Vladimir wrote one of my favorite Speedhunters movies of all time last year.

It’s all in the details: experimenting with macro car photography was a relief for me. It was not only fun to read how a colleague approached our world from a different perspective, but it also resulted in beautiful photography.

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Click the link above and dive into that article – it offers a change of pace from regular programming. However, if you’re feeling lazy, let me summarize: A macro lens allows you to get incredibly close to your subject and take highly detailed photos with a wide, flat plane of focus. Think about that crunchy one National Geographic images of tiny spiders in the jungle – yes, macro lenses.

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Unfortunately, Vlad’s article disappeared from my memory after a year and a half of daily car content – until recently, when I got my own macro lens. To be honest, I bought it mainly to scan my 35mm film photos.

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As I was driving my BMW 740i, a story idea popped into my head. Over the years and countless heat cycles, the interior wood trim on this model can crack – which is exactly what happened to mine. There is a small crack in the gear knob, I can feel it, but I love it as a sign of my car’s age. Let’s call it ‘patina lite.’

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Other little details I love include the ‘BMW Individual’ badge that I recessed into the E39 sports steering wheel myself. My car is one Individual, so no accusations of up-badging here, but the badge is from a newer model.

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And then there are the titanium wheel bolts on my 19-inch AC Schnitzer Type II Racing wheels. Not only do they look great, but I also made sure that each bolt is aligned, facing north, towards the center of the wheels. Call it compulsive behavior if you like – my spare tire in the trunk is the same.

My lens purchase reminded me of Vlad’s story. So when I was invited to a small end-of-season gathering, I decided to explore other people’s favorite details.

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Dan and his B16 swapped Mk1 VW Golf

“It is incredibly rare to find a 40 year old car with the original dealer plates,” says Daan. “I think it shows how original – apart from the engine and a few parts – the car is. It seems to be a detail that Mk1 enthusiasts point out when they look at the car.”

“The interior is completely original, so finding seats was the most difficult part of this build. I was about to give in and redecorate some more modern chairs when these showed up on Facebook Marketplace. They hit the nail on the head, Cobra SL5s from the mid-80s.”

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“I bought the Golf after the death of the original owner’s wife,” And remembers. “Shortly before his death he reversed into the garage and caused that dent. He bought a new light and just slapped it over the damage! It’s a story related to the car, and I got it from that same garage. It feels wrong to erase it from his history.”

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Brayden and his static Lexus GS

“Apparently there are 24 pairs of these fantastic eyebrows in existence,” says Brayden. “I got these before I bought the car even though I already knew what they were. They were auctioned at a demolition company in Japan, on a completely black GS. The driver’s side was broken and needed to be repaired.”

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“My catalytic converters were stolen on 2/22/22. Of course I was smoking – the car sounded like a bloody tank! I only had coilovers and LS430 wheels at the time. I did have a full Artisan Spirits body kit that I wanted to install, but the exhaust ports were way too big for the factory exhaust. So instead of my original plan of getting rear boxes with dual tips, I went all out and bought a full 2.25-inch stainless steel exhaust system with rear exhaust. Tucked higher than factory, sports cats, X-pipe and high-flow rear lockers with dual 4-inch tips.

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“One day a friend mentioned that he knew this guy who made some one-off switch buttons inspired by the graveyard ring with chrome hearts. I said, ‘count me in’ and then completely forgot about it. A few months later Ryan texted me that the shift knobs were done and he would have them transferred. What a surprise! The best part is that Ryan and I have the pair. I am happy that I can match with my brother.”

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Ghaleb and his BMW E36 drift car

“What are your favorite details,” I asked Ghaleb. “First of all, I love wood in cars, it has a kind of ‘gentleman racer’ aesthetic. Two, when I first started drifting there was a list of ‘cheap things’ you could do to get started: buy an E36 for £500, E34 engine mounts and an M50 manifold for £20.

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“If you want a handlebar you can get a used 370mm wooden Nardi from an MX-5 V-Spec for £60. I learned to float on one of those wheels, and ever since I floated best on a large wooden wheel. Finding a matching wooden gear knob is just part of that.”

“The yellow headlights are similar as you used to find them on old-school Le Mans race cars and old French performance cars. Not to mention Japanese cars with yellow fog lights! I like the presence of yellow lights on a car at night. The yellow lights on my Boston Green car remind me of the old Lotus F1 color schemes.”

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“The GT Class II spoiler is another detail. I love the E36 M3 GT and I want mine to be as close to it as possible. I also love Nissan S14s, and the Kouki had a similar center spoiler. But when I had an S14, they always eluded me!”

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No matter your taste in customizations and style, there are bound to be details on your car that are special to you. They don’t have to be upgrades or rarities; Like the cracks in my woodwork, they can be imperfections that you love.

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I’d love to hear the details that make your car special to you. Share them in the comments!

Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world

By newadx4

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