The Owasso Car Scene
By Samuel Hays
You may have seen some pretty sick rides driving around Owasso, and maybe you’ve seen some car shows here too. It’s hard to spot them, but you’ll know when you see a cool car based on its engine noise or even paint scheme. There’s a whole community that revolves around, you guessed it, cars! How does a vehicle that’s meant to get you from point A to point B inspire a whole community of people? Working on a car has become a hobby for many car enthusiasts. It’s a passion for them, and when a bunch of people with the same passion meet each other, it’s easy for them to create a community.
Photo of a car meet taken by Ernesto Miramontes
Aidan Golden, an Owasso High School Alumni, proclaims “I've met some new friends (like Luke with the white RX7 FD) and it's nice to see and follow along with how everyone is growing, not only with their builds but where they're going in life as well.”
The Owasso car community revolves around the same passion, so it’s easy to meet new friends that are willing to help each other out with their cars. They enjoy working together because it makes the process of fixing up a car faster and easier.
Photo of the FFA car show taken by Jim Davis
“The most important thing is bringing the community together, meeting new people and making new friends through our shared love of cars, and ultimately supporting each other in the process,” Golden explains.
When difficult repairs take a toll on these car owners, car guys like Golden are more than willing to support others in upgrading their cars. Owning a car that’s 20+ years old isn't as simple as you think. Parts start to break, and Owasso car fanatics are faced with difficult dilemmas in trying to keep their car running and in good shape. For example, if you don’t know your car very well and don't want to take it to a shop, then what do you do?
Golden says, “I've gotten some good advice on my car (i.e. head gaskets, which are already fixed), as well as given advice too,” Golden remarks. “And that goes to show that the community cares about other people, and they want them to succeed and not fall into the same pitfalls that other people have fallen into.”
Photo of Aidan Golden’s 1989 ToyotaSupra, taken by Keith Thompson
Sometimes fixing a problem on your car is harder than looking up a simple YouTube video or a Google search. When an inexperienced car guy meets someone who has gone through the same problem they are having, they can work together to fix it.
“My dad has helped me install parts on my car, and I've helped my friend do a lot of work to his 4runner, too,” Golden explains.
The older generation car guys usually have classic car shows every week at the QuickTrip on 86th street. Even in their differences, the younger and older generation of car fanatics are able to learn new things about cars and pick the minds of more experienced people, developing positive relationships and building a good community.
Golden continues to explain, “Since a lot of teenagers and young adults are into JDM (Japanese Domestic Market), having a JDM car show would get a lot of attention, which could be the bridge needed to achieve a safer and more connected community.”
Photo of a car meet taken by Ernesto Miramontes
The Owasso car scene has done a phenomenal job of accomplishing this. Local car meets and shows always shine a positive light on the car community, inspiring others to get involved by putting their passion out there for the rest of the community to see.
Owasso car meets have a positive impact on the community, from helping other people fix their carsto inspiring new car enthusiasts to get involved. It's beneficial to have a few friends who can help you while you're working on your car. That’s the power of a small community; people get to know each other and connect all because they share the same passion: cars.