Sometimes in life you sit and think about why you do things the way you do. We reminisce about the past and things that we have done with others that we would never forget. As the years go by, it seems like they speed up, priorities change and life becomes a blur. But on the off chance we get the time to spend it with those close to us, and when those times that are unforgettable are brought up in conversation, we laugh just as hard as we did at the time.
Back in 2009 I found this place. Generally, when people sign up to an automotive forum, it’s to find information, or perhaps share parts and experience. StanceWorks, at the time, was a safe haven of sorts; people who loved low cars with ridiculous fitment were ridiculed by most that only saw it as destroying a car’s functionality. To this day it is still seen that way by many; the beauty of it is that everyone who contributes to the StanceWorks community couldn’t care less about what those outside the community have to say about their cars. Each build is based off of personal preference, creating a vision all their own.
When the regional forums were introduced, the Australian car enthusiasts slowly made their way to the Aussie forum. In 2010 I organised a meet-and-greet in Melbourne, where only 25 cars came. But ever since, it has developed a bit of a snowball effect, but not for all the right reasons. As the “stance movement” exploded, many people saw it as somewhat of a “fan boy” movement. Blogs popped up everywhere and it seemed like everyone was out for the fame that came with the term “stance”.
StanceWorks has always been a community-oriented website. Even with the large number of people browsing and posting on the forums, there is an underlying group that make StanceWorks as successful as it is. It’s a place where we all share similar mindsets and where like-minded people can meet and connect. It’s where I was able to meet and connect with a bunch of guys into the same things from an abundance of genres of the automotive community here in Melbourne.
Together, we have shared in a few memorable adventures, the most memorable being this year at “Showcased” in Sydney where we won the #1 car club award for showing up with the most cars in a group, even though we aren’t “a club”. We weren’t even at the award presentation; instead, we were off hanging out in the nearby stores of the complex. The weekend we had was more memorable for the things we did as a group as opposed to the show we drove 900 kilometers each way for.
Personally, StanceWorks has changed my life. It has made me realize many things, one of them being that all good things take time. It has seen me travel to the United States two years in a row, where I have met hundreds of people involved with it who I consider family. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to pursue my goals with my cars, and the goal of one day moving to the US to drive the cars I plan on building, legally, without having to run the risk of being pulled over and fined $352 each time I drive.
Modifying cars gets harder every year in Australia with new laws being brought out to prevent us from doing more or less anything: that is what unites us. Another year has come to an end, another year is about to begin, and we will create new memories, build new things, and meet new people. Not everyone is meant to see eye to eye, but as long as we have people to share what we do with, we will never stop.
