Rocky Auto reselling HybridZ cars?

[kiwi303]

Why they aren't using cars from japan as the base rather than shipping them from the states?

 

Well the Japanese licencing requirements and fee schedule means once a car hits 5 years old or older it gets suddenly a LOT more expensive to licence and keep on the road. Instead of Cali CARB rules to keep cars smogged, they just make it uneconomic to keep old out-of-tune cars running vs buying a new car.

 

Look at Japans Urbanisation figures, more head per square mile than there are in Times Square on New Years Eve waiting for the party to start... and how many in NY don't have cars these days? Figure out how many fewer own cars in Tokyo.

 

While there are still Z's around cheaply available in the states, they've mostly been junked or sold overseas back in Japan. I'm in NZ, MOST cars imported to NZ are 5 to 7 year old Japanese cars, Used imports... Cheap because the Japanese original purchasers sold them to an export agency when they went to buy their new car. These days Russia is a big consumer of used Japanese cars. My 280ZX was sold new in japan in '79 and imported to NZ as a used import.

 

The result of Japans licencing laws means the vast majority of what would eventually become "Classics" are disposed of in that period when they are no longer shiny new, but long before they become desirable once more.

 

In the states cars in that period of low value end up being driven by the lower socioeconomic classes, by students, beneficaries, pensionsers on SS... in Japan they are simply disposed of.

 

So "classic" cars in Japan that survived that low demand period and are now in the high value period of their vehicular lives are few and far between.

 

 

So they import them back again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As to their claiming their cars to be Build by RA... I'm willing to bet that once the car arrives at the RA workshop it's stripped right down to bare metal once more and carefully scrutinised as it gets reassembled. If it's going to be sold by them, with their name on it, they can't be blamed for wanting to know for damn sure that it is up to their standards, and anything that isn't gets rectified.

 

Those buying from RA are buying RA's brand. If I was RA, I wouldn't want to be selling something straight off the ship and onto the showroom floor.

[EvilC]

Kiwi303 - the cars are def not stripped! Look at the for sale of some of the cars here on Hybridz and look at the for sale ad on RA. I don't care that they are buying and reselling but I find it funny how people are trying to say that it is ok to "claim builds".

 

So you think they buy a car for $35k, spend money shipping to Ja, then strip the car and repaint and rebuild all $10000 maybe? I see a primer Z with no interior with a LQ4 auto swap that was here on HBZ also. I am sure they stripped it, fixed all rust and primered the car again with all the broken interior parts and sell it for $50k.

 

 

Hahahaha

[tamo3]

In order to keep flow in narrow crowed street in Japan, the registration/smog check regulation is really tight in Japan.

I think after 5 years old, every 2 years, the car need to pass the strict test. 10 years and older car need to get tested every year. The cost of the test, paper work is around $1000.... That what I heard.

 

The main reason a lots of Z car is import from US to Japan, especially Cali Z, the body condition.

In Japan, it rains, snows... 40 years old car easy get rusted and become really bad condition. It relatively faster, easier to restore Cali 240z, 280z car compare with Fairlady Z S30, S31. Good condition of Cali '76 - '78 280z is still relatively cheap due to smog regulation

240z and '75 280z is exception.

 

Regards to engine, Japanese folks can still get a lots of L20 engine and I heard it's more popular than L24, L28, nor L3.2 now a days.

Maybe due to better gas millage?

[HK240ZT]

Tony's statement suggests that, in Japan, if you buy and sell art, as long as you sell a maintenance service with it, you may lay claim to having created it. So, in Japan, a piece painted by Monet, but sold by "X" art dealer is no longer considered a Monet painting. It is now a painting by "X".

[josh817]

I think another point of contention, mind you I'm strictly playing devils advocate so far, is that in the case of Speedhunters and car shows the context is different. Instead of saying this is a Rocky Auto vehicle when someone comes to buy one, and standing behind your Rocky Auto name which is perfectly fine, they say they are the creators at a car show. Even worse if the Speedhunters editor or anyone else questions them about the car and they start answering "Oh yah, I made it all [insert japanese style], this that the other" and they know they didn't jack to the vehicle.

A car show is to show off your craftsmanship, in this case they don't have any of it in the particular vehicle but they claimed they pieced it together. That wasn't for business "standing behind your name", that was a white lie because they KNOW they didn't piece together anything, they didn't wrench any bolts, do any painting, etc, they put a sticker and license plate on it. Who knows how far they took it, maybe when asked "where did you get those heads from, they're awesome" they said they ported it themselves in shop.

[Tony D]

No, hes upset that someone else is taking credit for the build, especially in a setting where he can't defend himself (over seas in japan). If you spent years on something, then someone else just says "No, I did this!", you might be upset too.

 

 

What does this have to do with anything? Nothing, just another off-topic rant that your posts are always littered with. Seems like some early stage of mental breakdown.

 

Tony, you might be knowledable about what happened with cars due to your participation in observing racing and parts development. I also know you love to brag about how you have been to Japan..

 

But let me clue you in with something: You are not the end all to knowledge, especially matters concerning morality. You need to stop.

I was unaware 78zstyle was global morality arbiter as well as rule enforcement moderator now...

 

The point being is that I regularly visit Rocky Auto and have seen their capabilities, and understanding the resale market in Japan and dealing DAILY with western misinterpretation with Japanese phrases I can see where a Japanese says one thing and its reported as another.

 

Especially when dealing with the brokerage of vehicles. If Rocky Auto sells a car, IT'S A ROCKY AUTO CAR. Period.

 

Doesn't MATTER in Japan who bolted it together, who engineered it, or where it was constructed. The guy that SOLD it is responsible for it, no matter what...FOREVER!

 

Josh gets it partially. There is no superiority, but there is JAPAN. The car isn't being sold in Texas, it's being sold in JAPAN. As I said, our equipment is branded as our Distribution Partners Equipment. It is "not ours"... What my boss doesn't get is the service EXPECTATION on our end to support what is essentially OUR product, being marketed by our distributor. We, as the OEM are ultimately MORALLY bound (to satiate 78zstyle's narrow-focused western-morality prattle) to give our Japanese Distributor the same support for our product to them as they give to their customers for the product they produce. Meaning when it farts, I'm on a plane and accompany their guys from Tokyo to wherever to attend to the End User. Free of charge, forever. It's not the way western warranty support works, but it IS THE WAY IT IS IN JAPAN AND IF YOU EXPECT TO SUCCESSFULLY DO BUSINESS THERE IT MUST BE ACCOMMODATED!!!

 

Now, if the guys carping about "stolen credit" (purely an ego-driven exercise here, what do you get from having credit given? Other than ego-stroke?) if they are willing to FOR FREE, IN PERPETUITY jump on a plane every time "their" machine farts, to go alongside Rocky Auto and hold their hand figuring out what the problem is, and fife ring warranty support on the product...then I apologise, and credit is due them for their creation.

 

BUT...

 

If this was the typical arms-length automotive transaction "as is where is, no warranty express or implied as a custom automobile" with money exchanging hands and then someone getting sour grapes over cultural requirements of taking complete, 100% ownership of the product you sell as if you built is yourself, regardless if this is true or not.... Then sorry, guys, that's Japan.

 

The difference being, if Rocky Auto commissioned RS Okinawa to build it's engines, RSO would expect a sticker and credit for the engine at time of sake, and would stand behind and service that engine forever. They would receive credit fr the build of the engine, as they are willing to SUPPORT the engine they built within the cultural strictures present in Japan.

 

Frankly, I don't see the builder of TIHS car, or any of the cars offered being willing or able to do this. And I seriously doubt any agreement was made at the time of sale for a "constructed by" credit at time of sale. Even if it was, I'll bet money most Japanese would discount who built it as soon as they realised they would play ABSOLUTELY NO PART in servicing the vehicle in the future. It would, BY DEFAULT become a "Rocky Auto Car" as a function of them selling it, and servicing it.

 

Take it from someone who has had to sit inDirector-Level Meetings and bow deeply, apologising profusely for defects in engineering r design to absolve the selling agent of any responsibility in the failure situation in order to preserve their face. You can not apply what YOU think is "right" when you are not willing to provide the culturally appropriate items necessary to comply with what is required in that culture to claim provenance.

 

If you sold it and walk away from the service...you aren't due the credit. That's the way it works there. If you want credit, set up shop there, and service what you sell. Otherwise you will merely be a minor footnote in the history of the vehicle.

 

When a culture has a word that means "the same, but different" you realize it isn't Kansas anymore. If you can't comprehend what I mean by "the same but different" (often translated simply as "THE SAME" in western circles) you can not comprehend what I am trying to say above. I wish Alan T. Would weigh in to help explain the situation in this regard of construction and service.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Tony D

[Tony D]

Why they aren't using cars from japan as the base rather than shipping them from the states?

 

Well the Japanese licencing requirements and fee schedule means once a car hits 5 years old or older it gets suddenly a LOT more expensive to licence and keep on the road. Instead of Cali CARB rules to keep cars smogged, they just make it uneconomic to keep old out-of-tune cars running vs buying a new car.

 

Look at Japans Urbanisation figures, more head per square mile than there are in Times Square on New Years Eve waiting for the party to start... and how many in NY don't have cars these days? Figure out how many fewer own cars in Tokyo.

 

While there are still Z's around cheaply available in the states, they've mostly been junked or sold overseas back in Japan. I'm in NZ, MOST cars imported to NZ are 5 to 7 year old Japanese cars, Used imports... Cheap because the Japanese original purchasers sold them to an export agency when they went to buy their new car. These days Russia is a big consumer of used Japanese cars. My 280ZX was sold new in japan in '79 and imported to NZ as a used import.

 

The result of Japans licencing laws means the vast majority of what would eventually become "Classics" are disposed of in that period when they are no longer shiny new, but long before they become desirable once more.

 

In the states cars in that period of low value end up being driven by the lower socioeconomic classes, by students, beneficaries, pensionsers on SS... in Japan they are simply disposed of.

 

So "classic" cars in Japan that survived that low demand period and are now in the high value period of their vehicular lives are few and far between.

 

 

So they import them back again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As to their claiming their cars to be Build by RA... I'm willing to bet that once the car arrives at the RA workshop it's stripped right down to bare metal once more and carefully scrutinised as it gets reassembled. If it's going to be sold by them, with their name on it, they can't be blamed for wanting to know for damn sure that it is up to their standards, and anything that isn't gets rectified.

 

Those buying from RA are buying RA's brand. If I was RA, I wouldn't want to be selling something straight off the ship and onto the showroom floor.

Close, but slightly missing the mark on importation rationale. Shaken-Sho is three years on a new car, then biannually until the car is 10 years old, then annually afterwards--and that is the "disposal point", when many Japanese simply drive their car to the scrap yard and go get a new one. Usually in May when Road Tax comes due.

 

Note the cars being imported by RA are NOT FAIRLADY Z's for the most part but Export models. This is because REGARDLESS, any car FIRST registered in Japan is a "New Car" and they get the same three-year initial inspection, and go on from there...

 

So the cars they are selling, American-Market Z Cars, are competing with NEW cars in terms of legal requirements. In fact, the cars can sit on a lot indefinitely in Japan and the paperwork shows first year sold...it causes problems when servicemen take a "1979 S30" back to the USA...no S30's produced domestically after 77... And OEM of hose sat on the lot awhile!

 

If they re-import a Fairlady Z that was registered in Japan previously, and deregistered for export...there all sorts of hoops to jump through, as well as picking up annual inspections!

 

I doubt RA strips complete cars, but they will go over them with a fine-toothed comb and do the myriad things necessary to legally sell the car for road use in Japan (flashing clearance lights, kph conversion speedometer, proper headlights and re-aiming for RHD, etc...

Edited May 4, 2013 by Tony D

[Tony D]

lostfairlady - if you think the thread is a waste of time then don't post in it. I never said there was an issue with buying and selling cars. The issue was with claiming to have built something you never touched. If you think that is ok then so be it, tells me I wouldn't buy anything from you

 

As far as Tony D - I don't get you posts? Again who cares if the car was sold for mid 30's and asking price is 3times what it sold for. No one should or could fight that issue because this is a free-market BUT culture translation lost means you can claim to build cars that you didn't build? Like you said you know how it works there and they are providing a "service" to high end clients. If you are going to be a broker be a broker, if you are going to resto cars then resto car, if you want to do both then state with truth which one is one.

 

 

At the end of the day I said there is nothing we can do about it besides discuss it.....................=)

Hopefully I laid it out a bit clearer above. I was not the one mentioning the price. I'm right with you in this regard. Those who mentioned it...make sour grapes. It's similar to you boss saying "your pay is up there" while in salary review... It's a polite way to say he thinks you are already overpaid. Someone mentioning a 300% markup neither understands business, nor the costs required for Japanese initial compliance for importation of non-type compliant vehicles!

 

As far as "claiming credit" I've tried to explain why it doesn't mean anything due to the conditions of sale, and the requirements to claim that status after-sale. By default, they made it as they are the importer of record, they got he car to comply with Japanese inspection standards, they are liable for any and all defects. Louis Chevrolet was long dead when the Impala came out, yet it bears his name. Boyd Coddington got credit for the ZZ Top Eliminator Car (Not Henry Ford who arguably created it, or Dennis Graham who did the distinctive paint on it...) I'll mention for years Chevy Corvettes and Camaros had the importer name prominently displayed. That Chevrolet assembled it was of secondary consequence, the IMPORTER was the manufacturer as it was THEY (them?) that made it comply to Japanese required specifications, not Chevrolet!

 

Like I said, this really boils down to bruised egos from a basic misunderstanding of the culture where the car is being offered.

 

Now, if the original assembler is offering warranty and service support as our company does for our in-country equipment vendor (again, who's name is on OUR machines...) then maybe I'm off-base. But if not...this is the way it is in Japan. Don't sell your car and expect credit in perpetuity. This reminds me of the rich kid in high school with the Firebird, who decides he wants a truck. So grandma buys him a truck from the local truck specialist... He now claims its his truck, and everybody in town refers to it as the builder's truck.

 

But that was back in high school.

 

As stated, some of you guys need to watch "Corvette Summer" again! At least that way when you o on a quest to go get "your car back" you know the right shots to take. And make sure you find an equivalent Corvette so you can say "A CHEVY?" When you find it on the rotisserie in the casino...

Edited May 4, 2013 by Tony D

[Tony D]

Tony's statement suggests that, in Japan, if you buy and sell art, as long as you sell a maintenance service with it, you may lay claim to having created it. So, in Japan, a piece painted by Monet, but sold by "X" art dealer is no longer considered a Monet painting. It is now a painting by "X".

BS, that is not what I said, and your gross oversimplification thought process is the root of the issue here.

 

It's a car. It was sold in a non-compliant nature, and could not be legally driven on the roads.

 

You don't need to re-paint "art"... But if someone was to go and paint briefs on Michelangelo's David... And then could successfully resell it afterwards (is there a market for that?) then INDEED they likely could claim it as their creation as it most definitely is altered so basically and elementally from the intent of the original creator it definitely is no longer "Michelangelo's David"! In fact it is quite common that credit is given to conservators who maintain or restore the piece. Is that wrong? Should they be forever subservient to the original master, and never mentioned as "it takes away from the original creator to mention anything they have done."

 

At what point does the car become "someone else's"? When you sell it? Is there a differentiation between mere possession and brokering, and creation? How much work must you do to a custom car to claim it as "yours" the same way this car is now "theirs" and not a Datsun? or do we start a PC hyphenation scenario of Datsun-Firstbuilder-Secondbuilder 240Z? Is the dealership mechanic spouting BS when he says he's a Nissan Mechanic? When I ask who's name is on hs pay check, not one yet has said "Nissan Motors NA"! They are frauds...

 

You are missing the BASIC cultural difference that exists, and which I am failing to convey successfully either through poor communication on my part or poor cognitive skills on your part.

 

The perception in Japan BY THE BUYING PUBLIC is that the DEALER/BROKER selling the car is the importer of record, and is 100% responsible for its content and presentation.

 

You can piss and moan about it all you want, but that's the way it is... Is Watanabe-San is "Claiming Credit" for it... Or is Wantanabe-San standing behind what he's selling as if he had built it himself in his own shop?

 

One interpretation gets you all pissed off and indignant and is very unproductive...and a characteristically western way to translate what he likely said.

 

Another interpretation is an internal reflection of pride that a high-line builder of cars is willing to put his faith in YOUR workmanship and offer HIS name as a bond guaranteeing HE will stand behind YOUR WORK at HIS expense.

 

Having met the man and talked about the business he does in Japan, it's my bet that it is the latter, and not the former which is occurring. If you choose to be offended, you will be. If you choose to understand his standing behind YOUR work at HIS expense and HIS reputation, perhaps contentment will be easier to achieve.

 

How many of you will stand behind someone else's work unreservedly? At YOUR expense? If not, why not?

Edited May 4, 2013 by Tony D

[Tony D]

I think another point of contention, mind you I'm strictly playing devils advocate so far, is that in the case of Speedhunters and car shows the context is different. Instead of saying this is a Rocky Auto vehicle when someone comes to buy one, and standing behind your Rocky Auto name which is perfectly fine, they say they are the creators at a car show. Even worse if the Speedhunters editor or anyone else questions them about the car and they start answering "Oh yah, I made it all [insert japanese style], this that the other" and they know they didn't jack to the vehicle.A car show is to show off your craftsmanship, in this case they don't have any of it in the particular vehicle but they claimed they pieced it together. That wasn't for business "standing behind your name", that was a white lie because they KNOW they didn't piece together anything, they didn't wrench any bolts, do any painting, etc, they put a sticker and license plate on it. Who knows how far they took it, maybe when asked "where did you get those heads from, they're awesome" they said they ported it themselves in shop.

I would posit "playing devils advocate" is not productive in this discussion and only muddies the waters.

 

Lots of assumptions there... And lots of ego here... Corvette Summer, pining for "your car" that got sold off. This is my take on the basic story here. How much is Speedhunter's embellishment or outright mistranslation?

 

If you don't deal with it, the mistranslation of basic terms can be easily dismissed as nothing big...but in fact it's one of the root issues.

 

I've yet to see Speedhunter's QUOTE Wantanabe-San. I see Speedhunter's filler, and it's typical journalist prattle to hype a photo shoot.

 

And if this is the base of the issue everybody is getting upset about...

 

Indeed, I will have to go see this car next visit to Aiya Tea and have some more tea in the office and have Mr. Okamura do some translation. Because Wantanabe-San doesn't speak English...

Edited May 4, 2013 by Tony D

[NewZed]

Seems like this whole issue was initiated by Speedhunters.  They wrote some hype for a car show to generate buzz so that they could sell product.  I don't see anywhere that it's been shown that Rocky Auto actually claimed to build that car.  The Speedhunters' writer is probably covering his ass by claiming that's what they told him.

 

Modern society has a long history of protecting ownership of ideas and creations, through patent and trademark/copyright law.  It's world-wide.  The concept is clear.  There's really no way to make an argument against it.

 

 

Edit - wrote this while Tony D posted.  Looks like the focus is where ti should be, on Speedhunters.

Edited May 4, 2013 by NewZed

[Tony D]

"Modern society has a long history of protecting ownership of ideas and creations, through patent and trademark/copyright law. It's world-wide. The concept is clear. There's really no way to make an argument against it."

 

What transfers with sale of a vehicle, and what alterations allow one to claim it as "theirs"?

 

Amalgam Creations are generally just that: things created by amalgamating others work. Was credit given for the heads, or did the constructor of the car cast hem himself?

 

Patents and etc are restrictions from someone else MAKING AND COMPETING AGAINST YOU with an identical product. BUYING a truck or car, scraping off all identifying marks, placing YOUR brand on it and then reselling it as yours has ALWAYS been acceptable. Chevy LUV / Isuzu P'up comes to mind... Suzuki Swift / Geo Metro anybody? Why was Kia so set on an oval badge? To make rebadging as Ford for the Caribbean market easier! Once you've bought it, you can do what you want to it. And once you sell it, the buyer can do what he wants to it. Nobody questioned GM "stealing" Isuzu's Faster Pickup and claiming it as "theirs"--confirmed on many a holiday weekend in Detroit when the windows were shot out of "those damn Jap Trucks" at the Isuzu dealership, while the Chevy LUV's across the street were untouched! I guess having the Bowtie granted them citizenship or something!

 

None of that applies to an amalgamation of parts like a car. Go look at a Great Wall Truck. D22 Frontier. To the point body panels were interchangeable. They had to change that as the parts were being sold as replacements for a Nissan... But a simple tweak and it was "legally OK"... Not much protection in reality! In China reproduction (exact copies) were highly regarded for centuries, and copying was encouraged. In Japan, taking an existing design of another and incrementally improving it is a source of great national pride.

 

The indignancy of Western Thought Processes to Easter Cultures is bound to create friction. You can not approach this with a western mindset or you WILL be offended.

 

Instead of flattered and complimented.

 

And yes, I'd be curious to see what exactly was asked and answered in "the interview" by Speedhunters...

Edited May 4, 2013 by Tony D

[NewZed]

With Posts #48 and #50 it seems like you're working both sides.  "Speedhunter misquoted Rocky Auto but it doesn't matter, because their misinterpretation is okay anyway".  You might be writing yourself in to a corner.

 

 

The idea that the Japanese culture is so different it's almost incomprehensible to the common outsider is a little bit much.  If Rocky Auto built a car, sold it and the new owner claimed that they built it, would Rocky Auto just be happy that someone else got more joy from their creation?  Or would they set the record straight?  The answer to that question would add some clarity.

[PLATA]

MY dos centavitos>>>>What is wrong in stating that the car came from an avid Z lover that built this Z to that level, and that Rocky has done additional work to meet the NIPPON rules for street use, after all it is a very unique Z and a rare find that the current vendor/dealer can justified the price tag  

Edited May 4, 2013 by PLATA

[Tony D]

With Posts #48 and #50 it seems like you're working both sides.  "Speedhunter misquoted Rocky Auto but it doesn't matter, because their misinterpretation is okay anyway".  You might be writing yourself in to a corner.

 

 

The idea that the Japanese culture is so different it's almost incomprehensible to the common outsider is a little bit much.  If Rocky Auto built a car, sold it and the new owner claimed that they built it, would Rocky Auto just be happy that someone else got more joy from their creation?  Or would they set the record straight?  The answer to that question would add some clarity.

Firstly, I never said Speedhunter's misquoted Wantanabe-San. My inference was that it doesn't matter WHAT Wantanabe-San said, Speedhunters is hyping their photo shoot in typical fanboy literature...which is what their site is known as...it is NOT an engineering review site. Basically I discount most of what was said because there are no QUOTATIONS FROM WANTANABE-SAN!

 

To the second point,the scenario you posited goes back to the high school scenario, as since Rocky Auto built and sold the car, it is a Rocky-auto construct of the OWNERS desires. That is what they do. They not build what THEY want, and then sell it...they build what the CUSTOMER wants for THEIR car! So in essence it "is" the owner's car. Rocky Auto, and Wantanabe-San in particular states they are merely skilled t pleasing their customer. They may advise, but the inspiration for an individuals car can not. Come from the builder, but must come from the individual. Should the owner claim it is "his car" or even to go so far as to state "he built it" the people hearing it would likely snicker as a dentist or stock trader living in a flat in Roppongi obviously does not have the wherewithal to physically construct such a modified build. But, that being said, I posit Wantanabe-San, when others would ask "so-and-so says he built the car, who built the car?" Would answer "it is his car".... To FORCE the issue of construction after the sale would not only be impolite, it would be exceedingly rude and disharmonious. The most strongest reply I could imagine being offered and only if pressed would be something along the lines "we assisted his vision" if he chose to answer at all.

 

The assumption that builders have a right to be insistent arseholes about what they built AND SOLD simply doesn't exist in the same form there. These questions wouldn't be asked in the first place for fear of putting someone into a corner where they would lose face.

 

We have control panel screens which have Japanese Kana on them. They have been the same screens from 2003-2011. In 2011, a request was made to change three lines, which enraged the controls group thinking they were "customising" a standard product. I had to call after hours, and correspond from private e-mails to bluntly ask "The kana is old-style, and nobody wanted to correct it until So-And-So retired, correct?" NOBODY THERE WOULD SAY THAT, but it is EXACTLY what the situation was! And I assured them I would make our HQ understand. To this day the engineers can not fathom why someone didn't correct the translation of the lead engineer in such a simple matter. Face. To do so would have been exceedingly impolite.

 

Riddle me this: why is it a "280ZX"? The same situation applies.

 

On the surface it seems quite simple. In reality there is a LOT more going on than most westerner s would think.

 

It's not incomprehensible, but it is not west Texas, either. And if your mind stays squarely in Odessa you simply will NEVER understand and make a cultural connection in Asia.

 

Signing off now, back to Borneo. They had head hunters... Is there a problem with that? Or is it just "different"?

[Tony D]

"Setting the record straight" is not a priority while the parties are alive or at least still working.

That phrase is not used in Japan...it is far to forceful and impolite. The loss of face, even of an enemy would not call for those strong words.

[NewZed]

Japanese business practice is similar to ours.  They sue, just like us, if someone steals their creations.  Check out Fistful of Dollars and Yojimbo.  Reference below.

 

 

Cultures are made up of individuals, some flawed.  Trying to justify what Rocky Auto is doing by defining it as part of the Japanese culture may be denigrating the Japanese in an attempt to save face for one person (Watanabe).  To me, it looks like what commonly happens when a business starts riding on an individual's reputation.  Rocky Auto and Speedhunter seem to both be profiting at the expense of Watanabe's reputation.  Pretty common.  It's not about the culture, it's about making money.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojimbo_%28film%29

 

"n 1964, Yojimbo was remade as A Fistful of Dollars, a spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in his first appearance as the Man with No Name. Leone and his production company failed to secure the remake rights to Kurosawa's film, resulting in a lawsuit that delayed Fistful's release in North America for three years."

[RTz]

Posts deleted - keep it clean guy's.

[RTz]

PLATA, Three things...

 

1) I'm glad you're proud of your car. It look's and sounds fun.

2) Your latest posts and pics are off topic. They have no relevance to this thread whatsoever.

3) If an Admin deletes your posts, it's in your best interest NOT to repost the same thing.

 

As the saying goes, quit while you're ahead.

[PLATA]

With do respect to you as the forum administrator, I truly hope that this firm sentiment is in equal grounds to all members.