January 2005 - KevShek (P11) |
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NPOC Staff COTM Staff Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Online Status: Points: 173 |
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Posted: 15 Jun 2007 at 11:48pm |
Congratulations go to Kevin Shek for becoming the first Car of the Month for 2005. It was a very popular choice this month to show some NPOC respect and give the honour to the Skymera, a true modified car and an inspiration for many fellow Primera owners. Well done Kevin, you've received many honours for your work on Skymera, how does it feel to receive Car of the Month from your home club? It goes without saying that recognition for your work is good, but from your own club, it is a bit more special. I hope this will give encouragement to those who want to do more to their car, and not be afraid to do it. Before we discuss Skymera, we'd love to hear a bit about yourself, your family and what else interests you. Well, I'm nearly 29 years young, married to my lovely wife Andrea. We have 3 children, Liam our eldest (aged 9), Adam (aged 6), and little Aimee (11 months). I'm self employed, run my own Chinese Takeaway (NPOC Discount btw!) don't have much time for anything else really as the business and family life take up most of my time. What I can do from home is to find some time to work on little projects for my car, which then turn into HUGE projects. I have my own work space, a variety of tools and equipment which allows me to spend some free time to be creative. It's this creativeness, coupled with the results of my labour which keeps me satisfied and interested in modifying. Can you tell us what first got you interested in the Primera and why you first began modifying it? I've always like the Primeras, it really started when a friend offered me a P10 eZX but at the time, I was too young to insure it and couldn't afford the car really. It wasnt until I became self employed, needed a bigger, newer car that the Primera became a possibility. Once I bought it, I loved it, as I knew I would, but just wanted to make it faster and better. It came to a point when i discovered that there was more to the car than at first thought possible. With the power of the net, I met a group of people who showed me just what was possible with the car, styling and performance wise. It was this that spurred me on. Everyone in the club or even outside of the club knows about the stigma that us Primera owners have, this gave me a good excuse to do what I did and to show just how good the Primera was. To show its true potential, to do something that Nissan should have done to begin with. At what point did you decide to move from the standard mod list that normally applies into going for something totally out of the ordinary and was Skymera always your vision even in the earlier days? I dont really know to be honest. I'd owned the car for about 2 year at this point, I'd already done a lot of styling (Stillen Front, Vectra rear diffuser, 22B Spoiler) but I thought I could do with achange. I did see an Infiniti G20 with the R34 headlights, but that was all he did, so I began to look into changing the whole front of the car, to make it stand out even more. I wanted the car to grab peoples attention, to create something thought provoking. There is a lot of respect for the R34, I just thought by doing something as drastic as this, it would achieve even some of that, and it has. You seem to always adopt a 'go for it' attitude even to monumental tasks, does anyone give you inspiration to do this or do you always work on your own? Most of the time, it's just a case of I need something or want something, the thing requires fitting, so I basically think of a way to do it, and to make it presentable. The ideas can come from anywhere, but they always start off in my head. I mentally work out how i can do it, try to draw some sort of plan, then apply that info hands on. Most things are possible when modifying, you've just got to think of a way to do it, like a puzzle, or a challenge as i think of it. Once the challenge is done, it give immense satifaction as you can see the physical results. This is where all the hard work pays off, and this is what drives me to keep going. This seems like a good point to ask for your spec list, hit us with it! Nissan Primera GT SR20DE 16 Valve TRANSMISSION & BRAKES SUSPENSION & WHEELS EXTERIOR INTERIOR ICE SECURITY That is some list!! Do you see the Skymera as a finished project now or do you feel that some more could be achieved? As far as I'm concerned, it's finished, but there's always room for improvement. I can still think of a few things that can be done but that will be left to a new owner as its time for me to move on, sadly. We've seen Skymera appear in magazines, could you give us your thoughts on how it felt to be approached to do that and also how you thought those features went? It was always a goal of mine to have the car published, it would be the final accolade. After doing all that work, I wanted to show the world basically, just to prove the point I made earlier. Outside of the club scene, the Primera isn't seen as a 'core car' which is often modified, I wanted to prove otherwise. Plus it showed others that there was a whole host of modified Primeras and a group thang going on. We all know that at this point in time, Skymera is up for sale. It must be a big decision for you to part with a car that has took so much hard work to perfect. Does this decision sadden you or fill you with optimism for the future? There's a mixture of both in this sale. I've put a lot of heart into this car, it will be missed, but I've decided that I must move on, and within that decisions, I have my own plans to do more in the future with other cars. It may not be as drastic as this one, but with each new mod to the car, it will still give me that satisfaction, gratification that I get when something is done and completed. In a way, this is my drug, this is what keeps me going. Finally, the question on everyone?s lips. What is next for Kevin Shek? Well, most people know of my plans for the Previa I currently drive, this is what I can see happening right now. It's my daily driver which I want to make a bit spesh by again applying things that no one has done yet. As for a replacement for the Skymera, I know what I would like, but unless I get it, it's pointless dwelling on it incase it dont happen. Thanks a lot for the interview, it's been a pleasure. We at NPOC give you all due respect for allowing your vehicle to be such a flagship for the club and we wish you all the best for your future projects. The floor is yours, you may make a speech and give thanks and shameless plugs! Firstly, I'd like to give thanks to each and every one of you for all the kind words and support you've given me over the years. It may be an end of a long relationship with me and the Skymera, but certainly not for the club. Over the years, I've grown to know and love (ungay of course!) many of you as you have provided a source of relaxation, comfort, and laughter for me. There are a few people who I've now known for many years, right from the beginning, whilst doing this and have become close personal friends, they know who they are. This kind of friendship or bond is priceless, not something i would just throw away, but would miss if I were to leave. So unfortuantely, I'm still gonna be around! "There will always be a Primera that needs to be modified". I'd also like to give sincere thanks to my long suffering wife Andrea who has put up with so much over the years. Despite her threatening to leave me as I spend so much time money and effort on my car instead of our relationship, she has stuck by me thru thick and thin. Finally, to all those who've helped make my car the way it is today, my sponsors, the guys/gals that do those little jobs for me which inevidably always turn out to be BIG jobs! CAR OF THE MONTH JANUARY 2005 - KevShek - SKYMERA Written By Stevie-Boy |
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