For awhile I’ve been wondering, how do alot of these cheap, knock-off wheels have JWL and VIA marks? How do they get approved? It turns out, many don’t. What you see here is a fake sticker written in Japanese. When they produce the wheel, they simply incorporate the JWL and VIA logo marks into the mold and add a fake sticker to give it “legitimacy.” I believe this was a Volk knock-off. Sneaky.

Here’s a real sticker approved and received by JAWA. All companies officially registered with JAWA are given a registration number. AME’s happens to be #202. So, from now on, if you see a wheel with the JWL and VIA marks, but you sense something wrong, look for the sticker on the back. It should look just like this and have a number. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen fake copies of this sticker as well. How do we know? Someone complained about a defect and the number on the back indicated that it was an AME wheel. Turns out it wasn’t. The sticker looked real and used our JAWA registration number, but it was in fact, a fake. Super sneaky.

If I can find a listing of JAWA registered companies, I will post it.

For us, this is quite a lot.

Finally.
At least they aren’t heavy..except for the heavy ass Lexani wheels Dave ships us to return to Lexani because Japanese people are sooooper meticulous and expect their purchased products to be in perfect condition which I can totally understand.

Overflowing out the back..someone help.

The Schikane boys & Usual Suspects are hosting the IS2 fashion show. Last year, it was called ICONS and was a success. This year it’s called Industry Showcase II. Drift Unit, Tokyo Drive, GRYMRKT, Cipher garage, Driftwell, Drift Aparel, Pacific Rim, Sinful Things, IN4MATION, Fatlace, CSIYM, fakeRICH, and a few others will be involved. Level III in Hollywood. Friday July 6th, 2007. Come through and peep it.

Work hard, play hard. That’s how it’s been for the month of June so far for me, at least. So it was nice to kill 2 birds with one stone and take a trip to Nor. Cal. for Dom’s commencement party with family as well as visiting shops in the Northern California area. Luis decided to come along which was a blessing. Enjoyable company. One of those young, humble, respectful, positive, calm cats that aborbs like a sponge. Hard to find in this day and age. Plus, he had all the good music to keep the atmosphere fawnky.

Cows.. I am at times envied for my lack of a keen sense of smell. This is one of those times.

Different environments sometimes help to clear the mind and put things into perspective. Refreshing and necessary to reset from time to time. If it’s gonna be in a van for 6 hours, I’ll gladly accept.

Took a quick break and had lunch atop GAP headquarters with Mr. Fatlace himself. We had to drop off a few things for the Fatlace grand opening on 7/7/7. Always a good head change to see the humble, talented and soft-spoken Mark Arcenal who is endlessly multi-tasking..

The view from below.

And the view from above. Beautiful, uncharacteristic, sunny S.F. weather.

I like stuff like this..

The door to the future home of Fatlace’s boutique/studio/gallery/office on Post St. in J-Town SF. I absolutely love the direction that FTLC is heading..such as giving a voice to the ultra niche enthusiasts such as ourselves. Fatlace is simply comin’ correct.

FTLC is right next to these guys..

Dom had to pick up his chocolate-filled, strawberry mochi ice creamy thingies. At Nippon-Ya. Everytime I smoke a cigarette, I owe Dom a dollar. This is what my smoking has provided for him.

Man, I don’t know about this place..but I think they can use a makeover and a new sense of direction right about now. Let’s start with a name change..

Back to business, we stopped by to say hello to Greg and Mike of GST (Nor. Cal’s Subie specialists)..core.

Calvin and his crew at Speed Element (Nor. Cal’s EVO specialists)..as well as Ray, David, and Henry @ Mach III, Opak Racing, Joseph @ Tire Outlet, and Rishie & Mike @ AutoRnD, and a few others. Speed Element is definitely expanding. Crazy EVO.

Finally, some time to rest. Poor Lucky..

Les Wong pleasantly stopped by to enjoy the festivities.. (I decided to keep the family affairs private and not post pics of the event, but it was very pleasant to say the least. We’re talking a huge circus-style tent, tons of food, music, and bubbly. Dom’s fam knows how to do the damn thing.)

Left Nor. Cal around 6:30 Sunday morning, got back early afternoon, and made it to the Hollywood Bowl with Mel just in time to see DJ Shadow x Cut Chemist. 45’s only. Hollywood Bowl is the best. Listen, drink, eat (and bob head to the beat) under cool summer skies. Okay, back to the daily grind.

But before I go, here’s a snippet. Peep the technique here. The head keeps bobbin’. Enjoy..

Okay, so it was actually Charles Caleb Colton way back in 1820.. and he actually meant it in an ironic fashion to refer to those who do as such. So kudos to him.
In any case, these first four photos are from HIN Nightshift three weekends ago. While walking around looking for our AME sponsored cars this one particular booth caught my attention. By now, seasoned readers know I don’t hold back. For those who don’t, prepare yourself for a gang of hating.

Some shop decided to make a lousy attempt at copying Bride seats. Here’s their attempt at the Mazora colored shell.

And here’s their insulting swing at the GIAS..

As if they hadn’t dug a big enough hole for themselves already; their name is F1SPEC. How would any self-respecting motorsports enthusiast have the cajones to name their company this?

Picked these up from LOT yesterday. This is how its done.

For my driver side, the Zeta III full bucket.

The shell is FRP and the entire unit weighs just 16lbs. This seat is FIA approved.

For the passenger side, the much more flamboyant Stradia.

Carbon-Kevlar shell. Immaculate weave. My passengers shall ride in style.

Here’s something you definitely won’t get with the F1Spec copies.. Certificates of authenticity, serial numbers and a warranty for both the seats AND the rails.
My dad, who reads this blog, sporadically mentions to me that we often “complain” about fakes and copies. He tells me that we shouldn’t be so mad about these copies because really, what can we do. And it’s true, we’re all small companies with no budget to carry out legal prosecution against others who steal intellectual property. It’s for that reason that I make it a personal vendetta to help the public be aware of such. For all of you out there that make a living off other people’s work, beware: you will be chastised by myself sooner or later.

Lastly, whilst I write this, Kent and I are furiously running around trying to get everything ready for this weekends trip up to the bay. I’m excited because I finally get a chance to catch my breath during the long drive up and over the weekend with fam / friends. If you happen to be in the bay, I’m having a kickback at my old pad in Milpitas. As long as you don’t work for Rota, Subydude or F1Spec, feel free to drop by.

Dave’s a bragger.

Dave says, “What are you guys doing this weekend? Oh, you’re going to San Francisco to go see a bunch of shops? I see. Well, have fun.”

Dave says, “Me? Oh, nothing. I’m just going to go have dinner with my buddy Ken and Miss-Japan-crowned-Miss-Universe. Oh, by the way, here are some pics I snapped. Gotta go now. More important things to do than talk to you guys since you’re at the bottom of the totem pole in my world.”

With over 10 standard compounds and numerous amounts of special compounds continuously being produced, I guess Japan finally got smart about their packaging..

Been crazy lately. I’m suuper behind on my list of things to blog. I’ll get back down to brass tacks after this weekend as the familia are in town for commencement.
For now, please enjoy a quickie: Mr. Benson Hsu of the famous Sileightymania sent us his regards all the way from Waffle House in the ATL during his business trip. According to Benson, it’s “modified” hash browns with tomatoes, jalapenos, ham, cheese, mushrooms, onions and chili. Kent’s worst nightmare.

It’s sad that there are so many cheap looking wheels out there. I’m really tired of seeing it. Yes, I understand, it’s mainly a Wal-Mart society, but come on.. I’d rather not have a set of aftermarket wheels on my car then. Cheap wheels have a thick, almost industrial look to them. The rim portion has that same boring, cheap looking finish and that same boring bend. It makes it easy to pull out of the mold, polish and produce in mass quantity. The same rim is used on all designs and the focus is on copying the disk. Curved rims are much more difficult to develop since it is a key structural area for impact testing. An even polishing throughout a nice, smooth, curved rim is much more difficult to achieve. You can notice a set of cheap wheels on a car even when it’s in motion.

And can’t you spot a cheap brand immediately? Maybe it’s just me, but I really dislike certain words and logos. Especially words used to make a wheel seem Japanese. Even worse, kanji. It’s like those sushi restaurants with names like Bob’s All-You-Can-Eat Sushi that use Wonton typeface for their signs. I’m in no way discriminating against other ethnicities. I’m just anti-cheap wheel. Anti-cheap product for that matter.

I understand that not everyone can afford an expensive, quality wheel. I just hope that kids that want to dress up their cars know what they’re getting themselves into. I’m getting really tired of the “DUB” style wheels also. The whole “big” lip thing doesn’t work for me if the wheel looks cheap. It’s just 4 more inches of cheap lip to look at. Cheapens the car. 300C’s, Chargers, SUVs, big body Benzos with big, cheap looking chrome wheels..ugh..

Norio was mentioning the fact that he loves the new BMW OE wheels. Deep set centers and long flowing spokes. No lip. Looks great in motion. Hopefully, these’ll make it harder for the cheap manufacturers to copy/produce this style of wheel due to its structural integrity and weight. We’ll just have to wait and see..

Jin, our newest member, invited Dom, Cheryl, and myself to go eat at his family’s Izakaya in W.LA. It’s in here on Sawtelle at the Sawtelle Centre.

It’s a cozy spot nestled and very hidden in the plaza on the very far right. Place Yuu. Although not shown here, the Yuu character means “to play.”

Bad photo, but nice atmosphere. Inside we have a sushi bar, big screen, alcohol, good food, good hospitality, and an overall nice and chill vibe. Take a date here if you’re ever on the westside. I decided not to post food pics, but trust me, the food is on par. Place reminds me of a scene out of a J-drama. Oh, and Amuro Namie was here 2 days ago. Google her.

Here’s Jin pouring away.

After some good eats, this thing in the photo to the left led us to Highlands to see the homey TobRoc for his birfday. But before that, since Jin’s fam owns the joint, he wouldn’t let us pay. How rude of him.

The crew. Jin Tonic, me, D, Joseph, Marc.

Arjj x Dom. Brothers from another mother.

Kenta and Tobs!

Super Dom is about to fly away with Cheryl holding on tight.. I was just holding up my camera above the crowds and snapping away randomly.

Pac Rim up in the mix. Jonny big hittin’ it in the BG.

Charlene and JayOne and..damn, I forgot homey’s name..

Things getting a bit tipsy. Elegant Jordan in the middle and TobRoc on the far right.

Eddie (btw D and Marc) is always Mackin..cool, calm, and collected.

We owe Andy drinks, but he owes us PO’s.

I hate this place.

I hate this food. How did we start with great food and end with death dogs?

Team Bob’s Brandon Reguiero not only copped a Vertex kit for his Z, but also some Spec-R’s. He ordered blue on one side and carbon silver on the other just so he can custom powdercoat the carbon silver ones PINK.

Pink indeed. Mighty pink.

Steve over at Mackin called me earlier today to tell me that the ARC stuff I ordered came in. Rather than having them ship it down here, I drove over to say hi to Eddie, Steve and KJ. I had never been to their office either, so why not? Their corporate office in Santa Fe Springs is pretty spiffy. And something about big company logos on the outside of corporate buildings gets me super excited.

Time attack DC5, hooked up Suby and a bball hoop. Not many people can have both work and play in one.

Nothing too crazy considering what else ARC has to offer. Simple titanium strut tower bar and titanium cooling plate.

Abbey Road Company quality.