To be honest when I first posted photos of the Nagano Kobou cars from Osaka I was blown away with the amount of comments I was receiving, I don’t think there was one negative. These cars have been built so well and sit so perfectly there is nothing not to love. If you’re wondering what their workshop looks like be sure to check out my shop tour of Nagano Koubou here.

Here is another image taken early on the Wreck `Em Meihan drift day just as the team were setting up in the pits next to the NUMBERSIX MX-5 to the left. I can’t wait to share more images with you guys of Nagano in 35mm film!

As I’ve stated in previous Japanese posts. The moment you set foot on the aircraft there is non stop thoughts about what Japan is going to look like, what cars you’re going to witness, what people you’re going to meet, more so on the first time you go. However, the second trip for me was no different, I was just as excited and will be every time I board a flight to Japan, period. There have been 3 AE86’s in the past that I think everyone are familiar with, the BRIDE AE86’s.

Our first drift day, only 48 hours on Japan soil I met the car in person. I’m unsure if you know but this car was actually purchased off the original owner a few years ago but still gets driven regularly. The current owners name goes by Kuniaki Konishi-san.

The car seems to be in the exact shape it was when the first owner built and drove it. I have to say it was quite a day seeing this little thing running around Motorland Suzuka. To see the full feature on this car, click here.

During my time in Japan I have been lucky enough to be faced one on one with a few D1GP cars, I even attended the final round of D1GP Street Legal around this time last year at the Tsukuba 1000 Circuit, if you look back through the pages on the blog you’ll find heaps of snaps. I have to say it’s so awesome seeing a D1GP car nowadays such as the Supermade Onevia still rocking 15″ wheels. The amount of speed and grip this car has is mind blowing.

The car itself is just so photogenic.

The Supermade S15 sitting on 15″ Work CR01’s. Once we hit 10,000 fans on Facebook I will post a full feature on this Silvia created by Yoshida-san. Shirtstuckedin Facebook.

So after 6 and a half years of shooting cars through a viewfinder of a camera, I finally purchased my first RWD car — a Toyota KE70 which was made in the early 80’s.  The car is dead standard running the 4KC 1.3L with a 5 speed gearbox. I picked it up just over 1 week ago for $600 as is. The amount of rust is very minimal which is a great start. I immediately fell in love with the car as soon as I saw it was the colour it was, sure, for some it’s probably not very appealing but it’s actually quite rare to see KE70’s in this particular colour.

The interior is as clean as the exterior. For a car that was made almost 3 decades ago I was so surprised to see one in this condition. The dash is a lovely beige colour with only 1 little crack in the dash. It also came with a Toyota ball shift knob which I’ve never seen before and will definitely be replacing my skeleton shifter from Japan. Every component works, even the analog clock in the cluster.

Over the week of owning the car I’ve picked up some spare parts to freshen things up a little bit. We managed to track down and pull out some rear EA Falcon which happened to be King springs so they should be a kilogram or two heavier. Other parts such as spark plugs, drive belt, oil and fuel filter, rear taillights, radiator, oil and coolant should help the little 4KC run a little smoother. The car hasn’t been driven on the road for about 6-12 months so I’m really looking forward to stretching its legs once I get a RWC and registration.

So, here is what I wanted to show you mostly. Last night my mate Robo brought around his 14 x 7 +0 (UEO Spec) TE37s to test fit on my car. Sure, most KE70’s these days run old school dished SSRs, quad headlight and lips but I want to style mine away from the crowd. I think these wheels suit the car so perfectly, 7J +0 is so ideal for standard guards. Note: these two photos are photochopped, the car still has standard suspension, I just wanted to see what they would look like once we lower the car. It’s always good to play on the computer to see what you want before you spend the money.

Here is one final shot a little closer. I think this will be around the height I will run the car, just in line with the top of the tyre. Personally, I think the colour of my car can pull of any sort of wheel. We’ve also tried Watanabes, TOM’S Igetas and Hayashi Streets but I think these work wonders. After a while I will be looking to change from the standard KE70 lights to DX front and rear. For now I want to concentrate on suspension and getting this little girl on the road.

When the Supermade S15 and Gloria rocked up to our Meihan Drift Day I seriously didn’t think the day could improve from there, until the D1GP Onevia rolled in. You might remember seeing some footage of this car in my Meihan 2011 video which you can watch here. Stay tuned for more photos of the engine bay and of this bad boy on the track!

I’ve done a few posts on this groovy Onevia from Meihan. Incase you forgot his name is Yuu-san and is one of Jesse Steeter’s very good friends. The battles they were throwing down all day were very impressive and I look forward to getting some tandem shots up to show you guys!

The amount of photos I have from the Wreck `Em Meihan drift day is outrageous, I’m so happy I shot well over 30gbs of data. Here is a shot of Jesse’s PS13 parked up next to his Kei Van. The life.

Nissan C33 Laurel slammed on Longchamp XR4s and SSR Mesh, It makes me smile to know that this type of styling still exists in Japan.

Here is a photo of Team ISE Works ☆ on the trailer after a full day of drifting at Motorland Suzuka. One thing I was surprised with was the amount of stickers and signs I saw around, especially on cars “PRAY FOR JAPAN”, “HOPE FOR JAPAN” etc. I even bought a few at the Wreck `Em Meihan Drift Day to show my support which is still stuck on my Pelican hard-case. As a matter in fact we managed to raise over $800.00 for the Japanese earlier this year so for those who donated I really appreciate it, well done.