Operation Hawaiian Hemi

I’ve never been one to make long term plans. I prefer instead to go where my intuition takes me and trust my short-term situational awareness. I do, however, have a basic list of shit that I want to accomplish and one of those items is something I’ve talked about a lot – ending up on an island in the Pacific. Namely, Kauai.

Inevitably, the question always comes – How in the hell are you going to Hot Rod on a jungle isle?

The thing about Hot Rodding is that for the right kind of person, it always finds a way. We literally have hot rodders all over the world and in places much more hostile to speed than Hawaii – Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and… Hot Rodding finds a way in damn near every corner of the planet. It’s a beautiful thing.

And today, I bring you an example of exactly that.

A few months back, a good buddy on Kauai sent over a very typical text that every hot rodder has gotten at one point or another:

“Hey did you see that guy on Craigslist selling the Hemi? I’m thinking about heading over to the east side to check it out.”

Not long after, Steve loaded up in his Wagoneer and headed to the other side of the island to check out a big ass motor. Lucky for us, he brought a camera… and some cash…

Now, while you look at these photos I want you to think about a couple of things. First, Steve and this Hemi are on the island of Kauai – one of the smallest and least “developed” islands in Hawaii. Second, Steve doesn’t have a truck. All he has is his surf wagon and the determination it takes to hot rod under any circumstance. With that in mind, enjoy the fruits of Steve’s labor and conviction.

At it’s very core, gentlemen, this is pure hot rodding. And the best kind of it…

Editor‘s Note: Also, fellas… If you are into music, Steve has a show on Friday nights that you should probably be aware of. The show is called “Solid Action” and it features recordings of the counter culture from a number of different periods. To put it bluntly, it’s dope… and Steve is probably the best island DJ in the world.

You can check it out and get more details here.