Owner: Masairo Shirato
Ride: '73 Toyota Stout RK101
Hometown: Yachimata, Chiba, Japan
Don't let the two million yen startle you. To get the true American value, you can start by taking off two zeros. For Masairo Shirato of Yachimata, Chiba, Japan, there is only one true mini. Ever since Masairo's father used to own a Stout as a tow truck at the family junkyard, he knew that he had to have one. So years later when he came across a Stout for himself, away the ideas started flowing.
Now many of you may be wondering, what is a Stout? In '64 the first Toyota pickup truck appeared in the United States under the name "Stout." The Stout wasn't a very fast seller off the bat, so in '69 Toyota improved the truck and renamed it the "Hi-Lux." In Japan the Stout name remained the same. Stouts are few and far between in the States these days, but they are around; you just have to dig.
Masairo's love for the Stout is strong due to its unique look. No other mini-truck closely resembles the Stout. There weren't a hundred minis for the Stout to take pointers from. It is one of the forefathers of what would be today's compact truck. When Masairo picked up the Stout for a mere thousand dollars, lowering it was the first thing on his mind. Due to his somewhat limited mechanical skills, the first attempt at suspension modification wasn't as safe as it could be, so Masairo enlisted the help of Janis Car Service.
Janis had the idea of swapping out the tired suspension with late-model Toyota handling gear and body-dropping it. Masairo's main concern was to keep the spirit of the Stout alive. The unique and original look had to be maintained, so other than putting it on the ground, the cab remains relatively stock-looking. Clean, subtle mods such as lining up the bed lines with the cab were a good choice but don't take away from the look of the Stout. Although Masairo wants more bodywork done in the future, we think it looks top-notch the way it is.
We're proud to be able to feature such a legend in the making. A mini of this nature is completely foreign to the Mini Truckin' reader and only comes along once in a blue moon. We hope all of you appreciate what had to be gone through to get such original features in this issue. Samurai Spirits is an inspiration to us all to keep it real and keep it low; hence, keep it real low.
THE LOWDOWN
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 15x5-inch steel
Tires: Firestone 5.60-15
Chassis Modifications
Suspension type: air
Front suspension: '89-'96 Toyota front clip
Rear suspension: Toyota AE86 Corolla GT rear end with posi, and a custom four-link
Airbag/cylinder type and size: Front: Firestone Rear: Air Ride 9000
Valves: manual valves
Compressor: one Thomas compressor
Air line: 1/4-inch
Frame mods: sway bar from a Toyota Crown on front, Corvette C4 in the back
Brakes: Midland remote mount brake booster mounted under the floor
Performed by: Janis Car Service
City/State: Tomisato City, Chiba, Japan
Body Modifications
Body dropped: 9 inches (We don't know how this directly translates to reality in English.)
Rear end: custom-made roll pan
Taillights: '41 Chevy, frenched
Misc: top line of the bed raised 3-1/2 inches to match the lines of the cab, and lower body line in the bed stretched 3 inches to match cab
Performed by: Janis Car Service
City/state: Tomisato City, Chiba, Japan
Paint
Brand and colors: gray primer with sign of his junkyard's name painted on the side
Performed by: Janis Car Service
City/state: Tomisato City, Chiba, Japan
Interior
Misc: Lecarra steering wheel
Engine/Performance
Type: Toyota 5R Model/year: '73 Number of cylinders: 4
Rear end type: Toyota AE86 Corolla GT with posi-traction
Intake: stock polished
Header/exhaust: exhaust and headers are custom-made stainless, 2-inch exhaust
Inner fenders: holes filled and smoothed
Detail work: engine block smoothed and painted
Misc: oil cooler under cab, pinstriping on valve cover by "Ghost"
Performed by: Janis Car Service
City/state: Tomisato City, Chiba, Japan
Special Thanks
Mr. Yosihara from Janis Car Service for all the frame work and bodywork