August 2004

Grant Matsushige
(aka grantos)

Aloha, this is me? Who? Me? Yes, I'm totally blown away about being selected as a Durangoer Of The Month. This should be reserved for more deserving, distinguished people other then myself. However, since other people have been putting such efforts towards the betterment of the club, I figure I should at least help out when ever I can. So if they went through the trouble of nominating me, I suppose I should do my part.

So…who is me???? Hehe. Well, if you haven’t figured it out yet, this is Grant Matsushige. I live here on the Big Island of Hawaii where I enjoy golfing year round on some of the best golf courses in the world. I'm also an avid mountain biker. I take annual mountain biking trips to somewhere around the world.

I grew up on Oahu in a little town (not so little anymore) called Wahiawa. Graduated from high school and moved to Phoenix for three years and then moved to Southern California where I worked for six years. While there, I built test equipment for radars. I now work on one of the many telescopes atop the 13,796 foot mountain Mauna Kea. My background is in electronics (Electrical Engineering). I design, build and modify instruments used on the telescope and in the observatory. All of these devices are computer controlled, electro-mechanical pieces.

Prior to going off to college, I was a car nut. Well, actually I was like Tim Allen. I wanted to tinker and modify anything that had an engine and mechanics in it. I had my hands in many a hot rod as I was always working on someone’s car. I also worked as a locksmith and a lawnmower mechanic for a couple of years.

This being DOC related, I should talk about how I came to be a DOC person. Prior to my D, I was driving a Toyota Celica that I modified and drove with enthusiasm. I moved back to the Big Island and realized that the Celica just wasn’t going to cut it. I needed a vehicle I could haul people and “stuff” to many places. In April of 1999 I took a trip to Augusta, Georgia to watch the Masters Golf Tournament and rented an SUV. Guess what, it was a Durango — a black, 2wd model. I drove it through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. I watched the Masters, played golf in Myrtle Beach & Charleston and had many, many miles of fun. When I got home, I told myself I had to get one so I started shopping. I wasn’t too picky. I wanted 4x4, probably a bench seat, so I could squeeze yet one more person in if I had to, and I didn’t want black (blue or white in that order.) I had a friend working at Budget car sales and gave her instructions to call me when she found one. So in July of 2000, I flew to Honolulu and bought my 1999 White 4x4 D with 5.2 L motor and, when I got him home, started the mods.

To date “Stormtrooper” has 40K miles. Performance modifications include Intense Performance intake, MSD 6Al ignition with Blaster 3 Coil, Magnecor wires, Borla Headers, Y-Pipe, Cat-Back Exhaust and Mopar Performance PCM. I added Bushwacker flares to cover the 31x10.5 Michelin X-radials on 15x8 Weld Typhoon wheels and, when I changed out the differential fluid with Red Line, installed a LPW Support cover. The shocks are Edelbrock IAS.

Inside, I installed a Sony X-plode CD changer & head unit for tunes and NR white face gauges with a flat black aluminum bezel. I modified the electrical wiring to run high beams, low beams and fog lights all at the same time (if needed).

The DOC has allowed me to meet some really great people from all walks of life. I'm very proud to be a member and look forward to many more years of happiness. Much Aloha goes out to the DOC members who nominated me and being in such esteem company with other prior DOTM winners is a huge honor I will always cherish.

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