Zucru

Mixed Menace, VenZon and The G are heading down to Calgary to represent the 204.

Both Brent and Shaun are featured cars for the show and should have an impact. See their feature writeups here.  Venzon will be unveiling his VIP inspired IS250.

Check out the busy winter for Mr. Venzon as this is what he has accumulated for the IS:

19″ Lxry Hanes w/ Toyo T1Rs
F-Sport Springs
Vinyl Black RoofL
X-Mode Grill
Full INGS+1 I Style Lip kit
Color matched Engine Cover
Junction Produce Fusa & Sirotuna
Junction Produce Neck Pads
HIDs

Check back for updates on their trip!

Name: Gail Tolentino

Username(s): initial_gt

Age: 23

Occupation: Team Leader - Corporate Contact Centre of Investors Group

Current Ride: Subaru Impreza 2007 2.5i SE

Past ride: n/a

How long have you been in ZuCru?:

I’ve been part of the crew for less than a year….I don’t quite remember the date I was asked to join the crew but it was within the last quarter of the year shortly after ZuCru got back from the Perfect 10 show from Fargo. I’m considered as the rookie in the crew.

What factors made you consider purchasing your current ride and why?:

I needed my car to be a daily driver in any Winnipeg weather, I needed it to be stylish, I needed to be able to have fun with it and overall, and I needed for it to have some meaning as I’ve never owned a car previously.

Just like many of us, at one point or another I’ve dreamt of owning a WRX or even an STi but when reality hit, the funds weren’t as readily available when it came time to purchase the car. It was actually my cousin and fellow crew member Ryan that first showed me that the GD style impreza’s offered an affordable non-turbo AWD sedan model.

I was immediately impressed when I first saw his old 04′ Impreza 2.5TS and what he did with it. This influenced me in a big way as riding in his car for many summers just showed the car’s potential and versatility in any driving condition.

When the time came for me to purchase the car, it was a no brainer, Subaru was the way to go. Though I originally intended to purchase a Subaru Legacy, but the Impreza 2.5i Special Edition package just gave me more bang for buck.

Do you have any plans for your car in the future?:

I’m keeping things simple with my car as I need it for a daily driver. I’m trying to pay off the car as fast as possible if you call that a plan……LOL……I’ve always been a fan of cars, but never been a mechanically inclined so my plans for the car are limited to more cosmetic additions than going for power gains. I’ve owned the car for almost two years and I’ve successfully crossed off a lot of the things I’ve wanted to do with it. Some loose ends I’d want to take care of include probably getting a new front lip, rear aprons, and a trunk lip. Lately I’ve been thinking of switching up my current wheels to something more like an 18×9.5 set up…but I’m not sure I want to deal with that headache…

Other than that perhaps maybe when the car’s paid off, who knows, STI swap? We’ll see….

What does it mean to you to be part of the ZuCru Team?

It means that when you’re out, family is always around…….literally….

Since I first got introduced to most of the crew members through my cousin Ryan, I’ve gained a lot of new friends and contacts who I would have never met otherwise. I’m quite a shy person to begin with but being part of the crew allows me to surround myself with people who share the same passion and it’s always a good time.

You’ve only joined ZuCru for a short period of time, what can we expect from you as a member of our Team?:

The obvious thing to expect from me is my creative side and that’s expressed through my photography and design ideas. I’m hoping to become more involved with the web team to keep the main site current and fresh if needed. My main goal I hope to contribute is that I’m here to capture ZuCru in a way that I don’t think has been done in the past. I’m here to document the progress of the crew and display it visually on a higher level, be it from automotive photography or through general portraiture. If I’m asked to shoot, I’ll do it!

Tell me about your second love “Photography”, how did you get started in that?:

In high school I became involved with a Graphic Arts class and that passion just never stopped. Though it was only for a short semester, it taught me that a good picture starts with a vision. I always had many ideas in my head but without a forum to express them. I was never that brilliant at drawing, nor was I amazing at graphic design so the next obvious choice was through photography.

I never really got into photography until only recently. After graduating College in 2005, I bought my first DSLR which was a Pentax IST DL. It was a entry level SLR which minimal functions which helped a beginner adapt to the fine points of photography. Though I bought the SLR in 2005, I never really picked up the camera until late 2006 when some of my friends wanted me to take out my camera to shoot pictures of their cars.

I needed an artistic outlet as my job doesn’t necessarily allow me to utilize my creative side. I decide to take photography to solve this need. So…almost 2 years later and here I am, no formal education with photography and I’ve been recently published in a nationwide magazine for PASmag.

If you could trade cars for a day with someone in the Cru, who’s car would it be and why?:

This is a hard choice as the crew has a strong selection of cars….i’d have to go with the obvious choice and pick Shaun’s GC8 for obvious reasons…mainly because I want to feel like a man like Shaun….

You do realize that since joining the ZuCru Team you have to be initiated, are you willing to do ANYTHING for us?:

Who knows? I’ve been recently watching a lot of Kenny Vs. Spenny episodes so it’s my way to prepare for the initiation………

Can you tell the readers something that they don’t know about you? any special skills?:

I play guitar occasionally and no, I’m not talking about guitar hero….but other than that, I’m a regular guy with nothing to brag about….

Any special shout outs you’d like to say?:

Just a couple to mention, shout out to Anna, her two cats Carey (aka Carebear) & Popcorn, Ryan for always bringing your younger cousin along, Shaun for helping me install ANYTHING on my car, Allan for hooking me up with Zu, Cliff for askin’ me to do this and everyone else from friends and family.

My good friend Amee is an AJAC - Automobile Journalists Association of Canada photographer and has done work for major manufacturers, PASMag, Banzai, Super Street, Modified Mag and countless other publications.

He’s starting up a new blog with tech tips and knows there are alot of budding auto photographers on this site.  He’s willing to give a hand and has asked me to get some questions to automotive photography tips and tricks.

So if you have a question, please feel free to post here and I will relay it back to him!

His website is:

http://ameereehal.com

Some of his work:

The cru has just obtained its newest flagship:

The real slumdog millionaire

Congratulations Nish on grabbing your M3.  Specs soon to come. Its been a while since ZuCru had a bimmer in its stable and this one is a stunna.

Nishynish, ups the game. S2K and a M3 in his own personal collection. There’s baller and there’s helicopter owning baller…

Formally known as DTP, DRIVEN 2009 returns to Winnipeg on July 25th at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.

DRIVEN combines the hottest cars, the hottest women and of course the hottest entertainment into a one day event.

The website is located at:

www.drivenshow.ca

Driven: Auto Culture and Tradeshow

Name: Allan Chan

Username(s): grandmasterchan

Age: I guess I’m OG.

Occupation: Car Show Director

Current Ride: 2002 Subaru WRX

Past ride: 1991 VW Corrado G60.

How long have you been in ZuCru?:
Founded it in 1998. Right from the very get go.

First, I’d like to congratulate you on your marriage last summer, how does it feel to be finally married?:
Thanks homie, I was probably one of the last few people who thought that they would be settling down, but when you find the right woman, you know right away. Totally loving the married life, as Homer Simpson said, and I quote: “”it’s like being married to my best friend—and he lets me feel his boobs.”

Tell me your experience buying your very first car?: I think going the VW/Euro route as my first car enabled me to do things a bit different and sway away from the norm at the time. I see alot of similarities between euro styling and OEM JDM styling in terms of less is more. My original first purchase was to be a 1993 black EG hatch as there used to be one in the city that ran on OZ Mitos that always caught my eye. Who knows where I would’ve ended up if I had started with that as my first platform. The Corrado actually enabled me to meet some of my best friends like current Zucru member Phuc and also helped me establish a good friendship with Richie Woo of Marigold’s fame in Winnipeg. Both guys have played a big part in my love for the scene.

Being one of the original ZuCru members, tell me how it all began?:
Back in 1998 my skateboarding friends Tony and Dan also drove VW’s, a mk2 GTI and a Passat. We decided to become a VW car club and named it ZuCru. Our first designs for a logo were done on a notepad that I still have at my parents place. It was pretty ghetto at first as our first real logo was developed on Microsoft Paint. If you look really close, the eyes that are on top of the U in the block styled logo are actually chili peppers that were lifted off of something way back ago.

Eventually I met Phuc who also had a Corrado as we were also members of the Corrado Club of America. From this point on we started expanding with the addition of some of his closer friends, Dennis and Minh. Minh eventually picked up a mk3 Jetta and the modding bug was hitting all of us. Staying true to form we all
tried to keep with the euro way of tuning of subtle mods coupled with performance mods with an emphasis on quality. We had grown exponentially and had new members which were honda based as we were looking to becoming big real fast. However, there was a split in the actions and we had some growing pains but the core stayed together.

Around 2001 things really started to take off. We had a new member in Kevin Chan with his built Civic and started to really participate in shows as a crew. This was the year where Cliff came in after showing off his Jaos equipped Pathfinder and Howard was just starting off with his Talon but eventually coming over to the VW family with a monster swapped G60 Golf. I think that this period in time was where things started to really come together as we had a good core of people who became really great friends in life. We were a bunch of guys who had a drive to succeed as we were all in the final stages of school and beginning stages of our careers. This commonality coupled with a love for cars and the mantra of quality parts instead of low budget knock offs really set our identity. Dabbling into motorsports such as autocross, drag racing and winter autocross increased our outlook for a balance of function and style. To sum it up:

ZuCru:
-Close circle of friends
-No shortcuts in life, work hard for what you want in life, drive for success in all we do.
-love of european and jdm cars.
-Quality proven parts on quality platform cars
-Balance of function and style. Must go with the show!

Most memorable moment in all your years in ZuCru?:
There’s just so many that I don’t think I could pick a most memorable moment. Some that come to mind, car tag on fall nights, when we went into the PCA scavenger hunt as team Strike Force, winning best team at SCN 2004 (that picture is still fresh in my mind), all the Xmas parties but especially the ones where Don and Lamska got inititated one night with the yellow snow and hot sauce twinkie. Can’t forget about Venzon getting an ipecac shot in his underwear. 10 years is a lot of memories.

What factors made you consider purchasing your current ride and why?:
My friends Raymond and Daniel had a pretty legendary Mazda 323 GTX in Winnipeg. They had me sold on turbo all wheel drive cars. I started to read up on them more and more. Came to find out about Mitsu
Evo’s and Imprezas and the mk2 Golf Ralleye. At this time, Gran Turismo came out on playstation and I instantly fell in love with the 22B and EVO IV. To this day, they are my most favorite iterations of these classic enemies and I still think I will own a 22B in my lifetime. I was actually pretty close in 2000 to buying a 2.5RS. However when the 02 WRX was announced for North America, I knew I just had to have one. The tunability and fun with this car still brings a smile to my face when I drive it. Like the VW’s I had driven, the subaru had a certain character. It was a raw kind of feeling that gives you feedback when driving it. Its hard to explain, but I think VW and Subaru owners know it when they drive their cars. Fahrvergnügen is the term.

Why do you think you were chosen to represent Winnipeg for SCN? and what qualifications do you have that others don’t?:
Oh boy, I often wonder about this too as I’m pretty grateful for having the opportunity to do what I love. I think it was a combination of quite a few things to tell you the truth. Knowledge of cars and being in the scene, I didn’t pigeonhole myself with only knowing about 1 genre of cars, I tried to learn about everything be it J-bodies to pure J’d out cars as SCN was looking for people who could also judge at events. Professionalism in terms of treating others how you would like to be treated, being sociable is another characteristic as a big part of this position was networking and being able to converse about more than just cars. Communication skills were also top notch because we would be forging relationships with our market and sponsors, I think being multilingual also helped as everybody on the team spoke at least more than one language. We had people who could speak English, French, Mandarin, Dardic, Malay, Russian and Cantonese. In addition one had to be able to deal with high levels of stress during showtime with an affinity towards detail oriented tasks and the ability to be a leader but also know how to work within a team. Above all being humble and personable were major contributors as well because nobody likes an arrogant know it all.

I hear you’re a HUGE HKS fan and have a sneaker fetish. what’s the deal with that?:
LOL. I guess the deal with the HKS steez is that back when I was in university, there used to be a yellow FD which had a Powered by HKS license plate frame on it. I always wondered if it meant that he was some sort of Hong Kong gangster and it got me remembering those 3 letters. Going again back to my friends Raymond and Daniel, they had everything HKS on their 323 GTX as they were foreign students from Malaysia who were well versed in tuning. All you had to do was open the glove compartment and there was a plethora of HKS electronics sitting in there. Their license plate was “HKS”. I eventually found their products to be quality parts with a heavy R&D behind them. The fit of their items were always bang on. How could you dog quality? I couldn’t. They’ve been doing it for how many years now? Its about as JDM as you can get. You pay for what you get and I’ve been nothing but happy with their stuff.

I think my sneaker fetish developed when I was in grade five. I was into Converse chuck taylors and had a turquoise pair and a fluroscent orange pair. I liked how the orange pair could be seen from 2 blocks away cuz they were so bright. Went on over to some skateboard shoes such as airwalks and copped some Andre Agassi Nike’s in hot pink and black when I hit junior high. I then started up with addias shelltoes as they became retro in the skateboard world. This got me going and to this day I still don’t know how many shellies I have as deadstock. I pretty much buy what looks good in my eyes now and right now I think its all about the dunk SB’s. Nothing too crazy in my collection but I think the Tiffanys are my favorite so much so that I wore them on my wedding day. Shoes make the man, sneakers make the individual.

Most people know you as GMC or grandmasterchan, how did you come up with a name like that?:
This is a funny one and is kind of an urban legend now. It all stemmed from this old school video game called Street Fighter. In its heyday it was played at every arcade, pool hall and corner store. I loved it so much that I even transferred schools so I could play against the best in the city which at that time were located at Daniel Macintyre Collegiate as they all played at the corner store. One day, I had played all day on a single quarter taking on players after players non stop and there was always a crowd around. I beat one opponent going untouched and when I won, the crowd was like “Whoa!!!!” and a kid in the crowd was like, “holy crap, you’re the grandmaster…you’re grandmasterchan”. From that day on, it stuck and I used it as my forum name. The acronym GMC just developed on forums as I guess the name became too long for people to type. To this day I get greeted as grandmasterchan or GMC and it still surprises me.

Can you tell the readers something that they don’t know about you?:
I’m missing all my front top teeth. I had them knocked out in a hockey game via a cross check to the face. If you read the Winnipeg Free Press article a few years ago on my bugeye WRX, the pictures have me not smiling and the reason was because I had just lost my teeth earlier that week.

Any special shout outs you’d like to say?:
I’d like to give props to all of my ZuCru family, Richie Woo, the DTP staff, Team SCP and my wife and best friend Cielo!

Name: Ryan Venzon

Username(s): venZon

Age: 24

Occupation: Composite Technologist

Current Ride: 2008 Lexus IS250 6MT

Past Ride(s): 2004 Subaru Impreza TS

How long have you been in ZuCru?: About 3 ½ years

How did you first hear about ZuCru?:When I first really started getting into cars I was searching for info on the Winnipeg tuner scene on the internet and it brought up the ZuCru website.  I was formally introduced to the cru through my friend Lamska.

What does it mean to you to be part of the ZuCru Team? and what have you learned so far?:Simple…  ZuCru = Family

No matter where we go or who passes through Winnipeg I hear the same thing time and time again.  “Your car club is one of a kind.  I’ve never seen such a tight group of people.”

You recently sold your Subaru Impreza and picked up a 2008 Lexus IS250, why the big change?: Well honestly I never thought my Impreza would sell.  Even though I took good care of it and invested a lot of money into her it still had high km and well its Winnipeg.  I put her for sale at a price I though no one would buy.  Then I had an offer on the table I just couldn’t refuse.  It was sad to see her go since I didn’t get to “finish” her but with all the impreza’s being imported from the US I was lucky to sell it for the price I got.

With the Impreza gone I knew I had to step up my game.  I was looking for something a little more grown up but still me.  Originally I planed to stay in the subie family and pick up a 2008 Subaru Legacy GT.  Somehow I started looking into the 2IS and joined a Lexus forum to get more info on in.  Once I saw some of the cars on there I was in love!  I’ve always been a fan of the VIP scene and the 2IS was a perfect platform for me to start my new project.

Tell me, do you have any big plans for your car in the future? and what are they?:
Don’t worry about it…

Many of us on the ZuCru forum have seen your superb photography skills, tell me how you got started in that and what you like most about taking photos?:
Well I’ve always wanted to get into photography but for some reason I was scared to take the plunge.  My cousin Gail just started last year and I’d always bug him to go for photoshoots.  He convinced me to get one and I planed to get one in the spring.  But before that my girl got me one for my birthday/xmas.  Thx Babe!  Right after I got it I got Gail to give me his 5 min how to take photos and have been learning from there.  I’ve only been shooting about 10 months.

What I like most about taking photos is that you can capture so much emotion and almost tell a whole story with one single image.

People tell me you’re a big drinker and can out drink most of us at the bar, true or false?and why?
Sure…  Why?  Because I’m Kool Aid Man!  Ohhhhh Yeeeeeeaah!  The funny thing is I’m actually allergic to alcohol.  That’s why I turn so red after one drink.  But I can drink with the best of them.

Can you tell the readers something that they don’t know about you?any special skills?: ok this is not really a skill but I once drank alcohol and ipecac together in one shot and let me tell you, that is one drink I will NEVER drink again.

Most memorable moment in all your years in ZuCru?:
One memory that sticks out was my first trip down to P10…  All I can say is F*ing RAGE!  LET’S PLAY SOME DICE!

Any special shout outs you’d like to say?:Shout outs to my homeboy Lamska for really bringing me into the car scene and introducing me to the cru.  DJ MM for helping work on my car countless times in my garage.  And of course MJ for putting up with my constant photoshoots and car shows.  Thanks for the awesome xmas/bday gift babe!

Local promoter Stephen Hua is a big friend of the ZuCru.  From his early begining as the owner of Sweet Escape, he has supported the Zu and to this very day we still park at the Sweet Escape parking lot on Portage Avenue and Dominion on Sunday nights.

He has supported the local sport compact/import scene by bringing in Sasha Singleton and hosting many events that we have all enjoyed.

Recently, Stephen’s club AM was broken into and equipment/cash were stolen.  Stephen was not insured for this.

In true Winnipeg spirit, there will be a fundraiser this coming Friday at EEC for Stephen.

Always a standup guy and straight shooter, we here at ZuCru would like to invite everybody to come out and show some love.

Stephen has done alot for Winnipeg in terms of making it a better place to live, so now we have to step up and let Stephen know that his work is not going un noticed.

Taken directly from the Facebook group created by ” We The People”

On Sunday, January 4th, Stephen Hua’s afterhours spot, “AM,” was broken into and as a result, he incurred a loss of thousands of dollars in sound equipment as well as a chunk of cash.

It is sad that this had to happen and it’s really a terrible way for Stephen to start this promising new year.
As many of you already know, Stephen is an amazing human being and I am proud to call him no less then my brother. He always helps where he can and his biggest contribution to date has been what he has done for us all in the Winnipeg club and event scene. For years now, he has put together events at every club and venue imaginable…even when he cuts a loss. His determination and loyalty to our scene is admirable and deserves recognition.

With this in mind, a few of us have decided to put together a fund raiser for Stephen as he was not insured for this loss. Everyone involved is donating their time and all that we ask is that you come and show some support this Friday at the EEC.

We have not put a cover charge on the night but we ask that you donate what you can at the door and anything will be appreciated. We are proud and thankful for the dj’s who have donated their time, music and skills to this event…DJ Diggs, DJ Hectic and DJ Alphagroove. All are fantastic at their craft and will provide the spectrum of sound needed for an amazing night.

Really, think about any event and any celebrity our city has hosted. As much as this is a business, I’m sure Sound Republic and Stephen do this for us, the people. Join the group and/or show your support by attending the fund raiser with your friends. See you there and here’s to many more events c/o our local promoters!

Fundraiser For Stephen Hua
Start Time:
Friday, January 9, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 2:30am
Location:
Exchange Event Center (the E.E.C)
Street:
291 Bannatyne Avenue

Hittin you right in your ear - DJ Mixed Menace brings us a new podcast for 2009!
It’s the new year, but it’s still a good time to reminisce on things past. This new mix brings some throwback tracks of the yesteryear… do you realize some of this stuff is more than 10 years old? Ahhh… they still rock!

Download it, sync it, bop your head to it….

download: DJ MIXED MENACE - MENACE 2 SOCIETY 6 (right click and save as…)

Tracklist:
1. Jumping - Ron Browz (M2S Remix)
2. Passin Me By – Pharcyde (M2S Remix)
3. Money In The Way – Bow Wow feat Lil Wayne
4. Lets Just Do It – Left Eye feat TLC & Missy Elliot
5. No Diggity – Blackstreet
6. Flava in Your Ear – Craig Mack
7. Everyday Rudebwoy – Kardinal Official
8. B-Boy Stance – Cassidy
9. 99 Problems – Jay Z (M2S Remix)
10. Doin It – LL Cool J
11. Drop It Like It’s Hot – Snoop Dogg (M2S Remix)
12. Juicy – Notorious B.I.G
13. The B Side – Notorious B.I.G
14. You Got It – NKOTB (M2S Remix)
15. Tonight – Gwop Boyz
16. Beam Me Up – Tay Dizm feat Rick Ross & T-Pain
17. Gonna Make You Sweat – C+C Music Factory
18. She’s a B*tch – Missy Elliot (M2S Remix)
19. Humpin Around – Bobby Brown
20. Shawty Get Loose – Lil Mamma (M2S Remix)
21. Touch Me All Night Long – Fonda Rae
22. Dangerous – Kardinal Official
23. Make It Last Forever – Ciara
24. It Takes 2 – Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
25. Big Girls – Bow Wow (M2S Remix)
26. Dangerous – Busta Rhymes (M2S Remix)
27. Phenomenon – LL Cool J
28. I’ll Be – Foxy Brown
29. If I – Justin Timberlake feat T.I

The Zucru Family would like to extend our warm wishes to you and your family.

Best of Luck to Everyone in 2009!