It seems like it was fate that my first ever mainland shoot would be for a fellow affiliate and close friend who has significant ties to the Hawaii import automotive scene. There are many of you that ask me quite often: “Whatever happened to TeamRice?”, “Have you talked to Justin and Lance (teamrice.org)?”, “What has TeamRice been up to?” It feels like it was just yesterday that the web-media scene was booming in Hawaii. A plethora of local websites fighting over car features for amazing cars popping up all over the state; hanging out with Justin and Lance to talk about cars and photography while glaring over Super Street mags trying to figure out how the hell Steve Demmitt shot all of his damn motion shots; the memories are endless… if only things would last. It was well over 5-years ago, but things change, people move on, college-life turns into jobs with no end in sight. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Justin in person, only the occasional chat on Facebook every once in a while.

For those of you who still wonder what ever happened to TeamRice, Justin left Hawaii years ago to pursue his degree in photography. He’s been living in SoCal, obtained his degree at Brooks Institute of Photography and has been working ever since. Lance is in Hawaii working hard and still owns his sick Accord Wagon. It would be great to see them start things up again, but they’re just at different points of their lives right now.  It’s best to just remember the good times; I can’t imagine how big TeamRice would be if they had continued on with their venture.

Last weekend I got a chance to drive up to Los Angeles from my stay in San Diego to hang out with Justin and his friends, eat awesome food, tweak on video games, and catch up on everything. I’ve been keeping up with his new project since it’s definitely something out of the norm. After letting go of his STi, he picked up a Fiat 500 Abarth. These little things really pack a punch with its 1.4L turbo motor. It has a nice growl to it and it’s just a fun car to roll in. The car’s stance is setup with BC coilovers and a custom set of Avant Garde Wheels that were made specifically for his car.  It’s also kitted with an Arqray carbon front lip, sidesteps and spoiler.  He actually has a lot more planned for his car, lots of custom parts, maybe I’ll be able to do a reshoot next time I’m in the area.  It was difficult to catch the essence of the car in photos, but seeing it rolling through LA was just an amazing sight. We were able to shoot at a few different iconic locations to add to this “one-off” feature. Hope you enjoy the shots.

Hard-parked on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

“Urban Lights” display at LACMA on Wilshire Blvd.

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