Photos by Travis Cuykendall

There’s a special feeling some of us experience each year as red and orange leaves fall from the trees and clutter the black asphalt. There’s no denying the absolute beauty that comes from the autumn months, but with the joy and the allure of the two weeks where the earth turns orange comes a sense of fear and distress. For those of us that own cars that are nearing a half-century in age, it means buckling down for the inevitably hard times, as these classics are bound to cause some trouble in the cold of winter.

It takes a certain guy to own an old car. We’ve made that point before. The luxuries of today are rarely present, and time has taken its toll on every square inch of the car. With every cold winter and every hot summer, every part and piece of a classic car wears a bit more and gains a bit more character. Squeaks, rattles, and quirks all become something you grow fond of. They’re things that remind you that your car is, well, yours. Andrew Hastings of Corvallis, Oregon knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Andrew started his automotive “career” like most of us did. His interest in cars began with Japanese cars. Toyotas, to be exact, having owned a couple of old Supras, a Cressida, and a few others. It’s a great and expected place to start; the aftermarket is huge, as is the community, and knowledge (and the lack thereof) is abundant. But after his tastes began to vary from the expected, he lost a bit of faith in the Supra community. He moved to the better other side of the equation and picked up an E36 M3. As all of the great love stories in history end, he found himself on StanceWorks. As his interests and tastes grew, he found himself hunting down a project; something old and unique.

Old and unique, however, did not necessarily mean a Volvo. His search was originally for a 1940s Dodge or Plymouth with the intention of bagging it. It wasn’t until he listed his bike for sale that the plans changed a bit. An interested party offered this 1965 Volvo 122s Coupe in trade for the motorcycle, and since then, Andrew has been working that elbow-grease in to make his Amazon shine.

Facing the challenge of making the extremely deep steelies work, Andrew knew his original desire to bag the car just wasn’t in the cards. He opted for a good ol’ static setup. “I found that a standard Honda Civic adjustable coil spring set up would work perfectly. That paired with KYB AGXs and a little fab work made the car a blast to drive with a perfect stance.” Andrew didn’t let the obscureness of his chassis deter him from building something that worked, and worked well. After he had the car sitting the way he wanted, he began to focus on the almost 50-year-old exterior.

He wasn’t concerned with doing a full-on restoration; he just wanted something he could cruise around in and truly enjoy. A lot of hard work paid off though, as even though this car is obviously not a prime example, its flaws only add a bit of grit and gut to it. “Character” doesn’t quite do it justice. On the list of modifications-to-come was a VW TDi swap, and if that doesn’t epitomize “cool”, it’s time to pack up and go home. Unfortunately, our plans as builders fall short sometimes. Andrew is moving and doesn’t think he’ll get to keep the car; a decision many of us are familiar with having to make, and an unfortunate one to face.

But Andrew knows he’ll be back by the end of the cold season. The classic car bug has bit him, and it has bit hard. “I’ll be back with another older project soon.  I’m not sure what it’ll be but I’ve been looking at a possible Corvair project.” Whatever it might be, we know it’ll turn heads. One of the many joys of vintage automobile ownership is the respect that comes from even those who have no interest in cars. Soccer moms and business men alike always have to comment at gas stations when something with timeless lines pulls in. They’re looks that just aren’t quite the same as those you get when you pull up in something a bit more… modern.

As the scene grows and we all attempt to discover where the next 12 months will take us, there’s just something about the old stuff that really hits home here at StanceWorks.

If you’re anything like your grandfather, there’s a chance, a long time ago, that behind his garage door sat something he cherished. Maybe it was American iron; perhaps foreign steel. It could be that he waxed it every Saturday morning, or maybe he left it dirty after the Friday night races. One thing, however, is for certain: we have quite a bit to thank him for.

A look in the history books shows a familiar sight: guys meeting up in dimly lit parking lots on Friday nights, after family dinner was over and the evening was free. As they arrived one by one, you could hear them approaching; rumble of their engines bounce off buildings in the distance. They gathered for one reason: A love for anything with an engine and wheels. To some extent, it was a young man’s right of passage. Even today, getting together and talking shop, it’s something every single one of us has grown up on.

After the first car was built, it was only a short time before the first modifications were made to it. The moment the second car sputtered and barked to life, the first auto race had been planned. It’s only natural we associate with one another. We’re all bound by a common love for octane and rubber, smokey burnouts and loud pipes, the thrill of a fast turn and the adrenaline rush that occurs when the rear end wiggles on the way out. It should be no surprise that in nearly every town across America, there’s some type of late-night gathering of auto enthusiast once a week. It’s a companionship none of us can deny, fueled by true love for the automobile and the competition that has been born because of it. But these days, things have changed…

There’s always been a bit of rivalry between all of us. The age-old question of “whose is faster?” can only be solved in one way. If it wasn’t speed that was the issue, it has been a competition only settled by the judges of a car show. From the biggest engine to the wildest paint, we’ve always managed to turn our friends into adversaries, if only for an afternoon. After the show has ended or the finish line had been crossed, each and every one of the participants went back to remembering why they were there to begin with.

Arguments between overhead valves and pushrods have transformed in to a “my way or the highway” mentality of modification. If your tastes and decisions don’t coincide with one group’s, you’re cast out. Today, the scene is no longer a “neighborhood affair”. Instead, it’s individual households keeping their doors shut and their blinds closed, and for some reason, I don’t think think that’s the way this was supposed to turn out.

We may find ourselves intertwined at the big shows here and there, but gone are the days of the all-encompassing late night get-togethers centralized around a love for the automobile. Instead, we have are segregated meets, the “Who’s Who?” of “crews” and the like, based around “swag”, the latest trends, and the ever-lasting push to make a name for one’s self. It’s all about shit-talking and putting anything down if it doesn’t happen to be to your tastes. Frankly, that’s exactly the opposite reason why StanceWorks began, and we need to stay true to our mission.

2012 is approaching quickly. While 2011 was a great year in many respects, it also continued to take steps in an expected direction. With the new year comes a new season, and with that, a new chance to carry this scene we love and cherish in the right direction. Our fathers and grandfathers built the foundation for something many of us base our lives upon. For me, cars are what I eat, sleep, and breathe, and I know I am not alone. For 2012, let’s breathe new life into the car community. Let’s reunite anything on wheels and glorify the “good ol’ days”. It doesn’t matter what country your car comes from, nor does it matter how many cylinders it has. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hot-rodder, a drifter, a show-goer or a race-car-driver: we’re all in love with one thing. Just remember that. Hopefully we’ll see you in the parking lots.

Photos Courtesy of LIFE Magazine

There’s one thing many people assume: for a car to grab attention, and better yet, hold it, it must be built to the nines. There’s no arguing that building a car in such a fashion is a surefire way to leave an impression; however, sometimes it is simplicity that appears most complex.

There’s something to be said about a car that defines the word “understated.” On paper, John Holdridge’s B8 S4 is one that may leave something to be desired. A minor drop, wheels, and tidbits here and there… but John tells me that there’s a method to his madness… or lack thereof. He wants to push the notion that there is beauty in subtlety.

The special part of every car build is the thought and heart that goes in to a finished product. For many of us, we push to ensure a visible signature, to make it obvious that we built our cars… To ensure that we give each one our special bit of flare. John, on the other hand, knows there’s a fine line between blending in and standing out, and he’s effectively blurred it. His wheels might not be “hellaflush”, or hella anything for that matter, but that’s alright. His setup fills the arches elegantly, and the stance of the car itself commands attention and makes its presence known. It’s agressive, sporty, and wonderfully unlacking. Overall, the word to describe it that comes to mind is “professional”. Perhaps even “mature.”

But for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. John’s crisp, clean-cut, and somewhat casual B8 has a counterpart. John’s car is only half of a duo. Alex Andonian’s S4 is best described as “the dark side” of the equation: an S4 built with the same mindset. Simplicity effectuated in black.

Alex and John have been friends for quite some time, brought together, like many of us, by the car scene. Today, they are respectively business development manager and outside sales manager at TAG Motorsports in Escondido, California. They’ve finally found themselves in a position to do something they’ve wanted to for years now: build a pair of matching “twin” cars. Both cars have been put together identically with only one rather obvious difference.

Past the simplicity and implementation thereof, this pair of cars represents a slight bit more. Time and time again, we’ve said that the most important aspect of the car community is community itself. From late nights in well-lit shops with lifts and tools to early mornings in unlit garages with cold concrete floors, where you spend your time doesn’t matter. It’s about who is there with you to share the pain of busted knuckles.

A pair of cars that embodies a friendship between two car enthusiasts is a story worth telling in and of itself. When the cars somehow managed to leave us speechless with their first impression, we knew a feature was imminent. It is certainly the most understated pair of cars we’ve featured to date, but we hope the message is clear.

In the midst of stock cars, the message is simple: a well executed car isn’t a clear cut operation, or for lack of better terms, black or white. It can fall somewhere in between.