We get asked this a lot and honestly, we never set out to build our whole lives around kaido racers. But once we discovered them, we were hooked.
Back in 2013, Jon saw a YouTube video of these crazy and wild looking cars in Japan, and needless to say he was instantly hooked. I've always been open to exploring new things in life so I was on board to build a kaido racer! At the time we had a TE wagon and we thought it would be cool to add takeyari pipes shooting out the back. Although initially it was cool, we knew we needed a proper base to start. Jon sold his motorcycle to buy a 1974 Celica, and a few months later, I traded my daily, a 1998 Mercedes E320 for a 1980 Toyota Cressida. That Cressida ended up being the car that changed everything. It’s what inspired us to start Moonlight Runners and sent us down this path we’re still on today.
At the time, we didn’t know much, not just about kaido racers, but also about bodywork, paint, fiberglass, or any of the skills we’d eventually need to build our cars. But we knew we wanted to learn. Our days were filled with work and raising our daughter, and our nights were spent dreaming up builds, messing with cardboard mockups, and cruising with friends. That’s actually where the name Moonlight Runners came from, those late nights spent building and driving.
Jon started picking up jobs at paint shops and also worked at an off-road fiberglass shop to gain experience. We were learning everything from the ground up. We wanted to do it right while respecting the culture that inspired us to begin with.
Eventually, a local importer listed a set of RX-3 works flares, and we jumped on them. We made molds (for the first time ever), and decided to focus on building my MX32 first with a goal to debut it at Japanese Classic Car Show in 2015.
We sanded in the driveway, painted it outside with a tiny compressor, and just sent it. We were excited to drive the car and debut it at the show. Some people loved it, some hated it. We heard, “You ruined a classic,” or "I've seen REAL ones in Japan." But that just fueled us. We both grew up in the punk scene and we were used to doing what we loved, even if it wasn’t popular or accepted. Going against social norms wasn't new to us. I remember some of our conversations about our cars early on, specifically my butame, and I didn't want to blend in with the other cars at events. I wanted to build something that would stand out and be different.
Fast forward to 2018. After a front-end accident and a few more modifications, we brought the car to a Super Street event at the Petersen Museum. That’s where the museum curators first saw our butame and asked us to include it in their Japanese Fine Tuning exhibit.
We had just five weeks to get the car ready because the exhibit was already ongoing and we would be coming in mid gallery. And when I say the car was nowhere near ready, I mean nowhere near! We had painted it purple and silver but our paint skills were juvenile at the time and we knew we couldn't send the car to The Petersen Museum like that. So Jon worked from 5am to midnight everyday, going to his day job and then our friends shop to work on the car at night. When it was time to tape the lines, I tagged in. I'd work from 8pm to 8am, go home, sleep, spend time with our kids, and then head back. It was exhausting but we pulled it off with the help of friends and we were proud. We built a car that honored the culture that inspired us while also letting our personality show through. That part mattered to us. Individuality is everything.
Over the years, these builds have taken us to places we never imagined back in that little one car garage. Our cars, and our teams cars, have rolled through music videos, commercials, and even made it to Vogue Runway. Every step, every late night, every bit of fiberglass in our hair has been worth it because it's given us the skills, the stories, and the connections to help others bring their dream cars to life.
We never wanted to gatekeep. Our dream wasn’t to be the only kaido racers at a meet, we wanted to see a parking lot full of kaido racers. Always has been.
Now, after the 5th year of N.A. Nonsuri, we’re blown away by how much the community has grown. You all inspire us now.
We’re going to keep building. Keep trying to lead by example. And from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. For supporting us. For believing in us. For being part of this.
- Astrid