MOONEYES Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show 2010

As many know, the first Sunday in December is when MOONEYES has their largest event of the year, the Annual YOKOHAMA HOT ROD Custom Show. This event takes half a year of planning. Guest are selected each year from abroad and brought to the show, which has made it a special show where guest get to experience a bond with participants like no other show in the world. This year, the 19th consecutive holding of this car and bike show utilized the entire area of Pacifico Yokohama’s exhibition hall which covers 25,000 square meters of indoor space. The Pacifico Yokohama is located in the heart of Yokohoma and about 15 minutes away from the MOONEYES physical store and the famous MOON Cafe. It’s grown in all direction every year since it first began almost 20 years ago and this year was no exception.

The 19th Annual YOKOHAMA Hot Rod Custom Show 2010 turned out a new record in attendance this year beating last year’s record by over a thousand people. Consider a few things for a moment. Japan is an island nation that isn’t exactly easy to drive to. That means people that come to the show from abroad literally have to arrange a trip to attend and that alone isn’t easy to do. So it’s natural that the majority of people at the show are Japanese and to imagine the ratio of the population and percent of people into this genre, it’s probably a very high percentage of that crowd. Attendance has grown in the number of international visitors too and it’s amazing to see how popular the show is worldwide. The efforts made by people to get to the show is incredible and MOONEYES is grateful for the support from everyone. There were visitors from several other Asian countries, many European countries and of course USA.  Hard to believe it’s a one day show but that explains the constant crowd all day long. Take a look at this year’s statistics.

Special invited guests included Robert Williams, Suzanne Williams, Falcon Motorcycles Ian Barry, Hippodrome Studio Jeff Decker, Salinas Boys Cole Foster, No Regrets Steve Wilk, DB Custom Leather Duane Ballard, Dice Magazine Dean Micetich, Grant Peterson and Mark Drews. All special guests bring a car or bike which they own or built. Other guests include a long list of people including Custom Chrome (CCI) which took part in the Ride In that kicks off the show in the morning. CCI celebrated their 40th anniversary this year and showcased two of their catalog bikes: one bagger and one chopper.

There are many artist, vendors and creators at the show too. Japanese pinstripers have gained recognition in the last several years and now are just as active, or part of, the top tier of Kustom Kulture and Lowbrow scene. Hiro “Wildman” Ishii, a regular attendee to GNRS Pinstripe Reunion hosted by Von Hot Rod and he sets up a Pinstripe Gathering at HCS with all the top notch stripers in Japan, all cranking out work all day long. Next to the pinstripers is Rat Island. A fenced area dedicated to suede hot rods predating 1948. Around the perimeter of the area this year included The Pizz, Keith Weesner, Dan Collins, Nash/Burnout magazine, Gasoline Gallery, Hot Rod Havoc, Ron Covell, Bean Bandits, Rockin’ Jelly Bean, Hawleywood’s Barbershop, The Blaster, and others. Vendors from abroad included Trophy Queen, Loser Machine, Rivera Primo Belts, Indian Larry Legacy, Ruby Helmets, Matel and tons of shops on both sides of the show.

MOONEYES Staff gathered in the event hall by 6AM on Sunday, December 5, 2010. By 8AM we were told to stand by and by 8:30AM the staff and help crew were ready to begin. Meanwhile, outside the gate was a thriving crowd of people and we opened early.

08:30 – Gate Opens into the Pacific Yokohama Exhibition Hall

09:00 – All of the guests were brought out to the back as the crowd pour in.

The “Ride In” is a major part of the show and has been the official way of starting every show. The guests physically drive their ride into the show, down the center isle to the front gate which is where they have a display sectioned off. Once they drive up to the front, they get out and come on a small pedestal, have an introduction and then proceed to the next guest. Up first this year, special guests Robert Williams and Suzanne Williams, both with their beloved Fords. Robert’s ’32 Ford Roadster and Suzanne’s ’34 Sedan.

Following the pair of Williams, none other than the ace custom builder of Salinas Boys, Cole Foster behind the wheel of one of his instant legendary masterpieces, the ’36 Ford “Metallicoupe”. This car was such an immaculate build it made the cover of the Rodder’s Journal (periodical magazine) without even having a painted body to display every curve and precession touch. By itself, one might think, “Meh, thirties Ford, chopped, dropped, custom.” On the contrary. Place it next to any thirties Ford and you are blown away.

Behind the Metallicoupe came Green Inspiration, a Chevy S10 custom truch by Steve Wilk of NR (No Regrets) So. Cal. Mini Truckin’ magazine’s editor Mike Alexander stood by this truck as it seemed to have the magic to bridge the gap between customs and mini trucks. Could be timing, could be magic, either way, it worked and there were many Japan chapter mini truck clubs there to show support and curious custom enthusiasts as well.

Following the cars and guest introductions, the motorcycles were called to the Ride In. Beginning with Falcon Motorcycles Ian Barry and his beautiful Kestrel Falcon Triumph based custom. Based on a ’70 Trumpet Bonneville, he literally rebuilt it from the ground up. We’d like to extend our thanks to Ian Barry and his wife Amaryllis Knight for being so helful and willing to come to Japan. Ian broke his wrist but it didn’t detour his plans. Thank you.

Riding behind was not one, but two long bikes based on Honda CB750 motors. Duane Ballard of DB Custom Leather makes hand-stamped leather seats and other accessories full time but manages to stitch up two very wicked chopper diggers right out of the 70s.

Mark Drews came through the big doors next in a superb ’57 Triumph Pre-Unit show bike. Slender, shiny, no frills yet breath taking. This is the essence of 60s show bike, pure ingenious. Acrylic primary cover and tank? I’d say more but my jaw just fell to the floor…

Right up next and always the show stopper, show pleaser, like the Fireman that you now will come through and rescue in any situation, Jeff “Hippodrome Studio” Decker. He recently built this mild custom HRD Vincent with this uncle. It’s a race spec Black Shadow, called Black Lighting to let the bystander know to stand back. When this bike came out in 1952, it blew away just about everything. Fast was fast, but it wasn’t lightning. Second gear on this machine pulls to no end reaching past 60mph, and top speed was a buck and a quarter. Jeff’s bike was slightly different as anything he does is eloquently so but bad ass indeed. Taped header pipes, right handed jockey, when the bike kicks over it’s already spinning the rear tire, it want to go! These bikes are rare. Jeff Decker’s bike is one of a kind, beyond rare.

Dean Micetich. Dice Magazine “other half”. His old school chopper Panhead is so period, he really matches perfectly with it. So much so, he should just, I dunno, hand over the keys to his deuce… call me Dean. Last year, Matt Davis, Dice magzine’s other “other half” brought his HD which initially they were going to both bring the bikes together but things happen as they do and Dean made it this year. The white outline classic flames on black is the only way to go.

Grant Peterson, you may remember from the MIM article with Harpoon, his roommate, just completed a stunning solid colored Shovelhead. It was featured on the cover of Street Chopper magazine in the US and was striking the hammer to bring back the solid-colors in choppers. Although nothing wrong with flashy crazy paint jobs, the orange sits right on this bike. Grant was stoked the entire trip and had a grin ear to ear evertime I saw him.

Celebrating 40 years this year was Custom Chrome, popular aftermarket parts catalog for H-Ds. CCI made two anniversary bikes one for the beginning days when their company jumped on the scene in 1970 and one to celelbrate the 2010 year with today’s more popular styles. Cole Foster has been selected to design and build the 70s chopper and pictured above is the dresser which are called Baggers now. CCI Vice President did the honors of riding in.

After the Ride In, the show is officially on the way!

11:00 the first session for live music is by The SECRETS, a tripple female vocal group dishing out some soul funk grooves.

12:00 Live Interview & Talk Show at Tribute to Robert Williams and Suzanne Williams

The two of them were a delight and even though there was a language barrier (of course there was live translations going on) the audience could feel the vibe. They are both kind and warm it was a pleasure for us to have them there.

14:00 Second live music session was by a 70s style rock band called Sukima-Sangyo

14:30 The Yokohama Show wouldn’t be complete with everyone’s favorite band JACKIE AND THE CEDRICS! They rocked the show and had the crowd pumped!

17:30 The show came to an end but MOON Garage Goshu pulled out a first for HCS, a RIDE OUT! Robert and Suzanne were so thrilled with driving, they drove their cars out of the show!


Thank you for making the show a great success! Next year will be the 20th Annual Show and since that’s an anniversary, we will have to come up with something big! Stayed tuned!