sigsputnik

hi guys, yeah sorry i've been a bit remiss in not winding this thread up properly. i have a few more posts to go but i've just been so busy. i'll put some more pix up soon, promise. sig ps. pix are still working, noise.

spotted a pearl dark purple r34 gtr yesty arvo in woden AND THEN WENT TO THE POOOOOOOL

four door gunmetal r32 last night near woden kfc

spotted a white wrx fanging up beside me, gave me a friendly wave, then turned off...someone from on here?

They rejected my engineer's certificate, actually. They said the certificate mentioned "two seats" when obviously the car had four. It took a phone call from the engineer to say "yes it says two seats on that line, then on the next line down it says 'and another two seats'".

will have a look - certainly some skylines are in service as taxis...hmmm....

thanks heaps for organising this, jayce, and it'd be great to see everyone (and meet some for the first time) but i won't be able to make it.

Thats a diff story which will be taken on a diff path. Which path??? the blue pill or the red pill??

And this (Pontiac Judge GTO?) caused quite a stir with its illegally-parked wickedness. I came across these photos I meant to post earlier but didn't get around to. Over in Harajuku there are many stores that sell...well...just about any kind of clothing you can think of. Interestingly, there's a big (and I'd say lucrative) line in shipping used clothes over from the US. This is one of the many contrasts in Japan: yesterday's technology is scorned, but yesterday's clothing is welcomed. So this store is two huge floors of used clothing. The lower floor is just row after row of jackets, t-shirts, etc. The upper floor is worth writing home about. Apologies for the shaky cam, light was low and I didn't want to use a flash. You walk upstairs and notice the vines and chandeliers on the ceiling: One wall features pot plants growing out of old bathroom sinks... ...and BUDGIES, SQUIRRELS AND CHIPMUNKS LIVING INSIDE THE WALL. The wall near the cash registers is again covered in vines and hub caps. Mad. See ya next time.

hi again! Here we're out in Ginza, a great place to shop if you have a problem with too much cash. Some liken it to 5th Avenue in New York, and it has loads of big brand super stores with lots of space, very few products and very high price tags. It really is a place devoted to 'the brand'. Nissan maintain a 'Permanent Collection' there, showcasing some of their product and brand design. It's a brief but worthwhile visit when you've had enough Gucci and that. The whole place is very streamlined and 'futuristic' (a word which doesn't really mean anything any more). Along one wall they feature info about Nissan branding. In the main room they feature new Nissan models (a little like a souped-up dealership, in a way). Also a JGTC Xanavi driver's outfit: Here are some terminals which basically just link to a Nissan website. You can custom spec your own Nissan here, including the Skyline: Another Humvee H2 Here's a bit of rice kitsch. An NSX with many poorly placed stickers. Note 'NSX GTR' spelled out using those Magnet Mart home letterbox labels. The challenge keeps them cheaper! cont'd...

i think you will find plenty to film in the mountains. not much in the way of cars but the scenery is absolutely mind blowing. enjoy, mate!

that's some nice depth of field in the pic with the pennzoil r34. great angle, too!

Hi guys, Well my work here in Japan is almost done so we're in the twilight of my stay. I really love this place and I fall in love with it again every time I'm here. It's true that there are times when you get so frustrated but those are few and far between. In this post we're mostly in Harajuku and Shibuya again. I managed to catch more shots of the low rider I posted previously. It looks like these low riders are not uncommon here. This one's always parked in Shibuya. The Love Boat store is a good example of the clothing shops along Meiji-dori between Harajuku and Shibuya. Those window images are very large (compare to the passers-by at the bottom of the photo). In many high traffic areas, street-side parking is better suited to the smaller Japanese cars... ...and that's also partly an indicator of why motorbikes and scooters are so popular here. But the AFP would have a field day with the open mufflers over here. Another Nissan President, VIP style. Not sure why the front number plate is facing downwards. Chevy Suburban (I think) Dubbed, anyway. And loud. A garage shot. Notice how the petrol bowsers are mounted in the roof. It makes for a very clear driveway area. See ya next time.

sauce that really sucks, man. any chance they might have been caught on camera or something?

Mercedes Benz CLS500. It's a swish car, but it raises a good point. The car was sitting there unlocked. Petty crime here is generally low. Bikes are often unlocked, stores leave their product sitting outside their shop without a care that it will be stolen. It can be the kind of thing that surpises a foreigner. Here's another example. They have drink machines every where here, selling hot and cold drinks. Beer also (and porn). But none are ever vandalised. Check this pic: The door to one machine is lying open. Yet no one was helping themselves to the drinks inside. It was still sitting open an hour later when we'd returned. No wonder our cars don't arrive with alarms/immobilisers. Lancer Evo with mega carbon everything. Fiat something. Pimped delivery van. It was about lunch time and inside the two delivery guys had pulled over for a quick snooze. See ya next time.

hi guys, thanks heaps for the comments so far. glad i'm doing ok work. Nissan have a much wider range here on home turf than in Australia. Here's a good example: The Nissan Cube. They were up all night thinking of a name. Nissan March Convertible: Dubbed Nissan Patrol (I think - sorry, not good with 4wds) So we know it's cool that the mirrors fold in on our 'lines. I think it's especially snazzy, and the chicks dig it too. Parking here isn't as plentiful as in Australia and I am amazed at the tight spaces used. Here's a good example. Darling would it be alright if I pimped the Benz G class? VW Kombi Van hot rod. Classic nice split windscreen. Also note: MOON EQUIPPED. Bet your rubbish Porsche isn't moon equipped. No idea. Animals are really very well cared for here, which suits me fine. Here's a shot of a dog salon and a multi-story parking bay. Honda something...Smart? Del sol? Not sure. cont'd...

jeez andy you're a nice chap...

sweet! fug the world cup action would be fun. we were going to attend the toyota cup here but something came up. when are you passing through tokyo? bring cash and an empty suitcase.

ah i see. cheers.

I agree thunderbird2. Every time I've visited this place I've found something new to marvel at.

>spotted faghat in blue supra with RZ94TT plates tailgating on commonwealth bridge...dickhead what's this about?

Well of course by this time I was thinking there was something missing. And then I saw it: Downstairs is dedicated mostly to racing and F1. Not sure what this was doing there. There's a cafe down here but sadly part of it was locked by the time I got there. Celica GT4: Toyota TS020 Le Mans Messerschmitt KR175 (maybe a sign of things to come from Toyota). See ya! Sig.

About five minutes' walk away is Toyota's "History Garage". Here they have classic cars from history. The first thing you see when you walk in is the Toyota 2000GT. Sorry if these shots are a bit dark, lighting was really poor. They have an area where you can watch classic car commercials from around the world. As I said earlier, they happened to have this small special section on the Trueno and Levin, including a panda AE86 from Initial D and some drift action. Looks like they had a Drift exhibition in Odaiba at some point, not sure when. They have two areas where you can buy car stuff: models, posters, books, some clothing. What you'd expect. As you move around, you get to some of their other classic cars. Chevy Corvette: DeLorean! Ferrari 246 GTS Jaguar E-type Alfa Romeo Spyder Subaru 360 cont'd...

A bumper lot of pix this time. A few days ago we visited Odaiba, which is a new area built on reclaimed land. You can ride a monorail to get out there, and the view is quite something. They have a large shopping area called VenusFort, which is targeted squarely at the girls. BUT they thought ahead and have a special attraction for the blokes. Toyota maintains a fairly fab showroom/museum out there and it is definitely worth a visit. It's all free and GREAT. As you walk over the entry bridge, you see lots of cars running around an obstacle course. This is where you can have a ride in their experimental driverless navigation system. You can ride in, say, a Rav4 or an MR2 without touching the gas or steering as it drives around a circuit, dodging obstacles e.g. pedestrians. You will need a valid driver's licence, so don't forget that. Then you walk in - here they're advertising a special feature on the Trueno and Levin. More on that in a sec. The place is situated in a huge open area, two stories. They have an area for design, hybrid cars, the Lexus badge, current models and others. Toyota really talks up their race knowledge, so there's a focus on JGTC and F1: There are several games you can play, for example to test your driving reflexes etc. Here, you can sit in a hydaulic cockpit and take a Gran Turismo 4 lap around Fuji Speedway. Unfortunately you only get a JGTC Supra. No Skylines. Eventually you get to the section on design, which is one of my pet hobbies. The purpose of this section is to show off how Toyota has changed their approach to car design. Very hands on. cont'd..

I'm going to hold my breath until someone tells me what happened. And if I pass out it's YOUR fault.