After a few years of selling mail order / paypal Mk2 Supra powder coated valve covers, air filter and intake pipe kits, Rabid Chimp, and this website was born in 2002. While working for a speed shop (that ended up screwing me over financially, big time), I continued to build my business, and had the first version of rabidchimp.com developed, with the sole intent of providing parts for the Mk2 Supra. At first, the site only featured five items. After quitting the speed shop, it was time to ramp things up drastically. I intended to make Rabid Chimp a full time gig. At the time, I'd been waiting on a much needed full website revision, which was never completed for me. I started what was to be the first of many, ongoing challenges as a self-employed car guy. I learned basic html, and starting adding tons of products and pages to the site.

For the next couple of years, I had a fabricator building parts for me. He was responsible for developing my exhaust, and intercooler piping kits for the Mk2 Supra. Up until this point, I'd been running the business from my small house in Steilacoom, WA. I only had a small shed, and basic hand tools. Right about this time, I had plans to go in on a shop with two other guys. I'd still run the business from home, but would do installs, R&D, etc, at the shop. The two other guys were Dan, from www.clearimageautomotive.com, and my old fabricator, Brian (who was also Dan's main fabricator). I was only going to rent space at the shop since Brian was going to be there. Things aren't often easy, and don't work out as planned. Brian and Dan had a falling out, so it was just Dan and I at the new shop. I was "forced" into learning how to weld and fabricate. I stayed at the shop for a little over a year, then moved into a house with a two car garage. I used the proceeds from the sale of my first house (just could not afford it any more, being self-employed) to buy a lot of tools. I bought my first welder from Brian, got a chop saw, big air compressor, bench grinder, vice, etc, etc. Great investments.

Shortly after this time, I wanted to learn how to work on other cars, and got a part time job as a mechanic. I learned a lot there, and went back to work for myself full time. About a year later, I wanted to learn something new. I got a full time job as an auto body tech, and continued to do Rabid Chimp on the side. Sixteen months later, an economic downturn left me unemployed. Its a good thing I'd been ramping up Rabid Chimp over the previous few months. After I got laid off, I hit Rabid Chimp hard, and continued my business full time until I took a job as a sawyer at a heavy duty fabrication facility. Learned a lot about fabrication and machining there, but got laid off nine months later. Back to full time Chimp. I laid low for a couple months, then opened up my own shop at the end of 2011. I don't make much money doing it, but it pays (most) of the bills. Rabid Chimp is running better than it has in years, even if there's not much cash flow. Its never perfect. I'm trying, and getting better! I hope this new site makes your shopping experience easier. I think it will be easier for me. We'll see.

Thank you very much for your support. Without it, I would not be able to bring you original Rabid Chimp designs, or products from many other manufacturers.

Aaron S. Garney

Founder / Owner
Rabid Chimp Performance
2415 70th St W # 31
University Place, WA 98466
Ph. 253.237.2368