Education In Action: '89 Century Turned Lowrider Seduction
Story By
Evan Griffey
Is that Frankenstein’s lowrider? We learned a team of students stitched a 1989 Toyota Century and a 1964 Chevy Impala together to create Low-X Project, a low rider that blends aesthetics from both cars using the East Los Angeles lowrider scene as the common thread. So, yes this could be Frankenstein’s pavement-scraper. The students are from NATS Nihon Automobile College, a long-time exhibitor at the Salon. The school develops up and coming mechanics at its campus in the Chiba prefecture just outside of Tokyo. NATS is known for body work as its Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) booth has been festooned with wild conversions for decades. The idea is to take a lowly economy car and transform it into something else… make a GT86 look like a Lambo, but the transformations are usually based on older, cheaper commuter car platforms. Some hits from the past include a car from last year, a Suzuki Cappuccino reincarnated into a JZA80 MkIV Supra, a Honda Beat-based NSX, and an SC430/Soarer reimagined as an Audi R8. The Low-X Project is an excellent example. Built in five months, the team reports the fenders were the tallest hurdle to clear… and they are quick to point out that the car is all metal, no heaps of fiberglass filler was used here. We loved the slab-sided look of the car and give props to the team for using the most authentic lowrider platform, a ’64 Impala, and teaming it with a logical mate from across the pond. But as skilled as the pupils were in the crafting department, they were a little short of knowledge about the lowrider scene. For instance, they had no idea that the origins of the club plaques being affixed to the rear package tray of whips in the hood was so the car would remain somewhat unidentifiable to authorities. Prior to this practice, car names or club names would be pinstriped on the lowriders making them easy for witnesses to spot when carrying out gang-related shenanigans: petty heists to full, gun-blazing drivebys. In a pinch, the plaques could be removed, affording the lowrider a somewhat stealthier persona. Displaying one’s work must be the thrill of a lifetime for any young enthusiast builder in Japan. We asked lead teacher Akihiro Esashi what goes into the effort. He laid out for us the typical instruction schedule for NATS students. Esashi explained that after two years of learning theoretical knowledge of automotive systems and gaining the proper certification, aspiring students can undertake Auto Tuning. This program leads to the Salon, and ultimately graduation from the college. In April, students spend time under the helmet learning welding. The month of May is devoted to sheetmetal repair and spray-paint practice. Training in the use of fiberreinforced plastic (FRP) is the highlight of June. At this point students have learned the theoretical knowledge of customizing sheetmetal, tweaking body panels and more. In July the class is divided into eight teams of six to ten students; their goal is to build a custom car for the Salon the following January. The teams brainstorm ideas, pick a base car, and produce renderings and sketches of their projects. The end result must pass a vehicle inspection and be deemed worthy of representing the school at the Makuhari Messe. Each team has a budget of roughly $8,500, which includes acquiring the donor car, parts, materials, and paint. They must show proper progress to get on the fast track to the Salon. But for teams lucky enough to display at the Tokyo Auto Salon, their journey is not over yet. In the months after the Salon, the cars are more closely inspected and made available to receive coverage in magazines or on television. Sometime in March, the cars undertake a road trip of two nights and three days. This is the equivalent of walking down the aisle at graduation. Once home, diplomas are dished out and grads start searching for jobs and apprenticeships. It should be noted that one of the mainstays of the NATS Tokyo Auto Salon booth is that each year attendees are asked to vote for their favorite ride in the booth. Alas, the Low-X Team was snubbed during the 2015 extravaganza. The winner was an E30 series BMW El Camino that started life as a raggedy Suzuki Mighty Boy.
