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"It's all you can think about sometimes. What are you
going to do next? When are you going to do it? It's very addictive,"
he said. "There's nothing that I haven't touched in the
car."
He had customized former vehicles-a '97 Jeep TJ and an '85
Ford Mustang 5.0L coupe-but not to the extent that he has
modified the Focus. "For every car that I own,"
said the 30-year-old father of two, "I try to put my
own style into it."
Carmelo's style has earned plenty of accolades. Among them:
three nods for best Ford Focus and one each for best low rider
and best display at Sport Compact Nights in Winnipeg and Saskatoon,
as well as Cruise of the Week at The Pony Coral. He has entered
World of Wheels for the first time this year.
Carmelo stumbled upon the Focus by chance. He was looking
for a truck when he spotted the hatchback in the dealership
showroom. He figured his choice to go Ford made the car unique
since most people do up Hondas. "That's what I like most
about it-it's different," he said.
Carmelo's original vision to produce a rally-inspired design
gradually shifted toward a low-rider concept. He's particularly
proud of the air-ride suspension. Instead of hiding the valves
and tank, he had them mounted in the trunk to show them off.
"When you put it to the ground, it's almost touching
… I don't think I can get my hand under it," he
said. "You can play with the car. You can make it dance."
He said he would probably never sell the car, and would be
hard-pressed to find a local buyer since the Focus has become
part of his identity, so much so that strangers recognize
him at the gas station or grocery store when he's not behind
the wheel. "People come up to me and say, 'Don't you
drive a Focus?' I'm like, 'Who are you?'" Carmelo said
with a chuckle. "Everybody knows it's my car."
He said the modifications went smooth with no surprises and
he's happy with the current product. Yet, the transformation
continues, with the installation of DTM drop mirrors and a
D-shaped, yellow and black steering wheel. He won't stop anytime
soon. "It's never-ending," said the computer technician.
"Every year I add something, little pieces here and there-what
I can afford. It's an expensive hobby."
Even more so since the couple had to buy a third vehicle-a
Suzuki Sidekick that Carmelo promised to leave as is. Their
"second car," now a showpiece, is not exactly suitable
for Winnipeg winters.
"When I first bought it, it was a fun car to get around
with," he said. "Now, it's an even more fun car
to get around in."
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