This is amazing. I need this immediately.

I can't begin to describe the amazing vehicles these guys produce. I would go to construction sites on my day off just to watch them when I lived there. No one drives a truck without as much detail on it as they can afford. Perfection down to the type of polish on the chrome. And they use the things to transport crushed limestone for construction, and all manner of things. Other countries also have similar vehicle modification and ornamentation, and all of it is fascinating. This is a vein of jalop love which is ripe for exploration.

I didnt see as much of the flashy trucks when I went there this past year. I saw more Mad Max type of customs with Transformer like metal plating and scoops..
I did see more Dekotora when I visited Japan in the 80s

WOW! I live in Reno. What better truck for that area than one that looks like a rolling casino at night! I want one.

Makes the "custom" 18 wheelers we typically see seem tame to the point of invisible. Extra row or two of lights and a nickname, that's about it.
I'm guessing these mght run into regulation issues? Especially that first one?

Time for a 21st century version of B.J. and the Bear!

@DoctorNine:

So a lot of these trucks are actually used for their intended purpose and not just strictly for show? As cool as Dekotora already are that just makes it 100x cooler!

@Novaload: I've heard that these trucks have to be stripped back once every year or two for their mandatory vehicle inspections. Does anyone know if that's true?

An insane amount of effort must go into building and maintaining these machines.

Wow - and to think I thought this was normal :]

You guys have been missing out :]

Those gaudily plastic adorned imports are what these guys are driving when they get to immigrate, too bad we never get to see them work on trucks.

Any word about the book showing both night and day shots of the same trucks?

Hey! Didn't one of these drop Tom Hanks off at his house in The Money Pit?!

Wow, I never knew they did bicycles too.
[www.youtube.com]

/
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PIMPIN!!

Dekotora trucks make my little Jalop heart go pitter-pat. Many a night I have dreamed of cruising my dekotora truck. Usually I'm dreaming about driving it to In N Out. I'll be buying this book the nanosecond it's available.
I will now listen to the awsome dekotora trucker song continuously until I fall asleep, face down on my keyboard.

just ordered a copy, get em while they're hot!

Man, every day that goes by without building a Dekotora Econoline is a wasted day. Dekonoline!

@halfshaft:
yeah but it was a VW bug
"I want a pizza!!!"

@CCCC:
Was it this link for purchase?
[www.25books.com]

Or were you able to find it elsewhere for less?

@Siddhartha: Maybe one that IS a rolling casino?

Man, it's great seeing people use their shiny showboats as work trucks.

I want that book. NOW..Amazon.

We have these trucks in North America. Now just imagine a Dekotora version of these:

@pitchpitch:

got it at a bookstore in berkeley, the only copy they got. it may be available elsewhere online

@CCCC:

Lucky! I'll have to check around some.

[www.ursusbooks.com]

google is my friend.

I bought the book, and it was delivered today.

Absolutely fantastic, and well worth the $60 or so it cost.

I almost want to write the author and see about buying some prints.