Fuji Lake Car Show: Japanese car culture at its absolute peak

"Dsscats" (dsscats) 11/11/2015 at 15:25 • Filed to: None

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For any classic Japanese car enthusiast, seeing a Nissan Skyline Hakosuka is a big deal. Seeing two? Insane.

What about well over 10? I damn near had a heart attack on the spot.

The very first car that greeted me on the way in was this stunning Kenmary.

I’ve always liked the Hako more than the Kenmary, but there’s no denying that those lines are stunning.

The carbon headlight covers and hood were a nice touch too.

Parked behind it was the most stock Hakosuka I’ve ever seen in my life. Not in perfect condition, but perfect in it’s own right. It also looked to be a short nose, which means 4 cylinder.

Oh my....

Oh my my my.......Man this G Nose S30 makes me feel some type of way.

A red leather interior isn’t something I’d expect to work on an S30, but it definitely does. LHD too!

SEDAN!

Love this decal too, which refers to Nissan’s advertising campaign for the Kenmary.

Cedric the Entertainer greatly amused me.

At the end of that street lay one of the most incredible lineups of Japanese cars I’ve ever seen. All awesome. All gorgeous.

Another Kenmary!

Seriously unbelievable color on this Laurel

Mark II Toyota wagons.

That grill is so awesome.

Those headlight covers make me feel some type of way.

Not going to lie, I have no idea what this is.

Nice FJ40!

And a low Hako next to it.

One of the best designs of it’s era, and (dare I say) all time.

OMFG. Just too much.

A less well designed Cedric, but still great.

Covered headlights again. They just do it for me.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on a small scale

One classy, classy sedan.

Boso on a scarier scale.

Wings on wings on wings.

As if the C210 Skyline wasn’t obscure enough, why not have a sedan?

You can see why this generation is unloved.

Bluebird COUPE!!!! The US only got the 2/4 door sedans, this is the Japanese market sports coupe.

This very nice Silvia was on the way to the next parking lot...keep in mind this is all outside the main show...

MIGHTY BOY!!! A useless trucklet, but so so cool.

The small lot just beyond it was packed with a somehow even more ridiculous selection of Japanese cars.

So many Hako sedans.

Z10 Soarer, another Mark II, RX3 (!) and a hiding Z31

Further down the line was a rather crazy Z20 Soarer. Lip for dayyyyyzzzzz

Also in this small lot was another Hako coupe!!! Nice TE37s and I appreciate that they didn’t badge it as a GTR.

Such a weird S130. C210 tail lights too...

But this....holy wow. There’s something really, really special about this Hako. Can you tell what it is yet?

How about now? It’s a real GTR. Complete with S20. More on that later.

As I was looking around, a few of the cars started leaving, giving me better angle of some of the cars. One of my favorites was this Z31. I’ve never seen one as clean as this one.

This RX3 looked sooooo mean as it was leaving.

It’s not my exposure, this car just had all black everything

TE27!!!

This S30 was one of the nicest I’ve seen. TE37s were a common choice, but the engine bay was better than any I’ve ever seen.

I’ve NEVER seen a bay that clean.

32 on BBS wheels looks great.

It’s always Sunny in Japan, apparently

Another Bluebird.

SO MANY CLEAN Z31s I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.

Also in that lot......because flashy.

While walking down a path to get to the main show, this man pulled up on his classic Honda scooter. It was awesome to see he took pride in his ride.

When I got to the road down to the show, this gorgeous Z pulled through.

Brown Z FTW.

Also parked off to the side on the way there was this awesome Celica.

Next to a Cabriolet!!!!!!

Further down was yet ANOTHER awesome Kenmary

The pinstriping perfectly accentuates the lines.

Then it drove past and I got a better look.

This was the first car I saw inside the actual show. Kinda weird.

Big body cars are great. Japanese cars are great. Both together are fantastic.

Just another well done Hako.

HAKOTRUCKA!!!!! The most adorable little trucklet to have ever been created.

Speaking of trucks...apparently size doesn’t matter!

Of all the Hakos there, this one interested me most. It had more modern headlights and LED tails, and I’m curious what was under the hood.

This gives a decent idea of just how crowded the show was.

There’s something pretty special about this particular Hako sedan, and that’s the fact that it’s an original GTR. The owner was extraordinarily kind and started it up for me, along with letting me sit in it.

There was a pretty insane selection of bikes too, not just cars.

There was no shortage of Prince Motors Company stickers to be found

This Z was just a really nicely modified example. It had Liberty Walk stickers everywhere.

An extraordinarily nice DR30 was parked next to it.

A replica of a legend.

Speaking of....

What an odd setup.

A clean Z20 Soarer.

At this point, some of the cars began to leave, so I headed to the entrance where a little surprise was waiting.

Some of you may recognize this car, and it has a rather special history behind it. See, this car belongs to the founder of Liberty Walk.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

See the man trying to pull up the ramp? That’s Wataru Kato.

Back to the main lot, it seemed like the cars leaving the show weren’t even the ones I had looked at before. There were so many cars crammed into that lot it was impossible to see them all.

That PGC10 again.

After most of the other cars were gone, I went back to the lot with the red Hako coupe to see if it was still there. Just my luck, the car was, and so were the owners, who were more than happy to share it.

As it turns out, this car is a real, S20 powered KPGC10 GTR. I was in awe at this amazing example of such a legendary car. Fortunately the owners (who ran a Skyline club) were very nice and fired the car up for me. They let me sit in and rev the car, which is a sound and experience I’ll never forget (especially having one of the owners miming a joke about American cars and their low redlines). It was pretty damn incredible.

By the way, the writing and organization of this post has been over 2 months, so I’m sorry if something isn’t in order or doesn’t really make sense. Kinja makes it a little hard to organize so many photos.

Boxer_4 > Dsscats 09/11/2015 at 01:01

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I believe this is a Mazda Luce/Luce RX-4 (LA2). The Luce came with an inline 4, while the RX-4 came with a rotary engine.

FKA-RacecaR > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:29

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Nice photos!

But LOL@ park non show cars on concrete, park show cars on dirt/gravel.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:32

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Dream garage right here.

Well.... At least part of it.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:34

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I want like one of everything on this list.

jjhats > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:36

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is it cool to have lhd in japan? #usdmasfawk

Berang > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:50

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I think it’s a Mazda?

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:56

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This probably doesn’t mean what we think it means; someone whose last name rhymes with “Shitler” kind of gave it a bad rep.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 15:56

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These cars make me so happy!

Also makes me even more excited for my RS Watanabes to come in for the FR-S! Old school style on a modern car inspired by these amazing classic machines. :)

RWS Motorsport > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:02

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I was resisting the urge to go through this post and just put HNNGGGGGGGG on all the pictures.

Sadly I can resist no more.

I need a lie down...

Great shots too :)

RWS Motorsport > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:03

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Its like someone shrunk the wheels. They look like training wheels.

RWS Motorsport > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:04

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Whelp. Im pretty sure you should of NSFW this post dude.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:13

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I really want one of these!

kanadanmajava1 > gin-san - shitpost specialist 11/11/2015 at 16:24

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That decal is related to a bosozoku (biker) gang from 70’s that was featured in documentary movie called “Godspeed You! Black Emperor”. The real gang is probably long gone but maybe the owner could be somehow related to it.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:28

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Yes because race car

kanadanmajava1 > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:29

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For some reason I really like this one. I usually don’t like red on white liveries.

These were great photos!

MultiplaOrgasms > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 16:51

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Holy shit is every classic car in Japan a Nissan?

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:18

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That looks like such a good time. So many awesome cars!

notwhothinkiam > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:54

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So much want...

notwhothinkiam > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:55

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Oh dude!!! Much lust!!!

notwhothinkiam > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:56

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Did not disappoint.

SilverPantherIsSilver > gin-san - shitpost specialist 11/11/2015 at 17:56

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The swastika was a (positive) symbol long before Nazis appropriated it.

Associated with Hinduism, Buddhism, and other groups

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Blondude > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:57

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All S30s should’ve been sold with these.

SilverPantherIsSilver > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:57

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at its absolute peak

-That Guy

notwhothinkiam > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:57

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Not gonna lie, I like it.

Blondude > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:57

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Holy crap

Nisman > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:58

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Amazing photos... props

AddMustard > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:58

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Actually not a Silvia, just a Kouki 180SX

The pictures are great and I love all of these cars, thank you for sharing

notwhothinkiam > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 17:58

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Casters?

Driver > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:01

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Anklebiter.

notwhothinkiam > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:02

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I need some time to myself after seeing all of this...

Driver > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:03

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After quickly scanning all of those photos I have this burning desire to relocate my mirrors to the fenders.

Blondude > MultiplaOrgasms 11/11/2015 at 18:04

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Nissan did make quite a few cool cars back then...

Driver > Boxer_4 11/11/2015 at 18:04

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Ah, you for Jaropnik!

Pdb > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:08

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this is nice. definitely not the garbage you see on US eBay

Pdb > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:10

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oh man I want this decal for my R31

plainnottoasted > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:11

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heavy breathing....

MultiplaOrgasms > Blondude 11/11/2015 at 18:11

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As if this makes Nissan special.

Pdb > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:11

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What is this? A funky looking r30? OK never mind, you answer my question two pics later. I love this R30!

Pdb > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:12

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Not an R31 in sight!

Mike > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:14

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Thank You

plainnottoasted > CaptDale - is secretly British 11/11/2015 at 18:14

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Second.

tapzz > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:16

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Bonjour, Msr. Peugeot 407.

I was not expecting you here.

pjhusa > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:16

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I love how your watermark looks so serious.

WOT is Love > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:18

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Neat cars. I don’t even mind their stanced style. It actually works. It probably helps that they aren’t stanced so much so that they’re undriveable.

49GiantWarriors > gin-san - shitpost specialist 11/11/2015 at 18:20

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It could be Buddhist. It could be Nazi. If it is Nazi, it shouldn’t be that surprising. The Nazi swastika is a very powerful symbol in the West, but less so in the East. They know who it represented, but the power of that representation isn’t very strong. Think about the many times we’ve seen variations on the Rising Sun Flag here in the West. In Asia, it is the functional equivalent of the Nazi swastika, but here in the West, it’s mostly seen as a pretty cool graphic design.

djmtsu > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:30

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I have 2 of these. Don’t know how I feel about those flares. Too much.

Dat-Z > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:35

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Great photos! I think the red S30 may have been featured on Speedhunters or JNC within the last few years.

I get to see a pair of Hakos pretty regularly. They never, ever get old. Such a fantastic design.

Z31 Turbo > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:36

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Yay! Finally I get some love around here! Man I wish I was done restoring my z31! Best looking car evar.

2wheelmission > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:37

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I...I...I..............AM IN LOVE!!!! With all!!! Honestly I don’t know how to thank you for this. You’ve given me wall papers for dayyyyyyzzz!!!! I literally have a headache from getting over excited!! I don’t know which one I like best!

Thank you thank you thank you!!

Wyldcard > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:39

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Underbite!!

What an incredibly revolting look. Bozuku really is just Japanese “Stance Bro” taken to the next level of impracticality. In typical Japanese fashion.

Dsscats > pjhusa 11/11/2015 at 18:44

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Haha I was just testing out a program to make it easier to do en masse

REO Jackwagon > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 18:54

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Thank you for posting this article. So many kinds of awesome represented at that show

SaveTheClassics > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:15

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As many as I’ve seen in real life (lived in Japan for 10 years) I just can’t like the KC10’s. The sedan body just ruins the lines of the car for me. The KGC10 just looks so much better.

Shiarlis > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:20

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It’s like 1978 MURICA and 2015 Japan had a baby!

Shiarlis > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:20

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Uuuuuuuhhhhhhh. No.

Titan-E34 > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:22

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Holy. Fuck. Bless your beautiful, beautiful soul. My eyes are literally welling up going through this.

I know this is beaten to death, but this truly gives me faith in humanity.

charlieboy808 > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:25

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I messed my pants. That is all.

PS Thank you for this. One of the biggest reasons I want to go to Japan is car culture.

Flavien Vidal > 49GiantWarriors 11/11/2015 at 19:27

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No Kyoto is not filled with neo-nazis with Google map credentials...

The swastikas in Japan are either Hinduist or Buddhist depending on the direction they are drawn...

Also the rising sun flag is not seen badly here. It’s mostly just unused. It’s true that mostly extreme right wing political group, often pushing for the come back of the emperor, who want this one to have power in Japan again, use it, but it is not a flag assimilated to anything bad like the swastikas.

KAG25 > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:28

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Great show. Can a Hummer even fit on the roads there?

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:29

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Please stop doing this. We’re almost out of Cherry X1-Rs, and people keep stealing their taillights. Yes, they’re awesome, but so is the X1-R.

49GiantWarriors > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 19:36

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Nearly all swastikas in Asia are Buddhist or Hindu, but not all.

http://www.vice.com/read/nazis-chi…

Flavien Vidal > 49GiantWarriors 11/11/2015 at 19:49

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The article you showed me only shows ignorance and zero allegiance to the 3rd reich lol. People deciding to dress with a Hitler t-shirt, because they like how he looks or people doing Halloween with weird home made Nazi costumes “because it’s funny” or whatever.

Similar to the Prince Harry in his Nazi costume...

If you meant that there are some neo nazis in Asia, yes probably, just like there are some in the US, Morrocco or probably India...But the proportion of NeoNazi in Asia is certainly A LOT smaller than in the US for exemple, where it’s already pretty fucking small. It would be a bit hard for them to bring their hate toward Jews as most have simply never seen one in their life lol... They just have no idea what they’re doing, but that’s it really...

greenagain > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:52

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I love RX-4’s.

Kenmary coupes remind me so much of a 71 Plymouth Satellite.

Flavien Vidal > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 19:57

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Awesome post man!

I had no idea about this meet and I will certainly go next year!! What was your camera setup for this?

As for my favorite car, appart from the Z and Skyline of course, would be the Bluebird Coupe. Not only is it a Coupe, but the most important in all that is that it is a 1800 and THAT is really cool!

Dsscats > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 20:08

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This was with my 5D MkI and 40MM lens. And I had no idea the Bluebird was significant beyond it being a coupe, but that’s awesome.

Flavien Vidal > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 20:16

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1800SSS are getting rare... Got to drive a 1600SSS a few days ago

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/1971-datsun-51…

Dsscats > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 20:23

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I saw that one! Also saw it go through the auction house haha

daender > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 21:09

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Mazda Rx-4

jeff4066 > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 21:27

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Buick?

49GiantWarriors > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 21:41

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Eh? Re-read my original comment. I said the nazi swastika does not carry the same connotations in Asia as it does in the West. I, in no way, suggested that everyone who flashes a swastika in Asia is a neo-Nazi. Quite the opposite. I suggested that just as Americans may think the Rising Sun Flag is a cool graphic and nothing more (though the Rising Sun Flag carries a very heavy meaning in Asia, it does not in the West, for the most part), Asians think the same about the Nazi swastika.

Nauraushaun > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:03

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I have to commend your identification skills, but I’d say this isn’t a Silvia. That badge behind the pillar would say “180SX” - that’s what it is.

Americans got a wierd mish-mash when it came to these cars, I don’t blame you.

Nauraushaun > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:04

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The cars here are a bit too old to feature Bayside Blue or Midnight Purple and my rule about commenting on such things almost went unsatisfied.

But this has to be pretty close to MNP.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:10

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I doubt it’s a 432 or it was butchered, I wonder what motor is in there.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:12

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Yeah less common than the RX3 in my experience, I saw one in Hawaii. Only seen two in Japan I think.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:12

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Dsscats, you should go to the Rolex Historic Car Race during Monteray Car week. One or two Hakosukas in race trim going balls out on Laguna Seca.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:13

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Hey baby//// needs to get Z back on the road......

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:13

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Hey you can put two potted plants in there!

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:15

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I just got three new 40s, I can’t wait to get it going.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:16

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Well, that is a Buddhist symbol that is all over the place.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > SilverPantherIsSilver 11/11/2015 at 22:17

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Exactly, it’s all over the place in Japan.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 22:59

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I don’t understand...this car has plates, so it’s road legal, but unless these covers are transparent somehow (and they don’t look it...), how IS this legal....?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:03

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I’ve always liked the Sunny pickups...classic! :)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:04

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A Cub by the looks of it...? Quite the rims/tires! :) Nice to see scoots getting some love!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:07

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Acty! :D

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:09

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Wow! A lot of work went into this! What kei truck was it actually based on...?

Flavien Vidal > 49GiantWarriors 11/11/2015 at 23:31

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Well, you started your answer with “It could be Buddhist. It could be Nazi. If it is Nazi, it shouldn’t be that surprising.”sorry, I just thought it wasn’t very clear... I’m saying that only very few very ignorant asians and more specifically japanese would do that... A very tiny minority don’t realize what it means and dress up like this for fun. So yes it actually would be quite surprising if it had any Nazi connotation. On the other end, all JDM fans in the US love the old flag lol...

And as I said, the rising sun flag is not as badly connoted as for exemple the Nazi swastika flag... You can compare it more with the WW1 German empire flag or the confederate flag in the US. It reminds people of an era that was definitly not the best times in Japan (quite a violent empire to say the least), but it’s still not seen as badly or on the same level as the swastika flag and sort of accepted by the population despite being used by extrem right parties here.

The rising sun flag is still officialy used by military in Japan today btw.

Fuel_of_Satan > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:31

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Sun cross. It’s on a wrought iron fence belonging to an old church down the road from where I used to live, which is what prompted me to investigate. “Hang on... This church is older than Germany, let alone the Nazi ideology which spawned there.”

Flavien Vidal > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:39

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Yeah, it sold for like 4000$ less than we hoped for... He sold it too quickly, 24 hours only. For this kind of car he should have left it on sale for 3 or 4 days before launching the actual auction... But well, he needed the money so...

bitday > Dsscats 11/11/2015 at 23:46

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Looks like an RX-4

Fuel_of_Satan > gin-san - shitpost specialist 11/11/2015 at 23:48

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You know, it probably does. It has other connotations, particularly in that area, but it probably is a reference to Nazi’s through the movie mentioned by “kanadanmajava1” and misguided patriotism/nostalgia. Like flying the rebel flag in the States or the Ostalgie -movement in eastern Europe. It’s odd, but I’m not sure it’s bad .

I’m not sure it’s glorifying Nazism, but it could definitely be referring to it.

Fuel_of_Satan > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 23:55

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But they were part of the axis alliance back then though. A swastika for them could mean other things, more national pride since they didn’t slaughter millions of jews. They were “just” at war.

Flavien Vidal > Fuel_of_Satan 11/12/2015 at 00:09

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Yes, and they pretty much had no contact with germany also... The general population lacks lot of education when it comes to WW2 here. I can promise you nobody assimilates the swastikas to the Nazis, nor does anybody even THINK of the nazis for that matter lol. When they study WW2 at school here, the european front is vaguely brought up but they focus mostly on the pacific front, sometimes, depending on the school with a really weird pro-japanese bias (more anti-chinese and korean than anti-american but still quite racist), but that is all.

You will still find some weirdos who arbor it as a nazi flag (extreme right wing parties, and even then, rather extreme extreme right wing parties lol), but they are just a really small amount of tiny weirdos lol

Dsscats > Flavien Vidal 11/12/2015 at 00:38

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Man, that’s a bummer. They’re definitely on an upward trend though. It’ll be interesting to see where the market goes in the next couple of years.

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 00:56

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Are those covered lenses in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 00:59

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No headlight covers though.

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 00:59

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Someone convince Doug to get a set of these on his R32.

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 01:04

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Interesting that it’s an actual right-facing swastika, and not the left-facing sauvastika, especially considering that the latter is more common in Buddhism.

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 01:05

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I like how it says “Obasan” instead of Nissan.

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 01:06

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What a happy set of taillights.

d3v > Dsscats 11/12/2015 at 01:08

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I have a soft spot for old Japanese classics. This entire post just gave me a fizzy feeling down in my pants.