Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show 2017 // Full Show

This is the part you all been waiting for. After the Ford Deuce and the El Camino got their features, it’s time to show you what the show is actually about, and spoiler, it’s much more then legendary hot rod and a pickup. Officially show opened at 8AM (yes, everything opens early in Japan) and in twenty minutes the venue was crowded. I just managed to get my Moon Equipped merchandise before the queue was formed and now was heading to the backyard where top car & bike builders were preparing to “roll in” for the official opening ceremony.

Remember I told you that it was just after 8am? Sun was so low at this point and that made for some amazing, but challenging light in the pictures (together with some Instagram style editing).

This is Damin Lujan from Loser Machine, sitting on his 1971 Triumph “El Profeta” chopper.

Here we have Bryan Thompson aka Thompson’s Cycles with his fresh 1955 Vans Triumph Pre Unit bike.

Vans is a big supporter of the Yokohama Hot Rod show and Steve Van Doren, man who made Vans what they are today was himself present.

Also, big petrolhead and iconic pro skater Steve Caballero was in the house.

I was lucky to get aquatinted with Dynamite Joe Kerivan who built a rather sophisticated Flathead Chopper.

And here are the rest of the bikers gang, don’t know everybody, but the big guy second on the left is Big Scott Stopnik from Cycle Zombies.

This is Pino Pink, one of the Japanese best known pin-up models riding at the back of the 1965 Buick Le Sabre “Invisible Sabre” owned by Gene Winfield.

That’s how guests were entering the building

And here are Steve and Bryan

Now let’s start with the show itself.

Is this custom enough for you sir?

Custom culture is basically split into old american cars or old air cooled VWs, but there are exceptions

Have a guess what motor does this Mazda have?

Wrong, it’s a Harley Davidson unit

I’m following Deadend Magazine for years so meeting the man behind it was cool

Caught Pino Pink resting in the VanGo

VanGo can be also known as My Favourite Van in the World. It was built and owned by Californian movie poster designer Coby Gewertz, who is also behind the Church Magazine.

Are you still wondering what is the EYES logo you’re seeing on a lot of cars? It’s Mooneyes or Moon Equipped brand that was started in USA by Dean Moon. He was involved in dry lake hot-rodding and produced a lot of record setting cars. He died exactly on the day I was born – 4th June 1987 and after that company was bought by a Japanese man, this one in fact – Shige Suganuma who is keeping the traditions alive and this Yokohama show is the biggest proof.

Here is a small piece of Japanese lowrider culture

There were only few muscle cars at the show, but that said, show wasn’t about them

This show also marked my last day in Japan and while I spent there more than 10 days, it was basically the only place where I saw “alternative” Japanese – people with tattoos, beards, etc :)

At one point I was resting in the hall, eating nigiri or something like that, guys near by talked to me. Turned out the were behind Square Customs, who had a great Buick Lesabre at the show