Tuning shop SIGMA – 死喰魔

In the 1970s and 1980s, prior to there being UpGarage, Autobacs and Yellow Hat shops all over Japan, individual tuning shops thrived. There used to be a lot more shops where you could buy used cars along with wheels, tires, steering wheels, body kits and other accessories. Sigma was one of these shops. Another famous shop that more of you might recognize that also did something similar, offering used cars, then parts and body kits is Hiro Motors.

Japanese automotive parts catalog page featuring Advan and Dunlop racing tires, Pirelli tires, steering wheels, and Yokohama tires.
A few of their advertisements from the early 1980s.
Japanese Auto Parts Catalog Page with Product Listings and Prices for Muffler Kits, Turbochargers, Clutch Kits, and Cap Sets
Japanese car advertisement featuring models like Soara, Prelude, Mazda RX-7, Fairlady Z, and Blue Bird in black and white.
source: @1k_kazu

On top of just being a tuning shop, they also had a few drag racing cars. In the 1980s, there was a Volkswagen tuning shop from America called “Scat” in Yoga, Tokyo. They put on a series of drag racing events at Fuji International Speedway. This event would later be called as RRC or “Roadrunner Racing Club” and was an official JAF organization.

Vintage drag racing car with American flag design and Japanese text in front of spectators at the Circuit Showdown event.

Sigma had a Chevrolet Camaro driven by Itsuo Obara ( 小原逸男 ) that broke the American car class record at the Scat Drag Race in 1981 for a time of 11.72 seconds. Mind you they run 0-400m races which is just shy of a 1/4 of a mile.

Close-up of vintage race car with number 28, American flag design, and Japanese Death Machine decal, parked on race track.
Race car with American flag design, featuring Quaker State Motor Oil and Gabriel stickers, and a tower in the background.
A white sports car with Shinigami and 2998cc written on it, and six people posing behind it on a sunny day.

Another car they had was a board over L series. The engine was an L28-based 3.2-liter with a full
tune. It had Southern Way wheels with 290/575-14 size Dunlop racing slicks.

Three modified sports cars with Japanese text decals, racing graphics, and American themes parked on asphalt.
Vintage Japanese car show with a modified black race car numbered 400, surrounded by other classic cars and spectators.
3rd Exciting Car Show, Sigma booth in 1985

They also built an S30z with a Chevrolet 350 V8 that was able to do 13.87 0-400m.

Japanese car magazine spread showcasing two modified supercharged Nissan Z cars with V8 engines racing on a track.
Vintage Datsun 240Z with American flag livery on a Japanese magazine page. Text: 貴婦人フェアレディの大変身！ (Great transformation of the Fairlady).
Classic Japanese car magazine page featuring modified Fairlady V8Z, engine close-up, and race event images.
Mechanic working on red and blue Shiguma race car aiming for a 9-second quarter mile. Translation: Japanese island car tuning.

There was also an S130 drag car that was also built with over 400 horsepower.

Kaminari Z

Red classic sporty car with Japanese license plate number '7953,' driving on a road near guardrails.

Sigma was also the importer for the American company Kaminari Aerodynamic‘s S130 body kit. They originally build these body kits in the 1980s along with supplying a lot of body kits in the 1990s. They still produce a lot of body kits today, but unfortunately it seems like they no longer produce this one.

Sigma was also able to coordinate with the Japanese government to allow these body kits to pass shaken inspection.

Red sports car side view with Japanese 死亡遊戯 text, translated Game of Death, on black side skirt.
Close-up of a classic red car's wheel with golden mesh rims and low-profile tires on a paved surface.
Rear view of a red sports car with a Japanese license plate and a 'Battle Machine' decal parked on a sunny street.
Magazine spread featuring a red car with Japanese text, highlighting the stylish body and interior details in multiple images.

The Sticker

Image showing Japanese text 死喰魔 meaning Death Eater on a black and purple rectangular label with the number 039486700.

Now the real reason why we are here. The Sigma logo along with their sticker is famous because of the characters used. Instead of using katakana like シグマ for their shop name, they used a combination of kanji characters 死喰魔 which sounds like “Shi Gu Ma” when read. These characters together have the translated meaning of “Death Eater”, making it a very aggressive sticker design. The shop’s phone numbers are located at the top and bottom, with their Tokyo and Miyazaki stores.

Rear view of a modified vintage Japanese car with deep-dish wheels and a spoiler. Japanese text reads death demon.
Rear view of a car with various Japanese car stickers on the back window, showcasing custom decals at an outdoor car meet.

This is just another small feature you might find on today’s kaido racers showing a glimpse of the past. Something that is period correct that people remember fondly.

source:
https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/13787506/
https://ameblo.jp/maga-radi/entry-12231505880.html
https://twitter.com/1991express/status/1500368714675671040?lang=bn
https://carview.yahoo.co.jp/news/detail/d1b07ee5bc1f9396829a601e5bcee9569b22fdc9/
https://ossanauto.com/archives/6147

A person with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting in a vehicle, looking at the camera with a serious expression.

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