“Cliff Notes” - Shaun Cardinal, v1.8
Name: Shaun Cardinal
Username(s): DJ Mixed Menace
Age: 25. 35 if I don’t shave.
Occupation: Scary Cake Specialist, Engineer, DJ, Astronaut Space Cowboy.
Current Ride: 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS(Ti)
Past ride: 1989 Ford Escort LX Wagon (awwww yeahhh)
How long have you been in ZuCru?: I lost count after 8 years
You were part of another Car Club before you joined the ZuCru Team. tell me some of the differences between both clubs and why you chose to roll with ZuCru?:
You sure know how to dig up the goods huh? I used to be part of Team NR. A great group of friends (we’re all still friends today) with common interests in cars, DJing, etc. The biggest difference between the two was how hardcore ZuCru was. From holding shows, to showing in numbers on Sunday Night, ZuCru was huge. Over the years, we (NR) all eventually grew apart (college/university/moving away, etc). I was approached by Allan a few years after NR and was asked to join. From there the rest was history. ZuCru is my family. ZuCru is still as hardcore as the day I met them.
What factors made you consider purchasing your current ride and why?:
Watching Motorsport Mundial on the SPEED channel 10 years ago and seeing McRae toss his GC8 around the WRC stages sealed the deal for me. I wanted an Impreza before I could even drive.
A few years ago you did a massive overhaul of your current car, you renamed it an “RSTI”. tell me about the swap and what made you decide to take this route?:
Everybody loved the styling of the coupe, but it fell short on the power (everybody else in the world got a turbo version of the Impreza GC8). I knew I was going to swap it but didn’t know what route I wanted. I contacted Ian from Planet Motorsport in Guelph, ON. From there we discussed my options. I eventually settled on a rolled 04 STI from Texas. My car was shipped out and everything but the interior and 10mm track from the STi was swapped into my RS. If you’re going to do it once, do it right. I wanted lots of power, so there was no second guessing the STI. I’ve got STI power in a car 400lbs lighter. The 6spd gets some taking used to.
Do you have any plans for your car in the future?:
The possibilities are endless with this car. The only limiting factor is my budget haha. My future wishlist consists of a MATURE widebody, new paint, new super aggressive wheels, aftermarket seats, and a bigger turbo. No crazy interior jobs, I still have to fit a future baby seat in there when the time comes haha.
What does it mean to you to be part of the ZuCru Team? and what have you learned so far?:
What does it mean? It means everything. Friendship is the biggest thing we all have. I consider everybody on the team Family, that’s how tight knit we are. I learned that something one person does can affect the rest of the group. So I try to keep a positive attitude towards everything.
Most memorable moment in all your years in ZuCru?:
SCP 7 in Montreal. By far the most crazy trip I’ve ever had with the guys. From meeting the Team SCP crew, to partying in Montreal, to eating at all the different places downtown, to shopping. Montreal had it all. We still talk about it and plan to hit up SCP 10 this year (may trailer the RSTi out to compete).
I hear you have a collection of porcelain dolls in your mom’s basement, can you explain that to me, they’re not haunted are they?:
You suck Cliff. My dad loved antiques, including antique dolls. They’re probably worth a million dollars but I’ll never get rid of them. I’m convinced they’re haunted too, they probably sit there and hate on me from behind the glass.
Can you tell the readers something that they don’t know about you?any special skills?:
I used to break and was part of a crew..I’m talking Puma tracksuits and all. We called ourselves the 935 breakers. We didn’t have a name at the time so I asked what the time was…it was 9:35pm (we were doing 1990’s in the front yard when I asked)..this is how 935 came to be. We had 3 people in our crew haha. I was good at flares and broncos. My flares were so awesome, I got a girlfriend from it.
Finish this sentence for me, “Roses are red, violets are blue…”:
“Who you rollin wit? ZUUUCRUUUUU!!”
Any special shout outs you’d like to say?:
Big shouts to my loving lady Grace (I try to bust out a flare every now and then to keep her interested). She’s put up with my build for the last 8 years and hasn’t kicked me to the curb haha. Big shout to my ZuCru, Team SCP, Tintmasters, Friends who spent late nights helping me put the car back together (late nights at HPA, at HIN, P10, at Venzon’s shop aka “WHIPS” haha), Family, everybody and also copy my podcasts. I hear the DJ is pretty damn handsome.
Tags: Cliff Notes, Shaun Cardinal, ZuCru