Paolo Agcaoili | Bigger Than E-Fame

“I’m over it.” Paolo sighs to me as we have a first class breakfast at McDonald’s after our morning shoot. As much as he loves his AP1 and how he’s built it, I get the feeling that he misses the ease of use that his prior EK builds had given him.

When he scrolled through his Instagram to show me his two previous Civics (the red and blue EKs), I couldn’t help but think how his current “hotboy” creation is such a departure from the simplicity of his hatchbacks.

I’ve always thought S2000s without a rear wing/spoiler look a little empty. Paolo’s gone full send with the big wang.

The car is a fusion of the names you see aplenty on the “littest” builds scattered across social media. A bit of Voltex here, some Js Racing there, rolling on CE28s… The car is a neck-snapper, for good or bad. You either love how flamboyant it is, or you despise it for its obnoxious nature. Your opinion may be conflicting to your friend’s, but an overwhelming certainty is that this car has been a huge carrier of the SHC flag, an initiative that transcends the e-fame nature that this car screams.

These wide fenders, providing really aggressive front quarter shots…

He tells me, “it wasn’t even my idea in the beginning, the Melbourne boys made me do it”, trying not to take credit for what is now a source of belonging for so many young Sydneysiders. A trip down with his mates down south to attend Honda Network paved the way for the what would become one of the few sparks in Sydney’s community today. “All I wanted was to create something that could host the Melbourne guys when they came up to Sydney”, Paolo says when reflecting how SHC took its first steps. WTAC 2018 was the supposed date for Paolo and co. to host the Melbournians, but Paolo admits that “it was way out of the comfort zone”, and they were “too intimidated”.

The heyday of Club ITR and OzHonda continued to run through his mind though, and as an enthusiast in his mid-20s, reminiscing the “good old days” was a daily occurrence. The commoditisation of car culture in the 2010s had sucked a lot of good people out of the community, so Paolo and John Huynh realised that their comfort zone had to be breached. If they wanted to be involved in a community they enjoyed, they would have to create it themselves.

If you wanted a halo car for Honda, it would be the S2000. Not as inaccessible as the NSX, but significantly over-engineered compared to an Integra or Civic.

“New Year, New Me” was probably the motto John and Paolo carried into 2019 as they founded the Sydney Honda Club. “It was just a small group of friends coming to catch up” Paolo tells me of the early days. Inevitably, the +1 culture that is prevalent in meet ups led to SHC exploding in popularity through 2019, moving small circle meets to EOMMs that those involved with JDMST would be proud of.

Three months in is a short time for anybody to consider an initiative to be a success, but what Paolo and John had put in place was something that people had been crying out to be a part of for quite some time…

“It’s about the driving experience, bro.” – Honda owners getting gapped by MK6 GTIs

A disappointing trend that Paolo and I discussed during our morning shoot in Doonside was the proliferation in people entering the car community as a means to become an influencer and build clout. The size of your following, the mod list on your vehicle and the sponsors you slap on your vehicle and tag on your bio, the key focus that so many builds concentrate on in 2020.

What this has created is an incredibly condescending energy in the community, particularly when it comes to vehicles that attract a younger demographic. Social media and virtual communication doesn’t help, talk online will almost never mirror talk in person.

Loved shooting my own vehicle from this angle, glad to see @fmzvisuals appreciates the rear booty of an S2K too…

SHC forms the bridge between the forums and ecosystems of the past, as the reference point for new members of the community as to how and why people build cars. Is this nostalgia and hanging onto an outdated past? Or is there merit to the fact that every Tom, Dick and Harry concurs that being an enthusiast was a significantly better everyday experience in the past?

Paolo puts it best, “sometimes it is a little intimidating look at other builds online, which makes meeting in person so much better because 99% of the time everybody is down to chat”. There is an element of trust and removal of layers that face-to-face communication gives.

We had 90% of the shoot done and suddenly Paolo remembered he had the “flex” plates in his boot. VOLTEX.

It has become a safe haven for enthusiasts, so much so that in just 18 months SHC has just secured a standalone spot with The Artistry in Mascot. COVID-19 may have downed activity for most in the community, but it was an opportunity to explore something more permanent and structured. Paolo notes, “a private venue was sought out so so that we could congregate in peace instead of at a public place which can be intimidating to the general public and authorities”.

What SHC now has moving forward for the foreseeable future is consistency, safety and a strong physical foundation to build on. While the online community continues to grow, a physical presence provides legitimacy and an activity to work off. This is what excites Paolo the most, “the anticipation of having a physical space provides so much more potential”.

We’ll be seeing this car a lot more moving forward… Congratulations to Paolo and John for creating a positive community!

It’s important to note that Paolo doesn’t see SHC as a brand or believes he is a social media mogul. Everything is community-centric, any products/merchandise sold is delivered at cost price, while moving into the space with The Artistry required the leveraging and negotiations of his networks. In fact, he says that he’s quick to remind himself and those managing the group of their disgruntlements at those that used to do the same, “we can never become like the ones that use communities to feed their builds”.

Today’s car community needs more people like Paolo (and John). The good times should keep coming, more power to them!

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