Author: Brian Baker

Red Koenig Specials car with sporty design and wide body kit, parked outdoor near a green field.

Koenig Specials Inspired Kaido Racers

In the 1980s European tuning shops started to get popular. In Germany alone, there was RUF, Brabus, Gemball, but what was probably the craziest tuner was Koenig Specials. Willy König purchased a Ferrari 365 BB in 1974 and wasn’t happy with the performance of it. He had the 365 sent off

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Classic Japanese car with Yokohama Advan livery, parked by a garage; racing number 46; yellow headlights; retro-mod style.

Auto Produce Bellezza

Once I finally landed in Japan I was hit up by Sandra of Checkpoint Japan to come on out for the monthly Auto Produce Bellezza meeting. So I hopped a train and headed north. John, Jyles and Tom picked me up at the train station and we went to Moriya

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Vintage customized Eizo car with Ultra and E.YAZAWA decals parked in a green park with stone wall.

Music for Kaido Racers — Part 1

Around 6 years ago I was trying to do some research on what would be “period correct” music for a kaido racer. I tried googling things, but I wasn’t even sure where to start. I fell into the “city pop” YouTube pipeline that many of us have gotten into, but

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Vintage blue car with Japanese stickers on windshield, showcasing classic design and detailed exterior, captured in daylight.

All About Mirrors

I like to think of a finished build as a sum of its smaller parts. Each small detail combines to form the cohesive larger image. One of these smaller details on a kaido racer build is the mirrors. Some of these mirrors are no longer produced, making a pair of

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