Sung Kang Hopes to Inspire Youth with ‘Project Underdog’
After an unexpected and wildly successful debut of the “FuguZ,” a custom 1973 Datsun 240Z, actor and international heartthrob Sung Kang is back in the garage with another project car — a 1972 Ford Maverick.
Many would say that it’s an odd choice to breathe new life into the all but forgotten Maverick, but for Kang, the endeavour is about more than just building another show car — it’s an expression of his current journey in life and his view of the people and world around him.
Sung Kang in the FuguZ.
“If I were a car in the Fast & Furious movies, I would be the Maverick,” said Kang. “I can relate to the Maverick because when people love it, they really love it. But most of the time, it’s overlooked.”
Despite his many successes in Hollywood, Kang still feels like an underdog in the entertainment industry, and it’s what inspired the name of the car and the online series that will be chronicling this custom build: “Project Underdog.”
Part of Kang’s “Dream Team” are three Alhambra High School students — Alexis Hernandez, Tony Chen and Christian Quiroz — who were personally chosen through SEMA’s automotive scholarship program to assist in the build and learn about the different aspects of restoring and modifying a car. They’re all part of a larger effort to inspire more people to pursue a career in the automotive industry.
And as much as the project is about exposing today’s youth to the inner-workings of the car world, it’s also about motivating those with resources to reach out to the community and be mentors.
Aiming for a simple goal of getting the three students in front of good people, Project Underdog has already collected quite an impressive list of advisers — SEMA Vice President Mike Spagnola, master-builder Steve Strope and GReddy President Kenji Sumino are a few of the experts in the industry who have already committed to sharing their invaluable experience and insights.
With the support of Shell, featuring Pennzoil, the plan is to take the Maverick through a frame-up restoration and then drop in a 2.3-liter Ford EcoBoost motor paired with a custom turbocharger system by GReddy. Rocket Bunny returns to update the exterior with their signature design while Art in Motion custom wheels wrapped in Nitto Tires will give the Underdog some legs to run with.
Once the car is completed, it will be auctioned to benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which is “dedicated to fostering the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators.”
The story of Project Underdog is being written as we speak, and even those involved don’t really know where this journey will take them.
“I don’t have all the answers,” says a humble and determined Kang. “I’ve been blessed with a lot of these relationships and I’m trying to turn it into something positive for the community.”
Experience the Dream Team’s adventures in real-time on Sung Kang’s official Facebook page, and look for the Underdog to debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas on November 1 – 4.
You can also watch the on-going Project Underdog documentary at GarageMonkey’s YouTube channel. Episode 1 is available now:
