When building a kaido racer it’s common to see OEM parts from other cars modified to be used on cars they were never meant for. One of the most common examples is tail light swaps such as putting Skyline tails on your Z car or putting Celica tail on a XX but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I want to highlight some of the most common part swaps used to help achieve a custom look without breaking out the fiberglass mats.

That said, kaido racers have used parts from many cars in their builds, so much so that covering all of them in one place would take longer than building a car. As the name suggests this will serve as the first entry to a running column highlighting different parts.

AW11/ MR2 Vent

One of the most popular vents to add to a kaido racer, ironically enough from a car that was “never” used as a kaido racer (I’m sure if you look hard enough you can find one example). The AW11 side vent comes in two different variants, double vent from the early model and single from late model cars. Its most common to find this attached at the back of the rear quarter panels but there are examples of it being used in more unique ways. This is one of the few parts that can be found in North American junkyards.

RA25 Celica Vent

Most commonly used as hood vents, as they were on the original car. Sometimes kaido racers would implement these vents elsewhere on their cars to give an even more unique look. The original vent is quite expensive these days but fiberglass reproductions can be found, for example from Moonlight Runners.

Kouki S130 Vent

This vent was found on late model S130’s (including North America) this is one of the few parts in this list that could be found at your local junkyard.

C130 “Butaketsu” Side Marker

While the base car yields quite a lofty price these days, these side markers can be used on many different cars. These have also been recreated so they can be attained at a reasonable price.

430 Gloria/Cedric Corner Light

Most commonly seen on Skyline Japan (C210), this is almost always paired with either Gloria/Cedric headlights (and Cedric grille).

430 Gloria/Cedric Headlight

Often seen in similar applications as the 910 Bluebird headlight, the 430 Gloria or Cedric was also a popular swap for 70’s and early 80’s cars. Being slightly narrower than 910 headlights this makes this option fit a wider selection of cars. The easy way to tell between 910 and 430 headlights is that 910 was dual bulb while 430 is single. For examples see the section above (430 Gloria/Cedric Corner Light) as all these examples are also rocking 430 headlights.

910 Bluebird Headlight

Released in the early 80s, Nissan’s 910 Bluebird didn’t seem to hit its peak popularity as a kaido racer base until the 2000s (likely a result of more popular cars increasing in price/rarity). With that said, from the initial release of the car (1981) kaido racers instantly implemented the headlight from this car, with examples being seen even in 1982.

330 Gloria Headlight

The Nissan 330 Gloria headlight was a popular swap, especially for similar-year Nissans such as the Kenmeri Skyline (C110) and Butaketsu Laurel (C130).

S30 ZG Flare

Originally coming from the Fairlady 240ZG (HS30-H), you can find examples of this flare being used on most if not all common kaido racer bases. With many different replicas of these flares being made, it offers a simpler entry point for fitting wide wheels without works flares or extensive modification such as metal fender or narrowed subframe/control arms. These are commonly painted an “accent” color different from the body, as seen with many works flares on early 80’s Grachan cars. You may also see early nonsuri event cars running ZG flares in the rear before metal fenders gained more popularity.

FC RX7 Oil Cooler

Originally a non-cosmetic and critical component to keeping oil temps under control, the second generation RX-7 oil cooler was adopted by kaido racers as a purely visual item. Most of the time you see this part it isn’t connected to anything, with the hoses just being pushed through the grille into the engine bay.

Final Boss: Full Face Swap

If taking the headlights from a car isn’t enough, sometimes taking the whole front end is the next best option.