A Fitted Life Motoring State of Mind

When I first started Fitted Life, it was merely a blog that tracked my S14’s progress. From time to time, I posted updates on the car and photos documenting the progress of my build. It was my first big garage project and besides, it was the first car I ever drove once I got my license. I loved that 90’s car and it has come a long way since 2006 when I obtained it. Yet, I remember one of the key rules that I held close throughout the project was, “Build a car with aesthetics, performance, and comfort in mind.” Of course we’re not talking Cadillac style comfort however.

Over the years with the whole stance scene going strong in the JDM market, people started to get wounded up with feeling that there’s only two ways to approach a build: form versus function. Some people tend to feel that going stance is ultimately sacrificing everything about function. At the same time, some may feel that heading towards fully functional removes the idea that a car can look aesthetically pleasing. Yet, I feel my favorite builds are the ones that find a happy medium between both worlds.

No one said we couldn’t build a car that retained functionality and aesthetics.

Functionality and aesthetics is our state of mind. It is key to how we deliver our products, our garage builds, and our mindset. We believe in the happy medium when it comes to all aspects of life. No more, no less, and just perfect. That’s how I and the rest of the crew sees it. And with that mindset, we put those feelings into what we do on a day to day basis. Functionality and aesthetics is what makes us successful as individuals and as a community.

There was a neat article I read about the state of Cafe Racers and how nowadays it’s becoming commercial. To a certain extent, yes it’s becoming that way, but in no way people will be trading their cars for bikes anytime soon. Yet, despite what people call it, the articles offers its own idea that Cafe Racers are a product of the motorcyclists and not the bikes. In many ways, this is similar to how we build our cars and designs. Our ideas reflect who we are. It is our identity.

So while others discourage the idea of bringing back old school bikes from the dead or reliving the past, I still think it’s cool when someone turns and tunes a vintage bike into a modern piece of artwork. The beauty of DIY projects revolves around building, creating, and imagining new and innovative ways to make a car or bike faster, stronger, and run harder while looking good at the same time. For me, that’s the true garage build, a proper state of mind.

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