Let's not start sucking each others dicks just yet.

Ahh take some time off to see real kulture, live real kulture and build real kulture and then, like junk mail from the post office, the never-ending supply of CRAP keeps getting delivered. Symptomatic to the pro-street, street rod and muscle car culture, there is a trend that creeps into "our thing" that makes me want to hurl: "swordfighting" and "outbadassing". Like closet gay football players, there is a faction that likes to metaphorically slap cocks together to show how bad ass they are in this kulture. Its all about retarded NONSENSE like: who is driving their car first, who has the hardest chop, who has the top chopped first, who can make a car in 24 hrs... who drives the sketchiest car the to the farthest show with a motor held together with used condoms and cat litter, then gets stranded on the roadside the longest and one day many years in the future they return with a beard and 2 stone tablets with 10 commandments on them.
One question: WHY?
What was gained? Who gives a flying fuck if the hardest chopped, most dented, most likely to break down cars even exist? Its a full on analogy with what is wrong with sports today: the outbadassing and ridiculous contracts, rap culture style sport figure demands, have killed most sports. Football is headed down the path that baseball did and will never recover from.
Kulture wise this nonsense is rearing its ugly head too.
Conversely- how many times have you walked into a show and one or more cars just OWN the show? Unless we are going to different kinds of shows, usually there is at least one that makes you say:"THAT is a bad ass kustom." When you think of these select few cars, what grabs you about them? Is it a chop that is SO EXTREME that no human could fit into it? Perhaps the rust bucket that yesterday was sitting in the junkyard, and today is driving (only just barely). Maybe its the 6 figure "pay to play" car? Is it a rear side window that looks like a porthole on a boat because they couldn't figure out how to deal with the contour of the chopped window frame? The answer is "D" none of the above.
When you do see the kustom that moves you, its the worksmanship, design, clever engineering and the overall art of it. To me its the thing that you can't put your finger on but know that it makes the whole project look better. Strategy for this is simple, believe it or not: Take the time to build it right. The old addage about "if you dont have time to do it right now, when will you have time to re-do it?" definitely applies. If the new frenched tail light bucket doesnt feel right, then look at it for a week and then revisit when you arrive at the correct solution. Look at the flow of the car: Just because you want to SAY that you cut out 6 inches, doesn't mean that will make the car cooler than the perfect 3 inch chop. Improve the looks, not your "imagined" bragging rights. I guarantee you that the "bravado fuckstick" that just "owns" the place by the words leaking from his stupid mouth, may say how bad ass he and his car is, is getting made the fuck, fun-of by people who are really doing what he only CLAIMS to be. In addition, "biggest budget" only compounds the damage from shitty work. The car itself should own the show without saying a word because of the thought put into it. Rushing makes your car, and you, look stupid. But, if you are not working on your car because you are too busy swordfighting your teammates in the locker room or playing grabass, then time is not your friend. Pace yourself, set basic realistic timeframes with attainable goals, and build your car to your vision and STICK TO IT! If its not going to be driving soon enough for you, then buy a mild driver for now and then build your kustom in the meantime.
The everchanging plan will result in the neverending story.

I'll give you a hint: It ends badly.