Is the tip close to? Is JDM tuning as we’ve come to know and love over? Are all of us destined to be pressured into an electrical world?
In all probability not, that is simply me overreacting. However it’s these nightmare eventualities that hold me up at night time, forcing me to hunt out tuning outlets and reestablish a way of safety that every one continues to be nicely in JDM land. Which is form of how I discovered Storage Yamago.
This can be a store that epitomizes every part I discovered nice in regards to the JDM tuning scene after I first began overlaying it round 20 years again now. Apologies if I sound like an outdated fart blabbering on in regards to the ‘good outdated days’, however hear me out…
If I needed to decide one facet from the early 2000s that categorized the entire tuning world in Japan precisely, it’s that it was extra cemented in its roots. Now it’s advanced and expanded, and on condition that the home automotive panorama has modified a lot, it might by no means be what it as soon as was.
That’s not essentially a foul factor after all. There are nonetheless loads of superb issues occurring and other people doing loopy issues, however the vitality is completely different.
Visiting Storage Yamago, nonetheless, took me proper again.
A Residing Legend?
Yamago-san was one of many high mechanics at JUN Auto. He was there for 15 years, working because the right-hand man for Susumu ‘God Hand’ Koyama – the man that was chargeable for the wildest automobiles and issues that JUN ever received to do, be it high-power tuning, drag, time assault, excessive velocity trials, and drifting.
Koyama-san sadly grew to become sick, however Yamago-san stayed on at JUN for fairly a while, engaged on quite a few buyer automobiles and firm demo machines, just like the R35 GT-R and the Synergy V8-powered BRZ.
Ultimately although, the time got here for Yamago-san to make the leap and open a store of his personal, only a few kilometers down the highway from JUN.
Having achieved a lot in his profession already, there’s a relaxed vibe in Storage Yamago. Regardless of having visited JUN quite a few instances for shoots over time, I had by no means formally met Yamago-san, however inside a couple of minutes of speaking to him at his store, it grew to become apparent that he has immense technical information on the subject of automobiles.
As I used to be led across the store’s engine constructing space, we began chatting about RBs. It was like I used to be speaking to the Yoda of tuning.
It’s arduous to seek out somebody this looped-in to the worldwide tuning scene, however Yamago-san is aware of what others are doing around the globe with Japanese engines, and the number of RB-specific components being developed in Australia and the USA.
As soon as upon a time, tuning outlets in Japan have been very systematic. They adopted what the Japanese home half producers provided and what everybody else had at all times achieved, usually being weary of utilizing overseas components. Nowadays it’s completely different, and Japanese tuners have actually been pressured to look abroad because the home producers have struggled to maintain up with innovation.
Yamago-san has just about examined all of it, and is aware of what combos work greatest for a buyer’s particular targets. His years at JUN have made him a jack of all trades, so whereas he has constructed a few Impreza demo automobiles, he’s not classifying his store as an EJ-only tuning outfit. He’ll work on any JDM platform, however RBs and EJs will stay Storage Yamago’s bread and butter.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III I featured final week has been in Yamago-san’s look after the most effective a part of a yr. The proprietor, a Japanese automobile fanatic from Bahrain, has an extended record of automobiles constructed at JUN, and I’m certain you possibly can guess which mechanic was behind all of them.
When Yamago-san opened his store round 5 years in the past, the Evo proprietor adopted, and it’s right here at Storage Yamago that the automobile is being perfected earlier than it’s shipped off to its house within the Center East.
That’s the form of belief I completely respect.
My dialog with Yamago-san naturally flowed by way of each matter you may think about when discussing the final features of tuning automobiles, and finally ended up at ECUs. Yamago-san advised me that he’ll tune any aftermarket ECU, however on the subject of providing full options to prospects, he advises both Hyperlink or EcuTek, saying that they’ve achieved a great job of choosing up the place the long-lasting Japanese computer systems of years previous left off.
The AE86 above is a long-term mission that Yamago-san has tucked away in a single aspect of the workshop. The turbocharged 4A-G is about to have an entire tear down and be given a breath of recent life.
In true JDM workshop trend, there’s a little space with a kerosene heater the place prospects can sit down for a chat once they drop by in winter to examine on the progress on their automobiles, or simply to hang around.
The Buyer Automobiles
Naturally, I needed to take a more in-depth have a look at a few of the buyer automobiles parked up exterior. These are machines that Yamago-san has constructed and continues to refine and keep.
This BNR32 Skyline GT-R is a recently-completely construct that includes a fully-built 600hp setup with a couple of top-shelf parts added to good the best way it behaves.
Trying over this automobile, Yamago-san and I finally ended up speaking about ignition coils, and what sparked the dialog (no pun meant) was the truth that I noticed a few completely different techniques getting used on the automobiles he’s constructed. I’m naturally on this topic as I’ve at all times been impressed on the distinction an honest set of coils make (you would possibly bear in mind me swapping over to Ignition Projects coils on Project GT-R six or so years in the past). The ignition system is one facet of my R34 that I intend to readdress, as I actually need one thing that has the identical energy and resistance to overheating, but have the ability to match underneath the RB’s spark plug cowl.
On the far finish of the parking space was this pristine Midnight Purple BCNR33 GT-R on a set of Enkei RS05RR wheels.
The automobile has not too long ago been refreshed and tuned as much as 500hp, taking what the RB provides and maximizing its potential in a dependable means. The R33, just like the 996 for Porsche, has turn out to be the most recent GT-R variant to blow up in worth.
There have been additionally a few Imprezas, this wide-body transformed STI catching my consideration. That jogs my memory, I’ve a cool function on a Tex Modify-built GDB coming for you Subaru followers.
Ever since I arrived in Japan I’ve at all times had love for the Nissan 180SX, and this one definitely deserved a more in-depth look.
Aesthetically, it does an incredible job of being subtly aggressive with barely wider entrance and rear guards topped off with a easy however efficient set of Yokohama Advan RG wheels.
It backs up its exterior look with a properly tuned SR20DET engine operating a bigger however nonetheless low-mounted turbo.
Whereas this RPS13 is commonly put by way of its paces drifting, it’s meticulously maintained. In my thoughts there’s nothing higher than a nicely constructed and nicely cared for automobile that will get abused each every so often.
The Store
Right here’s Storage Yamago’s lounge and workplace space the place prospects are greeted and might chill out whereas smaller jobs on their automobiles are accomplished.
There’s so much to have a look at on the cabinets, and numerous JDM tuning magazines and catalogs to maintain you occupied whereas sipping on espresso.
It was on this ready room that I observed Storage Yamago provides a ¥5,000 (US$50) nook stability package deal, which struck me as being much more reasonably priced than what different Japanese tuning outlets cost. I’ll positively must convey Project GT-R over for that after my – spoiler alert – new wheels and tires arrive…
I left Storage Yamago with with an enormous smile on my face. It’s at all times good to discover a store that continues to hold the unique picture of what JDM tuning is for many of us – easy and trustworthy mechanical tuning to good each facet of a automobile’s efficiency. It’s even higher to seek out this spirit in a comparatively new enterprise.
My hunt to seek out extra institutions like this one continues…
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
