for them.

They are the ones who truly live.

As he slowly pulled up to the group, they turned to see who in their right mind would get in the middle of their altercation. They peered at the shadowy figure whose face was hidden by the shadow created by the brim of his worn black hat. A rough looking cowboy stepped out of one group towards the dark figure, “It might be smart for you to get on”, he recommended.

A grin crept across the figures face, “Now why would I do that? I happen to love me a good gun fight.” At hearing this comment the two groups all turned their attention to the new stranger that had come upon them. “Are you looking to take your last breath today?” the cowboy questioned. The dark figure chuckled at this, making the cowboy increasingly mad. The cowboy moved his hand to his gun, “Sure you want to do that?” the dark figure quickly remarked.

The cowboy’s face went from a slight pink to a bright glowing red. He screamed, “Get off that horse and let’s settle this like men!” The hostile crowd that had been separated all moved together as the tables had turned and they found themselves all with a common enemy for the moment. The grim figure slowly stepped off of his horse, “Sure you want to settle this, might not turn out so well for you?”

“What are you, scared?!” the cowboy screamed. Seeing that the cowboy was on edge, the dark figure prepared for the assault that he could only assume was coming. As he started to turn from his steed, he caught out of the corner of his eye that the cowboy was standing, gun pulled, ready to fire. The dark figure quickly spun towards the cowboy but wasn’t fast enough as he had already fired off his first shot.

The bullet hit the dark figure in the left shoulder. The pain made him grit his teeth and then rage filled his body. In one fluid and lightning fast motion, the figure stood straight up from his hunch after taking the bullet and whipped out his black pistol. By the time the crowd took notice, smoke was trailing from the nose of the grim figure’s pistol and the cowboy now laid flat on the ground.

Hands dropped from the handles of their pistols as the crowd had realized they wanted nothing to do with this mysterious stranger that brought a darkness into their lives. Seeing this, the figure cautiously holstered his pistol and slowly made his way over to the cowboy but still with his eyes on the crowd.

He stepped up to where the cowboy lied, gasping for each breath. “I guess you are the one that will be taking their last breath today”, grimly said the figure. Soon after the remark, the cowboy’s chest stopped moving and his heart would beat no more. At the sight of this, a chilling silence filled the air and the dark figure began to make his way back to his horse that had meandered looking for some grass. The crowd was in shell shock due to how the events had unfolded in front of them. All of them just stood still as stone in the hopes that they didn’t offend the grim figure in some way.

When figure reached his horse, he gave one last glance to the frozen crowd to see if anyone else was feeling brave.  Seeing that there were no other contestants, the cowboy climbed up onto the horse and got comfortable in his saddle. He picked up the reigns to his black stallion and started to head off towards the horizon with no destination in mind, leaving the grim aftermath behind.

A young man sauntered over to the old man. He was excited to get his hands on the apple for the first time. The old man asked him to hold his hands out in a cup-like shape. The young man quickly made the shape eager to have the apple in his possession. The old man slowly and carefully sat the apple in the young man’s hands. As he pulled his hands away, the old man began to tell the young man how to care for the apple but his voice trailed off to the young man who was no longer paying any attention.

Upon seeing that the young man was no longer paying attention, the old man gave the apple one last good bye and slowly faded away. The young man, still focused on the apple, began to have ideas and plans fill his head. The thoughts were not of ways to preserve the apple though. Instead they were ideas and plans to benefit from the apple; how to use the apple.

The young man began by squeezing the apple a little to get juice out of it but a little turned into more and more as the years went on. He peeled a small spot of the beautiful red skin off the apple but the small spot grew bigger and bigger as the years went on. He took a tiny bite off the apple but a tiny bite turned into larger and larger bites as the years went on.

By the time the young man had grown into an old man, the apple looked very used and very abused. Its rich red skin was mostly gone and its once delicious aroma no longer filled the air. The now old man realized that he had made many mistakes in caring for the apple during his time and he would make sure that the next young man to come along would learn from his blunders.

The old man stood there holding the apple somewhat ashamed as a young man walked up. The young man was excited to get his hands on the apple for the first time. As the old man lowered the apple into the young man’s hands he strongly said, “Now you listen to me!” He began to talk to the young man about what NOT to do but his voice trailed off to the young man. The old man noticed this but instead of giving up, grabbed him by the shoulder and proclaimed, “You must listen! You can’t make the same mistakes I did because if you do we will no longer have an apple to take care of.”

This made the ears of the young man perk up and his attention turned straight to the old man. The old man would go on to tell him about his errors and of how amazing the apple once looked. The young man was inspired by the stories of yester-year and promised the old man to bring the apple back to its former glory. The old man smiled as he was glad to hear this and then began to fade away slowly.

The young man looked down at the apple sitting in his hand. Ideas and plans began to fill his head but they were ideas of how to preserve and nurture the apple as the young man knew they only had one apple and he had to make sure that he took great care of it so there would be one for the next young man that came along.