This is what horse power does to me. Perhaps it's in my dna. When I was younger my parents confirmed that I was indeed conceived in the summer of '79 at Dragway 42 in West Salem, OH.
I question whether I am human or part machine as my love for these magnificent beauties is considered alien by those that under appreciate the amazing art, curves, and sexiness of each classic car body. A masterpiece of history that tells a story of our past and often integrated with technology of today.
To work on, restore, customize, and drive some of these incredible vehicles has been a dream come true. An intimate relationship is formed with each ride when you familiarize yourself with each imperfection, each body line, every curve, crevice, and line she has. It's my job to work with my team and bring these machines back to life but even better than before. I see them from their skeleton and
often have to rebuild their bones before their bodies are repaired and put back together. Every step of
the way brings then closer back to life and they will once again live on for decades.
My stories about how I became a gearhead and hot rod enthusiast likely go back to the date of my
conception. Instead of building giant towers with my wood blocks, I made hot rod shops and race tracks for my Hotwheels cars. I remember having a set of cars that you could crash them and the doors would flip over. I was stoked because I could put them in my make believe hot rod shop and repair them to new. There were times I'd sneak my nail polish out and add stripes and layers of different colors to my cars as well.
When I was eight my parents gave me a secondhand yellow banana seat bike. I loved the bike but wasn't a fan of the faded and worn color. I bugged and bugged my dad to paint it hot pink with black pinstripes. I don't know if it's because he simply got tired of hearing me hound him repeatedly to paint my bike, or if he loved the fact that I was so adamant about customizing it. Either way, he
caved, but made me a deal. He told me if he showed me how to sand and prep it for paint and I did all the work, he would paint it my hot pink and put black pinstripes down it. I jumped up and down so many times in excitement that he knew my answer was a definite yes! I started early the next morning and about eight or so hours later, it was ready for him to mask and paint. By the next day my hot pink bike was done and I was the happiest girl riding it up and down the country dirt road.
My passion for customizing cars, loving horsepower, and returning to the drag strip drives me to incredible heights and creates new challenges for me along the way. I look forward to embracing the next few years up at the track. This late spring and summer I will do some practice runs and a few entrants in a 72 Chevy Nova that's currently undergoing an off the frame overhaul with one of the sweetest custom 'Kandi' paint jobs I've ever seen. We'll continue to work on my fox body Mustang to get it ready to strictly be a track car capable of producing some very impressive quarter miles times.
Stay tuned to my Facebook page and Blog for updates with this and many of my upcoming adventures and travels!
Kandi Blaze
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