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Bangkok Sessions: ChapterOne & The Rest Stop (Part 2)

December 28, 2016

So it’s really cold outside and we just had our first snowfall and it’s already making me want to hibernate in NYC. Winter is finally here and it sucks. While hibernating over the weekend, I decided to look over some of the images with ChapterOne so this is the second part. If you missed the first part, here it is!

During these past few years, we have seen so many renditions of the rocket bunny kit and I’m honestly tired of them but the ones I noticed in Thailand had so much character. Take this orange metallic FT86 owned, modded and driven by a woman for example. It was the color I first saw photos of the FRS/BRZ/FT86 during its debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motorshow and it really compliments the lines of the car.  The addition of the bronze GTR face TE37’s provide a street look destined for grip. The colorway with the bronze wheels, graphics, and orange metallic paint makes the car look purposeful. If you are wondering about the red license plates, in Thailand these plates are issued to new cars often limiting it to daylight hours and within a specific province. They are sometimes used as a subtle brag telling others they just purchased the car.  The old rule was to restrict driving at night since many are new drivers and may lack experience at night.

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This EK9 is true to the vision of Ichishima-san and I could easily see it roll out of TYPE ONE. One route often taken by enthusiasts is to stick with one tuner throughout the build and it’s apparent this is true of this EK9. It’s one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen in person and I have seen many over the years.

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Although the S2000 is an uncommon platform to modify in Thailand, this widebody had a street presence. The front looks to be a Voltex along with a J’s Racing hood but the widebody is unknown.

Unlike the abundance of STi’s in the US, I noticed very few could be found in Thailand and many were GC8’s. This was one of a few I was able to see.

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I have to end the ChapterOne section here because the cars below were people who just happened to hang at the rest stop. There was such a huge variety of cars that passed through. While some looked like bs cars you’d typically see at local meets, there were others which were clearly special. As I mentioned earlier I’m not a fan of rocket bunny anything as of late but I can’t deny the color scheme of this RPS13. The graphics on the car are from its sponsors since I’ve been told the owner competes regularly in motorsports.

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Yea, another Rocket Bunny, this time on an FT86. The color really pops and the SSR Formula Mesh with the huge lips gives it an updated iconic look.

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And the last Rocket Bunny is the FD with the red TE37’s. The color wasn’t something I’ve seen before and the red wheels actually compliment the car.

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Another group that hung around for awhile at the rest stop was Forplay. Funny name but their cars were interesting since a few were sporting the same color. Team colors! In classic jdm style and commitment to group appeal, some were painted the same millennium jade. Take for example this 4 door E36 with Endless brakes, Te37’s and a 2JZ. A dirty secret known to many enthusiasts in Thailand has been the use of cheap turbos off of trucks with modified internals to reach  700+ hp goals.

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Then there were the white Hondas, FD2 and DC5. One Mugen styled and the other compliments of J’s Racing.

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Another group of folks who rolled through were Shinkansen. Although they weren’t so friendly they rolled in deep. I can’t speak for the authenticity of parts but most were styled in Thai fashion.

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Although probably fake, I laughed at the Taxi with the TE37’s and Defi gauges.

Although the rest are not part of any groups, they were interesting nonetheless. Takumi, that you?

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And then there was the other Corolla, the AE101. I wished my mother drove when I was in school hood scoop and all.

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Euroish.

The one Euro we should have gotten but was shortchanged, VW Scirocco.

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FD out of left field.

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Let it be known I have a thing for Japanese panel vans, maybe it’s because we never got them stateside. This one below reminded of the Project D van and later I learned that it was indeed used to support a small racing team, being able to carry spare tires, tools, parts and mechanics. The front is carbon fiber and the rear has dancing taillights. Set on Cosmis wheels and lowered it doesn’t look like a van used for common transport.

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I spent just a few hours here talking and making new friends and checking out cars. This wasn’t some special event and was a last minute meet setup by StreetMetal. I wanted to again give a huge thanks to StreetMetal and ChapterOne for making me feel like a local. Stay tuned for our next installment from my visit to Bangkok.

About Pravan
Prav comes from a background in academia and consistently pursues the development of a community both with his work in academia and his interest in all things motor. It is this community which he believes will help preserve automotive history and knowledge, priming a future generation of enthusiasts to expand and improvise on previous builds. Through his lens, he captures fleeting moments as car enthusiasts build, break and rebuild their creations as a means to preserve and express what the enthusiast originally intended. He finds his daily inspiration from the merging of cultures, mainly the transfer of street culture to the front stage of art, food and design. Consequently, nothing is more relevant to this merging than automotive builds meant for the street. You can find his daily life in images IG:@Pravzilla.