After more than 20 years, posts here will now only be occasional ( |
| First Buenavista del Norte Tuning Car Meeting |
Well, this was something very different in our little rural backwater; Buenavista's first "Concentration" of Tuning Cars, which was held on Saturday in the main street and the square - usually the scenes of more pedestrian pursuits, such as traditional fiestas and romerias, horses or herds of goats at the annual fiesta of San Antonio each January. But even rural backwaters have to move with the times, and a goodly number of curious spectators had turned out by early afternoon to contemplate the couple of dozen vehicles on display, listen to engines being revved or buy tickets for the raffle.
So, here, in a Secret Tenerife "exclusive" are photos from yesterday's gathering.
Tuning, was defined by La Frikipedia (now defunct) not very kindly, but probably quite accurately, as the "Contemporary art consisting in acquiring any type of motor vehicle and converting it into a species of totally afuncional and ridiculous intergalactic spaceship." And, no, I don't know why they couldn't find a Spanish word to describe it. (Although, a growing trend, the use of "ingañol" is not as common here as it is in North America.) Still, it's probably less embarrassing to "blame" it on the British or Americans with an English one!
La Frikipedia also listed some of the "artistic practices" that a tuning car is submitted to, amongst them, namely: "Painting the vehicle in florescent colours that the human eye is not prepared for." Hummm ... I think the sober green and blue number (pictured above) is pretty close to qualifying for that prize. As well as making the doors open up instead of swinging the normal way, this vehicle rose up off the road surface - not a bad idea, since there is not one single flat one on the entire island - and dropped back down again when parked. Both novelties being the reason it drew quite a crowd of easily delighted onlookers.
 |
| Exibit B |
Actually, it's a shame (or a good job, according to your taste) that I cannot include sound with this report, because never mid the vehicles, the road surface and most of the buildings in the street, were pulsating with the sounds of reggaeton.
Coincidentally, I ran across the following quote, "At the forefront of the reggaeton movement is Tego Calderon, who was at a loss to describe why the mix of salsa and hip-hop, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and reggae is so popular." He may have been at a loss, however, tuning and reggaeton seem to be made for each other. Both equal in terms of subtlety and the latter is ideal for showing off the full capabilities of those expensive sound systems. (If the bodywork can take it.)
What else do we need for an authentic tuning car?
- Change the tyres for enormous rubber rollers.
- To include all type of ailerons and fins, each one with its corresponding illumination.
- Change the exhaust for a fatter one, preferably from a tractor.
And, naturally, one has to drill holes in the exhaust manifold.
 |
| Surprised cat sticker on a car bonnet |
"To fill any free space with stickers." If you can't quite run to the whole customization job at the moment, you can always begin with something like this rather surprised looking cat on the bonnet of an otherwise normal(ish) saloon car.
We probably should mention that La Frikipedia (also not very kindly, but in reasonable truth) pointed out that the "art" of tuning is generally performed by a specific group of young persons known as canis. You'll most likely not require a translation to recognize this species as being a close relation to that champion of good taste, his British cousin, the chav.
It's simply all part of the current youth culture - every generation has one - which allows them to express their individuality with rigorous conformity. :)
Extracting our tongue from our cheek finally, the positive aspect to this is that there is enough yoof in the local area to support such an event. For many years, they'd been leaving to seek work in other parts of the island, so the area became rather top-heavy in old-age-pensioners. We like that there's some life back.
