Chris Malloy
As a military brat born into an Air Force family I've always appreciated travel and culture. It also helps to have a mom from Panama and a father from the states. As a kid, I traveled all over the world but no matter where we went Las Vegas has always been home.
In 1996, yes, this was before the Fast and Furious days, my father bought a 1995 Honda Civic HX with 16” MOMO Arrows and a Xenox body kit. I loved that car, it's the car that really kicked off my passion for cars. Yes, I was the kid in school that read Sport Compact Car Magazines at lunch.
My 1st car was a 1995 Mazda 626, it had your standard amenities. Then there was my 2000 Pontiac Grand AM, this was the sound system era so I had to add the Kicker Solo Barracks, these were a hot item at the time.
Like most military brats, I joined the Air Force just like my father. At one point I was stationed overseas in Korea where our rules stated no one could have a car... So, I took this time to plan my next build once I got stateside.
Once I landed back in Las Vegas, I quickly picked up my next project. A 2004 Nissan Sentra SER with a body kit, wheels, exhaust, stereo system, it had it all. Unfortunately, the Sentra didn't survive after a nasty car accident that I'm fortunate to have walked away from. When it was time to pick the next car I couldn't stop thinking about my dream car, a 2004 Nissan 350z. I just made Sargent at that time and decided The Z was a perfect celebration gift to myself. Still to this day, The Z is the car I plan on keeping and still have to this day with 218,000 miles.
Along the way I met and married my best friend. She understands my car addiction. We now have a beautiful son together and I am proud to share and pass on this passion.
After retiring from the military I decided it was time to really dive into the car culture. I've been a part of the car scene for years now and with my BA in Marketing from UNLV I entered the corporate automobile industry. I landed a job with Tesla and later with Exotics Racing for a little more adrenaline.
Through the years and the cars, I had always wanted to import a real Japanese car. I'm a big Tokyo Drift fan so I started my hunt for my first JDM car to import. I purchased my Nissan Pao and after an extensive restoration, this little Pao has been built with respect for true JDM standards and I'm proud of it. The Pao is my show car. I love the conversions it spurs with strangers, the number of awards, and the experiences I've had with this car.
Like I said I married my best friend so now our family fleet includes a Nissan Xterra, my 1st off-road project, the original 350Z, my show-stopping PAO, and the newest addition a 2000 Honda Prelude with more tasteful OEM+ modifications.
