It’s been a couple of months since I last updated you on my AE86 endeavours here in Japan, and what an eventful few months it’s been. We’ll kick things off with a fast trip to Ebisu Circuit.
For years, I’ve been behind the camera, capturing drifting motion first in Australia and now in Japan. But getting behind the wheel? That was all the time a goal, just never a priority. Most of the time, I’d spend track day money on a brand new lens or camera accessory as an alternative. But when the possibility to drift my Levin notchback in Japan got here up, I’d have been insane to say no.
Don’t get it twisted, though. Taking Project AE86 to the track wasn’t a call I made calmly. It took my friends months of arm twisting and reassuring me that the danger of putting the automotive right into a wall was minimal. Eventually, they won.
Coming from Australia, where track options are limited and removed from home, I knew I needed to make the most of Japan’s vast offerings. For a lot of, drifting in Japan is synonymous with Ebisu Circuit – with seven tracks starting from beginner courses to D1GP and FDJ-level circuits, it was the plain place to start out.
I made the drive as much as Ebisu from Tokyo very first thing on a Monday morning with a superb friend who’d just finished constructing his AE86. For each of us, it was a little bit of a break-in testing trip – brave, considering we had no trailers and were taking a look at a four-hour highway drive home after afterwards.
Aside from a couple of enthusiastic corners here and there, this was my first proper time on the track. I had no idea what the automotive’s setup was like, and from the differential to the steering knuckles, it might be a learning curve.
To my relief, the automotive did have a limited-slip diff in it. It felt like a TRD 2-way with the usual 4.3 final drive ratio, though you wouldn’t notice it until you kicked the automotive sideways at speed. The road wheel setup, nonetheless, was a bit too grippy for Ebisu’s freshly re-paved School Course surface – to be expected from 195/50/15 semi-slicks.
After swapping on a pair of RAYS Volk Racing TE37Vs with some throwaway tyres inflated to 45psi, we were in business. One thing that makes Ebisu so great is how quiet it’s on weekdays. We only needed to share the School Course with a couple of other cars, giving me loads of time to focus and work on my drifting technique.
For essentially the most part, the automotive performed excellently. I needed to put a variety of faith within the factory gauges, though. Hot-lapping the automotive in 10-minute sessions began showing the restrictions of the Freedom ECU, which ran wealthy enough to sap the already minimal power produced by the lightly-tuned 4A-GE 16-valve engine.
Here’s a fast video of a couple of laps at Ebisu School. As you’ll see, it’s a serious workout for the clutch, but with a bit more speed and confidence, I’m hoping I may give it a little bit of a break. Big because of Dino for catching all of the out-of-car shots!
The Transformation Begins
After my day at Ebisu, the automotive’s next essential outing was to JBeat Customs, a body shop just outside Tokyo in Saitama. This trip had been a protracted time coming. Over the past few months, I’d been gathering parts and concepts for the Levin.
While you buy an AE86, unless you’ve got money to burn, there’s all the time going to be a compromise. For me, that compromise was the automotive’s paint. It’d’ve looked okay in photos, but in point of fact, it was removed from great. The paint job was a backyard DIY effort, with overspray in every single place and an absence of primer that led to chips across several panels. But most of all, I just didn’t love the salmon red.
Walking into JBeat, I didn’t even know what color I desired to repaint the automotive. The shortlist included silver, gunmetal grey, dark green, blue, and black, so it was fair to say this was going to be an impulse decision.
Jun, the owner of JBeat, suggested we mix up a custom black base with a blue pearl. He was confident it might be the very best alternative and unique in Japan, where every AE86 color combo has been done.
After a fast mix and test spray, we made the decision. From most angles, the paint looks black, with just a touch of blue reflection. But when the sunshine hits it, the blue shines. This subtle effect was exactly what I used to be after.
Together with the brand new color, I had earlier picked up a Goodline FRP bonnet and a set of Group A-style mirrors. These were each AE86 ‘grail’ pieces for me, so attending to put them on the automotive was exciting.
Two Weeks In
Two weeks later, I discovered myself back at JBeat, checking on the progress.
Seeing the automotive in pieces gave me a likelihood to examine out some hidden surprises, mainly in the shape of rust spots. Thankfully, the team at JBeat was quick to chop them out and replace the affected areas with fresh metal. Additionally they sealed up the antenna hole, giving the driver-side fender a much cleaner look.
We’d also decided to remove the gold from the RS Watanabe wheels, leaving the raw, silver anodised finish. A small change, but one which’s made a world of difference to the automotive’s overall look.
By this point, primer had been applied to the still-unknown body kit, and I used to be just in time to see some color laid down. Seeing the paint on larger surfaces would give me a greater idea of how it might look on the automotive.
Unnecessary to say, I used to be stoked with the result! As intended, the automotive looked black from most angles, with the blue only becoming visible under direct light, especially within the fluorescent glow of the shop. I stepped back and let the JBeat team finish their magic.
The Final Result
Fast forward 4 weeks, and I picked up my freshly refinished AE86 from JBeat. To rejoice, I did what any self-respecting automotive enthusiast in Japan would do: a convenience store photoshoot.
Then I took the Levin out to an area rice field for some more quintessentially Japanese shots, sitting back and admiring the automotive because the sun dipped below the Shinkansen tracks. The JBeat crew did a tremendous job – not only on the paint but on the general finish. The panels that had once been a bit wavy were now perfectly straight, the wheels were silver, and the mirrors and bonnet were in place. Better of all, the rust was gone.
I’ve successfully turned the AE86 I intended to learn drifting in right into a automotive I’m almost too scared to park on the shops. But truthfully, I couldn’t be happier.
Current Day
A few months have passed since I got the automotive back from JBeat, and after leaving Japan for some time, I’m now back and putting the automotive’s recent look to good use. I’ve racked up a couple of thousand kilometres on the odometer in only a couple of weeks.
I even threw together a video from a fast night run through Tokyo. Test it out!
It’s not only Tokyo that’s been graced by the sound of 8,000rpm and 4A-GE ITB goodness. I also took the automotive as much as Hakone Turnpike and Skyline – just an hour from home.
The view from the highest of the Turnpike is well certainly one of my favourite spots in Japan, especially at sunset. That’s in the event you don’t get swallowed up by the clouds, which happens very often if you’re over 1,000m above sea level.
And that’s where we are actually, all caught up on my Project AE86 journey. Huge because of Jun and his team at JBeat Customs for his or her incredible work on the automotive. I’m looking forward to the subsequent update, hopefully from certainly one of the dream circuits I even have to drive here in Japan.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
