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The Battalion
Page 3 • Tuesday, February 18, 2003
You are what you drive
Drivers everywhere express themselves through the cars they drive
By Nishat Fatima
THE BATTALION
Michelle Royder has dyed her hair a multi-
lude of colors, used safety pins instead of ear
rings and graffitied designer bags, all in attempts
to express her colorful qualities. A few years
and many experiences later, Royder has found a
more subtle, yet just as effective, way to express
her personality.
“I have always been the type of person who
doesn’t like to worry a lot, but loves to have fun
and be daring,” said Royder, a junior psychology
major. “When I came to college, I decided to
buy a new Honda Civic because I knew I had to
get a car with a reputation for being reliable.
Between classes, extracurricular work and my
social life, it would be one less thing for me to
worry about.”
Royder said although she wanted a depend
able car, she didn’t want to settle for any
ordinary vehicle.
“'When I got my Civic, 1 made sure that it
was bright red and that it was a two-door, for a
sporty look,” she said. “I got a lot of custom
details on it, such as body-side molding, trim
mers on the tires and a sun visor. I also made
sure that my car had a spoiler and a sunroof.”
Royder said she used different vehicles to
mark different stages of her life.
“I used to have a convertible in high school,
and it was a really cool and flashy car,” she
said. “I put a lot of stickers and a steering
wheel cover on it to make sure it stood out even
more. I chose not to go overboard with decora
tions on my new car because I’m a different
person now, and even my car reflects that. I
love the simple appearance of my car now
because it’s really sleek and fun but it still man
ages to stand out. I think that it reflects my per
sonality in many ways.”
For Keith Limpa, public relations representa-
Wor the Texas A&M Sports Car Club and a
jm geography major, his love for cars runs
deeper than just a hobby. Unlike Royder, Limpa
has always personalized his own cars as well as
friends’ and families’ vehicles, and isn’t about to
stop anytime soon.
“Not everybody gets the kind of car that they
want, but there are unlimited possibilities out
there to personalize them,” he said. “I used to
have a ‘99 Chevrolet Cavalier that I got for a
graduation present, and I would always wonder
what I could do to make it cooler. I decided to
fix it up, so I added an exhaust pipe, Borbet
wheels, and then used a body kit to make the
exterior look appealing.”
After he joined the Sports Car Club, Limpa
said, his strong affinity for cars soon turned into
an obsession.
“After I joined the club, I gradually began to
get more involved,” he said. “I started to attend
LORI GREEN • THE BATTALION
all of their car shows and autocross meets. I saw
that many of the other members had amazing
cars because of what they did to the interior
.parts like the engine rather than the exterior. I
decided to make my Cavalier a better racing car,
and added Koni socks, Hibachi springs, and
made it all adjustable. The Sports Car Club actu
ally gave me the chance to drag race in a legal
way, and that was my main motivation for spic
ing up my car.”
Limpa said that after 250 autocross meets
and $3,000 worth of equipment, he found that
his Cavalier wasn’t made for racing.
“I ended up blowing up my transmission in
December, so I had to break down the car and
sell its pieces,” he said. “I got a 1991 Nissan Z-
20, and started to go all-out with gear immedi
ately. I ordered a suspension from Japan, put 17
rims on it, got new tires, a new front bumper
and even new seats. I’m aiming to make it look
like an all-out racing car.”
Limpa said even his wife’s car got the race
track treatment.
“My wife, Lisa, has a 1995 Honda Accord
with a huge wing, clear lights, full sub woofers,
an Eclipse Aiwa MP3 player, Infinity Kappa
speakers, and it has been lowered to where there
are only about 2 inches between the fender and
the wheels,” he said. “It is a very aggressive yet
feminine car because it is a sky blue and silver
color. It really fits her personality.”
Ben Nathan, vice president of the Sports Car
Club and a senior petroleum engineering major,
said that when it comes to his MG, he spares no
expense.
“My ‘66 green MG convertible and ‘67 white
MG hardtop are my pride and joy,” he said.
“The convertible hasn’t even worked in five
years, but it has become a project of mine to
work on it and make it run. My primary vehicle,
the ‘67 hardtop, is a big amusement for me and
all of my friends as well, because it hardly runs
well, and I am constantly having to spend
money to keep it alive.”
Nathan said his car has proven to be more of
an amusement than a mode of transport.
“It has broken down at interesting times in
interesting places,” he said. “The second day I had
it, a girl crashed into it. Then after I had it for a
while and I finally got it to work again, it got hit
by a drunk driver in a parking lot. Right now I put
a new Ford 2.3 liter engine in it, added a new sus
pension and put full chrome tires on. It looks com
pletely stock and vintage from the outside, and it
attracts a lot of attention, even from the ladies.”
Nathan said despite the lack of dependency and
economy his cars have, he isn’t ready to trade
them in for a conventional set of wheels
anytime soon.
“Despite all of the hassle the cars give me, it’s
worth it because I know that they will work
smoothly eventually,” he said. “I think the reason
why I have stuck with them so long is because I
am a very stubborn and determined person, much
like the cars can be when they decide to die on
me.”
.1 Excellence, Access 8t
is grants if they attend J
institution,
by Sen. Rodney Ellis,tlK
iture created the prog®
) to cover full tuition and
public schools anddefraj
t private universities,
wn said it would talt
million, up from the cat
100 million, to meettki
ed demand for the granli
next two years. Undei
ed cuts, the board would
>4.8 million.
>, D-Houston, said It
the cuts would mean as
is 20,000 students would
ed college aid. He called
oposal “a full fronial
on higher education.”
LARIFICATI0N
the Page One story
“New top 40 radio sla
nts B-CS” on Feb. 17,
E 95.1 will officially
h March 1, and KTSR
vill officially go off tie
i the same day. KTSR
is owned by Bryan
(casting.
lLION
?hief
utsch, Opinion Editor
orter, Asst. Opinion Editor
•ow, Sports Editor
:nlaub, Asst. Sports Editor
Photo Editor
imon, Photo Editor
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a, Radio Producer
rbusch, Webmaster
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