In Native American legend, a dream catcher filters bad dreams and allows only the good dreams to pass on to the sleeping person. Kenichi Nezu, of Japan tuning house Stardast, doesn’t like to use the word custom. Instead, he builds “dream” cars, cars that are conceptualized in his head and then crafted into real life works of art. Like a real life dream catcher, Nezu-san has allowed only the most choice mods to grace his beautiful Fairlady Z roadster.
Photos By: JC Pepino // WorkWheels JP exclusively for StanceNation.com
With the goal of turning his Fairlady into a legitimate dazzler, Nezu-san set out to give his car a look inspired by Ferrari, one where form and function merge seamlessly. The first thing you’ll notice is the ultra-low drive height. This is not a static show car, and with Nezu-san’s desire to drive the car normally, an adjustable suspension was mandatory. Instead of using the air suspension or cup kits typically seen on imports, Nezu-san crafted up a hydraulic suspension, the first one I’ve ever seen in over 10 years of Z33 ownership! With the suspension perfected, Nezu-san added a set of white Work Emotion CR Kiwami ultra deep concave wheels. The 19×10.5 +12 fronts and 19×11 +18 rears are wrapped in 235/35/19 rubber all around. The wheels are mounted with red Work lug nuts and gigantic, yellow Stardast brake calipers can be seen peeking out from behind.
Turning his attention to the exterior, Nezu-san picked up a Do-Luck body kit meant for a coupe and, in the most difficult part of his build, fitted it to his roadster. The rear fenders have been widened using FRP, and US-market headlights and tail lights have been added. He also crafted a new soft top made of the same material Ferrari uses.
Inside the cabin, the dashboard and other plastic parts have been treated with a thin coat of paint, and the Stardast logo has been added to the headrests. A full titanium exhaust manifold feeds into a titanium muffler, which can be seen peeking out from underneath the Do-Luck rear bumper, and an exhaust control valve allows Nezu-san to open up the exhaust at will.
As a Z33 owner myself, I’ve long talked about adding a hydraulic suspension, half jokingly, half wishful. Leave it to the Japanese to make my dream a reality! Like the Native American dream catchers, Kenichi Nezu, of Hachiouji, Tokyo, has allowed this dream to pass through into the conscious of the rest of us. Whenever I see Nezu-san’s Fairlady, the first and last thought it leaves me with is “I love this car!” I’m sure I’m not the only one.
