On racecars in the 70’s (and even modern day) you’ll see the windshield wipers in a vertical position on the windshield as opposed to horizontal. The benefits to this in a racing application include: While it wasn’t uncommon to see kaido racers with under-hood tuning, this is another “mod” that
Read MoreAuthor: Tadaaki Mimura
Kansai Kaido Racers
What is the Kansai Region The Kansai region (関西地方) consists of the prefectures: Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Mie, Shiga, and Wakayama. As far as car culture is concerned this region is the epicenter of Honda tuning, namely the loop racers (Kanjozoku 環状族) of Osaka in B-series powered Civics. Loop racers
Read MoreUnderstanding SSR Wheels
When building a car in any style, it’s generally agreed upon that wheel choice/fitment is one of the most important details. If you’ve never purchased vintage aftermarket Japanese wheels before there can be a barrier to entry even from the way things are referenced or notated. When browsing/discussing wheels you
Read MoreTeam Circus Nonsuri 2025
This spring I was able to make my second trip to Japan. After experiencing a night meeting during my first trip, next on my list was to go to a nonsuri. This has been covered here before, but nonsuri is derrived from the words “non slip” in reference to the
Read More“Stealing” Parts From Other Cars: Part 1
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
Read MoreTeam Hi Heel Presents: SoCal New Years Touring 2025
Team Hi Heel of Southern California will host a New Year’s Touring (hatsuhinode bōsō) to kick off 2025 on January 11th, 2025. They will meet at 11 PM, with touring starting at midnight and running into sunrise (in true Japanese fashion). If you’re in SoCal with a kaido racer you’ll
Read MorePart Swaps: Mercedes Benz Grille
Kaido racers are no strangers to repurposing parts from other cars for their own. The most common examples of this are likely OEM vents, tail lights, and headlights. That said, I’d like to highlight the Mercedes Benz grille swap which became popularized first through an aftermarket FRP part and then
Read MoreGetting to Know Kaido Racer Publications
While tools such as social media are great for seeing photos of kaido racers new and old, this may leave you wanting more. Whether it’s wanting to focus on a specific period, finer details, or finding “deep cuts”, going straight to the source remains one the best options, but where
Read MoreRudeboy Custom’s Summer Meeting 2024
Rudeboy Customs is back with another rendition of PNW Summer Meeting in Vancouver, BC Canada. The official day is going to be August 10th, with meeting location and time posted on the day of the event on their Instagram stories. Try showing up with a kaido racer, but other cars
Read MoreNissan S130, Imai Kasei, and the C3 Corvette?
In the late 80’s and early 90’s kaido racers really started to resemble what Westerners use the blanket (incorrect) term of bosozoku for. Cars sporting a plethora of fiberglass, both custom-made and “off the shelf”, to create borderline unidentifiable cars were at their peak around this time (exemplified with Chibaragi
Read More