Reporting in from Japan

Non-Suzuki related topics. Anything can go here.
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Ronzuki
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10-4...thanks. Could be why my son can't seem to locate them for me (he's not a native there by any stretch).
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
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KuroNekko
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Ronzuki wrote:10-4...thanks. Could be why my son can't seem to locate them for me (he's not a native there by any stretch).
What city is he in?

I just browsed the Australian Suzuki site and they are listed as Kizashi accessories there.
They have both front and rear seat neoprene covers.
Front seat covers have this Part Number: 990AA-01120-001
Rear seat covers have this Part Number: 990AA-01120-002

http://www.suzuki.com.au/vehicles/model ... g/overview
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
SamirD
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So I was going to create a thread about this, but since KuroNekko is out of town too, I thought it be appropriate to add in on the international flavor.

I'm in India right now visiting my in-law with my wife, and am going to be looking for some RHD Kizashi and sx4 stuff. If anyone wants anything in particular, post here. Part numbers like what KuroNekko found for the seat covers will be ideal.
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KuroNekko
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SamirD wrote:So I was going to create a thread about this, but since KuroNekko is out of town too, I thought it be appropriate to add in on the international flavor.

I'm in India right now visiting my in-law with my wife, and am going to be looking for some RHD Kizashi and sx4 stuff. If anyone wants anything in particular, post here. Part numbers like what KuroNekko found for the seat covers will be ideal.
How does the accessories scene look in India? I imagine it's rather hard to find things for the Kizashi given the car wasn't successful in India either. I even read that Suzuki no longer imports and sells the Kizashi there. It makes sense especially since the new Suzuki Ciaz is on sale now in India.
http://www.marutisuzuki.com/ciaz.aspx
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
SamirD
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KuroNekko wrote:
SamirD wrote:So I was going to create a thread about this, but since KuroNekko is out of town too, I thought it be appropriate to add in on the international flavor.

I'm in India right now visiting my in-law with my wife, and am going to be looking for some RHD Kizashi and sx4 stuff. If anyone wants anything in particular, post here. Part numbers like what KuroNekko found for the seat covers will be ideal.
How does the accessories scene look in India? I imagine it's rather hard to find things for the Kizashi given the car wasn't successful in India either. I even read that Suzuki no longer imports and sells the Kizashi there. It makes sense especially since the new Suzuki Ciaz is on sale now in India.
http://www.marutisuzuki.com/ciaz.aspx
I can't speak on India as it varies wildly from the region I'm from (Gujarat) vs my wife (Bangalore). But here in Bangalore it is HAPPENING. I mean, I've never seen Volks in 14s, but you can find very nice 14" wheels here by all the top brands--OZ, etc. And painting the calipers, tint, subwoofers, HIDs, and some exhaust mods are regularly seen on almost every car.

Many people here don't know what the Kizashi is, or they look at you like you have an s500 Benz when I say that we have one. It wasn't a cheap car here, 60k+ USD, since it was imported fully assembled which garners a 100% import duty. Jaguar is touting their XF executive edition on a billboard here for about 90k USD, which is insane since you can buy a condo in a new highrise for around 160k USD and the average person doesn't make that in a lifetime.

While the Kizashi is a very rare bird, the Suzuki 'S' can be found everywhere with as many as 90% of cars at a red light (or traffic jam--pretty much the same thing, haha) Suzuki. Honda also has a decent foothold along with Ford, Toyota, and Hyundai, but Suzuki dominates the market.

My wife's SX4 is still in use, but I'm going to have to get a new taillight on the driver's (right--RHD) side. It's been cracked since I've seen the car day one and the water has now started to cloud the light assembly. Her car definitely needs some US TLC. There's what appears to be a really nice detail shop right around the corner that I'm going to have to check out. The problem is the prices for everything might as well be USD, so I'm expecting $100 (6300 Rs) for a deep detail and clean. She hasn't even driven it because she thinks she can't anymore. Going to have to remedy that before we leave...
SamirD
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I forgot ask, anything new in Japan? Have you found a nice set of LED headlights yet?
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KuroNekko
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SamirD wrote:I forgot ask, anything new in Japan? Have you found a nice set of LED headlights yet?
I'm now back in the US. Got back last night.

LED conversion kits for headlights are now more available in the JDM compared to my last visit 2 years ago. Big names like PIAA and Carmate are making them alongside niche brands like Bellof. However, I didn't see any for H7s.

I will create threads on various topics in due time. I visited a few automotive-related museums owned by Toyota in/near Nagoya and also a Kawasaki museum in my hometown of Kobe where Kawasaki originated.
When I visited a friend in Tokyo, he lived a few blocks from a Subaru corporate building with a showroom on the ground floor. I checked out the new Subaru Levorg up close.

I also got a bunch of LED bulbs for converting the interior to LED. I believe others have already done this with online products but I decided to go with packaged products sold in stores in Japan. I also got a shift knob and aftermarket horns. I will post on them shortly.

As one can expect, Japan is quite an exciting place for car enthusiasts.
:ugeek:
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bootymac
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Ah the Toyota museum in Nagoya! The ladies working there are lovely. Some of the nicest people I met during my trip there. Uh... The cars were cool too

Pretty cool that LED conversions are taking off now. They seem like a good replacement for HIDs. Have you seen VLEDs newest offerings? They look promising: http://www.vleds.com/headlights.html

When you have time, can you post up some pics of the LEDs you bought? I'm curious to see how the cheap Chinese LEDs compare.

Oh, and welcome back Image
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KuroNekko
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bootymac wrote:Ah the Toyota museum in Nagoya! The ladies working there are lovely. Some of the nicest people I met during my trip there. Uh... The cars were cool too

Pretty cool that LED conversions are taking off now. They seem like a good replacement for HIDs. Have you seen VLEDs newest offerings? They look promising: http://www.vleds.com/headlights.html

When you have time, can you post up some pics of the LEDs you bought? I'm curious to see how the cheap Chinese LEDs compare.

Oh, and welcome back Image
Yeah, the Toyota Automobile Museum was rather cool. The museum was different from many in the US because they had old Japanese cars which many US museums don't have. Many museums I've been to in the US have old American and European cars but not Japanese cars because they weren't sold in foreign markets until the 70's or so. This museum had JDM models from the 1930s and up including the very first Toyota vehicle. The museum also had many non-Toyotas including a few Suzukis. I'll post pics soon.

I also was able to make it to Toyota's Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology not far from Nagoya station. I only had an hour there so I focused on auto-related displays. This museum was unique because it went into product development, parts, and manufacturing. They had things like transmissions and chassis on display. They also even featured auto manufacturing machines that demonstrated how cars are built in factories. They also featured a cut-away/bare Lexus LFA while the Toyota Auto Museum had a completed one.

I had not seen those new VLEDS yet but they look a lot like the stuff sold in Japan made by PIAA and the like. Those are outputting similar lumen ratings. The problem is that the LEDs are surface-mounted so the light won't be reflected optimally for long distance light throw. I think this is why the LED conversion kits in Japan are only in some bulb sizes and appear to focus on fog light applications. VLEDS told me something similar in why they aren't great for only high beam use.

I will definitely post pics soon of the goods I picked up in Japan. I got the more budget-friendly products as some high-end stuff are insanely priced.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bootymac
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Wish I could've visited the industry and technology museum. It was closed when I went.

I might be going back sometime in 2015. There's a deer in Nara that I have unfinished business with...
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