June 2008 LXOM: Junior!

**TehKing** · 06-02-2008, 03:44 PM

Thank you from my heart, gang. It’s truly humbling to see the support you’ve given me here. Not to put too fine a point on it - this forum changed my life; and while I wouldn’t say it saved it, it certainly turned it around. That’s a different story for the campfire. Suffice it to say that I’m in the best group of friends I’ve ever had, in all of my life.

Here’s where it starts. I was raised by a car guy. Dad was always building cars and running them to their limits. Whether it was street fighting VW’s, fiberglass dune buggies, motorcycles, or rock-crawling Blazers, Pops was always making the most out of his vehicles. Along the way, he passed on a lot of the knowledge that I have – and sometimes, more than I ever wanted: I remember sitting on the creeper on a Summer afternoon, nearly falling asleep, while he showed me how to dial in the star adjuster for the rear wheel drum brakes. At the time, I had other things on my mind, but to this day, though I haven’t seen one in years, I know how to do that procedure, and I owe it to my Dad.

My first car was a 1973 VW Thing (The Cleatermobile). The best car EVER for a kid like me, in high school. We put a full roll cage in it, tubular bumpers and a pushbar, hood rack, custom stuff like a hand-fitted winch mount, and full skid plates. Cranked the suspension up, fit some 235s underneath, and a 1915 in back. We would ASSAULT the backroads of Arizona in that thing. I mentioned it here on the "Scariest cars" thread. "We used to attach one of those surgical-tubing three-man slingshots to the rear of the rollcage; one guy would sit in the back seat with a cooler full of water balloons or citrus next to him; one guy would sit on the engine compartment, just in front of the folded top and aim; I'd drive like a kid with two lunatics in back (duh) and we'd go strafing... as long as it cleared the crossbar, a good grapefruit would go a couple of city blocks.

And for a 2WD it did great at crawling or slogging - miles of ground clearance and all the weight in the rear... not too shabby. great fun was had in that thing.

Plus you've got any number of bad come-ons at the ready: Hey, honey, wanna sit on my thing... etc etc

But sometimes I'd come out to the school parking lot for lunch, and my pals would have stolen all four doors and the folding front windshield."

I liked yellow back then too.

------------------

Flash forward two decades:

In April of 2006, I went along to my first gathering of folks from this community; a little Meet and Greet here in Scottsdale. I didn’t realize that there was a whole crowd from California out here, in part to see my old man, who hadn’t been able to make the trip out for the first Spring Fest – that was the day I realized two things: My Pops had earned a reputation with this group, and second, that the folks in this little "car club" were some of the most caring, genuine, and supportive people I had ever seen come together.

In May of 2006, Dad brought me along to GIFO4 in Sacramento. On that trip, I met and spent time with CoolVanilla, MattRobertson, Cam, Ozzie, MAGNUM8R, MagnumFreak, Mosie, LadyNilla, gotls1, and Bob and Mark at SVS – and for the first time in MANY years, I fell in with a group of people that I had something to talk about with. I met more people that weekend that I enjoyed talking to and working with than I had in the years prior. I really wanted to mention those folks by name, because they form what to me is still the core of my LXforums memory – I had never been on the forums before, and I hadn’t gotten to know any of the personalities online – my first experiences with LXForums were in person.

In October of that year, we headed back up for the MOFO, and I met RobAGD, grinner, done, ChargerGirl, hyperbolic, and Magnumdude for the first time. Took part in one of the most widely-talked-about adventures in some time, apparently. Captured in part so beautifully by grinner that I tear up every time I watch it, and right now is no exception. (but then I always laugh my head off - if you've seen it, you know). I also realized after the fact, that you'd better be ready with a witty comment when grin's got the camera rolling... you never know when it's gonna get aimed at you!

So that’s where I got my start with this place, and I finally signed up for the forums when we got back from that trip. I still had only the vaguest notion that I’d ever own an LX myself, but I knew the group well enough to know that I’d enjoy spending time here. It was after I finalized the moved back home from San Diego county late that year, and sold the place I had been living, that it hit me: there’s actually a decent chance I could get into a Charger. I started looking at options, started pricing out Daytonas, and almost immediately found a perfect local one for sale. I made my first post here after Tyler and I shook hands on it.

While we were waiting for the paperwork to get all sorted out, I started posting more, and getting to know some of the personalities here. A couple days before Christmas (and about a week before I got the car), I went to my first real M&G with the Arizona crowd, and met a bunch of the folks who have become my dear friends. I think this post is kinda funny, given who I’ve been spending time with in the last year. From that night forward, the Arizona bunch seemed to finally take off. Bobf (6point1) threw what became a big event, the maiden voyage of the Rumble in the Desert. Around that time, fullofit_ began organizing events, and two of those really stand out to me as instrumental in getting the local crowd coalesced as a group: The "Test Drive" at the Coffee Shark, and the G.A.M.E. Event in memory of Cpl. Lindsey. From that Spring on, AZLX was a no kidding real-deal car club.

All that Spring, I had been planning on moving to Denver for school. I hadn’t had anything else going on in my life, and I was looking for a change. With the Arizona crowd growing into something real, and having met some great friends, my plans did change. Sitting here now, I’m fortunate they did. I wouldn’t trade the life I live now, and the folks I share it with, for anything.

Since then, I’ve become even more active in the forums, and made the effort to travel to some of the larger events in the country: Spring Fest 2007, Southeast Shindig 2007, and Spring Fest 2008. Along they way, I’ve met many of you in person (and some by surprise), and I’m a lucky dude for all of it. There are a bunch more of you that I know well online, and I'd love to press palms with each of you someday. I'll keep making the rounds...

Before I wrap it up, I want to take a minute to quickly acknowledge the hard work and creativity of the pioneers of this forum. As an example, we all know about "Fuse 11" nowadays - it's tossed around pretty often, for good reason. Take a look at the thread where our forefathers actually figured that one out. It's a moment in history.

A special Thank You to Anthony (DMAG) for building this site in the first place. We all know it's so much more than a site.

Now, the parting shots:

**MAGFX** · 06-02-2008, 03:50 PM

Mike, you have made such a mark on this community and so many of our lives.

I really take pride in having you as one of my "best" friends and who knows if we would have ever crossed paths without your dad and this forum.

Cheers...Jonn

**Motor** · 06-02-2008, 03:55 PM

*cries*

Go Junior!!!

**JonW** · 06-02-2008, 03:56 PM

Congratulations Junior!! Great writeup as well.

It is no surprise that you've found a family here as many others have made that realization as well. You're a great asset to this community - keep it up!

**MikeEast** · 06-02-2008, 04:17 PM

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree does it?

Congratulations dude, excellent writeup from one of the 'Good Guys'.

Mike

**MattRobertson** · 06-02-2008, 04:21 PM

Conga Rats, Mike. Maybe the best writeup we've seen here ever. A well-deserved win to one of the pillars of this community.

Ain't that a b*tch? No more sticking it to the man. You are The Man!

**rwalshphoto** · 06-02-2008, 04:23 PM

Great write up Mike, wow! I gotta say, my high school stories are pretty similar. I am gonna dig up some of my VW photos to send to you. Somewhere I have a photo of my baja bug on the back 2 wheels at firebird

. And some more of us picking it up on 2 wheels and dumping water out of the passenger door because it stalled while crossing a river. Ahhhh I miss that car :(. Anyways, congrats, nice stories. And hey, what @$$hole climbed up on that mountain and took a photo of that nanner? The rock and the twig is out of focus

**Motor** · 06-02-2008, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by MattRobertson

Conga Rats, Mike. Maybe the best writeup we've seen here ever. A well-deserved win to one of the pillars of this community.

Ain't that a b*tch? No more sticking it to the man. You are The Man!

junior's a man?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

so meister jr won