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Old 05-20-2010, 07:13 AM   #1
Peloton25
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Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

I want to get this thread started with an extra special 'Thank you' to our old friend bucciali who was the brilliant mind behind the original Japanese Fleet thread, and inspiration for all the others that followed. In speaking with him recently I've learned that obligations of a young family have meant that he doesn't have the time to contribute here as much as he used to, but he does still check in from time to time. It's a little strange when folks just fall off the map after being so active so I was of course glad to hear he was doing well, as I am sure some of you will be too.

The original Japanese Fleet thread was in need of a lot of updating (like all the others), and rather than wipe the slate clean on his first post, I figured I'd just start a new one for us to use and update going forward. He said he has no issue with that and encourages us to keep making progress. His original thread still holds a great discussion and some wonderful images, so check it out here if you have not been keeping up:

Recap of Japanese F1 fleet - Part 1


Okay - lets get this party started again - all contributions to the cause here will be greatly appreciated!

#029 -



After being seen for many years at Iding Power, this F1 was offered for sale by ArtSports in December 2007. Their ad identified the color as 'Brazilian Brown' which should mean #029, but the actual name for the color of this car is "Creighton Brown" as confirmed by McLaren Automotive. ArtSports and others were clearly basing the color name in the ad off the Chassis History poster included with "Driving Ambition" and we've discovered a few discrepancies in those details.

= = =

#051 - Yoshiharu Tanaka



Often displayed and possibly for sale at LightAuto1 in Nagoya. Arrived in Japan in mid-2005 from Germany.

= = =

#060 (probably) -



Still in plastic - probably very few miles (if any) beyond the delivery mileage. Has Gordon Murray's signature on the rear bumper. Not much other info on this one.

= = =

#063 -



Sort of MIA - left Japan for SPS Automotive in Hong Kong in early 2007. Was then supposedly sold back to someone in Japan but I lack confidence on that being correct. We'll leave it here until it shows up somewhere else.

= = =

#070 -



Was for sale through LMP Cars in Nagoya again.

= = =

58F1GT - Yoshio Tsuzuki - Nagoya (ZAZ Museum)



Was originally painted Dark Burgundy with a tan interior. Returned to the ZAZ Museum in late 2007 after an absence of several years, having been refitted by McLaren with a new unique look reminiscent of the West McLaren Formula One cars of the Hakkinen era.

Here's some photos of the original look of this car:



= = =

LM2 - Yoshio Tsuzuki - Nagoya (ZAZ Museum)




= = = = = =


F1 GTRs:


#25R - Hitotsuyama Racing



Raced for many years under the YellowCorn livery, then later with Tajimax sponsorship. Last seen at the 2012 Syarinmura show.


= = = = = =


No longer in Japan


#003 -



Arrived in Japan in October 1996. Left for the USA and was for sale through Symbolic Motorcars in early 2008. Believed to be in Florida now.

= = =

#006 - Akhiro Tsuzuki



Formerly owned by a 'Mr Takahashi' in Japan since new. Was for sale in Nov 2008, supposedly purchased by Akihiro Tsuzuki and returned to McLaren in the UK for a complete refit. Car was resprayed in a unique piano black and was seen at the MTC gathering in 2010. Car left Japan August 2011 for Bahrain.

= = =

#012 - TagHeuer



While I have no proof this car has left Japan, my gut feeling is that this is the F1 owned by Lawrence Stroll in Canada. We'll leave it on the list for now until the mystery is solved. Perhaps this is #012??

Gut feeling was bunk btw - Stroll's car is not #012. Car left Japan August 2011 for Geneva.

= = =

#013 -



Formerly with a red stripe on the ventline of the door and Gordon Murray's signature on the Brake Balance Foil. This car left Japan for the UK, then was in Germany for a short time before arriving back in Japan and again appearing in Bingo Sports inventory. It has since been sold again to the USA.

= = =

#016 -



Originally in Japan, then sold to Germany and then the USA. Displayed at the Hard Rock Casino in the City of Dreams in Macau. Last spotted in Hong Kong.

= = =

#018 - Yoshio Tsuzuki - Nagoya (ZAZ Museum)



In Japan until 1997 or 1998. Has since been resprayed in Dark Silver and fitted with the High Downforce Kit and an LM Spec engine. Currently in New Zealand.

= = =

#023 - British Racing Green

Need Photos

Sold to the UK in 1997. Was then resprayed by the factory for its new owner in silver and later had the High Downforce Kit fitted. No photos exist of the car in its original condition. Now in South Africa.

= = =

#028 -



Fitted with a tall rear wing for a portion of its time in Japan. Arrived in the USA in Sept 2002. Currently in California.

= = =

#031 - Shikuni Okamoto



Left Japan sometime in 2010 for the USA.

= = =

#043 (probably) - Motokazu Sayama



Displayed in December 2001 at the British Motorsports Show in Yokohama. Featured in an issue of Genroq magazine more recently. Left Japan for the UK in 2011.

= = =


#053 - Yoshio Tsuzuki - Nagoya (ZAZ Museum)



Left Japan in early-2006 for the UK. Was displayed at Salon Prive in the UK by McLaren in July 2006. Was later spotted inside a plane, reportedly headed for a new home somewhere in the Middle East.

= = =

#13R - Yoshio Tsuzuki - Nagoya (ZAZ Museum)



Left Japan for Maranello Motorsports in Melbourne, Australia in mid-2005. Was quickly sold by to a customer in Germany who sent it to McLaren for conversion to road use. Now road registered in the UK.

= = =

#19R - SOK/Team Take One



Left Japan in early 2003 for the USA. Was resprayed in the LARK livery it wore during the 1997 Suzuka 1000km race. Offered for sale again in 2008 and now in the UK.

= = =

#28R - BingoSports, Tokyo



In BingoSports inventory since early 2008.

= = = = =

That should get us off to another good start. Feel free to throw out any corrections on things I might have overlooked, or simply gotten wrong. Staring at this stuff long enough to put together a thread like this can make anyone a little scatter-brained.

I have a few more pics to add and some captions to tweak in the next few days. I know there are better pictures out there of some of the cars, but in most cases I was trying to use only images taken of them while in Japan.

If you have anything new to contribute - please feel free. We've never had a great source here from Japan but have still managed to pull together a pretty complete set of details on what is probably all the F1s that have lived or still reside in Japan. There's a few more 'probably's up there than I would like, but we'll keep at it.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help in doing so!

>8^)
ER

Last edited by Peloton25; 07-04-2012 at 08:29 PM.
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Old 05-20-2010, 07:25 AM   #2
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Thank you so much Erik!
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Old 05-20-2010, 10:09 AM   #3
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Cool update Erik

Just noticed one thing so far -

#13R was bought by a German I believe, not someone from the UK, and it had dual residency (UK and Germany) as it was seen over here in the UK for a while whilst the winter regulations were in force in Germany (can't imagine the GTR in winter tyres for half the year). Kidston had it for sale but as for where it is now...
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Old 05-20-2010, 01:07 PM   #4
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peloton25 View Post
#19R - SOK/Team Take One

Left Japan in early 2003 for the USA. Was resprayed in the LARK livery it wore during the 1997 24Hrs of Le Mans race. Offered for sale again in 2008 and now in the UK.
The LARK livery 19R now wears is that one from the FIA GT 1997 1000km Pokka/Suzuka race, not the Le Mans as that one was 27R and had also the French restrictions on tobacco advertising (striped LARK texts). Underneath the current LARK livery 19R is still as it was last raced as SOK #30.



19R Suzuka 1997 vs Daytona 2003 and 27R LM97
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Old 05-20-2010, 03:58 PM   #5
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Just me or does 19R definitely seem red and black instead of bright pink/black?
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Old 05-20-2010, 04:00 PM   #6
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Greg - I agree that he is German too, but other than the trip to Hockenheim I am not sure how much time it has ever spent there? I'll try to be more vague as I had forgotten the German plates it was wearing in the Kidston sale photos.

Thanks Doc - this isn't the first time I've confused the two in my head - probably won't be the last either.

F1GTRUeno - It's a difficult color for most cameras to handle - a poorly calibrated white balance will shift it dramatically. Also the monitor you are looking at the images on could be having an effect as well. Compare red versus pink in this shot and here is another one that gets it right:



>8^)
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Old 05-20-2010, 05:04 PM   #7
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

The pink/gun metal grey on the LARK liveries is really difficult, maybe the most difficult of the used colors on GTR liveries, to catch it right with a camera as it depends on many different variables, not just the camera, but the lighting and different angles makes especially the pink seem from a yellowish orange to quite dark red. The same goes with the LARK scale models painted in that correct "fluorescent pink" I have, it really depends on the lighting (day or evening, cloudy or bright sunny, lighting inside the house, etc.) how it appears to the eye.

I think this is one of the better shots of the 19R during the FIA GT 1997 Suzuka race weekend as it also shows not only the pink quite correctly but also the gun metal grey cockpit area.



Still I'm not sure if the resprayed livery of 19R has the dark area in correct gun metal grey or black, as in many images around it seems to be pitch black. Also from those images that were taken in the studio as Symbolic had it, it seems more to be black instead of grey.
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Old 05-20-2010, 09:49 PM   #8
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

No idea which car this is, and the images date all the way back to March of 2004 but these offer a pretty interesting view we don't normally get to see. I initially found these first two images which are typical 'Japanese-sized', blurry for no reason and only barely interesting.



Then I dug a little deeper and discovered this second pair which are clickable.



Hard to believe with all the Japanese searching that's been done that I've only now come across these.

>8^)
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Old 05-21-2010, 01:07 AM   #9
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Thankyou! Wow! Two GT photos I've never seen before!
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Old 05-21-2010, 05:02 AM   #10
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Hello,

let me thank you very much for this perfect work Erik

Excellent thread.

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Old 05-22-2010, 07:30 AM   #11
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

There are a couple of truths in my world of F1 uber-enthusiasm.

The first one is that one thing leads to another. Quite often the discovery of something new will come with clues that can lead you on to something else. I'm sure others have experienced this as well.

The second one - and it's happened more than I'd care to remember - is that I've made some sort of statement usually about a specific car, only to have the foundation of that statement rattled or completely wiped out within a matter of days.

For instance (and having nothing to do with Japan) quite recently on the 6th of May I commented elsewhere that chassis #042 had not been spotted in a very long time. Then two days later it shows up at a small car show in Northern California. Not that I am complaining when an F1 comes out of hiding like that, but that's kind of an odd coincidence, and again it's not the first time something like that has happened to me. Makes you want to hit the 'Rewind' button swiftly.

So here we go again - just a few days ago I went out on a limb and wrote this in here about chassis #012:

Quote:
While I have no proof this car has left Japan, my gut feeling is that this is the F1 owned by Lawrence Stroll in Canada. We'll leave it on the list for now until the mystery is solved.
"The words are still hanging in the air..." as they say, and then two days later I find this image in the midst of a Japanese search effort.



Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't recognize this car.

Actually, let me rephrase that - I don't recognize it as being any of the F1s we have already identified as being in Japan.

My gut feeling after staring at the image now for a day is that this could very well be the former Tag Heuer F1 which is believed to be #012. The paint color seems far too dark to be any of the silver F1s we're so familiar with. From the looks of things, especially the hazing in the headlights, it appears to have been stored for quite a long time. Perhaps most amazing is that this picture is almost exactly one month old.

Where did I find this you might ask? Well, going back to my 'one thing leads to another' point I made earlier - the photos of that F1 in pieces in my previous post were taken at a facility called COX Inc in Kanagawa, Japan. On their website they list one of their overseas customers as none other than 'McLaren Automotive Ltd.' Interesting I thought...

So searching for items related to COX and the McLaren F1 I came upon the blog page for 'GoodSmile Racing' who apparently partner with COX to campaign a 911 GT3R in the Japan SuperGT Series. You'll spot the image of the F1 there at the top and sadly it's the only one.

Translating the text surrounding the photo doesn't get us very far:

Quote:
Building and development to move in line next to the vine ー racing Innovation, the wall of the room is unused, a pile of used tires! Car seats back there and cover what most Porsche cars to Kaari this room!

Take a seat and you'll see, A whopping McLaren F1

Atsuko saw her first! Yes ... billion estimate. . .
Probably sit in front of McLaren F1, I would view it keeps for days

There is much force it was to type something out of a futuristic movie.
Neither did flipping through the nearly 2,500 images in the gallery linked to that racing team blog which I've done in my spare time over the past two days - talk about frustrating. At least the Race Queens were hot and there were only two dozen or so images of food compared to what you'd usually find in a Japanese blog.

One other thing I noticed from the COX website was that they'd previously worked with Team Goh campaigning the R8 at LeMans for Audi Japan. This set off a little bell in my head - causing me to take another look at this set of Japanese-sized photos below which I had previously determined were of the brown/pink F1 at Iding Power.





I'm thinking now that this is probably the same F1 as in the larger photo above, and not the brown car after all.

So not one to be deterred, I'm going to shoot an email off to COX and also to the contact address for GoodSmile Racing and see if either one will tell me anything about this car. A third and final truth in the world of the F1 seems to be that you don't get replies back from Japanese contacts when you send them an email in English, so my hopes are not very high on this one. But at least I have uncovered something 'new' here.

>8^)
ER

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Old 05-23-2010, 01:56 AM   #12
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Been wandering my way around Japan again hoping for another glimpse of the car above. I didn't find that, but did discover a few new photos (from 2006) of the brown F1 in Iding Power's garage which I hadn't seen before. Not the greatest shots - especially the second one - but figured I might as well throw them out there.

One thing I did notice which I had not realized before is that this car used to wear a 'McLaren' windshield banner. I looked at some of the other pics we have and you can see it in them as well, just not quite as clearly as in this first shot.



Next up on the 'Hey, that's cool' list is this screenshot from the CarGraphic 45th Anniversary video of #016 in Japan. We saw a brief clip of this towards the end of the original Japanese fleet thread. I might have found a place to DL the entire video, but will need to spend a little more time playing the web-translation game if I am going to get lucky.



In addition, I found this picture of a couple of pages from the April 2007 CarGraphic magazine. I'm not sure which F1 was used here and I would very much like to see the rest of the article. No such luck on the webpage I found this at.



Here's the cover shot of another magazine I'd also love to skim the pages on.



Anyone have a copy of that issue on their shelf?

Yeah - I didn't think so...

Last but not least - well actually 'least' is a good word here - is a link bucciali sent me of some silver F1 pics from Japan that I did not have - probably #063, I'm guessing, and if so that would mean they are pictures from after it returned from Hong Kong I believe.

Now before you get too excited - these are the epitome of 'Japanese-sized' images in that the two thumbnails on the first page are each clickable for a page of slightly larger (small) images, but even better is that those small images are then clickable and open a new window containing the same image at the very same resolution. Why bother?

http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/...667/photo.aspx

That's all for now.

>8^)
ER
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Old 05-23-2010, 05:21 AM   #13
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Quote:
Anyone have a copy of that issue on their shelf?

Yeah - I didn't think so...
......Yes I do,

I have shown some pages before, long time ago. I guess you wanna see more?

"COOL IDEA" to restart this thread again
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Old 05-23-2010, 05:49 AM   #14
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

somehow I thought you might
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Old 05-23-2010, 03:15 PM   #15
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Re: Recap of the Japanese F1 fleet - Take 2

Just located my copy, after a long search

Will sort out some scans or photo,s when I have time. As the ones previously posted, have all but expired in the old thread here.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...light=japanese
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