I was shown this and I just had to share it.. the new ish. Either that or I’ve been fooled by a prankster.

I’m pleased that the Endless USA website has relaunched. It mirrors Endless Japan’s official website. For the serious enthusiasts, please peruse the site. On another note, we’ve recently printed a small quantity of 26″ x 39″ posters. If you’d like one, please e-mail jin[at]brand-endless.com on how to obtain one.

Thanks to everyone that requested the Option Article. If you asked for a copy, but didn’t receive one, my apologies. It’s either because the file was too large and bounced back or it simply slipped through the cracks. If you didn’t receive your copy or still want one, feel free to send another request. I found this on my desk..

Sunday Feb. 10 2008. JDM vs DTM Chinatown Showoff. peep www.jdmvsdtm.com for more details..

Although this may seem redundant to some, Thank You Geoff for sending me both Fatlace and JDM Theory gear. There was alot more than what is shown here..I’m just too greedy to share. I’ve always been a fan of simple and clean design. Less is more. Many people collect sneakers and things. For some strange reason, I sort of collect tees. I hope to have a collection of my favorite tees hung on a wall. In anycase, hopefully I’ll get a chance to roll up to the next J’s Gathering. Killin’ it in the show scene imo. You can just sense the quality.

With a big chunk of every weekend so far this year being dedicated to work, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and took a breather and headed out to J-Town by myself to absorb the Murakami exhibition at the Geffen (any relation to the record label?). Definitely worth it.

I was hoping to take pics, but as soon as I got inside, the first thing I was told was to not take pics. After seeing an old chinese man snapping away without a care in the world, I couldn’t resist. But out of respect, I didn’t shoot any of the works of art. Just this room full of stuff. If you haven’t peeped it yet, go see it. You won’t be disappointed. Less than a week and it’s gone!

N.I.C is a phrase coined by myself, which stands for “Nah I’m Coo.” This phrase is used to represent disinterest when offered an item or service. The way in which this applies to our industry is with sponsorships. Stick with me, I’ll come full circle and explain how N.I.C can quickly become a part of your vocabulary. Until then, here’s some suggestions for those wanting to get sponsored:

#1) Shellfish is tasty, SELFISH is YOU: The biggest issue I see today with those who seek sponsorship is a bad case of SELFISH poisoning. Too many that seek sponsorships are concerned with how it AFFECTS them, rather than how they can EFFECT positive results for the company. Always think about the best interests of the company, since as a business, they are not sponsoring you for moral support, they want RESULTS.

#2) Front your own money: In the same regard that it takes money to make money, it takes money to get sponsored. If a sponsor has seen that you’ve put in your own money, then it’s a much more convincing argument to ask for help. If you want to open a business, a bank isn’t going to lend you money based on hopes + dreams + promises. But if you’re putting in $50k of your own money, then maybe the bank will be more willing to hear you out and meet you half way.

#2.5) You can’t ask for what you don’t have: If your car is stock, then you shouldn’t be asking for sponsorship. Period. The only case where you can, is when you have…

#3) Track records like Jackie Joyner Kersee: It doesn’t matter what shows you PLAN to attend, what modifications you PLAN to make, or what horsepower you PLAN to make. What you’ve actually ACCOMPLISHED in the past is a much better indicator of what you can do, so if you’ve got no track record, you have no grounds to make promises you might not keep.

#4) “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”: I remember learning this in money management class in middle school, which essentially means that you can’t get something for nothing. This should be tattoed to your fo’ head if you are thinking of getting sponsored. Since don’t for a second think that the free set of ______ (whatever you got) came with no price tag. So make sure you cover that price on the tag, ya dig?

#5) Hustler is not only a wonderful magazine: It can also be used to describe the nature in which you need to act after being sponsored. If you promised to do a bunch of race events, or appear in show competitions, or magazine shoots, DO NOT under any circumstances not fulfill those duties. In addition, try to go above and beyond, don’t just do the bare minimum. The more exposure you generate for a company can never hurt, except when:

#6) You confuse EXPOSURE for GETTING RESULTS: Just because you put something sponsored on your car, and run all kinds of stickers doesn’t mean diddly doo. Is that going to generate more sales for that company? Who is going to see it? Is the event going to get coverage? If people see it, will they even take notice, or be influenced to want to find out more or make a purchase?

#7) Mo Money, Mo Problems: Just for example, say that a company gives you a free set of wheels. How many wheels do you think they need to sell to pay for the cost of your sponsored set? Don’t get it twisted though, it’s not about the amount either. Even if the part is something small like a shift knob, you should still give your best effort, regardless of value of the item.

#8) This industry is TINY: I’m talking about aftermarket automotive specifically. Manufacturers and shops don’t have oodles of money to spend giving out to sponsorships, simply because that money goes into RUNNING THE BUSINESS. This industry isn’t filled with high profit margins, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise. All you lowballers (who also have Selfish Poisoning) make it worse, by trying to squeeze every last dime of profit from shops, just so that your wallet stays fatter. I like getting a good deal as much as the next guy, but you gotta remember that as a consumer you get what you put in.

#9) Ali G Says: RE-SPEK. At the end of the day, it’s all about respect. You don’t want to be the “dude who we sponsored and wasted our marketing budget.” You want people to hold you in high regards, and speak highly of you and your capabilities. It doesn’t matter how much $$$ you’ve got into your car, how fast it goes, or how rare the parts are. If people don’t like or respect you, then you’ve got nothing. (Did that sound too Toretto-like?)

#10) Privateers owe nothing: The best part about paying for everything on your car yourself is that the only person you need to report to is: YOURSELF. So sometimes it’s better to just do it on your own dime.

But what do I know? Beats me (hope you brought salt grains). All I know is the value of making it worth someone’s time. If it’s not going to be worth the sponsor’s time, then I would rather not accept it. I gotta sleep at night, and having a clear mind is much more valuable to me than a free set of ______.

So when someone offers you free parts, and you know you can’t come through on your end of the bargain…what do you say?

NAH
I’M
COO.

My friend Jason Ng went to Japan the other week, and sent me this funny picture he took in an Up Garage. For those that aren’t aware, Up Garage is a shop in Japan that specializes in used parts. Looks like Pooh is puttin the mack down on Doraemon. Yowza.

On a side note, keep your sisters away from Jason. Last night, while at Ten Ren’s, the most giggly underage girl asked him for the digits. Tsk tsk. He didn’t even know about the show “To Catch a Predator.” Yeahhh….right.

…I go to watch Monster Jam! SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! (technically it was on a Saturday, but Sunday sounds better) It was raining and cold at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, but small price to pay to see some crazy trucks.

I am not passionately into monster trucks, but as a kid I was, and when a friend presented the option, I thought why not. There are some new trucks since when I was a kid, but they still had Gravedigger (well, one of the many) out there.

This Escalade body monster truck had spinners on the wheels…on MONSTER TRUCK SIZE wheels. Bad ass.

Due to the layout and size of Angel stadium, they weren’t able to set up any crazy stuff. I wanted to see trucks go over 5 cars at a time, but oh well, they still got sick air regardless.

They had competition first, then later did freestyle. This Donkey Kong truck blew the rear passenger shocks mid jump and looked like a 64 impala with the gangsta lean. But it was even cooler when the trucks were…

…FLIPPING OVER! Get some!!!