Thesis Paper
HighNLow is a movement that revolves around the idea of combining two cultures that showcase the latest and greatest cars that push the limits in both directions; high and low. A community based around cars has never been anything new. Over a hundred years, consumers of the automotive vehicle have been creating shows to strut the man hours they have put into their vehicle. Whether it is a ten-person meetup with close friends in the back of a grocery store or at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for the New York International Auto Show, people will do whatever it takes to show off their vision to others. The ability to create is always there, so why not create for a good cause? Creating a car-based gathering movement could be looked upon as materialistic and monetary, but wanting to use that sort of power to benefit businesses, help reduce personal issues within one another, and affecting large amounts of people through charitable events can lead to positive steps towards creating a larger community.
So, where did the idea of HighNLow come from? Over the two dozen years of life, cars came into it and never left. Whether it was the start of The Fast and the Furious franchise in 2001, or the hundreds of Hot Wheels® that I still collect to this day, I was constantly influenced by the art of the automobile. What I want to create is nothing new, but it is considered different. One hundred and seventeen years ago, showing off cars became a form of art. “On November 3, 1900, America’s first national automobile show opened in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Manufacturers presented 160 different vehicles at the first national automobile show. About 48,000 show visitors paid 50¢ each to see the latest automotive technology. The most popular models proved to be electric, steam and gasoline…in that order” ("Cantankerous Combustion - 1st U.S. Auto Show."). This New York Auto Show is still very popular to this day, where hundreds of companies show off their brand-new cars and trucks in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Not all car shows show off the newest cars in the industry. For example, Raceway Park in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, “hosts car shows on a weekly basis that consists of domestic cars, import cars, trucks of all kinds, a party-like atmosphere, and a good time” ("Raceway Park."). This is the route that I want to take HighNLow in, but fine-tune it some more.
Over the years, the car culture began to disperse itself into a diversity of groups, but HighNLow consists of two specific subcultures which most car gatherings would never attempt because of how unordinary it is. This creation consists of high vehicles and low vehicles. What exactly are “high” vehicles? Any vehicle that has been adjusted to a ride height that is higher than a vehicle’s factory ride height is considered high. “Ride height is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the underside of the chassis; or, more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level surface, and any part of a vehicle other than those parts designed to contact the ground. Ground clearance is measured with standard vehicle equipment, and for cars, is usually given with no cargo or passengers” ("Translations for Ride Height."). To raise a vehicle’s ride height, whether it is a car or a truck, one must use some sort of lift kit. There are two different ways a vehicle can be raised. One way is by using a Body lift kits. “Body lift kits are designed to lift your truck or SUV two or three inches higher by putting a high-grade nylon spacer between the body and the frame” ("The Pros and Cons of Having a Lift Kit."). The other way a vehicle can be raised is by using suspension lifts. “Suspension lift kits are made to lift trucks as high as the owners will let them” ("The Pros and Cons of Having a Lift Kit."). Suspension lift kits allow for a higher ground clearance which helps accommodate for larger wheels and tires.
“Trucks have always been known as ‘work horses,’ and were created to make work a lot easier for those who could afford them back in the day” (Bagel, "The Evolution of the Lifted Truck."). So, when did people start to turn their work horses into a massive statement? According to Brian Bagel, writer for the Motoroso Blog, he states that “Lifted trucks came about in the middle of the 20th century, as massive wheels and extended suspensions were created during both World Wars for military vehicles, which were later used on regular trucks. Since war trucks and tanks needed to traverse the craziest terrain around without trapping or bogging down, advancements in suspensions and larger tires were made. By the 1970s, many large auto names were now offering 4-wheel drive vehicles, which was just the beginning of lifted trucks” (Bagel, "The Evolution of the Lifted Truck."). Depending on the area where people were living in, whether it was where severe winters existed or rough terrain, regular vehicles were having a hard time surviving in these conditions. “Many started to modify their existing trucks to ride higher to endure the harsh environment. Because heavily modified pickup trucks were growing in popularity, the sports of truck pulling and mud bogging soon started to gain traction and many truck owners started to create massive monster trucks to compete in such events” (Bagel, "The Evolution of the Lifted Truck."). As time went by, these dirt warriors started to double as daily drivers. Many people just enjoy the look and feel of a lifted vehicle to the point where it never even sees dirt.
The other half of HighNLow consists of low vehicles, but what exactly is considered “low”? Unlike high vehicles, any vehicle, whether it is a car or truck, that has been adjusted to a ride height that is lower than a vehicle’s factory height is considered low. Another term for a car that is low is considered stanced. “Stance is a term that defines an umbrella of different wheel, tire and suspension setups. The aggressive fitment movement got its kick-start among the Japanese domestic scene. Some stanced cars are lowered and modified to the point that driving them is a challenge, and they become more of a show car that turns up to meets than a daily driver or trackable ride” (Lagowski, "Stance 101: All You Need to Know."). An aggressive fitment often refers to the spacing between the wheel and the vehicle’s fenders. “In the stance scene, the more extreme, the better. Enthusiasts lower the car as far as they can while running wide wheels with negative offsets. Stance is all about pushing the limits of fitment, so negative camber paired with stretched tires are used to fit the wheels as close to, or right up into, the car’s fender” (Lagowski, "Stance 101: All You Need to Know."). When it comes to how people stance their cars, it is constantly evolving. In an interview done by Red Bull®, with Jordan Clarke, owner of a modified car culture clothing brand SlammedUK, and runs an annual stanced car event, Gravity, Jordan states that, “Pretty much every single car you can think of has been lowered with wide wheels, low-profile tires. So now, when people are building show cars or cars for the modified world, everyone’s trying to do something that’s not been done, or trying to find a car that’s not been done, and that is very difficult to do. Everyone is trying to out-do each other all the time with better wheels, wider wheels, lower cars, bigger engines, smaller cars. But it’s healthy, everyone enjoys themselves, everyone is trying to do different things. Sometimes someone does something different and everyone hates it, but it still gets attention” (Stuart, "How to Slam Your Car."). In this interview, he also touches on the idea of having a vehicle’s wheels at strange, nearly undrivable angles. “With aggressive offsets with a lot of camber, it is all about showing how tight a fitment you can get on a car, or that you can drive the lowest out of everyone… it is more about Volkswagens and trying to have as flush a fitment as possible, so the wheel is dead straight but sitting perfectly in the arches, with chrome, BBS-type wheels” (Stuart, "How to Slam Your Car.").
When it comes to how someone can stance their vehicle, there are many different possibilities; stretching tires, poking, hard parking, static, bagged, and tucked. The two most popular methods are static and bagged. Static cars are the most cost effective way on stancing your vehicle. “Static cars is in the very definition of the word itself, meaning they do not "move". You cannot air up over speed bumps or tune damping on the fly. This can pose its obvious challenges, but is also part of a static vehicle's charm” (Roxas, "State of Stance: Static or Air?"). Bagging is another popular option which consists of air that suspends your vehicle at different heights. This allows the driver to have an idea drive height and show height, but the vehicle is still low nonetheless.
The origin for the stance craze is very difficult to pinpoint. According to Ryan Lewis, a writer on The-Lowdown, he said, “The exact genesis of the trend is hard to pinpoint, with the essence of the style tracing back to several sources. I would argue that to say the Japanese did it first is not entirely accurate; same goes for the Europeans. Certainly, there were trends in both places that lent some techniques to the current movement, and they have had cars with a similar look in the past, but responsibility for the widespread popularity of ‘Stance’ lies with the market in the United States” (Lewis, "Culture: Stance, Fitment & USDM Car Scene."). For someone who does not understand cars, it can be simply explained as if they were clothes. Every couple of years, outfits begin to change with the time which are labeled as fads. The dictionary definition of the word ‘fad’ is, “a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group” (Dictionary.com, "Fad."). The car subcultures are the same. The United States can be considered responsible for the widespread popularity of the stance market. “Import culture in the US is now in its second generation. The first generation can be defined quite accurately by the scene outlined in the film, The Fast & The Furious. This glorified adage to import culture was heavily built upon the aspirations of many modifiers at the time. The scene there has come of age, and I would now say that the stateside import culture is in its second generation” (Lewis, "Culture: Stance, Fitment & USDM Car Scene.").
Over the last decade, my adoration of cars and trucks shifted to these two subcultures. With the right tools, anything is possible with these two car cultures. Someone could lift a car that would usually be stanced and stance a truck that is supposed to be lifted. The way some people in the world look at automobiles is the same way some people look at a blank canvas. Depending on the sort of artist you are, one can spend hundreds of dollars on supplies and create a masterpiece, or just use a pencil and paper and do the same thing. Cars are the same. Jordan stated in his interview that, “you can spend as little or as much as you want. I have a 500 quid Mazda MX-5. I’ve lowered it, put some cheap wheels on it and a big spoiler and I probably haven’t even spent £1000. But I’m happy with it, it’s a bit of summer fun and it’s what I wanted it to be. But I could have got it completely resprayed, wide arched it and spent 10 grand on it” (Stuart, "How to Slam Your Car.").
With how heavily used Craigslist and eBay are, car parts never have to be purchased at a full price. With thousands of part listings added each day to both sites, it allows for budget car-artists to get more for their money. Swap meets are another great way to get the parts that you need, or want, for cheap. Some car-artists end up putting so much money into their car that they end up with old, unneeded parts which they tend to sell off at car gatherings such as car shows. HighNLow car gatherings are also a way for local small businesses to reach their target audience with their products. According to Fundera Ledger, “About two-thirds of business survive 2 years in business, half of all businesses will survive 5 years, and one-third will survive 10. The longer a company has been in business, the more likely it is to stay in business — it is those first few years that are the hardest” (Schmid, "17 Statistics Every Business Owner Needs to Be Well Aware Of."). Becoming a vendor at HighNLow gatherings would allow businesses to advertise their products to their specific market for an inexpensive cost, which in turn keep them in business for much longer.
“Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population” ("Facts & Statistics."). The rise of technology and digital communication may have not interfered with social interactions, but it has created a new form of conversing which allows for people to not have a need to confront one another when speaking. “Anxiety refers to anticipation of a future concern and is more associated with muscle tension and avoidance behavior. Fear is an emotional response to an immediate threat and is more associated with a fight or flight reaction – either staying to fight or leaving to escape danger. Anxiety disorders can cause people into try to avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. job performance, school work and personal relationships can be affected” (Parekh, "What Are Anxiety Disorders?"). Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders out there. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “It is the extreme fear of being scrutinized and judged by others in social or performance situations: Social anxiety disorder can wreak havoc on the lives of those who suffer from it… Symptoms may be so extreme that they disrupt daily life. People with this disorder, also called social phobia, may have few or no social or romantic relationships, making them feel powerless, alone, or even ashamed… about 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder” ("Facts & Statistics."). Having close friends that grew up with this disorder pushed me towards wanting to help others. When speaking to one of my friends, K. Rumpff, she said, “Social Anxiety feels like a personal hell on Earth to me. If I was left in a room with others, my mouth would not move. I’d stay completely silent unless someone said something to me first, but even then, I would give short responses because of how anxious I would be” (Rumpff, K. Personal Interview.). When asked, in the interview, about a scenario where she was placed in a room with strangers that shared a common interest, K. Rumpff said, “I mean, it really depends… yeah, I would probably speak every once in a while. A common interest just makes me feel a little more comfortable…” (Rumpff. K. Personal Interview.). In an interview with Stefan Hofmann, the director of the Social Anxiety Program at Boston University, he said, “People are social animals, and we have a strong desire to be part of a group and to be accepted by the group. Social anxiety is a result of the fear of a possibility that we will not be accepted by our peers. It's the fear of negative evaluation by others, and that is [part of] a very fundamental, biological need to be liked. That is why we have social anxiety” (Khazan, "What Is Social Anxiety?").
What correlation does HighNLow, a car-gathering movement, have with anxiety disorders? HighNLow events can be a place where people, with any sort of anxiety disorder, can cope. With 40 million adults, 18 and older, affected in the United States alone, many of those people may be car fanatics, but fear the idea of showing up to any sort of event. According to Clean Culture’s Facebook page, their season closer at Dodger Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, “gathered over one thousand people” ("Facebook."). Clean Culture is a stance-gathering that travels all around the United States to get people together. What could the numbers look like for HighNLow where it takes two of the biggest car subcultures to create one? Numbers like that may scare off people with anxiety disorders, but if there are some people with an interest in cars, HighNLow would be a place where people could connect and branch out to others with the same interests as one another. Stefan Hofmann believes that people with social anxiety should face their anxiety. “What we do is called cognitive behavioral therapy, a non-medication option which is more effective in the long term than medication treatment. You try to identify what kinds of thoughts people have in these situations, what sort of drives the anxiety. Then you gradually challenge these maladaptive thinking patterns by asking people to engage in what we would call exposure practices, where they expose themselves to these situations repeatedly and for a long period of time so that they can realize that nothing bad is happening” (Khazan, "What Is Social Anxiety?"). Mr. Hofmann says that it is very effective. “We have a response rate of at least 75 percent. Alternative treatments to CBT are medication—primarily with SSRIs” (Khazan, "What Is Social Anxiety?"). People, who are not comfortable with confronting others at a HighNLow event, can follow the social media to track where the next event would be held to help face their anxiety one step at a time. Any sort of anxiety disorder cannot be cured within a day, but with HighNLow, there will be a community always willing to help in any way.
On the topic of always being able to help, HighNLow will also be a community that is revolved around being charitable. St. Jude Children’s Research hospital is just one of many organizations that allow for charitable fundraising. “St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. And families never receive a bill from St. Jude — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live” ("Cruisin' for St. Jude."). The specific fundraiser that HighNLow would associate with would be Cruisin' for St. Jude. “Riders and drivers across the country hold Cruisin' for St. Jude events to help in the hospital's fight against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Events range from shows to cruises, and include cars, motorcycles or other motorized vehicles” ("Cruisin' for St. Jude.").
Anyone, with the right motivation, can host their own car show. Hunter Chambers, a 16-year-old Junior in High School, hosted his first annual car show, in August, to raise money for children in need. “The car show raised money for Shriners Hospitals for Children-Northern California. Families enjoyed music, bounce houses, break dancing contest, and a chance to walk down memory lane as they viewed more than 100 cars on display” ("16-year Old Coordinates Car Show.").
Not all vehicle events have to deal with raising money. Many car shows are created to just to create awareness. The “University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s hospital” ("Caden's Car Show.") held a Car Show for Caden so that children and their families could take a break from their rooms in the hospital. “The event, which is in its third year, was inspired by 11-year-old heart patient Caden Bowles, who died three years ago on Sept. 11, 2013, while waiting for a second heart transplant. Caden was known for his contagious smile, keen curiosity and extraordinary love for cars” (Mostafavi, "Patient's Legacy Lives."). With nearly 70 cars, young patients were ecstatic to be able to leave their rooms to climb into all sorts of flashy vehicles. While the show serves as a tribute to Caden, it was also created to raise “awareness for the need for pediatric heart research and organ donation. More than 3,000 people in Michigan are waiting for an organ, with a national waiting list of nearly 125,000 people, according to Gift of Life Michigan” (Mostafavi, "Patient's Legacy Lives.").
Another university that uses car shows to spread awareness is Rutgers University. “How do you get middle-age and older men – a group notorious for avoiding doctors, checkups and health issues – to learn how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other brain health problems? Easy: Get them to a classic car show and sneak in the health advice between the cars and the car parade” (Capizzi, "RU-Newark Classic Car Show."). The idea behind the Classic Car Show and Men’s Brain Health Fair is to “teach older men how to protect their brain health and reduce their risk for Alzheimer’s disease, including tips on how to improve memory” (Capizzi, "RU-Newark Classic Car Show."). While the entire event is free, they hope that many will join Rutgers in the future as “paid participants and partners in our important Rutgers-Newark research studies, funded by both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the New Jersey Department of Health” (Capizzi, "RU-Newark Classic Car Show."). While dealing with fundraisers may be a difficult task, finding a way to spread awareness could help increase and expand a community.
Creating a car-based gathering movement could be looked upon as materialistic and monetary, but expanding in a positive direction can help create a larger community that consists of two different car subcultures. HighNLow can be a movement where greatness could be achieved through the people that take part in it. Merchandise for HighNLow would not need to be a necessity if your keys start for something with a lift or something with a stance.
Works Cited
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