Four years ago, when I saw Eado from Topfire driving a Prado in the Tengger Desert, I was deeply astonished. Because in my impression, Topfire creates elegant demons; Eado loves Wranglers and pursues the ultimate, fashionable, avant-garde and personalized. While Prado is mediocre, everything is just right, but not extreme. Regarding my confusion, Eado only said at that time: I want to modify a Prado that is not so greasy. It can also be cool and trendy... Later, Topfire released the original designed Prado modification kit with the theme: The greatest truths are the simplest. Not long after, I heard that someone went to the headquarters of Topfire and wanted to buy Eado's Prado for 500,000 yuan. You should know that that Prado was the 2014 LC150. When Eado bought it in 2019, it cost 390,000 yuan, and the mileage was 100,000 kilometers at that time. In those years, Prado maintained its value rather abnormally. However, Eado didn't sell it because of the nearly "zero battle damage" of the Prado during that desert trip, which made Eado completely fall in love with it... This issue of 「56 · Play More, Off-road More Vehicle-Person Plan」 is also a special feature of the 「Friends of Prado」 series. I want to share with you the ultimate aesthetic design of China's hardcore off-road: the entrepreneurial story of Eado, and the story of the upgraded Prado designed by Topfire.

Special Note: For the purpose of expression, the first person is adopted in this article. If you read poetry in this article, it belongs to Topfire.

01

The simple love for internal combustion engines is a meticulous science.

But perhaps you won't believe it if I tell you that when Topfire first dealt with internal combustion engines, there were no meticulous feasibility reports or lofty discussions.

Instead, it was just a simple love.

My major is space design, which is a cramped industry.

The reason for loving the distance emerged: humans shouldn't be so cramped.

Off-roading allowed me to encounter the vastness of the wilderness.

In 2003, I returned to Chengdu. For the off-roading I loved, I searched everywhere for a long time, but still couldn't find a satisfactory modification shop.

However, at that time, I was playing with a Grand Cherokee, and the upgrade and modification space of the vehicle wasn't large.

But in 2008, the Wrangler came. Its modification space was huge. I loved it extremely. I hoped it would be personalized and perfect.

But it was still a rough age when torque wrenches were basically not used for upgrading vehicles.

Other shops couldn't tolerate the processes and standards I proposed. They thought I was making trouble for nothing. Just like even the sun is destined not to shine on every shadow.

Even if I was willing to pay double the remuneration, I would still be considered nitpicking and unreasonable.

A friend said that if you want to follow your standards, you have to recruit technicians yourself. Only when you pay the salary can you have the final say.

Have you noticed? Life is like a Mobius strip.

In the profession, being directed by outsiders, one has to make concessions. Out of the profession and back to the hobby, I still have to make concessions.

No, what makes you make concessions is not worthy of being a hobby.

So in 2008, we rented a 360-square-meter storefront on West Second Street of Fangcao, Chengdu, at a price of 100 yuan per square meter, hired workers, and officially opened a vehicle beauty store named 【Topfire】.

02

The Beginning of a Dream

At the very beginning, the establishment of Topfire was just to please ourselves.

To prepare the off-road vehicles of a few of our good buddies and upgrade our own cars completely according to our own will and standards.

We didn't expect to make money. We only needed the store to cover all our own expenses: We set up a workstation. On the surface, it could do quick oil changes and maintenance. In essence, that was the beginning of realizing our dream.

Soon, some other friends around us saw that our cars were upgraded very well and asked if we could modify theirs as well.

I said yes, but I would decide the plan and you shouldn't make too many demands.

At that time, I was still continuing my studies in the shadow of the lights of the "Cyber City", and my friends also had their own jobs. Playing with cars was a hobby. I didn't want to make money from my hobby, and even less did I want my hobby to be interfered with and instructed by others.

Therefore, when Topfire initially undertook modification business externally, most of the users were good friends.

After all, it's said that people are grouped by kind. Similar souls attract each other. When there are more homogeneous recluses, it becomes love.

In 2017, Topfire relocated to Jiannan Avenue

03

Reconciliation

Before 2013, most of the modification parts products of Topfire were actually imported from the United States.

The peace and tranquility of 9.37 million square kilometers can spoil people: The products from the United States were not precise enough either. There were errors after installing the front bumper, rear bumper and side bumper.

I couldn't tolerate it and asked my colleagues to constantly modify and adjust, incorporating some of my own design concepts.

If the error was too large to be adjusted, the entire production needed to be cut and re-welded. Re-welding meant that the entire coating was also scrapped and had to be re-sprayed with plastic. This was a huge project.

After a long time, Minister Deng, the person in charge of our modification department, couldn't stand it. He said, "You can't do this. It's too time-consuming. How to calculate the working hours fee?"

At that time, I realized that, yes: After all, hobbies are also part of life. One has to learn to reconcile with oneself.

The working hours fee of Topfire was already slightly high at that time. Coupled with the fact that the products were all imported, the hard actual cost was high.

I couldn't tolerate imperfection, but also knew that customers would not accept another price increase, and it would be difficult for us to sell. But the long working hours and high cost could not be ignored.

I asked Minister Deng, "What do you say we should do?"

I didn't expect Minister Deng to actually say, "I'll directly make one for you according to your requirements."