Month: February 2010 (Page 2 of 6)

Initial D: that’s why Takumi’s cupholder is up front!

February 22, 2010 / banpei / 1 Comment

I was browsing some videos on Youtube and came across this Japanese Candid Camera gag (at least that’s what I think it is) putting some celebrity in a Fire Cola commercial where the taxi driver drives Takumi style with a Toyota Crown S130:

Yep, all the cola end up on that poor celebrity! Again and again, and again, and again, and again … until some very well known cop arrives on the scene in Seibu Keisatsu style. :D

As you can see, it is very difficult to keep even a cup of Cola in your hands when the driver is doing 180s and you are sitting in the back. That’s why Takumi has his cupholders up front and not in the back! ;)

DOTS: Misubishi Starion widebody

February 21, 2010 / banpei / 0 Comments

I was digging through my old photo archives and found a couple of pictures of cars I spotted down on the street some years ago. Let’s kick off with this widebody Mitsubishi Starion:

DOTS: Mitsubishi Starion widebody
Back then I was living in a neighborhood near the center of Amsterdam where parking was free. So a lot of people living in the center of Amsterdam were parking their car opposite to my house, the Starion owner included.

He drove the Starion only once or twice per month and the rest of the time it was just parked there gathering rust/dust, including being parked slant.

DOTS: Mitsubishi Starion widebody
The badges told me it was the 4G54 equipped Starion (turbo intercooler) and a quick lookup on the Dutch vehicle registration pages revealed its MOT did expire in 2007. Probably the car is currently in storage or on someones driveway.

The owner did not really take good car of it and after something like eight or nine months I witnessed him selling the Starion on the street opposite to my house.

Commercial time: Mitsubishi Galant GTO Hip Up Coupe

February 20, 2010 / banpei / 0 Comments

Back in the 70s Mitsubishis best selling car was the Galant. About every model in their lineup was a Galant: Galant Lambda, Galant Sigma, Galant FTO and lets not forget the 1970 Galant GTO!

The commercial has excellent styling and jazzy music. The Hip up coupé sounds catchy and it is extra newwwwww!!!

Hilarious: Dekochari (Dekotora bicycle)

February 19, 2010 / banpei / 0 Comments

Now this was a huge laugh for me: the Dekochari!

Dekotora is an abbreviation for Decoration Truck (Torakku). Chari means bicycle, so mixing it up with the Dekotora abbreviation it becomes Dekochari! Dressing up your bike into a Dekotora is just hilarious!

The soundtrack is called Ichiban-boshi Blues (by Bunta Sugawara and Kinya Aikawa) and the footage comes from a video called Dekochari Yarou.

If you thought that wasn’t funny enough, how about the Dekochari at 0:26 being driven by Daijiro Inada?

And how about another one just for the road? :P

Random: Mooneyes watching a Nissan Skyline DR30

February 18, 2010 / banpei / 1 Comment

I just love the composition of this picture: the Mooneyes logo on the truck is watching this four door Nissan Skyline RS-Turbo DR30!
I'm watching you: Nissan Skyline DR30
I’m watching you: Nissan Skyline DR30
Yes, the RS-Turbo isn’t Moon Equipped and sits on a set of Formula Meshes… It is just as if the logo was saying: I’m watching you! You’re not even Moon Equipped! :D

Found in the JCCA NYM 2010 meeting pictures of Life doodling.

Carina Sightings: Davy’s Carina TA63 at Hampton Down

February 17, 2010 / banpei / 5 Comments

I spotted the pictures of Davy’s Carina at first at Phils car blog, then headed over to Garage Slipway to read the whole story behind its run on Hampton Down.
Davy's Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
Davy’s Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
Here the Carina is still running fast, but after only a couple of laps he heard a loud thudding noise and pulled up in the pits. Apparently nothing looked weird and he headed back on the track.

Had a look and couldn’t determine what it was. So what the heck I went out again. Then halfway around the track BANG, then no power. To be specific, no fuel as the line snapped and wrapped around the driveshaft which bought my car to a halt at the first hairpin.
Davy's Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
Davy’s Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
The fuel line was probably grabbed by the driveshaft after it had some sort of in imbalance. Seen such a thing happen with Mux’s Levin AE86 and it turned out that one of the bolts on the rubber pivot was broken off. You can imagine what happens next when you are driving hard on a circuit. :o

Davy's Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
Davy’s Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
I must say the JDM zenki Trueno AE92 bumper suits Davy’s Carina very well!

And this is how the Carina remained the rest of the session:
Davy's Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
Davy’s Carina TA63 at Hampton Down
Parked up in the pits. A sad sight. :(

Photos were taken by Matt Malcolm.