There are essentially three types of automotive bloggers: the consumer reporter, the sports journalist, and the hobbyist. I suppose you could apply the distinctions to anything of interest, but it’s an especially strong case in the world of car enthusiasts. While StrangeRhythms isn’t strictly a car blog, it is a blog about what the authors find interesting, whatever that may be. In my case, I like cars. This probably isn’t surprising you.
When the opportunity to cover LoneStar Drift’s final round for 2012 landed in front of me, I was ecstatic. Though StrangeRhythms is not a car blog, I spent this weekend playing the roll of an automotive blogger. Of the three types of bloggers I’d probably end up playing the hobbyist, but the attitude of our website is in sharing and discovery, so I’d instead like to introduce myself as a fourth type: a tourist. Let’s take a peak inside PowerFab Automotive’s shop.
Once a year, Fabricated Motorsports coordinates a tech day to coincide with the Lonestar Drift Series to get a sample of the types of cars that litter the grid. The go to shop for the event has been PowerFab Automotive, and it’s not hard to see why. Their shop is clean and fully outfitted with legit equipment and a staff as enthusiastic as their customers. This ain’t Meineke.
Drifters were scattered everywhere outside the building with their cars waiting in line to get checked out.
Couple of guys actually got into a bit of trouble for obstructing other car shops with their parking. The whole area was a hive of custom garages. The shop right behind PowerFab specialized in SLABs. The terminology might be woefully Southern, but it’s an acronym that stands for Slow Loud And Banging. Big cars, big wheels, big stereos. It’s funny to see how auto enthusiasts branch off with their tastes sometimes to build entirely different creations, but with similar thought processes.
Right outside of PowerFab’s doors were a couple examples of their own builds. While there were plenty of 240sx’s going in and out of the shop for the tech day, this was probably the only one I could not see getting sideways anytime soon.
It wasn’t exactly a rare sight to see people working on their cars outside of the shop, but I certainly don’t see Skylines everyday, let alone someone wrenching on one like it were just any other Nissan. Since they’re not exactly filling up the roads, they develop a sort of mythical status. How often do you imagine Unicorns with the flu?
Back inside of PowerFab, things were getting noisy.
It’s hard to understand how chaotic some of these cars get until you’re trapped inside of a box with them and are hearing them fire gunshots or seeing them breathe fire.
On the other side of the shop was a more controlled and calculated affair with steering angle measurements.
There was also some corner weighing going on. It’s not always about power, guys.
Who am I kidding, it’s very often about power. Especially when you’re a sneeze away from 600hp AND still a relative lightweight. Pretty sure this guy took home the big boy trophy with 582 horsepower. Scary.
Here’s a few sound effects that my buddy, Gene, provided. Keep an eye out for my next entry with drift day coverage from Round 5 of the LoneStar Drift Series!
