“California hot rod style,” is how Daniel Jose of Nanakuli describes his ride. This 2001 Chevy Silverado was built for the Ultimate Showdown this year at Aloha Stadium.

Evan Balderama is a construction worker who blows off steam by working on trucks with a lot of help from his friends. He acquired his current ride — this 2003 Chevy Silverado extended cab — after he went to a car lot and offloaded a Jetta.

Carmelo Diaz of Ewa Beach is always “seeing red,” which for him means anything but the rage that many associate with the phrase. Diaz, 26, has never owned a car that was not red…

Track cars are ugly beasts. They’re broken in, scarred and exhibit a menacing stance. Drivers know their every nuance and trait while pushing them to the limit.

Justin Whaley is just 17 years old, a student at Kamehameha Schools, and already he drives one of the sickest Corolla SR5s on Oahu’s roadways.

The Boss 302 is a legend. The name harkens back in the heady days of Detroit muscle when Ford was creating hopped up pony rides in an effort to defeat its rivals in Trans-Am Racing.

Ronald Shidaki Jr., better known as “Daki”, is already on the fast track to lowrider heaven. Although only in the scene for three to four years, Ronald has fully integrated himself into the community.

Back in 2000, the 7th Generation Celica was Toyota’s attempt to attract the younger market and introduce the new 2ZZ-GE engine that featured the automaker’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift control with intelligence (VVTL-i). It was comparable to Honda’s VTEC system with one small caveat…

Phillip Godinet’s first introduction to the automotive scene was a Nissan 240SX at the age of thirteen. I’m sensing a pattern here with a majority of our Street Pulse features…they start young.

One of the great things about being an auto enthusiast is that no matter the distance, it’s our passions that bring us together.