Monday, August 01, 2005
Art Trucks
They're called Art Trucks. Picture all the neon artwork in downtown Toyko compressed, concentrated, and applied to huge Hino semis. And that's pretty much it. It's almost like American art cars, but with slightly more style and organization. And lots of airbrush paintings. And chrome. The "artists" seem to prefer box trucks and dump trucks, however, as it ads a lot of vertical space in which to mount more paintings, chrome and lights.
Excessive Camber Syndrome
Smooth Criminal Fug
Tin Foil Fug
Tri-Wing Fug
Club Final
Team Risky
Fug from Beyond
LS, Pt. 1
Q45, Pt. 1
Another trend in the Japanese car scene are cars that have both widebody kits and multiple headlights and/or foglights, and this car is a fine example. Although the widebody kit is relatively simple, it does have 6 foglights and is painted an interesting hue of fuschia.
So it's even more strange that the interior looks like a Ferrari threw up. Red and yellow and fuschia do not match. Well - not that that interior would match any car anyway.
Are they even trying?
Given the sketchy looking quality of most of the cars I've been posting lately, it's surprising that you can find vehicles that have worse quality issues than the rest of them.
The first canditate retains it's stock blue colour but ads pink accessories. Of these, the wheel well extensions are horrible. For one, they're just stuck on. Note that up front you can plainly see through the gaps between the body and the extentions. It even bisects a reflector. In the rear, the mounting points have deformed the extention itself. What are these made of - plastic? Also - it has a cut out for the gas door, leaving a gaping hole. I don't know whether this was created as a mockery or not, but looking inside the dash appears to be red velvet or velours. Mounting this would take time and effort, suggesting some for of pride in the cars appearance.
The second candidate looks better and more cohesive, but the rear extetion is also deformed and dented. Also you can see the mounting points, which look as if the flares were bolted onto the body.
I'm beginning to think this is all part of an elaborate joke I'm not getting, because these can't be real...
Crosseyed
Volkswagen Fug Zephur
Old Meets New
Style-setter
Entertainment on the Road
The Checklist
I've noticed that quite a few cars I've been posting lately follow what seem to be quidelines for modification. Few cars have all the modifications listed, but if there was one that had them all I'm sure that car's owner would be elevated to a god-like status. Only to be overthrown by the person who has all the said modifications but in a bigger and therefore better form.
The checklist is as follows:
1. Large, elongated chin spoiler / air dam up front.
2. Some sorta of widebody kit, preferably home made. Can consist of wheel well extentions and sill extentions as pictures, or in some sorta of blocky cardboard-esque bodykit.
3. Large an inappropriate rear spoiler. Can be either of the airfoil variety or ramp type. This modification allows for anything actually, as long as it is attached to the trunk and tall. Large sharks fins for example, or possibly a fish tail or even just a large upright box, would also apply here and be appropriate.
4. Headlamp covers, preferable covering only one lamp.
5. Intercooler mounted externally.
6. Miscellaneous stars, whether in vinyl or rendered in shapes in the bodykit itself.
7. Crooked headlights or taillights. Ultimately, one of the crooked headlights should have a cover (see 4).
8. Extended exhaust pipes. To include two items in one - bend the pipe into the shape of a star.
9. Hood extentions (part A): Hood scoops and/or vertical triangular pieces for optimal airflow.
10. Hood extentions (part B): Extending the hood and/or fenders forward.
11. Gaudy paint. Optimally two tone, with stars and stripes, and of two clashing colours.
Made of plywood?
Not to be outdone by the pink Skyline, this homemade convertible features several extreme Japanese modification standards (air damn, hood extentions, exterior intercooler, crooked headlights, homemade widebody kit, extended tailpipes). AND has a spoiler to outdo all spoilers - a dual tiered affairs with giant shark fins. AND the shark fins have stars attached to the top!
Note that the poor girl in the top pic appears to be in some sort of fug induced shock.