Fianlly, Leewah's pics from Japan...

[Leewah]

Finally here are some of the photos which I took while on my 3 week romp through Japan.

Taken from the Crystal workshop in Chiba

Some doorift shop in Yokohama

A mad ass Hummer from Hiroshima

A taxi carpark in Kyoto

Not all people in Japan drive Skylines, Supras or Sylvias. This is the most common type of car you'll see there

Here is some outrageously priced fruit. This price is roughly AU$400.00!!!!! That's an expensive set of melons

This is a warning sign which I found amusing at a sulphuric volcano near Hakone. Needless to say, we didn't stay very long but the view from there was amazing, especially seeing Mt Fuji. Fuji truely is a big mutherfarker!!

Here are some photos I took while at Tommy Kiara.

A Tommy 350Z

A Tommy Subi B4

A Tommy Subi B6

They even do a March!!

This is the car I want!! A Garaya!!

A WRX with minor mods for sale...

Top Secrect anyone?? Based in Chiba, their workshop is just off the main road about 10 mins by taxi from a train station. This 10 min ride also cost me 2500yen (bout AU$33).

This is a customers R34 GTR with all the trimmings. This is his daily driver and pulled 495awkw on pump gas. I was told that if the customer was happy with this car, he was gonna get Top Secret to build him a low 8 sec drag car.

Another customer car. Apparently running twin TD06-25Gs and NOS. Should be making around the 600rwkw mark without stupid amounts of boost.

A customer's brand new G35 Skyline Coupe getting ready for a TT setup

Here are some Top Secret customer cars which are for sale, not including their own R33GTR

Some of Top Secret's own cars. Good luck getting into the garage. As soon as Nagata saw me, he looked like he was going to go postal until I told him I was from Oz and showed him my mag artical and dyno chart. From then on, we got along just fine

Top Secret R34 GTRs

And the piece de resistance....The RB powered Supra with a T78 turbo setup which I had the pleasure of going for a brief ride in with Nagata San. Unfortunately it was a wet day out there and the highway had 3 of the 4 lanes closed so we ended up buring up the rubber on a couple side streets and down the main road in Chiba. Plenty of power and nice spooling. You don't really notice the "lightspeed" kind of pull you get in my car, but I guess it's hard to feel that when the car is simply spinning the rears at 150km/h and smoke it pouring out the back.

Finally, here is a photo of myself and Shibuki san, Director of Top Secret.

[Blitz]

Awesome pics leewah. Damn I cant wait to get back there now

[d0p3y]

Yeh! I can't wait either!

[Demon Dave]

Superb pics, thanks for sharing

[Rezz]

Cheerz Leewah! Great work... I think we've got a definate "SAU" style of Japan reporting going on here ie: top pics, breif comments and only the good stuff!

Oh yeah, it's *V35* Skyline Coupe...

[Parag0n]

haha thats awesome, nice pictures

[siksII]

u are one lucky guy! im jealous! awesome!

[geno8r]

You look too young to deserve a 10 sec GTR & awesome trip to Japan, dam you!:drooling: Awesome pics.

Wats the go with back to front decals on the chaser too.. its not like you'd see it in your rear vision... It aint no ambulance mobile...

[japtaxi]

bloody good work!

don't think I'll b able to visit any tuning shops at january (too cold for me) as I have nfi how to get from places to places and only have 2 weeks or so..

[mcnamg]

hahaha dont get rezz started on the G35/R35/V35 thing again!

love those pics

I cant believe the size of that insane wing on the nissan march you could hang your washing from that!

[Poida]

hey Leewah.. Thats some awesome pics and work you've done there..

I've just a few questions.. Being a foreigner (though you may not look like one) do they generally let you have a peak around the place? See what they're working on? You mentioned you flashed a magazine and a dyno chart and everything was cool? Could this have possibly been a HPI magazine with a top secret car in it? And how do you manage to get a ride in a car like that? Just ask? Or buy something or both? How does it work over there?

Thanks

[Leewah]

hey Leewah.. Thats some awesome pics and work you've done there..

I've just a few questions.. Being a foreigner (though you may not look like one) do they generally let you have a peak around the place? See what they're working on? You mentioned you flashed a magazine and a dyno chart and everything was cool? Could this have possibly been a HPI magazine with a top secret car in it? And how do you manage to get a ride in a car like that? Just ask? Or buy something or both? How does it work over there?

Thanks

Poida,

Getting into the TS garage was pretty easy. I kinda just wondered in looking around. I managed to get some of those photos before Nagata san came down the stairs at the back and walked straight to me and asked me to leave the garage area. He pointed in the direction of the showroom if I wanted to buy stuff. I then pulled out the HPI mag with my car in it and my dyno chart from AutoSalon with 617rwkw. He was notably impressed and said to come back in 30 mins. I headed up to the showroom, bought a sh1teload of gear and went back to see him after talking to one of the directors about TS, cars and the import scene in AU. I went back to Nagata and we talked outside for a bit and then I started asking about the Supra. We talked for a good 10 mins bout it and then I asked how the RB26 compared to the 2JZ and he offered to show me

The story ends here.

Not to brag, but I think it was simply I could prove that I wasn't wasting peoples time and I was genuinely interested in what TS does. The customers at TS obviously spend ALOT of money there and as my car was developed outside of JP, it held some kind of weight. The ride in the Supra was defianately not expected or even considered so I probably wouldn't go round asking for a ride.

Ever spent time watching ants building things in a methodical fashion? TS is exactly the same. Put something out of place and chaos will break loose.

Just be courteous and everything will be fine

[Blitz]

Well said Leewah.

Before our trip to Japan last January we were informed by others who had been to Top Secret that they arent to appreciative of foreigners particularly who just want to take photos and waste their time.

6 of us visited the workshop and were greeted by Nagata and Shibuki San, who started thanking us and bowing. Its amazing the reception you get when 3 of you are wearing Top Secret jackets

After checking out the workshop we ventured around to the store and each of us bought a number of items and found them very friendly however I can certainly understand how they would get a little frustrated in having tourist types always hanging around and only wanting to look.

[Blitz]

Japtaxi: Sent you a pm

[The Jake]

Well wicked Leewah. Mad pics.

- J.

[Poida]

thanks for the quick reply there leewah..

Im in the process of preparing a trip to nippon and im keen to have a peek, or atleast get my photo outside a few of these tuning houses!