With the Californian days growing longer and longer, we’ve found ourselves cruising with the windows down for the sake of enjoying the winter sun. Truth be told, the vast change from the South Eastern climate I grew up in along with the fast-paced lifestyle we’re now living has yet to cease feeling like a vacation from home. Every day I wake up wondering when it will be time to say goodbye to the palm trees and golden sun and head back to the intense heat and humidity or frigid cold.

When we’re not working on site content, the latest for Lowly Gentlemen, or client work, we’ve been spending our spare time slowly wrenching away on the STANCE|WORKS project cars, hoping to get them rolling by the time the show season kicks back up. This past weekend, Andrew, Cody, and I tackled some minor frame modifications to the shop truck, preparing for the big stuff in just a few weeks. Andrew’s project 2002 lurks in the background waiting for the engine to be yanked.

We’ve also been racking up our shutter count lately, with seemingly every afternoon occupied by some type of photo shoot. We’ve been enjoying the opportunity to use our artistic abilities to help promote and work with all sorts of big names. A behind-the-scenes shot of our most recent shoots, the ID Agency’s Ford Focus for HRE Wheels shows exactly how we do things.

We’re following our hearts and utilizing the enthusiasm that drives us, “living the dream”, anticipating what lies ahead. The hard work is paying off, but more importantly, between the work hours, we remember why we’re working hard to begin with. Good times with good people, good cars and a unifying passion behind it all.

We thought we share what we’ve been up to between the features, a look in on how we’ve been spending our days, both at work and at play. But enough of that, back to work!

]]> http://www.stanceworks.com/2012/01/california-life/feed/ 0 http://www.stanceworks.com/2012/01/bag-riders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bag-riders http://www.stanceworks.com/2012/01/bag-riders/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:06:05 +0000 Mike Burroughs http://www.stanceworks.com/?p=24633 Photos by: Jim Davis

There’s a harsh reality to face once you get involved in this industry. Truth be told, the automotive aftermarket is not the prettiest place. That age old saying of “never meet your heroes” rings truer than imaginable. Companies are often intertwined and incestuous, run by people after nothing more than a dollar. Fortunately, that’s not always the case. Sometimes a company is born out of an enthusiast’s true passion and desire to revolutionize part of the market. Some companies only want to improve the community, and for us, that’s what its all about. Bag Riders began in 2009, and since then has become one of the largest suppliers of air ride parts in the scene.

Bag Riders’s story begins with, you guessed it, a snowboard shop. Will Fisher was getting his feet wet as a design intern with Rome Snowboards when the proverbial lightbulb began to flicker. “During my time there I realized that I wanted something different than the typical 9-5 grind, I needed to follow through with one of my own ideas. I was piecing together a bag setup for my Volkwagen and it hit me that there had to be a better way to buy air suspension.”

His idea was simple and came from necessity, which is typically a recipe for success. Customers new to the world of air suspension can easily find themselves confused with a plethora uf unfamiliar parts and no hands-on experience to understand their workings. On the other hand, experienced air installers need more than the ability to buy a predetermined kit tailored to suit cookie-cutter needs.  Will tells me “When you purchase a computer online, you make all the choices about each component, we wanted to design a system that would bring this to the bag world. Customers needed the ability to mix and match components from a variety of manufacturers to create their own ideal package.”

Will set forth on his idea and Bag Riders was born. It wasn’t long before Will and some friends found themselves working out of the bottom floor of his condo with the idea of redefining the retail experience. Fast forward just two years and now Will and his team are working out of a combined warehouse, shop, and office space and has a corner of the market all to their own, trouncing the competition in every way imaginable. Bag Riders’ success is largely due to Will’s assembly of an inherently like-minded team. Moving at such a pace requires a group of talented individuals with some serious motivation.

The team begins with Will’s days at summer camp as a kid. It was there that he met Kevin McGovern, who is now Bag Riders’s Inventory and Shipping Manager. The friendship formed at summer camp only grew when the two got their first cars. Late night wrench sessions took place in Kevin’s garage, which has extrapolated into modifying everything the two can get their hands on, including, oddly enough, a bagged wood-grain van. The two grew up working together as counselors at the camp they met at, so it’s only fitting the two are making their dent together in the air scene today.

Will met Rali Kepchar during his first year at college. To be more precise, it was the first day of college when the two began talking and immediately realized they shared a love for all things Volkswagen and Audi. As Will’s plans carried forward and Bag Riders took form, Rali became the first official full-time employee. Rali has been a crucial asset in handling marketing, social networking, website photography, promotions and a good portion of the  customer support. It’s often hard to put in to perspective the work that goes on in running a company entirely online; from every connector and part that needs photographed, to keeping the company in the eyes of the ever-growing scene, Rali tackles it all.

Next on the roster is John Hall, who Will also met his first year at college. John, now the Web Systems Admin and Chief Information Officer, has been one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. “John was paramount in the creation of the Bag Riders website along with our inventory management system. He and I stayed up for many long nights in his living room drawing up a framework for our system and mapping out how we wanted the site to work. This was long before either of us knew if Bag Riders would ever make it past those difficult first months in operation.” From the get-go, Will knew the type of company he wanted to run, and knew it would take some outside-of-the-box thinking and programming to achieve the end result. After all, his goal was to reinvent the retail business model, and he needed the help of someone like John who was up to the task of ensuring the logistics became a reality.

And last but not least is Lindsay Bloxham, the project coordinator. Lindsay keeps the show schedules in check and ensures the presence of BR is ever-prevalent. Lindsay’s day job as an elementary school teacher means she’s always teaching the boys at the shop new things, but better yet, she’s Will’s wife-to-be.  “She may not be known on the forums but she has a major role in my operation. Whether she’s acting as a sounding board for me or planning our whole summer show line-up, she’s always stood behind me and pushed me to achieve my goals.”

With such a powerful, well-organized, and tight-knit gang, it’s hard to go wrong; but there’s another factor in what Bag Riders has become today. Will says “We attribute our success to our connection to the car community and our strong relationships with our customers.” It takes more than a well executed system to build a company; unfortunately, customer service seems to be a lost trade. For Bag Riders, however, the crew makes every effort to relate to every customer’s needs, whether the demands are high or low. Will certainly graps that the relationships with customers are as important as the products he sells, and that future business is highly reliant on the overall customer experience. All in all, Bag Riders is run by enthusiasts that realize at the end of the day, their customers are just like them.

The company continues to grow at an astoundingly rapid pace. With the VW and Audi markets on lock, Will wants to continue forward in hopes of conquering the entire market. “We’ve recently broken into the Subaru market and we’re seeing a really positive response. Our goals moving forward are to reach BMW enthusiasts well as the VIP and import crowd. We see more and more ‘mini-truckers’ moving to cars and our goal to be THE source for air suspension for cars of all makes.” I have no doubts that the team will carry forward and continue to dominate, as there’s simply no competition with the drive and passion that these guys have.

2012 is here and the boys (and girl!) are excited for what the future brings. There are few companies with a proper mindset and the right direction, and even fewer with a such a group of people behind it. We here at STANCE|WORKS are incredibly selective about those we choose to work with, but we hope there’s no doubt in your minds as to why we support our friends at Bag Riders.

Jamie Conlan’s 1995 GTi is a car worth sharing; not only because of the completed product and the top notch craftsmanship, but because of the story that goes along with it. At 19, Jamie longed for a MK3 VW, but figured he simply wouldn’t find one he could afford. But as luck would have it, Jamie found the right car for the right price and didn’t let it get away. “I drove it to my local shop directly from picking it up at the dealer to get a Bosal Brospeed 2.25” exhaust installed. I didn’t quite know exactly where I wanted to take the car, but at least knew I wanted to cover the bases.”

To say he hit the ground running is rather fitting. But as M. Night Shyamalan would approve, Jamie’s story has a twist. Just one year in to owning the car, he was accepted into the School of Visual Arts in New York, NY. Jamie decided it simply didn’t make sense to take the car with him from Texas to New York, so he sold it to a friend and said goodbye. Fortunately for Jamie, he had one hell of a girlfriend. Two years of complaining about missing his MK3 lead her to crafting one seriously special surprise.

Jamie’s girlfriend moved from Texas to New York to be with him, and with her she brought the little red GTi Jamie missed so much. Fast forward to now and the most obvious thing is that Jamie’s car is no longer red. Choosing the color took no time at all. “My friend came across the Champion Motorsports “Man From Chile” gray 996 Turbo and I knew from that moment that I had to paint my car the same color.It was finding the color itself that took some time and diligence. “It took me about a year of detective work and a lot of help From Russ Taylor to finally discover that the color was actually a 1956 Porsche 356 color called ‘Mode Grau.’” After the discovery, Jamie took the car to Pat’s Paint Werks in Baytown, TX for the color change.

To accompany the paint choice and the HRE 505s that completed the exterior, Jamie turbocharged the car. Jamie fought through wiring problems for quite some time before finally sorting the car out. But now, Jamie tells me the boost is his favorite part of the car.

And so 100,000 miles later, Jamie considers his project complete. “I don’t really have any more desires for this car. I have built it exactly the way I wanted it to be.” But the path to completion has been a long one, with friends and family helping the entire way. Perhaps the strongest critic? Well, Jamie’s a smart guy. He married the girlfriend who got the project back on track, and now says his full credit for the car being where it is now goes to his wife and son. And without the help of his two buddies, Doug Pascual and Clay Hundley, there likely would have been a wrench unturned.

]]> http://www.stanceworks.com/2012/01/mode-grau-jamie-conlans-1995-gti/feed/ 0 http://www.stanceworks.com/2012/01/ess-kay-zak-denmans-1980-280te-wagon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ess-kay-zak-denmans-1980-280te-wagon http://www.stanceworks.com/2012/01/ess-kay-zak-denmans-1980-280te-wagon/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:51:06 +0000 Mike Burroughs http://www.stanceworks.com/?p=24581 Photography by Byza

There are a countless number of ways to build a car. The styles range from those rooted deep into certain cultures, such as the American Hot Rod and the real Japanese Bosozoku street sweepers, to styles that are widely applicable and are simply part of changing automotive traditions. Somewhere in the mix of it all is what defines a “cool” car. Unfortunately, it’s a very gray area, subject to personal tastes and matters of opinion. Contrarily, it is also incredibly broad and just so happens to leave room for the oddities of the car world.

My list of “cool cars” has never included a 1980 Mercedes 280TE wagon. It’s likely safe to say that goes for just about everyone. But if there’s credit to be given to the STANCE|WORKS community as a whole, it’s in regard to the abundance of creativity. One man’s grocery getter is another man’s automotive canvas. Zak Denman, however, is on the other side of the fence. After owning 29 cars, this Benz is where he’s arrived. Its simplicity and age add character to an already unique platform resulting in a car that, oddly enough, leaves you cracking a bit of a smile.

Now, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that Zak’s chassis of choice will have to grow on you. I can’t even blame those who fail to see the appeal, but there’s something special to be said: with the birth of the STANCE|WORKS community 3 years ago, we saw a new facet of the community start to shine. Forgotten cars, chassis with no following, and even cars most of us would despise; they all found their way in to the hands of a loving owner. Cars with communities small and seemingly unknown have found their way into the limelight.

We push to celebrate the love for old cars, and we recognize those who keep them on the road. Zak’s efforts to make the Benz his own include custom suspension involving volvo springs, bilstein struts, and raising the engine to make it all work. His 15×8 -10 and 15×10 -30 Sunraysia steelies complement the primered and hot rod-esque “shop wagon” styling perfectly. Most importantly, however, is that Zak’s efforts to make his Benz his own mean another car from the golden age will stay on the streets if just a little bit longer, loved by at least one more owner.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for Zak, this 280TE is a winner. Our only hope is that Zak’s enthusiasm inspires at least one other person. You don’t need a common car with a big aftermarket, nor do you need a large budget and flawless aesthetics to enjoy your car and even turn a head or two. Whether you’re like Zak and have an affinity for the unique, or perhaps you’ve found yourself stuck with a car you didn’t expect, head to the garage and break some rust free. Perhaps you’ll fall in love too.

Once again we’ve put our hearts in to our work to design and create automotive apparel that speaks to the true enthusiast, with an aesthetic that carries from the heritage of racing to the essence of tuning. With the Andrew, Ben and myself finally together and able to focus our efforts on our work and brand, we’re eagerly anticipating Spring’s arrival.  With that, of course, means more goods from the Lowly Gentlemen.

Each day is a new step forward as a young, growing company.  The passion that drives us can only be expressed in so many ways; sometimes through words and imagery, sometimes through the cars we build, and sometimes through the brand we’re building. As the Californian sun hangs in the sky just a bit longer with each coming day, we find ourselves in the garage more and more, drawing inspiration from what we love most. So head on over to www.LowlyGentlemen.com and check out our latest offerings.

This is merely the beginning of what is amounting to be a big year for the Lowly Gentlemen. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, so we will let this final picture set the tone. Expect another update in the very near future.

“Made in America” is a statement few companies in the automotive aftermarket can make. When it comes to the seat industry, that list is even fewer. Status Racing, one of the leaders in top-tier racing seats, can proudly make that claim, and as expected, it is a statement that holds its value. Status takes pride in representing the culmination of superior technology and aerospace materials, and that is why we’re sharing with you.

Rob and Dan, the new partners of Status Racing, have had their head in the automotive scene for quite some time; more than a decade. In fact, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with them. In 2001, Rob and Dan started a company called Vivid Racing with $500 in their pockets and a $1500 loan. Today, Vivid has 30 employees and is a $10,000,000-per-year company. So when news came about that Status needed a well-founded partner, the pair knew they were the right fit. Rob and Dan’s success in online sales and marketing gave them the confidence to jump in the driver’s seat. They’re now entering 2012 stronger than ever.

Much of the construction of a Status seat is proprietary information, aka “Top Secret”, but Dan spilled the gist of it as simply as he could. “The basics are exactly what you see. A mold is made to the specs we design. Material is laid in the mold and then coated. Once the mold is ready to be seperated, the seat shell is visible and we trim out the excess. From here we add the padding, bracket hardware, and put on the custom Icon or standard seat jacket. It’s then ready to ship!”

If you’re unfamiliar with Status, or with top-of-the-line seats as a whole, you’ll be interested in what makes up their construction. The upper-level Status seats are made of, as seen here, carbon-fiber, or if your pockets are even deeper, carbon-kevlar. Carbon-kevlar, the lightest composite Status offers, is the pinnacle of light weight seat production. Its unique golden-yellow appearance is a dead giveaway.

In keeping with the American tradition of unparalleled quality, Dan tells me how seriously Status takes quality control. “We hold our seats to extreme quality control. We make sure that the presentation of the seat from the packaging to the final product keeps people excited and confident. Everything down to the finest stitch has to be perfect. If there are any flaws in the carbon weave, it is not used or sold later as a blem. Since seats are being made 1 at a time start to finish, it allows for serious control over the final product outcome.”

But if Status’s manufacturing and quality weren’t enough to separate them from the rest of the industry, perhaps their Icon Series is. The idea behind the Icon Series is the ability to custom tailor a seat to fit the aesthetics of any vehicle. The entire skin of the seat is “customizable”, from the fabric type and color, to the color of the stitching, seat inserts, and logos. And as for what’s next for Status? Rumor has it reclinables and even some larger seat sizes.

Status is growing quickly, and we’re excited to share their story. An American company with American ideals, it’s what we’re all about. Dan put it perfectly: “We dont want to be a replacement for other seat companies in motorsports, we want to be the seat choice for enthusiast and racers because of the uniqueness.”

While none of us here at StanceWorks are in a position to own the new MP4-12C, it was a pleasure to be invited by eGarage to the launch, where we mingled amongst countless millionaires and celebrities alike. To be included in such an affair establishes our ever-growing position in the automotive industry. We’ve kicked it up a gear and it is satisfying to know we’re taken seriously.

The MP4-12C was a sight to be seen, with lines that fit my childhood ideals of a supercar to a T. The car possesses technology that shadows nearly everything else on the road, it’s a car we’ll lust after for quite some time. With 592hp, 2868lbs, and a 7-speed “seamless shift” gearbox, it’s no surprise that this car is leaving everything else in the dust.

Known for their racing heritage, and simply due to the fact that the MP4 is derived directly from Formula One technology, McLaren brought out Raikkonen’s 2006 F1 car. The opportunity to enjoy the car up close and personal was the highlight of the party for me. But if parking a Formula One race car in the showroom wasn’t enough, McLaren also brought in Jay Leno and the current owner of McLaren to both speak their part.

The party itself was excellent and extravagant in typical Beverly Hills fashion. Colorful lighting and Cirque-Du-Soleil style aerial acrobats, a live DJ and even a drummer of sorts. A red carpet and a paparazzi stood outside of the entrance in hopes of catching the faces we all find familiar.

It was one hell of a way to open a dealership, something you probably won’t find at your local Kia. Credit to McLaren for staying true to their roots with their latest creation, and I know I am not the only one patiently waiting for the successor to the world-dominating McLaren F1. We’ll have to see. Maybe in the next few years?

For me, 2011 was an important year as a photographer. I finally found my own style and really put in effort to stand on my own amongst the photographers I had (and still do!) always admired.

2011 started off with a bang, with one of my few rig shots of the year, which happens to be of my own E36.

When shooting Jeremy’s E28 for his feature, a sudden downpour caused us to take shelter and huddle up inside on the cold day. But after some discussion, we decided to head back out and give some rain photos a shot. This photo, my favorite from the set, has one of my favorite moods/tones from the year.

More of Jeremy Whittle’s E28 can be seen in his article “The One We Said Not To Forget” by clicking here.

My trip to Formula Drift: Atlanta was my first Formula Drift event and it was an absolute blast. This capture of Larry Chen at the starting grid hit home as a photographer.

Click here to see more of the Formula Drift: Atlanta coverage.

In 2011 I acquired my 1971 2800CS, a “replacement” for my crispy E28. The shoot was done in front of a golf course clubhouse, and the location matched the car perfectly.

More of my E9 and the story of the “comeback” can be read here.

When shooting Cory’s Accord, we wanted a set that gave the feel of downtown tokyo for the retro sedan. The entire shoot lasted roughly 5 minutes, as we had to be in and out as fast as possible. No cars allowed.

You can see more of Cory’s Accord in his article “The Best Damn Honda Kid Ever”

In keeping with the “be quick” mindset, the above shot of Ryan’s E30 was snapped as fast as possible as he blocked the main entrance to the track at Road Atlanta. We had to be so fast, in fact, that Ryan is actually in the car in the photo. He’s just hunched over.

You can see more of Ryan’s beautiful Calypso E30 and his crazy sense of humor here.

Our tour through Ireland Engineering’s shop resulted in countless pictures of everything imaginable. It’s hard not to take detail shots of everything.

Here’s our writeup on Ireland Engineering.

The starting grid at FD: Atlanta was a fend-for-yourself situation. As cars raced back and forth, it was easy to cease paying attention and get hit.

Click here to see more of the Formula Drift: Atlanta coverage.

Our family over at Fluid MotorUnion is always trying new things, this time a meth injection system on their E92 M3.

To see more of what Fluid MotorUnion has been up to, click here.

Further on down their list of ridiculous projects is their off-road X5, which falls somewhere between an urban assault vehicle and zombie defense. Our shoot at a scrap yard yielded some one of a kind opportunities.

We also shot in the Fluid shop, where we parked the X5 on top of an E39. If only I had a dollar for each time I have been asked if this was a real image.

Our trip to Las Vegas for Viva was one of my favorites of the year. It’s one of the greatest displays of community that I have seen thus far, and the chance for great shots seemed never-ending.

For more of Viva Las Vegas, click here.

Our recent shoot with TAG Motorsports’ Audis allowed me to try something entirely new in terms of photography. I experimented with an entirely new editing style and couldn’t be happier with the results.

Click here for more on the TAG Motorsport Audis.

Motor 4 Toys brought out several classics which resulted in, as you would guess, more detail shots.

Here are more photos of our day at Motor 4 Toys.

A panning shot as the sun just about disappeared for the evening. Aasbo was dumping more smoke than anyone else that day, putting on quite the show.

Click here to see more of the Formula Drift: Atlanta coverage.

While in Seattle this year, Stephanie Foster’s Bavaria made its debut. As the sun set I worked quickly to catch the last tidbits of golden light in the heavily shadowed wheel.

For more on Stephanie Foster’s Baviaria, click here.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to, and this BMW open-wheeled race car drives home the point. The skinny r-comps and the single carburetor for the airhead engine were just two of the details that made this car for me.

Here’s our writeup on Ireland Engineering.

And lastly, a final shot from Formula Drift: Palm Beach. Ng’s crazy angle, only topped by Wilkerson’s earlier in the day, made for my favorite shot from the event.

Check out the rest of Formula Drift: Invasion in Palm Beach, Florida here.

Since the last time we saw Dobre’s E21, it has been painted Pepper White from the current Mini Coopers. He’s now running his color-matched Epsilon Southern Ways and has the car hunkered down to perfection.

If you ask us, there’s no better way to carry the Christmas tree home than atop a classic BMW.

Until next year! Merry Christmas, and we hope everyone and their family enjoys the rest of the holiday.

Jay has been wrenching on cars since he can remember. From Hondas to Nissans to Subarus, he’s played the game in more ways than one. But with the birth of his daughter 4 years ago, he knew it was time to make some changes. He sold his Legacy GT to buy the TL, a car he knew would be much more suited to a growing family. Jay had to outgrow the days of loud exhausts and the smell of 91 octane everywhere he went.

Young people enter the car scene each and every day as the car enthusiast gene is passed down through the generations. At the same time, some deem it time to leave their hobbies behind as a family and a “real” job consume too much time. Often you’ll find most people with the passion are dedicated to making it work one way or another. Sometimes it means less of the budget goes to the machine in the garage, but for so many like Jay, it means a change of pace entirely.

Jay used the opportunity try out the VIP scene, and purchased the ’08 TL brand new.

The car began life in an entirely different color- pearl white. As Jay worked his way through the car, widening the fenders and bringing it closer to earth, he decided the deep metallic purple was a perfect fit. Since the last time his car was featured, he’s made countless changes to details of the car, from trim pieces to headlights and tail lights; stuff he insists no one would ever notice but makes all the difference to him. It’s also hard to miss the gold VIP Modulars that fit perfectly with the new air ride.

Jay has made the necessary changes to his lifestyle to stay active in the scene. Team Praxis, or more simply put, his second family, gives him more than enough reason to stick around. As for what’s next for Jay, there’s quite a bit in store, from a full interior to some extra ponies.

For everyone else, let Jay go to show that big changes in your family don’t mean giving up your passions- it just means changing things to make it all work.