Engines, Pavement, and Passion

There is probably no greater representation of the spirit of freedom than a set of sweet wheels, a full tank of gas, and an open road. It is no wonder that American’s love affair with cars has achieved legendary status.

It is a love affair that manifests itself in a bewildering array of forms: classic stocks; wildly customized statements of bold individuality; raw, full-throated power plants; and mind shattering bullets of speed.

From sea to shining sea in the USA internal combustion-powered trophies of every description devour endless miles.

Such devotion to the automobile could never be contained within the continental borders, of course, and military members, expats and contractors who carry the passion congregate and celebrate everywhere they end up in the world, including Okinawa.

The limitations of space and facilities on the island do not dampen the enthusiasm of the true fanatics, although what there is of the car culture is, much like an iceberg, unseen on the surface.

While there are a number of car clubs not all are open or even visible to the general public. Two of the better known are the American Dreams Racing Car Club and the Ryukyu Car Club Association, each with its own focus of interest. They both help sponsor shows on and off bases all over Okinawa.

American Dreams, with its motto of “Bringing American Muscle to Okinawa,” is drawn to ‘muscle cars.’ The originals were American made from the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, with humongous V-8 engines, torqued and tricked out to the max, and designed for straight out speed.

Along with the bigger models manufactured by the “Big Three,” Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, were the smaller, so-called ‘pony’ cars, which included the popular Ford Mustang.

Mike Hertz, a former USAF NCO and now a military contractor, has owned his ’66 ‘Stang for nearly twenty years. The fully restored 4- speed GT 350 H now carries a 302 V-8 generating 300 horsepower with a gear differential of 4.11. He is planning to upgrade his award-winning ride with a 500 horsepower aluminum head block.

Fellow club member Antoni Hairston’s muscle is packed into a ’91 Pontiac Trans-Am GTA, powered by a super-charged 350 V-8. A Knightrider fan, he has used his computer expertise to create a replica of the famous television show car with a functional electronic, talking dashboard.

The members of American Dreams are experts at finessing the bureaucratic maze involved in getting US cars into Japan and are always willing to help anyone interested in doing so. They also have sources for hard to find parts and reliable mechanics.

Other auto aficionados get revved up by precision built Japanese models, such as Brian Parker’s ultra clean and super zippy 2005 Subaru WRX STi Spec-C. Like many who are dedicated to their cars, Parker ordered many special stock features to further improve performance. In Parker’s case he went with huge Brembro Brakes, 12 liter intercooler sprayer, 18” SSR lightweight wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE0505A tires.

Some clubs exist for particular purposes, such as the Okinawa Car Club that delights in drag racing and ‘drifting,’ usually at circuits in Nago.

Other clubs emphasize their obsession with specific brands, such as BMW’s or Volkswagens.

Activities that attract the car crowds aside from shows where ogling is the norm include cross-country events and “poker runs.”

There are clandestine happenings usually known only to insiders and taking place far from sanctioned sites. Participants would be well advised to inquire of their unit commands if an event is ‘off limits’ to SOFA status personnel.

As Brian Parker stated, “We hope that nobody does anything stupid that will make the rest of us look bad.”

A common thread that seems to run through all of those enthralled with the different aspects of automotives is the creativity, time, and money that they are willing to expend to make their cars top of the line.

One place to see the astonishing variety of vehicles in all their glory is the American Village Jusco parking lot around 2300 (11:00 pm) on the last Saturday of the month, especially if the weather is fair.