March 2009 LXOM: fargo59

**TehKing** · 03-02-2009, 12:22 PM

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? When I was nominated for being LXOM, I first thought “there’s no way I’m worthy.” Honestly, I didn’t think I was of the same caliber as previous recipients. I think of Cam, Hemi31, Hemiwagn, Token and Jaak to name a few. These are people with strong personalities, and great friends. That’s what this is about, friends. When I first joined LX forums, I had no idea of the effect it would have on my life. I have met SOO many awesome people in the past 2 years, it’s astounding. That’s what this is about.

So what’s my story? My name is Chris, and I am 23 years old. I started taking cars apart for fun at an early age. In high school, I took auto shop, and ended up with a co-op at the Chrysler dealer. I started my apprenticeship at the local Chrysler dealership in the fall of 2002 at the age of 17, I learned the ropes fairly quickly, learning the basics as well as rebuilding transmissions and engines. Early in 2007 I wrote my license and received my interprovincial certificate of qualifications. That was it, I was on a roll. After years of drooling over several LX’s, I had priced out a few. A silver 06 charger R&T, a black charger SRT while in Florida on spring break. It just wasn’t meant to be.

Fast forward a few months and I was working at a different dealer, I’m handed keys for a black 07 charger R/T the dealer had picked up at auction. It had kick, it had style, I asked for the price. I drove it home the next night to make sure I could “behave”. By the end of the week I had my own LX in the driveway. I lasted a week before the mod bug bit, borla 125 cat back was sitting in my bay waiting to be installed, and I was very happy. That January, the forum actually came to me. My first meet and greet was partly held at the dealership where I met a few people I still consider friends. Spring brought more mods, headers and intake were Christmas presents, and came in handy when I hit the track for the first time ever in may. I was hooked, especially when I needed a helmet by the end of the first night.

The mods list grew more and more as the year progressed, of course it did, and I don’t regret any of it. Each step I met more people, and made more friends. When I decided to make the change of dealerships again, many of my friends here supported me, bringing their cars in for me to wrench on, we went to more cruise nights, and downright simple, more days of modding. The drag strip became a huge part of my life towards the end of last season. Hemiwagn’s first 11 second run, I was in the other lane, I watched as Jaak made his 11 second pass. Token’s 12 second AWD as we packed up for the day, those were some eventful weekends.

Track season ended, but the friendships grew stronger, I ventured to Durham region meets, LOWR meets, and many of the Toronto venues, including Brampton assembly, and BPP. I talked to more people on chat, answered more PM’s, emails, texts, and phone calls from Lxforums members over the winter than ever before. I had found where I had belonged. After being nominated for LXOM, and seeing how many people nominated me, I was floored. I thanked as many people as I could for feeling so highly of me as to do so.

This month there was some speculation as to what the LXOM is, and should mean. Friends, and the community which we all create. I type this out from (the passenger’s) seat of an LX on my way home from a meet and greet, and having a fellow LX member help me with some computer glitches. Without him, I wouldn’t be typing this, now. Without this community, I would not be the same person. I want to thank EVERYONE for being here, and making Lxforums such an excellent place to be. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can in the years to come.

Chris.