GOING BOSO: Champ Road magazine photoshoot, Part I

A couple of weekends ago, a group of bosozoku guys I know had a daytime photoshoot for “Champ Road” a magazine centered around bosozoku culture.

It was a good chance for me to shoot these cars without any interruption, so I headed along too.

つづけて読んでください、(more…)をクリックして。

There were fourteen cars there, most of which were from the team “Showa Kurabu”.

Showa is the period of Japanese history from 1926 to 1989, so they’re only interested in pre-90s models.

The craziest car there was this one, based (I think) on a GX61 Cresta with Chaser headlights.

As you may know, these cars didn’t come from the factory as a convertible.

The takeyari exhaust pipes also exited the floorpan behind the driver’s seat.

This old guy walking past thought the pipes were hilarious.

“Oh, I haven’t seen a car like this for quite a while!” he said.

“How long does it take to build something like that?” the old man asked.

“A long time. But if you’re a man with lots of leisure time like me, you can get it done pretty fast.” said the owner.

In an upcoming video, I’ll show you what it’s like to ride in this widebody beast.

Banded steel wheels and fat race-style rubber under huge bolt-on fenders is the way to go for the “Gurachan” look.

This S12 Crown shows the origins of the modern VIP look. Check out the old analogue TV antennas.

This car was owned by a young guy, and is a work in progress.

He already has the appropriate wheels though, and what looked like some genuine old Dunlop Formula tyres.

The “takeyari” or “bamboo spear” exhaust is a standard item for kaido racers.

Most of these are removable for driving to and from cruising locations, assuming the rest of your car is legal.

This Yonmeri was very neat and clean, riding on Starsharks.

Big wings are also an important part of owning a kaido racer.

This Soarer had a pretty big example, however…

…the winner in my opinion was this Cresta.

Look at that glory. Also, the deeply Frenched tail lights.

He did have a little bit of trouble with that front lip while exiting the steep driveway of this carpark though.

That would look pretty tough in your rearview mirror.

One more pic from the front, because it looks so great.

Notice the AW11 MR2 vent moulded into the rear quarter, which is a popular mod.

Something a bit more contemporary now, a GX81 Cresta Super Lucent

His wheel fitment and ride height is about as close to perfect as you can get.

Street-driven.

The sticker on the cluster is a souvenired defect sticker the Japanese police stick on your car, usually on the windscreen.

Suichuuka shift knob.

It’s a white four-door Toyota, so I’m automatically a fan.

White four-door anything looks good.

Nobody does Japanese sedans better than Toyota.

It’s not too uncommon to see cars like this still being daily driven, at least in the countryside.

In the background, Ken and his mate Mary?

A lesson on how to be a bosozoku.

Step one: learn how to squat without lifting your heels from the ground.

Step two: get an awesome punch-perm regent haircut, a twisted towel hachimaki, a surgical mask and rimless reflective sunglasses.

You’re done.

Not all of the cars there were all that crazy. This stock-bodied Celica looked great with a simple wheel swap and suspension drop.

This trio of red Toyotas were looking quite good together.

That “Love” LED sign was a popular accessory back in the day.

Also note the shift knob, crushed velour dashboard cover and Coke towel across the back seats.

Undersized wooden steering wheels are also a popular kaido racer item.

This A60 Celica XX was pushing all the right styling buttons.

When the 80’s boxy look goes right.

The sticker is 80’s idol singer Shizuka Kudo, who rocked the long hair and dark lipstick look that was popular amongst the kind of guys who drove cars like these.

Notice on the left, the multiple Clarion  RCB-011 Power Level Indicators, which are basically VU meters. The cool thing to do is stack as many of them as you can in your car.

The photographer from Champ Road taking some pics for the magazine.

One more of this Celica, because it looks so good.

“Hachiouji”, the team’s home city, sprayed under the fibreglass hatch.

At the end of the day, all the cars lined up for a group shot.

The location was at a dam, so there was plenty of space.

Yes, that is a real Thai tuktuk in the background.

Lots of noise was made by this group when they left!

More coming in following posts, including the bikes that attended (and one of the best exhaust designs you’ve ever seen) and cruising these cars on the highway!

つづく。たのしんでください！

Categorised in: Nostalgic ノスタルジック

This post was written by Alexi