Japan Auto Salon Trip

[elrodeo666]

Thought I'd throw up photos of a different perspective of a trip to Tokyo Auto Salon. This is drive was from the top of Japan from Sapporo to Tokyo and back via Auto Salon and workshops etc..I had to do a run in programme on the new motor, was limited to sweet FA boost and 4500 RPM limiter but still cruised the highways aound the 140kph..

Its a bit of a mix as some pics taken by me and some by the misso on her camera.

Between us there's about 1500 plus pics so will take some time to sort through the rubbish but I'll post up pics as I go through them..

So here we go....

Warming the car up ready to leave Sapporo after a morning of snow

View from inside the car looking out from my street !!

First Toll Gate

View on the road

First Rest Stop

cop In Shit...GTR's are without doubt the best car I have driven in the snow and ice. And yes the car gets washed every time on the road !!

After a wash

At Ferry Terminal.

It was -8c and strong will with wind chill of -20c so so f@#king cold !!

Waiting to board the ferry... The crew were paranoid that I couldnt get on as front lip is pretty low but it was sweet, just got on without scraping!

Going from Hakkodate in Hokkaido to Aomori on top of Honshu.

Ferry comfort Jap Style..

4 hrs later and land ho...lights of Aomori

Heading back down into the belly of the ferry to a very cold GTR

Aomori and more bloody snow !!

Ok thats it for now...will load more later !!

[NYTSKY]

Great shots Mark!

[elrodeo666]

Great shots Mark!

Thanks Dave , heaps more to come.

I still have to get round to uploading pics from Nismo festival. I got alot of good shots of cars from different car parks.

[elrodeo666]

Ok here we go with some more...

After spending the night in Aomori we hit the road again..Yep more snow but the new 2.8 was cruising on the highway!

Finally we were out of snowy highway driving and onto some clean roads..pit stop time!

Finally after 350 km's we got to Sendai..and still another 370km's to Tokyo

Late arvo early evening and an hour to Tokyo

Highway Toll ticket..that puppy was 13,550 yen fro 720 km's and 9 and half hour trip. Highway use in Japan is bloody expensive.

Yey Tokyo...ya definitely need the Navi here !

Pachinko Advertising Sign..

Tokyo traffic jam

Ok Stayed on the outskirts of Yokohama as got soem friends out there.

Next morning off to Mines via the scenic route.

Quick stop and stretch the legs and fill her up Jap style !

This was part of the Japanese Royal families Summer beachside estate.

So finally arrived at

They werent doing Auto Salon as booths there are getting too expensive. A few other big names pulled the pin this year and rumour is a few more wont be doing next years Auto Salon.

But they were letting people have a look around the workshop and out there was the original famous Mines GTR34.

[elrodeo666]

Ok here we go with some more...

After spending the night in Aomori we hit the road again..Yep more snow but the new 2.8 was cruising on the highway!

Finally we were out of snowy highway driving and onto some clean roads..pit stop time!

Finally after 350 km's we got to Sendai..and still another 370km's to Tokyo

Late arvo early evening and an hour to Tokyo

Highway Toll ticket..that puppy was 13,550 yen fro 720 km's and 9 and half hour trip. Highway use in Japan is bloody expensive.

Yey Tokyo...ya definitely need the Navi here !

Pachinko Advertising Sign..

Tokyo traffic jam

Ok Stayed on the outskirts of Yokohama as got soem friends out there.

Next morning off to Mines via the scenic route.

Quick stop and stretch the legs and fill her up Jap style !

This was part of the Japanese Royal families Summer beachside estate.

So finally arrived at

They werent doing Auto Salon as booths there are getting too expensive. A few other big names pulled the pin this year and rumour is a few more wont be doing next years Auto Salon.

But they were letting people have a look around the workshop and out there was the original famous Mines GTR34.

[elrodeo666]

They had 2 of their 35's out the front but said no pics. While I was in the workshop sussing the 34 the misso snuck a few pics of their 35's

Ok more tomorrow

[tangomatt]

Hey Mark,

Look forward to more of your photo diary.

[Mr. Keets]

Good to put a face to a name Mark. Excellent trip, thanks

[Beer Baron]

cool pics mate.

[N1GTR]

I know you said its snowy - but holy shit thats a lot of snow!

[elrodeo666]

Yeah thats why I'm leaving and heading back to Oz for some warmth !!

Where I used to live here it gets an average of 10-12 meters per winter.

[turbovan]

Nice pics there... really makes me want to organise a trip!

[elrodeo666]

Ok, been a bit slack posting more pics up and been sufering a nasty hangove but here's some more.

After Mines it was quick run out Zeles. Not their main shop but hit their after. Had to go out this way to se a mate so just had a quick stop then back into Yokohama.

Back on the road and heading to Yokohama.

[elrodeo666]

Kimono shop in Yokohama

Woke up next morning to good view of Fuji, quick brekkie then off to Auto Salon...

Ok more to come !!

[West]

FKing Awesome , can any average person fly to JP, hire a car and do this trip like you did?

[GTS4WD]

keep the photos comming!

I love photo diarys.. They are such a great insight to an amazing culture.

[elrodeo666]

Yeah mate not a problem.

I did it in my own car that I have been building the last 2 years and needed to rack up some k's for running in new motor.

But anyone can pretty much fly into anywhere in Japan and rent a car,van,bike,truck and do a road trip. You'll spend a bit of coin but have a heap of fun and great way to get out and see alot more of Japan.

These guys do some pretty good deals on rentals...just pick a place you want to go to and click on that and it will show rental places where you can pickup/drop off.

They often have some good specials...

http://www2.tocoo.jp/?file=rentcar_inbound...amp;asp_id=0001

[NYTSKY]

On my last trip a few SAU guys and myself hired an Elgrand. Certainly the best idea. Tolls are expensive but we did cover alot of Tokyo and surrounding areas.

Worth every Yen

Even caught up with Marky Mark here

Toocoo is the best i found for car rentals, very good deals.

[elrodeo666]

keep the photos comming!

I love photo diarys.. They are such a great insight to an amazing culture.

I've actually been a lazy bastard and havent posted any more pics..

Seriously been busy as packing up 2 houses in Japan, sending shit to Oz and Korea, storing other crap in Japan and trying to get my car sorted to send down under.

Now I'm here in Oz its been non stop house hunting which we finally found last friday, buying a daily driver (jeez theres some absolute,way over priced crap out there) s and slowly sorting things out.

My main computer with a container of our stuff should arrive soon so I'll post up a bucket load more pics soon.

Also I'll get around to posting up pics from last years Nismo Event, got some shots of some sick cars.

I'll even throw up a sorta pictography of parts of japan you guys dont usually see in the next few weeks as I get organised.

And maybe even some hot candy !

On my last trip a few SAU guys and myself hired an Elgrand. Certainly the best idea. Tolls are expensive but we did cover alot of Tokyo and surrounding areas.

Worth every Yen

Even caught up with Marky Mark here

Toocoo is the best i found for car rentals, very good deals.

Yeah Tooccoo is pretty good if you cant read and speak ping pong, plus you can usually get GPS in english.

If you can read and speak the lingo theres heaps of great deals out on some of the jap travel websites , but you need to be pretty fluent to understand it.

[elrodeo666]

Been slack as with posting more pics but heres some more...