The Engineer,

the Fabricator,

the Craftsman,

the Artist. .

I grew up in a thrifty household that encouraged tinkering, expression, & DIY. Toy cars, model cars, bikes, and more. Hell, I was tinting windows on Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars with a permanent marker. Without my family, none of this would have been possible.

Easter Egg Alert! My tattoo became part of IAMAD logo.

the van

Tiny me and my big sis!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been infatuated with cars. More specifically, custom. My dad had a short body Chevrolet Astro that was fully tinted, had a color matched bug deflector, and a pull out cassette player he kept under the seat to prevent theft. there was a time he had one of the early radar detectors and a car alarm after a break in attempt. I still remember him wiring up the alarm and being ecstatic to see it work. Little did I expect to make a living working with automotive 12 volt systems. Considering my dad isn’t really into cars himself, this was a huge influence for me to always ride custom.

the magazine

In August of 96, age 7, I picked up my first Lowrider Magazine. The chrome, the paint, hydraulic suspension and most importantly the iconic wire wheels. I was hooked. Then I saw the page with the custom Astro van…

Cars bumpin’ music was common where I grew up. I always loved the sound as they drove by. I did not expect that I’d make it such a large part of my career. Ironically I have not yet owned an Astro or lowrider. Keyword, yet..

When the Astro broke down my parents leased a Plymouth Voyager. Naturally my dad tinted it out. I got him the hubcaps you see in the upper right corner. As far as i was concerned, in Milwaukee in the 90s, these were the hubcaps to get. The Eagle Summit and Mazda MX6 were ours as well. The Summit briefly had spinner hubcaps until one unfortunately fell off. Photo for reference, not our car.

After the voyager, I talked my parents into getting a Scion xB. After seeing them at the auto show I thought they were so cool. They were all about customizing straight from the dealer. I was shocked with how my parents eagerly loved how I “hooked” it up. Give me grace, we were a Wal mart family on a Wal mart budget. Here it is next to my first car.

the CAR

My first car is a 1998 Lumina LTZ. Still have it, will never get rid of it. The LTZ was a short run trim level, once I understood how it was equipped, I was in love.

The day I got it

I don’t think I had the car for a hour before it first mod, mudflap girls. Vintage Goodwill find brand new in the package. Best $2 I ever spent.

the early mods

the education

In 2008 I went to WCTC in Wisconsin for the auto collision program. Understanding all the aspects of an automobile is required to be successful in that field. This experience, along with shop class in high school, tied together my passions and skillsets and taught me how to apply them professionally. Details are what matter most when making alterations to an automobile. When making a large investment to a large investment, trusting your technician is crucial. My history supports trust.

My car in steering, suspension, & brakes class, circa 2008.

Finally, graduation from tech school in 2010.

“it was all a dream”