Customization creates an American Southern atmosphere

Mr. Akiyoshi Kikuchi, who used to enjoy motorbikes and ride a Harley, has a 1966 Chevrolet Caprice. He has always liked old American cars and wanted to drive one someday, but why did he choose a Caprice from among the many American cars available? There was a wonderful reason hidden there.

He bought it three years ago

Mr. Akiyoshi Kikuchi attended the all-genre American car meeting “K-Styles” held in Tochigi Prefecture, on Sunday 14 April 2024, with his family. His car was a 1966 Chevrolet Caprice.

“Before this car, I was riding a 1980 Harley, the year of my birth. I got out of motorbikes after my child was born, but I always liked old American cars and wanted to drive one someday. Then the price of old American cars started to go up and due to problems with the exchange rate, etc., I thought this was my last chance to get an American car. I contacted a supplier who imports from abroad and bought it.”

Three years ago, Mr. Kikuchi bought a Caprice through a parallel import from a used car importer. He imported an uncustomized unit, and after purchasing it he replaced the old Holley carburetors with Edelbrock ones, changed the suspension springs, and carried out other maintenance. Other modifications included the fitting of a five-row horn to give it a Southern American feel.

The front bench seat was a key factor in the purchase

How does Mr. Kikuchi feel about actually owning his dream American car now that he has taken care of it?

“It’s really a world of self-satisfaction, but it’s nice that there aren’t many people driving these old-fashioned, petrol-powered, large-displacement American cars. In a way, it takes a lot of effort, but it’s a lot of fun for occasional rides. There are some things like stopping at traffic lights and the smell of petrol, but I think it’s fun if you can understand that kind of thing.

When purchasing the car, he considered various models and one key point in his shortlist was the front bench seat. The reason for this was that he wanted to drive with his wife and daughter, with all three family members in the front seats. Of course, the Caprice they purchased was equipped with front bench seats, so this desire was realized.

However, three years on, his daughter has grown up and it is now a bit cramped for the three of them to sit together. Mr. Kikuchi would like to continue to drive the Caprice in the future, and would like to maintain it, mainly with maintenance rather than customization.

“I’d like to fix the parts that are broken, little by little. I’d also like to install air conditioning and clean up rust, and if possible, I’d like to try painting it a bit candy-colored.”

translated by DeepL