Magnaflow Tech Center
I know I’ve been a little car crazed lately, and I haven’t even gotten around to detailing the entire stable here. But as nutty as I am for cars/trucks/bikes, it’s really the customizing thing that has me. I’ve been through the typical phases, dating back to high school, and starting with car stereo—I even had a vintage under-dash record player at one point—and through wheels, including all of the flavors of powder coating. (I was doing black wheels way before it was fashionable.)
But my taste for customizing cars isn’t strictly cosmetic. I’ve been through all of the performance upgrades as well. My main interest is getting cold air into the engine faster—it’s denser and leads to better performance, as well as getting exhaust out of the engine as quickly as possible. Well designed “cold air” kits solve the former, and the science of exhaust kits fix the latter. The latter is actually more fun, because the sound of a perfectly tuned exhaust is genius.
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Might as well have the best
“Made in America” isn’t just an uber patriotic screed imploring you to buy a Dodge Charger before Fiat gets its hands on the marque, and makes the new Fiat 500, 2010’s Mini Cooper…BTW, I love the 500, old and new.
Rather “Made in America” handcrafted clothing, luxury goods, work wear, boots and clothing have become a filter for taste-making hipsters. There are several great blog, including my favorite, A Continuous Lean, — dedicated to the subject, and while I never thought of it as a filter for my key purchases, I’m inspired by those that are really taking it to heart. Classic brands like Alden, Hamilton Shirts, Red Wing Boots as well as independent artisans are leveraging the materials, i.e. Horween Shell Cordovan that only a few of the old timers had access to. More to come later on Alden and Horween in a future post.
That brings me to Filson. Much has been written, discussed, blogged and Style Forum’d on the sale of this Seattle company and what would become of their American made clothing bags and luggage. While some manufacturing has moved offshore, the company’s mainstay bags, leather goods and luggage continue to be produced stateside. I put a lot of miles on my bags, and while often derided by my working colleagues, I’m not afraid to check a bag…sure it adds time and isn’t as cool to do so, but I love having the stuff I want with me when I get wherever I’m going. Early in my career, I was a traveling TV syndication salesman—selling shows for Disney first, then to Fox…Shows that started with Wonderful World of Disney reruns, through A Current Affair, to The Simpsons. Traveling around the country, this was the era of garment bags and Haliburton suitcases. No one had seen wheels on luggage yet, and most people checked their bags. I’ve been through the Hartmann phase, the 80’s Cadillac of luggage, on to San Francisco’s Glaser Design bags, through North Face duffles, and now to Filson. My bags of choice are the Filson medium wheeled check in bag and the extra large wheeled bag duffle. I also use the medium field bag and rugged twill tote bag as carry ons and briefcases.
But this post is an ode to the Filson medium wheeled check in bag.
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Why natural rubber feels better, lasts longer and is just better all around
I try and find a yoga class five days a week, and it really makes me feel good and I think it’s the best full body workout. I’m lucky that I have Yoga Loft really close to my house. Honestly, I don’t even need to pedal the Kronan to get there.
I also like that beyond my mat, yoga doesn’t require any special equipment.
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Custom shirts as value and the alternative to “ironic T-shirts”
I’ve gotten to the point, and to the age, where expensive, ultra washed and “ironic” printed tees, are not only unappealing, they feel ridiculous. Sure, in this city and industry, I’m a bit anachronistic wearing a suit and tie most days. I don’t expect others to do the same, I just like it, and it’s kind of become my thing.
While many find adventure and in discovering the perfect pair of distressed Japanese denim, I’m doing the same in finding craftsmen who are still making clothing the old fashioned way—one piece at a time and with great care.
That doesn’t mean that value doesn’t matter. Custom shirts at the same price, or less than store bought, just makes good sense. This really is a story about value.
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How a signature product changed the category
My first tug on the amazingly stretchable the Hurley Phantom boardshorts was at the Sundance Film Festival this year. My friend and Fred Segal Fun owner, Jackie Brander, always assembles the best and coolest brands for her celebrity SWAG house, and I was able to do a few laps, see what people were oogling and pick up a pair of classic K-Swiss sneakers with my pal and Lionsgate Vice Chairman, Michael Burns.
The Hurley gear was in high demand and their “one and only” T-shirt had the celebs lined up. On the rack was a pair of the Phantom 120 boardshorts, which had blown out of the SWAG house in a matter of hours. Having grown up in Red Hang Tens in my youth and then on to Katins and Birdwell Beach Britches, I have had my share of trunks—and rashes. What’s amazing about Hurley’s Phantoms is the amazing stretch, and seamless construction. Why no one had developed a super comfortable, really stretchy short before seems crazy, but Hurley has nailed it.
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I started playing the Ukulele in 7th grade, Center School talent show was my first performance, while the older surfers at Marine Street—The Marine Street Crabs—were my inspiration.
I rediscovered playing the Uke last year and found my original old Kumalae Uke from the 1920’s. I remember buying it at the Roadium Swap Meet in Torrance as a kid. I take a Uke with me on the road when I traveled for work and vacation. I love the way the Uke sounds, how it makes me feel, how small/light it is—it’s hard not to be happy playing a Uke.
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Growing up in a beach town, surfing started in grade school. First boards included cut down longboards—this was the short board transition era, that featured hand fashioned bungee cord leashes, before the real thing was productized. It was then that we all moved to second hand longboards and transition shapes. The most coveted had been ridden by local heroes and pros.
While more pleasure than transport, surfboard shapes, colors, shapers, and fin choice, do as much to establish your rank in the line up as that first takeoff at a spot that isn’t your home break. When you’re trunking it, there isn’t much beyond your board to establish your personal brand.
Many of my friends have gone quiver crazy, too many boards and confusion when it’s time to get in the water… Which board? Which fins, etc….
I’ve tried to simplify things and have gotten down to a reasonable number, five:
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At a time where recycled ultra-light Japanese velodrome cast-offs have become Fixed Gear badges of honor for indie kids form Silverlake to Brooklyn, I have chosen the path of Dutch and Swedish bike commuters, and made the Kronan Steel 3-Speed my daily rider. I was introduced to Kronans by my friend and tastemaker Natas Kaupas. Natas was at the cutting edge of the urban fixed gear phase, and in making an esoteric trade that included first-edition architecture and furniture books as well as an ’80s vintage surfboard, his old Kronan became mine. That ’70s era black beauty was from the time when Kronans were manufactured in Poland; they’re purportedly now made in China—but more on the recent models to follow. I took the Kronan to my commuter home in Palo Alto, and it has served me well, as my office commuter, grocery getter and yoga transporter.
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My transportation choices are contrarian at best, and sometimes ridiculous. I often fall in love with a concept, notion, romantic vision or even a passionate expert who is as crazy about the “thing” as I am.
This is how I found the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Norbert of grandwagoneers.com was the catalyst that pushed me over the edge on my 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, that had just gone through a complete body off restoration by Norbert of Grand Wagoneer.com.
I’ve always been smitten by the late model, end of the era Grand Wagoneers. These were the first SUV’s and at the time (late 80’s through 1992) were the most expensive domestic cars available to US buyers. According to the maestro, Norbert, mine had a window sticker north of $32K when new. No matter where in the country you were from, everyone from my era, had a buddy or buddies, whose family ride included a Grand Wagoneer. Although generally associated with East Coast preppies, they were just as plentiful in SoCal as surf families found them as practical for ski trips to Mammoth Mountain as they did for trips to San Onofre.
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My daily driver is in many ways impractical, kinda noisy, not super comfortable, with the aerodynamics of a cardboard box. But, I love the Defender 90. The 1997’s are unique in that they were the only Defender 90’s imported into the US for 3 years between 1994 and 1997 that had factory hardtops, full carpeting, automatic transmission and air conditioning. A lack of air bags other quite worthy safety features ended the Defenders life in North America, and the NAS designation, is what’s given to these mid-90’s models that have factory roll cages as a safety accommodation. The basic comforts pale in comparison to what we’ve become accustomed to in event the least expensive econoboxes, and the same passengers who have never owned a vinyl record, find the hand crank windows, at first puzzling, then quaint. If you’re the guy pulling up on the passenger side making international symbol to roll the window down, and now knowing I have to do gymnastics to lean over and crank, don’t think I’m rude for pretending I didn’t see you.
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