LOUD PURPLE BOXES: Mr Lavender’s KE70s
September 7, 2012 2:19 am
This is Mr Lavender’s garage. He’s a crazy drifter and is also quite mad for KE70s.
Mr Lavender is a drifter I see every now and again at Nikko Circuit, and as you can see, he’s a big fan of KE70s. Along with a circuit thrasher, he has a nice streeter done in the same metallic lavender paint, and a couple of spare cars sitting around the back of his house, since they’re starting to get quite rare over here in Japan.
I don’t live too far away from him, so he invited me over one day for some barbecue and to check out his garage.
The circuit drifter KE70 is set up for power, and takes a massive thrashing every time he goes out on the track. In an average twelve to fifteen minute session, he drifts the entire track several times without ever slowing down. Quite often, he does it with three or four of his mates who have AE86s, and one who has a Charmant.
When I say “without ever slowing down”, I mean it really looks like they’re racing. Flat to the floor.
“Even going in the expert classes is irritating to me. ” he said.
“All those guys are good drivers, but they’re always slowing down on the back straights, letting their precious, expensive turbo cars cool down. I don’t pay all that money to enter track events to slow down, you know? If people do that in front of us and don’t get out of the way, we’ll just cut the curbs and overtake them.” he said.
It’s true. I’ve seen them do it. After a while everyone is so terrified of them that they just get out of their way well in advance.
His second car is a slightly milder, street-registered version of the track car.
The body is still standard.
The engine is also a 4A-GE, but it’s a bit milder and set up for street driving.
The circuit car is all about business inside.
On the other hand, the streeter has an OEM lace cover on the rear seat.
“Before racing, check the bonnet pins!”
The little spraypainted skull and crossbones is Mr Lavender’s trademark, and he’ll spray it on anything you ask him to, especially your own car.
“Chotto warui” slanty logo.
One other thing Mr Lavender likes to do is collect various kyusha wheels.
They’re not just garage ornaments though, as he uses all of them on his cars.
Everyone needs a Techno Phantom hosereel.
I think every single person with a 4A-GE in Japan has met Antonio at some point.
Even the garage toilet has some interesting stuff in it.
Standard 4A pistons that seized up at Nikko Circuit, according to the tag.
Fun, eh. I’ll try and find some action pics if I have any.
Tags: Corolla, KE70, ToyotaCategorised in: Profiles プロフィル
This post was written by Alexi
15 Comments
YES! these things are awesome. love the lavender and lace, very manly.
amazing, I like your work alexi, saludos y un gran abrazo!!!
Super-cool and unique 🙂
Would love to see perhaps some footage of this flat-out drift racing… you can’t tease us with that and then not show any action! :p
Some video footage of the high-speed laps would go well with the action pics 😉
Such a good post. This guy is an inspiration. Love his full throttle approach to cars.
whoa really sick! you gotta get some action shots or footage of this guy and his crew !
I love these kind of features
I love this Blog, you just have all my fav car all the time KE’s 86’s JZX’s but this is just awesome, as an above comment say he is a true inspiration, i own a coupla Keto’s myself with one a track hack in progress, would love to know a bit more about both, thanks alexi =D
and yes some video action would be GREAT!!!
Haven’t enjoyed a post this much since the last Goto-san installment! Big props !
おはよう
Watashino namae wa Asano desu. I was wondering if you know any information about the track dates for Ebisu for 2013. I live on Naha Island and I have a couple of buddies from Australia, Darwin area, that want to go. They believe there is an event in May but they can’t find detailed information but I found information on a facebook page that says there is a event on April 24, which is a Thursday, and goes until Sunday. They offer a package deal that includes a car, hotel, 4 day track pass and a couple other things, but I’m not sure if it’s legit.
If you could please help be find out information pertaining to the track dates, that would be highly appreciated since we all have to plan ahead for this. FYI your email doesn’t work Alexi so I had to send it to you this way.
どうもありがとうございます
Love the post. Cheers!
I agree with others…a video to follow this great feature. Well that would be just splendid
So good Alexi im so happy you’v met this guy and featured his garage life! Thank you!!!!!!
i want side draght carbies in my toilet!
Just seen he a bad crash with this trackcar. Pretty smashed up now but i guess that the drift life! Hand in hand.
“All those guys are good drivers, but they’re always slowing down on the back straights, letting their precious, expensive turbo cars cool down… If people do that in front of us and don’t get out of the way, we’ll just cut the curbs and overtake them.”
Man, Finally! Someone who gets me!!! Pretty rad article.