…also, @undercoverhardwarema, you posted the riced trim in your ad - that’s a paddlin’
2 Likes
1988 Orion Panther 2000
For Sale:
The 1988 Orion Panther 2000 was the makings of a teenage wet dream. All the aesthetics of a sports car, at half the price, and half the horsepower; after all, we wouldn’t want them getting hurt. The 2000 trim was so named, because in 1988, 2000 still sounded futuristic, and also because of the 2.0 liter turbocharged inline 4; producing 165 hp (123 kw). Originally starting at $9100 (0% markup), I bought this beauty (in the ever popular for the era, teal color) for $3500, when I was just 18, in 1995.
It’s not even like I knew what to do with it. I took out the back seat, and replaced it with a huge amp & speaker box, connected to an expensive aftermarket CD player; only to have someone break in and steal it 6 weeks later. True Story
4 Likes
So far, I’ve seen fewer entries in this round than ever before - fewer than CSR53, in fact, where there were 11 entries. This time, there are only three as of now - probably because there’s still something about the rule set that’s putting everyone else off, including myself…
Shhh, I might actually win then! 
2 Likes
For Sale: 1977 Sora GTR
Like new (except it’s over 40 years old and nothing works) 
Call now!!! use code JDMGOD and get a 5% discount!
5 Likes
These cars have become something of a collectors item after the rarity of these models jumped massively. Being the attainable Ferrari challenger it was, the car sold well but most examples did not live long due to race use, age or heavy modification, something not too uncommon in recent times. However it has attained collector status now, helped by it’s connection to the Cavallera Falco GTX that finished strong in the AGTC and to the fact that it was powered by the legendary Zavir S40 V6 engine.
Owing to their significance in street racing and modification culture despite being rare, the cars are sought after in Japan. The example being sold is already heavily modified (not the one shown above) but it will be a prime candidate for restoration and will likely be a profitable investment.
16 Likes
24-ish hours to deadline now.
If you use very exotic trim pieces, you may want to PM me a screenshot of your riced trim, just to be sure I can do it full justice.
Six hours left to deadline.
1 Like
How are the reviews going? 
"82 LLA Vengance FP1
Released In "82 as LLA’s Answer to the poor mans sports car the Vengance offers an invigorating 2.2L Naturally aspirated, fuel injected v8 driving the rear wheels through a 5 speed gearbox. With Air suspension and adjustable ride height the car can be smooth with much adjustability through the centre console mounted Computer ( Enter 8 Bit Mode). Finally with styling that enhances the sportiness, such as plastic do-nothing wing and pop-up headlights the Vengance hits you with, well vengance.
My game is currently stuck on shite graphics settings as I cannot open the launcher on my pc due to .net issues, may have to re-install windows 
3 Likes
Entries are now closed
Reviews are underway and will likely be up in 24 hours at the latest.
5 Likes
Well, ok, about an hour late, but here goes:
The Results
Since the next Bosozoku event was still two and a half months away, bane-of-vintage-cars-turned-man-on-a-mission Haruzake decided that he wouldn’t wait that long. Instead, he headed straight for the next combini and grabbed a couple of classifieds.
Kenji returned home, the papers tucked under his arm. He spread them out on the table next to his laptop, where he opened up a couple of relevant websites, poured himself a glass of Asahi, and started to pore over the plethora of ads, eight of which he highlighted with a marker. He checked the state of the cars, paid the owners of the more interesting ones a visit and returned home to ponder his choice, ranking them to help him make up his mind. Here are his results from bottom to top:
8th: @undercoverhardwarema
The first one was something that was rather in these parts: A 1988 Orion Panther. The western coupe was nothing really special, but certainly not an everyday sight here in Japan. Mostly because it wasn’t particularly well loved: With its two valve turbo four banger and 160 hp, it was reasonably quick, but it wasn’t V8 enough to pass as american muscle, which might have lured some, nor was it high tech enough to seriously compete against domestic offerings. Style-wise, it was a precursor to the 90’s marshmallow design, which Kenji wasn’t really fond of. This particular one has obviously been fiddled with:
Not too much, though – Kenji was used to WAY more than that. The owner bespoilered it a bit, fitted it with huge rims with silly narrow tires on them (145s on 20“ wheels – damn, where would Kenji even get a replacement for these?). The engine has been tweaked to deliver some 50 more horses, though now it will go on strike as soon as the rev counter drops below 4000 rpm. The biggest change may actually be the inadvertant weight saving measure of removing the rear bench for an empty space where, to all appearances, a sound system once resided.
All in all, this just wasn’t the kind of car Kenji was looking for: A bit of haggling, and he could probably pick it up for less than two grand. Maybe it will grow to be a classic of the ilk of a Ford Capri one day, but at this point in time, this day is still far, far away – as of now, this is just an old beater, a good deal too young to be collectable. Kenji stuck the ad through and moved on to the next.
Styling+Heritage: 3+1
Ricing: 4
Base Score: 4x4=16
Tech Value: 445$
Heritage Value: 1765$
Total Value: 2210$
Car isn’t valuable enough to be considered a classic.
Total Score: 0
7th: @Jaimz
Next was a NCC Lance. It kinda jumped at him because he remembered driving one back when he earned his money as a food delivery driver – a bare fleet spec model with the 60 hp base engine. This one was – has been, rather – the 2.0 model with 130 hp. A reasonably attractive hatchback, not exciting, but nice enough to look at. Hardly a classic, though. His was brand new some 20 years ago, and that’s exactly how old this one is. The fact that he knew this car quite well was actually not the only thing that jumped at him; There was a couple more reasons:
The paint scheme was one of them. That garish green, those dragon decals – this was one hell of a paint job for sure. The owner appears to have carefully tailored the exterior to his likings: The bodywork is largely untouched, bigger rims, some vents along with some fancy light items here and there. The hatch, however, has been replaced with one that features completely different taillights, apparently specifically to better fit the dragon design. The owner also shoehorned a 3.0 Litre I6 into the engine bay, endowing this thing with 250+ hp.
The thing is: On a different car, this mod job would have likely made this a good candidate, Kenji actually even liked it, but as it was, this thing was based an old hatchback, not on a precious icon, so this wasn’t what Kenji was looking for, either.
Styling+Heritage: 4+1
Ricing: 6
Base Score: 5x6=30
Tech Value: 1200$
Heritage Value: 1030$
Total Value: 2230$
Car isn’t valuable enough to be considered a classic.
Total Score: 0
6th: @LordLetto
Kenji turned to the next paper and found something more to his liking: A 1983 Otto Sei. The first car he found that actually looked like something from a decade long past, and he rather liked it. It was not quite old enough for collector’s plates, though, and these things were actually still fairly ubiquitous. Nonetheless, it was an idol for a whole generation of boyracers, with its classic hard-edge styling and revvy little engine, it wasn’t exactly a beast, but super fun when pushed to the limit. The owner – like most guys who buy this kind of car – didn’t leave it in pristine condition:
The front skirt had to go in favor of a more aggressive design, a rear wing was added along with a big central exhaust pipe, the tape deck has been stripped out. But that was basically it, apart from some moderate engine tuning. This was a likable little car, but neither really collectable yet, nor in really desperate need of being rescued.
Styling+Heritage: 5+3
Ricing: 4
Base Score: 8x4=32
Tech Value: 00$
Heritage Value: 4510$
Total Value: 4510$
Score modifier due to value: 0,36
Total Score: 11,7
5th: @VicVictory
The next car that caught his attention was a 1977 Suzume Kaminari GS. More of a two-door sedan than an actual coupe, Kenji always liked the lines of these. Technically, it was a rather interesting car, as, to Kenji’s knowledge, it was the cheapest way to own a six cylinder car back in its day – and what a nice one at that. 126 hp was enough to give it brisk performance, and with an aluminium block, a 24V dohc head and forged internals, it was a quite advanced powerplant for its time. The one advertised was not exactly in its original state:
A bright yellow paintjob, bigger rims, a lip up front and a fairly big wing at the back. The hood has been adorned with an airscoop, and the rear wheel arches with something that’s probably supposed to look like vents – has the owner cut these out with a can opener? The engine had a turbo slapped on it, along with a new cylinder head boasting a third carb, resulting in a rather substantial power increase of around 80 hp. The car itself was certainly worth a rescue – these things were really beginning to become rare – the rice job, however, was still a far cry from the worst Kenji had seen and done on classic cars.
Styling+Heritage: 5+4
Ricing: 5
Base Score: 9x5=45
Tech Value: 00$
Heritage Value: 5540$
Total Value: 5540$
Score modifier due to value: 0,73
Total Score: 32,7
4th: @doncornaldie
The Sora GTR was similar in format to the Kaminari, but quite different in nature: Lacking the rear bench and boasting an almost racy I6, squeezing 160 hp out of 2.0 litres (quite impressive for its day and age), it was a much sportier car that belied its rather unassuming looks. It was also a lot more expensive than the Suzume. It was popular as a „would-like-to-have-one“-car, but they didn’t actually build too many of these, as it punched below its weight in terms of bang for the buck. Ironically, the fact that it used to be too expensive for most back in the day makes people actually want to pay the premium all the more readily now that rarity is kicking in – if they find a pristine example, that is, unlike the one advertised:
Obnoxiously green, stanced, with wings and a diffusor slapped on (Kenji wasn’t sure if these actually did anything) as well as an assortment of vents and a big scoop on the hood, this specimen had all the markings of a boyracer’s ride. The real surprise was under the bonnet, though: A turbo kit from hell upped the power of that thing to more than double the original value, and then the owner apparently thought that it would be a good idea to entrust all that power to a set of cheap chinese all-weather tires! Well, this thing surely begged to be saved, but there were even more urgent candidates out there.
Styling+Heritage: 4+4
Ricing: 6
Base Score: 8x6=48
Tech Value: 00$
Heritage Value: 10650$
Total Value: 10650$
Score modifier due to value: 0,74
Total Score: 35,7
3rd: @LinkLuke
Even more peculiar was the LLA Vengeance FP1: Even more expensive than the Sora, this fibreglass featherweight was never intended to be produced in large numbers. As far as looks were concerned, it was rather handsome, but not exactly spectacular: A nice little mid engined coupe. It was what was under the hood that made this car a bit of a legend among the knowledgable: Its 162 hp came courtesy of a tiny 2.2L V8 (well, the notoriously vicious handling played a part, too). The example Kenji found in the classifieds was not yet eligible for collector plates, so the price didn’t skyrocket yet, but this little car would become a classic for sure. Would, mind you, for some truly horrible things had been done to it:
An aggressive stancing job and fake chrome vets galore were just the tip of the iceberg here: The rear featured a wild assortment of tailpipes so big that any bro would wonder if he should try to fit his hand or maybe rather his head into them. Under the hood, Kenji found one of the maddest tune-ups he had ever encountered: Two huge turbos and an upped redline were the usual stuff – but he had never seen an aftermarket direct injection conversion before. Combined, all the tuning measures resulted in a whopping 487 hp. This car was most certainly worthy of Kenji’s compassion, but it was still not quite the worst he could find.
Styling+Heritage: 5+4
Ricing: 7
Base Score: 9x7=63
Tech Value: 210$
Heritage Value: 5050$
Total Value: 5260$
Score modifier due to value: 0,64
Total Score: 40,5
2nd: @ramthecowy
Kenji was just about flip to the next page when something cought his eye: Could this really be? How the hell did a Cavallera find its way here? He knew this european 300-hp-thoroughbred quite well, even though he had never been lucky enough to see one in the flesh: This thing most definitely got Kenji excited, even though he had a feeling that it would likely be just out of his league financially. He paid the owner a visit to take a look at it in person, though what he saw could hardly even be described as a 1976 Falco anymore:
A rallye-style bar of beams would illuminate the road – in vain, as the driver probably can’t see shite anyway, what with the huge, useless airscoop and wing slapped right on the front hood. Just in front of the rear wheel arches, two huge fake sidepipes (no worries – there are six real ones at the rear) ise into the air like cobras to the flute of a snake charmer. This is clearly one of the most spectacularly hideous rice jobs Kenji has ever seen. The chassis was still intact and the mechanics haven’t actually been meddled with – and this here was a proper, high calibre classic. Kenji would have loved to save this one so much, but he just had to realize that he probably wouldn’t be able to afford this operation. He made a few calls. Maybe one of his buddies would be able to take care of it – he himself would, sadly, not be the saviour of this gem. With a bleeding heart, he turned away and to the next candidate.
Styling+Heritage: 5+5
Ricing: 8
Base Score: 10x8=80
Tech Value: 00$
Heritage Value: 10980$
Total Value: 10980$
Score modifier due to value: 0,66
Total Score: 52,8
1st: @conan
The Mitsushita Kuraun was a recognized classic by now, so Kenji was all the more pleased to find one among the adverts. It wasn’t awfully long ago that one could spot one of these as a taxi more or less regularly, but most of these had been handed over to the scrap press by now with, like, a billion km on the odo each. The Kuraun was a very formal looking car: clear lines, quite a bit of chrome on it – the stuff of which classics are made. It wasn’t even super luxurious or anything, more an upper-midrange, full size sedan, but the conservative styling helped it stand the test of time, and now that they get seriously old and rare, they are starting to become properly precious. Apparently, the owner was no fan of cautious design decisions, so he turned his into this:
If the Batmobile saw this, it would shuffle back to the Bat Cave and hunker down in some dark corner, ashamed of itself. A Huge air scoop on the bonnet, countless fake vents, that huge Countach style wing, riveted-on wheel arch extensions – this was truly an abomination, just barely second to the grisly fate that the Cavallera had met. This here was, however, somewhat cheaper than the Falco, and Kenji also reckoned that replacement parts might be easier to source. The decision was not an easy one, but in the end, this one had to be it. Saving this would be Ricing-san’s first step on his road to his absolution.
Styling+Heritage: 6+4
Ricing: 7
Base Score: 10x7=70
Tech Value: 00$
Heritage Value: 10430$
Total Value: 10430$
Score modifier due to value: 0,79
Total Score: 55,6
13 Likes
After this round I think I need to pray to the car gods for forgiveness, I made a respectable little sports car with 8-bit goodness to then ruin it with fake chrome and drainpipes 
4 Likes
Very nicely done! This was certainly a unique round, shame that the initial confusion seems to have driven off some entrants. Hats off to Conan of course, master of making old autoshite classics haha, you nailed it. I had a bit of a lore limitation as there aren’t many models under my company that end up becoming relevant in Japan, but oh well. Maybe reviving Stallion for a proper muscle car would have been a better bet. Whatever. Congratulations to Conan, I shall be looking forward to the next round! 
5 Likes
Quite an interesting round, but one which was sadly off-putting to most users, for some reason. Anyway, well done to conan once more, but since he hosted the previous round, whether or not he will host CSR60 is currently uncertain.
haha. Good job @conan
Nice reviews @bastormonger, I liked this challenge. It was very interesting and different despite all the complications.
2 Likes
At least my Tofu Wasn’t Last!
4 Likes
ouch
Nice.
I’ll have a round up in a couple of hours.