I'm using the Minkara trick...

[rmad]

a. Grab some choice Japanese words/script (copy it from something cool on Yahoo auctions).
b. Paste it into Google images along with the word 'Minkara'.
c. Click an interesting image (most likely it will lead to Minkara Carview - the Japanese car enthusiast's version of Facebook or Car Domain).
d. Look through the friend's lists for avatars with cool cars in.
e. Put them in a thread, like this one.

[rmad]

[markbognor]

[dangermouse]

I'm abit confused about how to play this game on an ipad but MY GOD this is the nicest thread of cars i've seen in ages!! Thats my Friday night made, thank you!!

[rmad]

Looks like we've got a contest going!

[rmad]

[Minidaz]

Those little / lowered Suzuki vans are great ;D

[rmad]

[8bitash]

Can you use your superior google Skills to link up any build threads to lowered mini vans, esp hijets.

[rmad]

CROWN Donk!

[rmad]

[rmad]

[octagonalpaul]

[rmad]

Boso Advan Micra FTW!

[Mr.Sumo]

Forgive my lack of j-tin knowledge....this i get .....



ticks all my boxes.....and this is just , well , " there " in the looks department :



But can someone explain this look to me ? I just don"t get it Its not a " dig " or anything at the scene look...i"m just , well , dunno , kind of lost with it ;D



help ! ;D

[octagonalpaul]

Mar 24, 2012 13:54:46 GMT Mr.Sumo said:

But can someone explain this look to me ? I just don"t get it Its not a " dig " or anything at the scene look...i"m just , well , dunno , kind of lost with it ;D

www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_en-gbGB472GB472&q=Super+Silhouette+racing&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=RNltT9T2LOiw0QW9ksmNAg&biw=1366&bih=624&sei=R9ltT5mkGoHN0QWMtMmNAg

[Mr.Sumo]

octaganolpaul , your a legend ! I thank you....off to do some reading / research ;D

[rmad]

I can understand why you wouldn't 'get' it...it's not exactly tasteful less-is-more styling. It's the extreme end of Japanese car culture - customisation style based in 70s and 80s racers with a bit of youthful gang culture thrown in.

There's a few explanations out there, but a quick Google led to this one, which is pretty good:
www.bosozokustyle.com/what-is-bosozoku/

Rather conveniently the car you've chosen as an example shows just how much the gang/youth culture customisation was inspired by the race cars of the period:





A similar thing was actually going on pretty much anywhere in the world (customising echoing race cars) like this Cortina in England:



Or this Corvette in the States:




Customising moved on and styles changed but people like to recapture their youth and some like to take things to extremes (lowness, camber, stretched tyres). In the Uk that means people get a bit of money spare and build the Mk1 escort they always wanted, in America it might be a '32 and in Japan some want to go all out on that 80s custom they always wanted. Along the way others (not necessarily those that remember it the first time around) pick up on the styles and tweak it to suit their tastes (175/50 tyres and Cosworth lumps in Escorts, Rat rods and extreme Boso cars, respectively).

This is where Bososzoku in Japan is at in 2012:



To me, that seems pretty cool.

ps. Much of that last post is me trying to explain my theories on worldwide custom culture through the years, it's not all fact and I wasn't there.

[DarrenW]

Great thread ;D

[rmad]