INTERVIEW #02
Bradley, an impulse purchase, is
the identity of his car.
Cars are used every day, so I want to choose the one I like.
My favorite point of LANDCRUISER 76 is its form. I especially like the face and the side view. I like the round eyes on the face and the wheels on the side. I changed the wheels to Bradley wheels rather soon after I bought RANKULE, and I think "MEGUCCI's LANDCRUISER looks good" only with these white wheels (laugh).
I got my license when I was 18 and drove an American car for less than two years, starting with my parents' Corolla, then switching to a Nissan station wagon, and then to an American car. I am sure I like big four wheel drive cars. But the car was in the hospital for a long time, and it became difficult to maintain it, so I thought about a car that would not break down, and that's how I came to realize the Rancel.
I thought the stock LANDCRUISER wheels were fine at first, but then I liked the solid, heavy look of the BRADLEY 5-spoke wheels. I also thought the air valves were unusual at first, but I liked the flat design rather than having them pop out. Above all, I feel that the white color matches the black Runkles very well, and the cute toy-like look is catchy.
I saw BRADLEY in a store and bought him on impulse.
My memory about the store where I first saw the BRADLEY's is vague, but I do remember that when I happened to see a white BRADLEY in the store, I imagined a black LANDCRUISER with a white BRADLEY and felt that it looked kind of good. My friend who was with me also said, "I like this," and the next thing I knew I was carding it. It was an impulse purchase (laughs).
Black wheels on a black LANDCRUISER might seem a bit much to me. At first I liked the style with white letter tires and white wheels, but when I tried to change to mud-terrain tires recently, I heard that white letter tires are not available in the lineup now. But I changed to these and ended up liking the combination. It doesn't have to be white lettering to be cool. In fact, I feel it might be better this way because it shows off the white of the BRADLEY.
I am the type of person who buys shoes and other items that I like on impulse. After I bought the BRADLEY, I saw other cars with BRADLEY on them, and I knew that they were popular and that they were good wheels. But since then, for almost 20 years, I have never been bored with them.
Reaffirming the appeal of your car by connecting with the people around you
Recently, I painted the side steps and bumpers black as a DIY project. This is also because I thought it would look good on my white BRADLEY after all. I also recently did some custom work on the grill and roof rack. I think Instagram has had a big influence on me, but I get a little carried away when I think that people can see my LANDCRUISER.
A while ago, a girl I know invited me to a day camp. I am not good at large gatherings, but when I went, it turned out to be a large gathering (laughs). But when I went, I had a good time. It was the first time for me to see many different types of LANDCRUISER, and we had a lot of topics to talk about because of our common interest in Rambles. My husband is not interested in cars, so it is really helpful that he can learn a lot from me at these gatherings.
I have a good car. I have a popular car. That's how I feel these days. Before that, I was just quietly driving a LANDCRUISER, or something (laughs). I didn't notice it because it had always been too close to my life, but now that I can see what's going on around me, I feel a strong attachment to it that I don't want to let it go. Because a black LANDCRUISER with white BRADLEY is "MEGUCCI's LANDCRUISER" (laughs).
We will continue to work with LANDCRUISER and BRADLEY.
I have thought about lifting it up, but since my children are still small, I think I would avoid making it difficult for them to get in and out of the car. However, when my child gets older, I may think again about lifting it up and adding a country suspension or something. Right now I have smoke on it for the kids, but I would like to remove that eventually as well.
I also pick up my children from school in a car. When I do so, I feel the stares from other children, especially boys (laughs). When I hear them say, "Mom, here comes a big one," I naturally get a smug look on my face (laughs).
My daughter also seems to like my car and says that she wants to drive this LANDCRUISER.
I have been driving it for almost 20 years and now have less than 200,000 km on the odometer. I hope to keep driving it for a long time and eventually pass it on to my daughter. It will only be about 10 years until she is old enough to get a driver's license.
When my current BRADLEY goes bad, I will buy the same one again. Only white BRADLEY look good on my LANDCRUISER. I can't think of anything else anymore.
