Dajiban Builds Are the Coolest Niche Mopar Builds On The Planet
How to Make a Dajiban: take surplus vans, add in some motorcycle racers and viola! You have the most unique niche car possible.
Sport bikes aren’t really covered here at Dodge Forum, and yet, they have a unique influence on at least one small segment of MOPAR culture. That segment belongs to Dajiban builds. They are from Japan and are so incredibly quirky, but their existence makes a whole lot of sense once the connection is made.
In this video from Hoonigan AutoFocus, Larry Chen and vehicle owner Luwin take a ride. They are in a Dajiban, and if you haven’t heard of them, well you’re in for a treat. During their drive, Chen and Luwin discuss how these rides came to be.
Dajiban van builds are far different – and much more recent – than the van movement that happened in the 70’s and 80’s. They came to prominence just a few years ago, and for a very unusual reason. US Army bases had these vans for personnel transport, and with an aging fleet meant a surplus of Dodge vans entered the market. They quickly found a practical use. “It’s the best way to bring your motorcycle to the track because it is enclosed and not exposed to the elements,” Chen says. So most motorcycle racers ended up with these rides.
Well, put two and two together, and you have some motorcycle racers asking the all important question. Why not race the Dodge vans? And why not drift them, too? Ask a question like that and enthusiasts in Japan will build it.
For a true Dajiban build, it needs a few things first and foremost. It need to be lowered, it needs its own unique touches, and it needs to be simple. To lower it, Luwin took that simple approach. “For the rear, I took the leaf springs apart and had them de-arched, and up front I cut some coils off the spring.”
For uniqueness, he attempted to get a highly desired set of wheels. “These are custom made by Rotiform, because the only shop that sells the Watanabe wheels in Japan wouldn’t sell them outside the country,” Luwin says. Behind those wheels are brakes are from a Ferrari 360 Modena. They needed fabrication in order to make them work, but amazingly he was able to still use the stock brake rotors, and fit them inside 16″ rims.
The interior of the van is also simple, with all seating positions being granted a racing seat. The rear seats use the factory seat bracing, so pairs of seats can be removed, or rotated for conversations. In all, it’s a very unique and interesting build, and something we’d like to see more of.
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