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JDM Carina GT-R (Celica Supra) rims

November 27, 2008 / banpei / 0 Comments

Found these 15 inch Carina GT-R rims (also featured on the Celica Supra and Soarer) on auctions.yahoo.co.jp which look exactly like mine:

Immaculate Carina GT-R rims on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

detais Carina GT-R rims on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Details of the Carina GT-R rims on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Clean Carina GT-R rims on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

These rims are 15 inch, ET +20 so they are actually exactly the same as mine! I took the gamble that the 15 inch Celica Supra rims would be the same size/offset as the Carina and apparently I guessed right!

They cost about 37000 yen (300 euros) so I think the price of these rims are spot on!

Carina Sightings: Carina GT-R AA63 on Speedhunters

November 26, 2008 / banpei / 1 Comment

Some of you may already have read it, but Mike Garrett wrote about the HPI Tsukuba meeting on Speedhunters and wrote about a black Carina GT-R

Black Carina GT-R AA63 on Tsukuba circuit in the paddock

Black Carina GT-R AA63 on Tsukuba circuit drifting

As you can see the Carina is pretty bashed up and misses its front airdam, grille, side indicator lights, and a foglight and one normal light on the left side. The driver must really use the car extensively. :)

It is also very nice to see something different than the mainstream white color.

And what I like most about the report is the following comment by Mike Garrett:
This AA63 Toyota Carina was part of the drifting group. These cars are fairly unknown as far vintage rear-drive Japanese cars go. I’d love to own one someday.
I hope that as well! :)

Images are courtesy of Speedhunters.com and were posted here earlier:
HPI TSUKUBA MEETING PT.1 on Speedhunters.com
HPI TSUKUBA MEETING PT.2 on Speedhunters.com

Reading: arcade mania

November 25, 2008 / banpei / 0 Comments

Just pre-ordered my copy of Arcade Mania on Amazon:
Arcade Mania book
Arcarde Mania book

As the description on their site says:
Covering classic games from Space Invaders to Street Fighter, as well as the unique, quirky games found only in Japan
Sounds great! Can’t wait to receive it!

Too bad it only gets available after x-mas, otherwise I could have asked my girlfriend to buy it for me as a Christmas present. ;)

Initial D: Useless merchandising

November 24, 2008 / banpei / 3 Comments

Was browsing on Amazon and Ebay and it amazed me there was a huge amount of useless merchandising for Initial D fans. And I don’t mean useless merchandising like some tofu sticker to stick on your wannabe tofuboy Silvia S12 with panda paint scheme. Here is my top 3 useless merchandising:

On number three:
useless initial d merchandising on ebay: poker card deck
Initial D Playing poker card deck
Of course you can play poker with this, but not without being laughed at! And what is the deal with the Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 being the Joker?? Is this a joke??

On number two:
useless initial d merchandising on Amazon: plush 12 inch trueno
Initial D: AE86 Trueno Car 12-inch plush
A plush Trueno?? What am I supposed to do with it? Sit on it? Or sleep with it?

On number one:
useless initial d merchandising on Amazon: screw driver set
Initial D 86 Trueno Carbon Bonnet Mini Screw Driver Set
Amazing! A screwdriver set inside the Panda Trueno AE86!! Why? What has this to do with Initial D? Am I missing the link here?? And if this is the normal type, what other types do we have?? And the screwdrivers look like they will break upon loosening any screw! What is that good for?

Otaku car festival

November 22, 2008 / banpei / 2 Comments

No, this is not about auto-otakus who love JDM machinery like me, but cars of real Japanese otakus in Tokyo.

The otaku car festival featured many many cars all dressed up with anime/manga figures and stickers. Highlights are a Ferrari F430 spider, Lancia Stratos and a BMW M5.

I was looking through the photo gallery and did not really find any interesting JDM cars for the auto-otakus, except for some skylines in the background.

However I did notice these two Toyota Corolla Levins AE101:
Levin AE101 on otaku car festival front
Toyota Corolla Levin AE101 #1 front view

Toyota Corolla Levin AE101 #1 side view

Levin AE101 on otaku car festival front
Toyota Corolla Levin AE101 #2 front view

Toyota Corolla Levin AE101 #2 side view

I do not particularly like the way these two AE101s are painted/stickered/etc. but actually I was thinking something like: damn shame of the nice silvertops in those cars… I would certainly know a much better use for those! Does that mean I’m no longer an anime-otaku but rather more an auto-otaku?? ;)

Hilarious: Initial D cosplay

November 21, 2008 / banpei / 5 Comments

Initial D Cosplay: hilarious!
Initial D Cosplay: simply hilarious!!
Do I need to say more?? I hope not… :D :D

They are all there: Takumi in the Sprinter Trueno AE86 (looks more like Itsuki to me), Bunta (behind the AE86), Ryosuke in the white FC3S RX7, Kyosuke in the yellow FD3S RX7, Sayuki (next to the Sil80?) and some other dude who doesn’t look like anyone at all. ;)

The only thing that crossed my mind: what if they were not cosplaying, but actually showing their Halloween costumes? What would happen if someone comes to your door in these cardboard cars and say “Trick or treat!!”?? Would you have to show your heel-to-toe as a trick? Or of course treat them upon some high-octane?? Hopefully we’ll never know!! I’d keep my door shut when these nutters come around! :P

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