Yokohama Hot Rod Show
Yokohama, Kanagawa
December 2, 2007 - Words & Photos by Satoshi Furuuchi

or American hot rod culture, one of the biggest international events of the year is the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show sponsored by Mooneyes. This year is the 16th for the show, and visitors came from as far away as the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Australia, and of course, the United States. The cars and motorcycles on display at Pacifico convention center range from rat rods in primer and sun-baked patina to lowriders and lead sleds with exquisite candy paint and intricate pinstriping. But, this being Japan, the locals add their domestic customs into the mix.

The gang from Crown Classics displayed a pair of 1JZ-powered MS50s, a pickup and a sedan. In fact, there was a good number of engine-swapped Toyotas, like this Mark II with an SR20 and Nissan Silvia S14 interior. Or, if cross-manufacturer breeding isn't your style, perhaps you'd prefer this Mooneyes 1JZ wagon or this MS52 with an MS100 motor, which won the "Best Domestic Car" award.

For ultra-rare machines, there was this Prince Skyway and Nissan E20 Caravan Long. Truck fans will dig the Datsun Truck and slammed Stout, both feats of engineering. The Datsun uses custom front leaf springs, and the Toyota a custom chassis to accommodate their fierce stances.

For sheer variety of cars, the Mooneyes shows are hard to beat. There were Japanese lowriders like the V8 Cedric and the classic Japanese pimpmobile, the Mitsubishi Debonair. And where else can you see El Caminos and '32 Fords side-by-side with kei-cars?