Category Archives: Shop Life

SHOP LIFE: A visit to Mooneyes Area 1

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Ben Hsu

When recent travels took us to Yokohama, our resident illustrator and Japan native San Mamiya suggested that we meet up and go to Mooneyes Area 1. It had been a few years since we’d visited the Japanese headquarters of Mooneyes, and there’s always … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life | Tagged ae86, Buick Riviera, corolla levin, crown, daihatsu, Ford Country Squire, gt-r, hiace, hilux, kawasaki, Mercury Cougar, Meyers Manx, midget, mooneyes, ms51, nissan, r32, s50, skyline, sprinter trueno, stout, town ace, toyota | 15 Comments

SHOP LIFE: The Barrel Bros’ super wheel restorations

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Kevin San

One of the most important (and expensive!) purchases you’ll make for your ride, are a nice set of wheels. J-nostalgics just don’t look right without the right vintage wheels, and so you’re probably already a veteran of cruising Yahoo Auctions … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life | Tagged 330, Barrel Bros, cedric, longchamp xr-4, ssr | 17 Comments

SHOP LIFE: LAX Wheel Refinishing

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Ben Hsu

In a nondescript warehouse on the edge of Boyle Heights is one of the best kept secrets for a crucial part of Los Angeles life: the rim. The aftermarket wheel is an inalienable part of SoCal culture, more important than the wristwatch … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life | Tagged LAX Wheel Refinishing | 20 Comments

SHOP LIFE: Standards, Part 02

Posted on January 31, 2014 by David Lovett

In Part 01, we headed up to Gifu to visit a shop called Standards, which had a mind-blowing amount of Showa goodies hidden in every nook and cranny. After going into Showa overload, Yokoyama-san, the owner, asked if we wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life | Tagged carol, corona, daihatsu, honda, kei, mazda, midget, publica, Shop Life, Standards, subar, toyota | 16 Comments

SHOP LIFE: Standards, Part 01

Posted on January 24, 2014 by David Lovett

Standards is a little known shop hiding up in Gifu Prefecture. We would have never been aware of had it not been for some internet digging by a friend in a desperate bid to find some rare Mazda Carol 360 … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life | Tagged 117, carol, corona mark II, cosmo ap, daihatsu, hijet, isuzu, kei, mazda, Mitsubishi Minicab, publica, R-2, rx-5, Showa Era, Standards, subaru, toyota | 13 Comments

SHOP LIFE: A visit to Rocky Auto, Nissan resto-modder extraordinare

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Guest Writer

Today’s guest writer is David Lovett of Classic Car Nagoya, who recently went on a little field trip to Rocky Auto. The famous tuning shop’s founder, Yoshiya Watanabe, will make a rare American appearance at Vintage Auto Salon this weekend so come … Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, Shop Life | Tagged c10, c110, datsun, fairlady z, Hakosuka, kenmeri, kpgc10, nissan, pgc10, rocky auto, s130, s30, Shop Life, skyline | 22 Comments

GARAGE LIFE: A visit with Isuzu Sports Eagle

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Guest Writer

We first met Koji Okane, owner of Isuzu Sports Eagle, in 2009 at the inaugural Nos2Days show. A gracious guy, he invited us to his shop but our time in Japan was too short. We could think of no one … Continue reading →

Posted in isuzu, Shop Life | Tagged 117, bellett, Garage Life, gemini, impulse, isuzu, Koji Okane, piazza | 26 Comments

Garage Life: Classic Car Nagoya Diary

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Guest Writer

Today’s guest writer David Lovett lives in Japan and works at Classic Car Nagoya. Here is a dispatch about what it’s like to be employed at what most of us would consider the ultimate dream job. Enjoy. —Ben Just about … Continue reading →

Posted in mitsubishi, nissan, prince, Shop Life, toyota | Tagged 510, a60, bluebird, c10, c110, Classic Car Nagoya, compagno, crown, daihatsu, datsun, Hakosuka, kenmeri, kpgc10, kpgc110, midget, mitsubishi, mitsubishi 360, nissan, prince, s20, s30, skyline, supra, toyopet, toyota | 52 Comments

JDM Workshop Spotlight: Carcraft Yabusaki

Posted on January 4, 2009 by Kevin San

A few months ago, we put the spotlight on Auto Service Machinaga, a Kobe bodyshop that not only did great work in restoring JDM classics, but also had the presence of mind to record their restoration process in photographs, presented … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life, Websites | 1 Comment