Dive Right Into 1:32 Scale Model Dekotora Hell!

I thought I'd retired from Model Hell after my last project, but now I've found some kits that might force me to break out those headache-inducing tiny paintbrushes again: Dekotoras in 1:32 scale! More »

That's Not A Custom Exhaust, THIS Is A Custom Exhaust; Japanese Tuner Car Fun

Oh land of the rising sun, you complete us. Whether it be dekotora, dekochari, custom flightless van, or cartoony car like the ones shown here, Japanese tuners make us laugh and cry, inspiring and frightening all while being endlessly amusing. How many aftermarket pharmaceuticals do you have to be on to come up with some of this stuff? We want more of this in the land of apple pie and baseball — think of how fun SEMA would be! Actually, we'd love to see some styles merged. Just imagine: Donkotora. Oh yes, this is a good idea. (Thanks Sasha!)
["ch.knuckles" flickr photostream, via Pink Tentacle]

Forget The Spoiler: Your Van Needs Bat Wings!

Yet more proof that nobody can outdo the Japanese when it comes to wild-ass vehicle modifications comes courtesy of this photo sent to us by reader Nathan. You got your Dekotoras, and now you got the BatVan! That means it's time for some Melt-Banana, so make the jump and crank up your speakers. More »

Dekotora Driving Game Revealed For Nintendo Wii, Our Minds Officially Blown

Take our love for driving sims like the Gran Turismo series and combine it with our fixation with dekotora trucks and you get what we consider to be the most Jalopnik game of all time: Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri. From what we can tell from the trailer, Japanese Elvis wants you to buy, customize and drive around in your own awesome dekotora. The driving dynamics don't seem to be outstanding, but the customization setup appears to go beyond merely choosing parts and colors. In the true dekotora tradition, users can use their own Wii painting skills to create an airbrushed dragon masterpiece. More »

Go Here For Inspiration On Your Audi A9

No doubt after checking out the breakout styling superstar Audi A9 we saw yesterday, you're contemplating a similar transformation for your own boring commuter-mobile. Why not spice things up with wings, various pipes, lights, fiberglass and faux fur? It seems like the only logical thing to do. Setting aside the sarcasm for a moment, there's some truth to be found there. Maybe it's just because a little piece of us wants to see Dekotora-style cars running around and frightening old ladies and making little kids cry. [CarStylingTips.com]

Since You've Been Extra Good This Week: Pakistani Dekotora

You know a meme has reached its defining moment when it transcends itself. Like a jukebox hero with stars in his eyes, these Pakistani Dekotora have reached for the mic of fate and while displaying mastery of the material, achieved their own awesome spin. These trucks are a result of nearly the same phenomenon which spawned the Japanese Dekotora: single guys, driving trucks, with nothing else to spend their money on. More »

Awesome Dekotora Photography Now in Book Form

Photographer Masaru Tatsuki has done the world a great service and captured the majesty that is Dekotora in a book for all to own. In an interview with PingMag, Masura recalls how he spent nearly ten years living amongst the Dekotora truckers, getting ensconced in their culture, understanding their passions. It was after gaining this understanding that he could dedicate the culture, not just the trucks, to film. The result is a tribute to the art called Decotora. Transliteration differences aside, we're leering in the direction of Amazon US since they don't seem to be stocking this at the moment. More »

And Now To Revive an Old Meme - Dekochari

We need to get back on track with lobbying the big boss to change the tagline to include our love of Dekotora. Right at the tail end of our last Dekotora obsession we caught a glimpse of the Dekochari, the bicycle version of the Dekotora. Pictures alone didn't convey the combination of the bizarre and the sublime like this video does. Set to what we'll describe as the sorrowful soundtrack played as a backdrop in the honor killing sequence of a Japanese Yakuza movie, the true art that is Dekochari is revealed. We're understandably miffed we didn't see any when we were there.

Project Car Hell: Pink Pig or Short Bus?

Our two contestants yesterday were pretty evenly matched, with the Turbo 2002 beating the KA24DE 510 by a nose. Today, it's time to really explore true project lunacy, with a couple of vehicles that would be sure to make your neighbors recoil in horror if they were to see either one being dragged into your driveway (trailing a shower of sparks and rusty parts). Vehicles that, in spite of their ungodly awfulness, have potential to be incredibly fun customized hoonwagons. More »

Jeepney Alert On eBay!

Maybe you've toyed with the idea of building a Dekotora, but who among us has actually contemplated owning a genuine Manila-style Jeepney? It just seemed such a distant, unattainable dream... until now![eBay] More »

Jeepney: The Filipino Dekotora!

So what's a country to do with a mess load of Jeeps left by an occupying liberating army? Why, they decorate them with chrome and retrofit them to hold a few extra passengers. Enter the Jeepney, a Filipino tradition. Or at least it's been a tradition for the past 60 or so years. Yay, America! [via VBS.tv: Part I, Part II]

In Russia, Dragon-Truck Makes Ass Haul You!

I know folks love the Japan-love for lighting and trinketing up trucks. But you can keep your wimpy decorated Dekotora because this Russian heavy hauler's the hands down meanest coolest looking truck I've ever seen. If we saw this truck-o-saur following us down the highway, we'd haul ass out of its way as quickly as possible. One more picture after the jump. – Ray Wert More »

Hangin' at the Dekostora

Japanese chain Autobacs is legendary for carrying all kinds of wacky-ass crap for cars. We lurves us some Autobacs, but we've just stumbled across a store that may be even better. From what we've gleaned from this video, Shop Jet carries everything one needs to turn one's everyday Hino or Fuso into a cerebrum-fucking, soul-searing dekotora. It may well be the best store ever invented. Is there a Los Angeles franchise up for bids? Also, we want dude's helmet. Lock On! – Davey G. Johnson More »

It Is Good, Densely: Blast Running's Dekotora Madness

As far as we can tell this is the opening sequence from a Dekotora driving game called Blast Running. Computerized translation produced the description for the video, which in turn became the headline for this post. Dekotora driving games evidently continue on for Playstation. We're saving up our pennies for Dekotora Art Truck Battle 3, and hoping to become top wheeler in time to master the as yet still mysterious PS3 version. – Mike Bumbeck More »

Shanghai'd! Jalopnik Visits the PRC!

After a rather mind-numbing trip that took roughly 16 hours longer than expected, we are here, esconced comfortably on the 81st floor of the Jin Mao Tower. Construction and bad air abound here in Shanghai, but that will not deter Los Lone Jalopnik from his appointed rounds. Plus, the Huangpu River is rife with what appear to be the Chinese version of dekotora. We think we're half in love with the place already; we're know we're totally in love with the crazy-deluxe shower in our hotel room. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Question of the Day: Donk or Dekotora?

Okay...it's clobberin' time. Are you gonna roll on 30s, with possible Dada-esque corporate sponsorship all over ya box? Or are you gonna take Hetfield's advice and hit the lights? Mob up or convoy? How would you, dear reader, rather roll through West Oakland cranking a bootleg of Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman of Rancid's unreleased Downfall record? Head nods mandatory. Just don't break ya neck. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear SUPER EXCEED!

No, really. We don't make this stuff up. The third generation of the mighty Delica boasted a turbodiesel powerplant and 4WD. This capability along with plenty of mirrors, lights, nerf bars, ladders, and roof racks transcended the Delica beyond mere space wagon and into super classification. The Super Exceed was also offered as the Royal Exceed, and the Delica was even rebadged as a Mazda Bongo. The Delica is now in its fifth generation, and being sold under the not nearly as exciting Delica D:5 moniker. As Hello Kitty shows us in the video, the Delica remains both cavernous and versatile. More »

Question of the Day: What's on Your Dekotora?

Never let it be said that Jalopnik does not love the dekotora. Combining big-truck badassness with Mobile Suit space-ageosity and pachinko-parlor chintz, the decorated trucks are simply some of the most outrageous custom vehicles ever made. We, naturally, would start with a Mitsubishi Fuso Super Great in cement-mixer form, featuring a carbon-fiber, high-RPM drum embedded with LEDs that — when spooled up to around 2,000 RPM — would display an image of Cliff Burton at 3:50 in this video, which is surely one of the most purely rocking moments ever acted out by any rocker, ever. We would then prowl the streets of Hayward, California at night blaring The Misfits' Walk Among Us at exceptionally high volume. We would also mount a neon-impregnated Lucite replica of a Rickenbacker 4001 bass on the grille. And that's only the beginning. But enough about us. How would you build a dekotora? – Davey G. Johnson More »

HINO! FUSO! SUPER LITE-BRITE AMUSEMENT! DEKOTORA!

Nothing brightens a weary, dreary, ho-hum drizzly Sacramento morning like the dulcet tones of "It's a Small World" accompanied by a blinking, winking outrageous display of lights attached to a Mitsubishi Fuso Super Great or similar. Please press play. Won't you press play? – Davey G. Johnson More »

Not Deckchair, Dekochari!

We were talking to Antonio tonight; he wanted advice on buying a cheap van he could tow a Toyota with. We suggested a Chevrolet, as parts are cheap and plentiful. We then suggested he do it up dekotora style. Imagine a cross between a Japanese custom van and a '70s sin bin. How can you lose? So, as Los Jalops are wont to, we then got to obsessing and ran across Japan's dekochari subculture. Dekochari are sort of like Chicano lowrider bikes. Only much, much weirder. – Davey G. Johnson More »

BJ and the Kuma-chan: Japanese Dekotora-Truck Movie Intro

Paukert from Winding Road must have some idea what complete Japancakes we are, especially for 1970s-era media artifacts. Since Uncle Bumbeck is busy in LA, it falls to me to cue up this clip, which is an intro to one of Nihon's spate of trucker movies, which coincided with the faddish fondness for big rigs in the US during the same period. According to Pink Tentacle, it's a Norifumi Suzuki joint, Torakku Yaro, a 10-part series from the 1970s that sparked Japan's boom in dekotora trucks. Meow. – Mike Spinelli More »