Photo: www.blow-net.co.jp
If you happen to be a lover of American cars who lives in Japan, and this fetish is not as rare as one might imagine, you're in big trouble. And that's because the generous size and displacement of four-wheeled creatures born in the U.S. are discouraged in the Land of the Rising Sun, with tax and insurance levels making sure many dreamers stick to the rules. However, since the said community is so large, there are various workarounds and we're here to discuss one that involves the Chevy C10.
We must start this tale by going back to 1949, when the Japanese government introduced the key car class. And while this segment, which you can regard as city cars, has seen the rules changing over the years, you can use the 660 cc displacement and 64 hp output limits, along with the small footprint for guidance.
Even though the authorities increased the kei car tax back in 2014, this segment still accounts for about a third of the country's new car sales.
Well, a Japanese aftermarket specialist has come up with a way of mixing the two worlds, offering American icon conversion kits for kei cars.
Named Blow, the company seems to manufacture fiberglass kits along with more complex transformations and we’ll focus on a golden bowtie adventure for now.
To be more precise, the developer can turn your Suzuki Lapin or its Mazda Spiano sister car into a Chevrolet C10. Fascia changes aside, the job involves the obvious body style transformation, with the five-door hatchback now sporting a bed, cover and all.
You can even choose between the second-gen model of the Chevrolet pickup truck (conversion pictured above) and the first one (check out the last image in the gallery above).
The company will happily provide the base car for ¥500,000 ($4,672 or EUR4,319 ), while the fascia work costs ¥305,000 ($2,845 or EUR2,635) and the structural transformation will set you back ¥1,000,000 ($9,343 or EUR8,639). In other words, if you bring your own donor car, going down this stylish blue-collar route requires ¥1,755,000 ($16,397 or EUR15,161). Oh, and if you go for the said Gen I Chevy C10, the less extended "facelift" means you'll save some cash.
"What if you don't fancy a bed?" one might rightfully ask. Well, you can always go for the full-size Chevrolet SUV of the late 1960s, the K5 Blazer.
The costume party is less convincing here, since the posterior still gives away the origins of the Japanese vehicle, among others. However, as you'll be able to see in the image gallery, the impersonation can't be overlooked.
Even though the authorities increased the kei car tax back in 2014, this segment still accounts for about a third of the country's new car sales.
Well, a Japanese aftermarket specialist has come up with a way of mixing the two worlds, offering American icon conversion kits for kei cars.
Named Blow, the company seems to manufacture fiberglass kits along with more complex transformations and we’ll focus on a golden bowtie adventure for now.
To be more precise, the developer can turn your Suzuki Lapin or its Mazda Spiano sister car into a Chevrolet C10. Fascia changes aside, the job involves the obvious body style transformation, with the five-door hatchback now sporting a bed, cover and all.
You can even choose between the second-gen model of the Chevrolet pickup truck (conversion pictured above) and the first one (check out the last image in the gallery above).
The company will happily provide the base car for ¥500,000 ($4,672 or EUR4,319 ), while the fascia work costs ¥305,000 ($2,845 or EUR2,635) and the structural transformation will set you back ¥1,000,000 ($9,343 or EUR8,639). In other words, if you bring your own donor car, going down this stylish blue-collar route requires ¥1,755,000 ($16,397 or EUR15,161). Oh, and if you go for the said Gen I Chevy C10, the less extended "facelift" means you'll save some cash.
"What if you don't fancy a bed?" one might rightfully ask. Well, you can always go for the full-size Chevrolet SUV of the late 1960s, the K5 Blazer.
The costume party is less convincing here, since the posterior still gives away the origins of the Japanese vehicle, among others. However, as you'll be able to see in the image gallery, the impersonation can't be overlooked.
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