Toyota Crown Wagon S80

It is true that after a long time without writing the blog, writing interesting topics is not easy at all. More certain is that the content search today is much more easy that never was before, today everything is available to the user with minimal searching through the deservedly popular Google.

For me telling the truth, today is no longer as it was yesterday, I no longer live in that wonderful place called Japan. Here in Spain things do not have the same interest for me personally but certainly not much less in content of interest when about the r32taka refers.

It does not mean what I just mentioned, I do have thousands of photos, some of them arbitrary about anything related to Japan. Among them I found this Toyota Crown Wagon S80.

I remember having found it in the lakes around Mount Fuji during an excursion to watch closely the volcano. I think it was the last day of stay around Mount Fuji when being in the parking lot drinking coffee I spot this Toyota Crown.

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The Crown has essentially the American spirit of the wagon of seventies American Wagons, not only by the yellow inspired by Mooneyes but also for the wheels and tyres. It has not even reduced the ground clearance.

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The double rear wiper is a very particular detail in this model, but certainly is still more, the rear registration plate holder saying clearly: think in yellow.

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Without a single JDM detail on this Crown, I think the owner managed to fully reflect his style and make it totally personal.

Sometimes when internet is full of similar cars with the same style, I think there must be a place where all car lovers have to appear. In this case I think this Crown deserves a place in the internet. The owner had a clear idea about his project, and has also managed to materialize it without a super economic cost. Cars are made to enjoy and customize them but not everyone has to follow the same patterns and this Toyota owner make a perfect example.

Back to the game

2 years have passed since the last post was posted in r32taka.com. In fact I did not realize it was too long, but I did also thought that I couldn’t remember when was the last time I did spoke about car to wide internet world.

Today obviously we have miss a lot of followers and daily visitor has got down to the minimum levels ever in the blog 6 years history, probably lower than the day two of the creation of the first blog when the car blog boom started back to 2009.

By that time I did jump the train and started seeninjapan blog, and then rapidly switched to r32taka.com. 3 years back in time I was so happy, many visitors and also many blog collaborations made r32taka enough for our aspirations.

Today everything has change as many blog are blown out by the big BLOGS and some just keep posting because they have the need of interacting and making tendencies. Also with the second boom created by tumblr, car enthusiasts found a beautiful place to share their content and spread to the word todays car tendencies.

Even with all that in mind, I realize I just want to keep posting content, my own content and also influences from the internet, what I think is cool to be posted, and what I think real JDM life is at its maximum.

So if you really want to allow me I will keep posting stuff, the best way I can, trying to show some real japanese stuff, nostalgia stuff, and whatever I think is not mainstream to be published in other websites.

Thank you for still being out there. See you next post.

Nara Street Meeting -Hari Terrace- Part 2

Finally I had sometime for spending free in the blog. There was still in the to do list to post the second part of the Nara Street Car Meeting. Here there are a series of around 30 photos. I also have to say that unfortunately I couldn’t took pictures of all the noticeable cars on during the night as Hari Terrace HRS counted more than 500 cars in the meeting. So this is just a sample of what can you spot in the Kansai area.

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As the main intention of the meeting was to mix all car styles. The were some real JDM tuners that showed up for fun night as this DC2.

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If you are used to read in blogs or even here, the main focus of tuners now is on the USDM scene so there were many example of this trend. But also notice that it maybe a kind of evolution of the traditional USDM with a Japanese taste. Continue reading “Nara Street Meeting -Hari Terrace- Part 2”

4 doors for…

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When you start loving japanese cars, you never start loving four doors cars. Well maybe you do because you are younger and now 4 door cars are very popular.

But back in the days in early 2000, coupe version rock all the way, today I am becoming a 4 door lover. Here is a real proof of what I am looking for my next car, or at least I am convincing me about that xD. My love for the R32 is still to recent, let’s see.

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TRA Kyoto Part III

Here is the last part of the visit to TRA Kyoto after releasing the previous post a couple of weeks back. Very easy to find them in the home page of the blog.

I am specially attracted for old school cars, specially the Bluebird’s. Here an SSS version, aslo know in the US as Datsun 510 here in Japan today this cars aren’t very popular. Sorry they are popular but find them is very very rare.
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Yes you are right here is Kei Miura-san entering the shop. I have talked about him in the previous post but I will say it again, Kei is such a kind guy, very smart and very friendly, you never really imagine. By the time you see these days the E36 Rocket Bunny I have already seen it finished in the computer renderings. It is gonna be really awesome.

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Also in the shop is one of the most infamous Kanjo Cars you can remember. Also for me, I remember when I was younger watching Kanjo videos of Osaka watching those old Civic going faster than hell in the Osaka Ring Highway.

At the time I found that car here I couldn’t believe that car was real, well of course it is.

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But the surprises never stops when visiting TRA Kyoto, Lamborghini bumpers and GT86 bumpers together. Easy to notice the huge difference in size between those two cars.

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Ferrari 458 bumper in the making.

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And the other surprise, the shop is like being germanized, many MB around, I will like to see a Rocket Bunny MB soon xD.

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That is all, I hope you liked this pictures, and also feel happy to save or share them. It isn’t easy to stay here and in the meantime this photos may help you to imagine how life is here.

Rallye de Gandia & Time Attack Calafat

Cuanto tiempo señores lectores. Solo tengo una palabra para describir el fin de semana pasado: INTENSIVO.

Desde la última vez que estuve con mi socio Takahashi en Castellón, se estaba tanteando la posibilidad de asistir a un trackday el pasado 22 de septiembre en el circuito de Calafat. A las pocas semanas nos enteramos de que coincidiriamos con el campeonato Time Attack.

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El viernes llegue a Valencia, con ganas de volver a mi amigo Hector y al pequenho Civic, desde que he convivido un fin de semana entero, he empezado a tenerle cierto afecto a ese Civic, cosa que no habia sentido por ningun otro.

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Lo primero que hicimos fue cambiar las gomas, es decir, ya pusimos el escape, la suspension y ahora era turno de las gomas, si entrabamos a pista, entrabamos bien. Despues pasamos por casa y nos fuimos a cenar con unos buenos amigos, Jenni y Fran. Mas tarde, pues ahi estabamos, dandole palique con lo que mas nos gusta, y nos surgio la idea de ir al Rallye de Gandia, que tenia lugar ese fin de semana, porque no?

Sabado nos levantamos un poco tarde pero a tiempo, nos reunimos con Fran y luego vinieron Atila y Jenni, asi que caminito de Jerez y para Gandia! Una hora de camino, corta pero entretenida, hablamos de todo, lo mejor para viajar! El ambiente se veia bueno ese dia, nada mas llegar habia un C2 de seguridad dando unas vueltas a fuego, menudo bicho… Tan pequenho y tan rapido. Nos dimos unas vueltas por los boxes para ver los cacharros y nos pusimos a comer mientras empezaban a salir coches.

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La tarde transcurrio con normalidad, no queriamos hacerlo largo ya que habia que acostarse pronto y porque al dia siguiente nos esperaba el motivo del fin de semana: CALAFAT.

Dormimos como troncos, habia que descansar, que el dia era muy duro. Nos levantamos y haciendo cosas se nos hizo un poco tarde, asi que pasamos rapidamente a por nuestro amigo Aythami y cogimos la autopista direccion Castellon para luego direccion Barcelona. En Castellon nos esperaban algunos amigos que ya estuvieron en el almuerzo, pero esta vez contabamos con Pablo, a quien hacia mil que no veia, y que por supuesto tenia muchas ganas de ver.

Al pasar Oropesa de Mar empezamos a ver una caravana con un par de Civics y un S14, eran nuestros amigos! Asi que nos unimos y seguimos hacia Calafat, aunque a mitad de camino tuvimos que aminorar la marcha porque una espesa niebla nos sorprendio, de la nada!

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Llegamos al Circuito de Calafat despues de curvetear un poco, habian buenos coches y el dia se veia bueno, sobretodo en clima, mucho calor pero fresquito en las sombras. Desplegamos una carpa y a preparar los coches, luego al briefing y a correr!

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Buenos coches, mucha gente y calor, nuestros amigos se preparaban mientras yo trasteaba con la camara que mi buen amigo Manu me habia dejado, el dia pintaba bien. Y asi fue!

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Sin embargo, las cosas empezaron a torcerse en la ultima tanda, cuando primero empezo a fallar el S14 de nuestro amigo Carlos, a principio pensamos que tenia que ver con el radiador, aunque todo esta por ver todavia. Seguidamente le siguio Hector, con una averia aun mas grave, y que consiste en los casquillos de biela, por lo que sacamos los coches como pudimos, y para la grua.

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Carlos y Hector volvieron en dos gruas, mientras que yo volvi con Alex, Pablo y su chica, medio dormido jajajaja Al llegar a Castellon, pasamos cerca de donde vivia mi socio Takahashi, todas esas calles de Castellon, lugares que no he olvidado despues del gran fin de semana que pase… Ahora si quiero ver a Takahashi me tendre que desplazar hacia Japon! Buena excusa, no?

Y eso es todo caballeros, un fin de semana movido, divertido, intenso… No hemos parado.

El resto de fotos las podeis encontrar en la pagina de Facebook!