DOHCresearch

Yokosuka VIP Car Show

dresearch — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:05:17 +0000

There was a small VIP/Luxury car show this past weekend in Yokosuka that I checked out with my friend Rod ( check out his blog at http://autongraphic.blogspot.jp/ ). It was a pretty nice turnout, about 100 cars/k-cars/vans, quality spanning throughout the entire spectrum. It was interesting to see how intricate and detail-oriented the Japan enthusiasts are with their cars. A lot of the cars at the show were done right; full-radiused fenders, custom LED head/tail lights, Xenon-retrofitted everything, full interior setups, fine-tuned wheel fitment, custom mufflers fitted into the rear bumpers, and body/suspension work that made the frame of the car sit lower than most cars I’ve seen back in the states (not to mention most of them were running coilover suspension instead of air suspension for the “street cred”).

It was unfortunate this time around as there were some cars that didn’t belong there. Some cars weren’t complete; lots of primered/bare-bondo bodies, slammed cars with stock wheels, etc. However, it didn’t take away from the heavily modded cars next to each of the outliers. Another thing that’s really getting irritating are all the banners flying around that are connected to the front wheels of most of the cars there. It’s more of a pet-peeve than anything else, but it really makes it difficult for photographers, especially if the owners are expecting to get coverage of their cars. Lots of banners, wheels turned the wrong way (or just turned in general), doors wide open, etc. but I can’t complain as every experience here is a new one. Anyway, enjoy the coverage; another one of my “limited” features.

Nostalgic Car Show (Part 2 of 2): The Lot

dresearch — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:22:59 +0000

Like all the other Japan event features, there always needs to be a second part covering the parking lots. Maybe not as many cars as the Nismo Festival, but there were definitely a ton of classic Skylines parked everywhere. It just amazes me how many there were and how much anyone would kill to own one, let alone even see one back in the states. Sorry no “Part 3″ for this event, but enjoy the rest of the feature.

Nostalgic Car Show (Part 1 of 2): The Show

dresearch — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:20:34 +0000

Photos from this past weekend’s 2-day Nostalgic Car Show at the Yokohama Pacifico featuring some of Japan’s rare classic sport cars along with high-end tuners and parts companies like OS Giken, Rocky Auto, RS-Watanabe, Panasport Racing, Rays Wheels, Work Wheels, and Moon Eyes.

Nismo Festival (Part 3 of 3): The Lot

dresearch — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:31:02 +0000

The final part of this feature is of course all about the parking lots. I learned from attending the Hellaflush Japan event that the parking lots are swarming with tons of cars that would put a lot of show cars to shame back in the states. The parking lots at this event was Skyline heaven. Every year, every model, and more. It’s just amazing seeing so many ’71 Hakosuka Skylines parked like it’s just some other car. Every vintage car there was in pristine condition; I can’t imagine the time and effort each owner took to maintain their builds. You may find a lot of repetition in this gallery, and you’ll probably be sick of Skylines just as much as I am after this event.

Nismo Festival (Part 2 of 3): The Track

dresearch — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:30:45 +0000

Part 2 features the various exhibition races that went on throughout the day; focused primarily on the Historical Car, DNA Run, and GT-R races. Being able to see years of Nissan engineering all together racing on the same track is such a beautiful sight.

Nismo Festival (Part 1 of 3): The Paddock

dresearch — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:22:35 +0000

The Nismo Festival happened this past Sunday at Fuji Speedway. My second event at this raceway park, full of sick cars and excitement on the track. Just traveling to Fuji was a breathtaking experience, being that it was a clear day the view of Mount Fuji was crisp and clear. Throughout the entire day there were events going on simultaneously throughout the entire park. There was something for every car enthusiast, from classic ’71 Hakosuka Skylines to the newest Nismo Leaf full-electric circuit cars. Just like Hellaflush Japan, I have to break the day down into three sections to keep things organized. A lot more racing shots from this event, definitely an experience seeing what I only used to see while playing the Gran Turismo game series. This part showcases the cars docked in the paddock at Fuji Speedway in between races.

Hellaflush Japan (Part 3 of 3): The Track

dresearch — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:07:21 +0000

Part 3 features Fuji Speedway’s circuit course and the miscellaneous events going on. The sound of cars flying through the course’s 1.5km straightaway while looking at some of Japan’s finest cars at the Hellaflush car show definitely adds to the experience. Being a roadster enthusiast from before definitely made my day even sweeter being able to watch the Roadster Cup and seeing the cars up close at the paddock while they were being tuned for the next race. There was also a karting and Vitz Cup race going on at the same time and we were able to view the kevlar bodied go-karts being tuned as well as the Toyota Vitz’s also being prepped for the races ahead.

Hellaflush Japan (Part 2 of 3): The Lot

dresearch — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 10:53:11 +0000

Part 2 features some of the many show-worthy cars that were in the parking lots throughout the day for Fatlace’s Hellaflush car show at Fuji Speedway. It was literally an extension of the car show; an overflow of quality builds that I hope everyone else that attended took the time to see. I know I missed a bunch of cars that left before I could snap shots of them. It’s not everyday you see a classic Skyline sitting in a parking lot like it’s just another car.

Hellaflush Japan (Part 1 of 3): The Show

dresearch — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 09:59:16 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve attended an automotive event, and I was long overdue in going out for a taste of Japan’s import automotive scene since arriving here in February. When I heard Fatlace was to bringing their Hellaflush car show to Japan, I was a bit skeptical to see how the show would turn out since it’s a U.S. based car show. It definitely caught me by surprise, the love and support the Japanese automotive community has for Fatlace for all they are doing to revolutionize the automotive culture to what it is today. I’ve been to quite a bit of car shows over the years and this show totally blew up all my past expectations I had for the quality of car builds in a car show…

It saddens me to see how primitive the builds are back in the states compared to the quality of builds in Japan. So much effort and detail are put into every little component, fitment is always on point, no half-assed bodywork on the fenders and quarter-panels, etc. and I’m only talking about the cars I saw in the parking lot while walking to the car show. Every car in the show (and the parking lots) would give some harsh competition to even the most elite cars I’ve seen online and in magazines. It just amazed me to see so much perfection all in one event.

Fatlace definitely did it right by hosting their show at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture. There were events going on simultaneously including a small drift-session at the Fuji drift course and miscellaneous races being held on the Fuji circuit from go-karts to the Vitz and Roadster Cups. It was definitely a day full of excitement throughout the entire park. I definitely felt the respect the local enthusiasts have for each other. Many people were so thankful to see people taking pictures of their cars, or just showing any kind of interest in their cars.

I snapped so many shots yesterday that I have to divide up the day into 3 separate parts to keep it organized. This part features the actual Hellaflush car show. So many quality cars all in one lot. I can only imagine what next year’s event would look like. Congratulations to Fatlace again, for another great show. Please enjoy all 172 photos from this part!

WEKFEST – Long Beach, CA

dresearch — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:41:01 +0000

While hitting up illest in Japantown, LA one weekend, I just so happened to come across a flyer for WEKFEST happening the same weekend I was up there. Goes to show how out of touch I am with the automotive scene… We were able to make it out to Long Beach to check out what SoCal has to offer. This was actually my first mainland car show experience, and it definitely did not disappoint. Tons of great builds from all different aspects of the scene; luxury, drift, grip, drag, etc.