Hi, I’m Mike Bonanni — a lifelong car enthusiast, former pro-am race driver, occasional writer, and someone who’s spent the better part of his life deep in the world of car culture. From building cars and chasing tenths on track, to writing about sponsorships and working with some of the industry’s best, I’ve worn a lot of hats. I’ve raced time attack, sprint racing, and endurance racing, as well as dabbled in drag racing, off-road, overlanding / vanlife, and more. I have built race cars, street cars, trucks, Jeeps, old cars, new cars, SEMA cars, you name it. I wrote articles for published magazines when those were a thing, and online magazines as well. I have done stunt driving and video shoots, and driver coaching. I have helped companies develop and test new parts and products, and even had my own parts store at one point. I’ve tried creating a YouTube channel, blogs, social media accounts, you name it. Then I walked away from it all… for a while. Eight years to be exact.
Build to Enjoy is my way back. Because I miss it. I miss the industry. I miss the people, the community, the culture, and of course the cars. I miss routing for my friends, watching them build cool things. I miss the hype leading up to an event. I miss the craziness of SEMA, the sounds of a track day, the build stories at a car meet. I miss it all.
I’m not here to chase trends or likes, put together any sort of program, or hunt for sponsors this time. No, this time I’m here simply to reconnect with the culture I fell in love with — driving, wrenching, storytelling, the friendships, the creativity, and yes, even the chaos. This site is a foundation for that journey. A place to archive past builds, relive the stories, and build something new — not just a new project car, but a community.
You won’t find viral stunts or manufactured hype here. What you will find is soul — honest writing, curated nostalgia, and a perspective shaped by both time behind the wheel and time away from it. I don’t know exactly where this goes yet, but I’m building it anyway.
Because if you build something you truly enjoy… the rest tends to follow.
build to enjoy 