I found myself back out in Odaiba today, roughly a month since the first round of the D1 Grand Prix was held at the same location. Much like at the pro drift competition there was a lot of tire smoke involved, but there was no sideways action to be seen, just a stunningly huge selection of the country's best custom cars. Welcome to the 2010 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals.
I like to get to these kind of events nice an early to check out the cars rolling in and to walk around while people are still setting up.
The warm and sunny day gave me yet another sunburn, but after the weather we've been having in Japan these last few weeks it made for a very pleasant day out. As ever the selection of cars at this first big Mooneyes event of the year was simply mind-blowing with all sorts of US new and classic imports being joined by a vast selection of domestic rides, including many Kei-cars like you can see here.
One of the reason I love covering these events is that I get to see come very rare Japanese vintage rides, cars I have never seen on the roads in all the years I've been over here. Take this Toyota Crown coupe from the seventies for example, one of the rarest cars at the show…
…or how about this 1961 Toyopet Crown pick up, customized with a US-style and running a Chevrolet LT-1 engine…hence the name Toyorod!
Spotted this track prepped Mustang queuing up to get into the car park.
Right by the entrance of the main show area was this Plymouth Road Runner…
…with a rather well-known coyote behind the wheel.
The pick-up scene in Japan is pretty big and this year the Multiplex parking area at Odaiba was filled with utes of every kind, customized in a variety of styles.
This Pontiac GP was definitely unique with its retina-burning metallic green paint job, even the seats were upholstered in green leather.
You really can't get the full experience of these events without taking a walk through the car parks. The people that come to the Mooneyes shows are true enthusiasts and definitely don't miss this opportunity to take out their cool rides for the day. Spotted this TE27 Corolla parked pretty close to my car.
This Prelude was slammed to the ground, very clean and very simple.
I'll take a more in depth look at the cars that I found in the car parks later on.
Some people just do this custom car thing for fun, and Kei cars are always a funny base for a build like this patrol-car wannabe.
Don't want to run into this Chevy out on the street, check out those spear-like center caps!
The tons of pickups were closely followed by a pretty big selection of my personal favorite kind of cars…
…wagons! I really enjoyed checking out everything from this Impala to cool and rare Toyota Crown wagons.
The guys at Mooneyes had a real treat this year for all the showgoers. Burnouts! And these big classic drag racers sure don't hold back when it comes to burning sticky slicks!
Some of you may remember this Stingray from the Mooneyes Yokohama show back in December, I was happy to see this crazy machine out in action.
The sound these old V8 powered monsters develop is pretty amazing. It's funny D1 cars need to be fitted with downward pointing exhaust tips when participating in Odaiba, most of the muscle cars that burned rubber today were not running any exhausts! My ears are still ringing and I loved it!
If I have to pick one car from the show that really stood out for me it has to be this Lincoln Continental. This thing was simply oozing style…
…and it sat so damn low it looked like a long flat piece of iron if viewed from standing height. Check out that rear overhang, that is longer than most Kei cars!!
And on the subject of low…
Kei cars made to look like Dodge and Chevy vans, only in Japan!
Another generation of Crown Coupe, can't get over how cool these cars look, they are like scaled down versions of American classics.
Giorgetto Giugiaro was responsible for the design of this 1965 Mazda Luce, a car that I had never seen before today. A very flowing and aggressive design reminiscent of German cars of the period.
Now this was cool, matte bordeaux Nissan Caravan.
I guess this Daihatsu Hijet is the forefather to all the little Kei-car pickups that litter the Japanese countryside. In perfect condition and still running on its original license plate.
I will leave you with this rear shot of a very cool rotary powered ride. Any ideas what this is?
More to come from the Mooneys Street Car Nationals!
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
te27 was fcking amazing
Could it be Mazda rx-2?
that there is a Mazda RX2
I love it. Especially the old school Crowns.
Those cars are just gorgeous. Road Runners and Chargers in Japan, so awesome
Damn! I can't get over that Lincoln Continental, that thing must blow minds when they see it scraping through the streets in japan.
That TE27 is sick
Definitely an RX2!
it is a RX2, maybe RX3
nice cars out there and some great shots as usual. Thanks Dino 
look at the number plate people.
the mazda luce looks more like the italien cars of that time (lancia fulvia for example).
rofl @ Will E Coyote pic!!
very nice
That Nissan Caravan wins.
Last car is actually a mazda 1200 in puerto rico they love those.but a reckon a never ever before see afour door.les alone with what's looks like a 1/2 or a 3/4 chassis setup
Dino any change to see engine pics??? anyways nice shooting My bad i forgot they also name it rx100 when they come with 12a engine on
Last car is actually a mazda 1200 in puerto rico they love those.but a reckon a never ever before see afour door.les alone with what's looks like a 1/2 or a 3/4 chassis setup
Dino any change to see engine pics??? anyways nice shooting My bad i forgot they also name it rx100 when they come with 12a engine on
that mazda is a r-100.
looking at the pic of the prelude and other pics at the background, its hard to believe that these shots were taken in japan! here i am trying to be 'jdm' as possible and here they are being as usdm as possible lol. and that second picture... looks like somewhere in los angeles to me! great coverage as usual!
Mazda drag car known in Japan as a Familia SS sedan, came factory with 10a.
Its a r-100, it says it in the licence plate
That ~'73 Corolla is perfection!
Deffinately R-100 tail lights but the rest of the body looks different to an R-100.
I'd say it's an 1100 or 1200 with R-100 tail lights.
J-tune, to most its an R100 sedan correct however in Japan these were for that market only and are called Familia SS Rotary sedans not R100, they were never officially called an R100 in the 4 door version as that was the export model designation for the coupes.
r100
love those little Kei-cars man.. they'er so cool.. the Lincoln Continental looks gangster! the little TE27 Corolla in that colour (i want one) reminds me of may aunty's Datsun 120Y in the same hue.. can't get over the following these Japanese car have now.. the loyal fan-base is very large... keep us posted - great shots..
It's actually a 1200 or a 1300 fitted with RX-2 tail lights.
either 1000 or 1200 four door with r100/rx2 tail lights (usdm, note the red indicators) got a few 1000/1200/1300 sedans here in Australia. but only come cross one with the tail light conversion. one of my favourite cars. some people refer to them as an r100 four door, but not sure if this is actually a model. in conclusion, super sexy.
Way too much awesomeness
TE27 is awesome!
That Mazda in the last pic is a Mazda Familia SS Rotary sedan. JDM only, same shape as Mazda 1200 and 1300 but came with a 10A in Japan with the round taillights and cockpit style dash.
Very rare and desirable. Everywhere else only got the coupe version.
i really like those little kei vans with the usdm faces, is that a popular conversion in japan? i would really like to see more shots of those or a special feature post about them. funny how in america we want the jdm front ends and in japan they want the usdm front ends, talk about poor initial marketing lol
Check out this site for the frontened conversions on the micro vans and such...
http://www.blow-net.co.jp/
Finally one person who can back me up thanks Tally, makes me wonder how many people actually know what they are looking at it when it comes to classic Mazda Rotary's, why would you need to convert a 1200 or 1300 sedan in Japan when they came factory in Japan with a 10a rotary and circular tailights and are still floating around in Japan.
Oldmaz and tally thanks for the info and actually notice the tail lights are the same as rx2
And only they sale this in japan explains why never see one before
There was just so much goodness in the parking lot at the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals on Sunday that
There was just so much goodness in the parking lot at the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals on Sunday that