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It’s a Dodge? It’s a BMW? It’s a Nissan? It’s a what?
When my friend Ricky told me about the car I’m about to show you, so many questions popped right out of my head. First and foremost though, I needed to know if could shoot it. The car’s owner had left the unique creation in Ricky’s custody at his car detailing company Clean N’ Tidy in Jakarta, where it was taking centerstage in the showroom. Ricky needed to clear the shoot with the owner, but as I was already in town I wasted no time heading over to at least check it out.
So what exactly are we looking at here?
Visually, it’s a ’66 Dodge Dart 2-door hardtop with KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R styling cues. Mechanically, it’s a BMW E34. You have to love Indonesia.
Obviously I was allowed to shoot it, and poring over the details left me in absolute awe; I love builds like this. It take a certain type of person to go so extreme in order to execute a vision, and the end result here is not only totally unique, but also totally stunning.
The build was a collaborative effort between two Indonesian custom car builders – Alstein Automotive Design in Tangerang and Fix Garage in South Jakarta. Each applied their skills and talent to take Dodge’s 1966 ‘senior compact’ model and transform it into a Hakosuka-inspired cruiser. It’s not only a cruiser though; this thing has hit the track at speeds in excess of 200km/h.
We’ll get to the performance side of the equation in a moment; first up the silver bodywork, which gives off some classic Skyline GT-R vibes through a few select modifications: fender flares, a custom front lip and ducktail rear spoiler, and 8-spoke wheels – albeit in a 17×9-inch (front) and 17×9.5-inch (rear) fitment.
Other exterior details include ’69 Ford Mustang door handles, a ’66 Ford Mustang side mirror, and ’69 Dodge Charger hood pins. Finishing it all off is a Volkswagen gas cap.
The interior meanwhile is fully custom, featuring both vintage and modern details. The custom-trimmed classic low-back front seats and wood-rimmed steering wheel coexist in the cabin with futuristic custom rear seats and a custom dashboard complete with BMW instrument cluster. Somehow it all works.
The cluster is the first hint at why lies beneath the bodywork: a BMW 5 Series. Yes, you’re looking at Dart body draped over a modified BMW E34 floorpan and running gear. With an M60B30 V8 engine stroked to 3.5L, BMW driveline, suspension, steering and brakes, it drives like a 530i too.
I can only imagine the amount trial and error it took to complete this one-of-a-kind creation, but to see it negotiating busy Jakarta traffic was amazing.
So why would anyone build this? Why not! At the end of the day it was a passion project; the owner simply wanted something unique and that’s exactly what he got.
Big thanks to Ricky and the Dart’s owner for letting me shoot this amazing creation. Indonesia has a lot to offer, and I can’t wait to uncover more of its car culture.
Rick Muda
Instagram: ardskellig
How To join the IATS program: We have always welcomed readers to contact us with examples of their work and believe that the best Speedhunter is always the person closest to the culture itself, right there on the street or local parking lot. If you think you have what it takes and would like to share your work with us then you should apply to become part of the IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program. Read how to get involved here.
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