I've been wanting to post some updates about what's been going on at Redpants for a while, but things have been so busy that I've found myself jumping from one thing to the next and constantly telling myself, "Okay, I'll write a Blog post after this is done," only to find myself busy with the next thing and putting it off yet again.
Case in point, I couldn't even finish that sentence and it kept running on... So, without any further ado, let's go over some updates!
Online Store
Many of the items listed in our Online Store are kept in stock in Yokohama, Japan, and ready for quick shipment. Product listings state whether an item is on our shelves or if it needs to be ordered in from a manufacturer. We're continuing to expand the variety of parts we keep in stock at Redpants in Yokohama, and restocking those that sell out. In addition to these, we're now able to sell used parts and are starting to manufacture our own (keep reading for more information about those).
If you're in Asia, Australia, or New Zealand, shipping from Japan tends to cost less and be quicker than shipping from the US, so keep that in mind if you're checking out parts at Redpants USA. Most of the parts available at Redpants in America are also available at Redpants Japan, so if you see something there but not here, please feel free to contact us to see if we can get it for you. Some products are regionally restricted - like VelocityAP products shipping to Australia, for example, which have to be ordered through their distributor there - so we won't be able to supply items with those restrictions.
Used Parts
Redpants Japan is now a licensed used parts vendor. Yes, in Japan, you have to apply for a license to sell used items (including car parts) as a business. Most interestingly, to me at least, is that most of the application process is handled by the police.
The reason for this is apparently rooted in anti-Yakuza measures, and it even includes requiring the applicant to sign two attestations stating that the applicant isn't involved with the Yakuza, organized crime, or criminal activities. The police conduct a background investigation to make sure there aren't any red flags for the applicant, and they are ultimately the ones that will decide whether or not to approve the application, and are also the ones to issue the used items vendor license. The process actually takes quite a while - generally over a month but could be twice that if there are any hiccups or delays.
Our application went smoothly and we're now a licensed used parts vendor, so we'll be able to widen our offerings to include used car parts and even used cars - yes, we included that in our application, too!
Used parts are limited in quantities by their very nature - we can only sell used items if and when we acquire them. Once something sells out, it probably won't be available again and the listing for that item will be removed.
Any used parts we sell will be clearly labeled as such in the description on the product listing, so you don't have to worry about expecting new parts and receiving used ones. Even so, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about what you're ordering.
Manufacturing
Believe it or not, Redpants in the US was actually started as a way to sell products of my own design, specifically my Oil Catch Cans, TPMS Defeats, and Lightweight Battery Kits. Later on, I added Air Box Delete Brackets, Exterior Lighting products, Lightweight Lug Nuts, Grille Support Brackets, and High-Flow Intake Filters. Although Redpants is mostly known for offering maintenance items and DIY Guides to make it far easier and wallet-friendly to own an Aston Martin, the company was just as much based on offering my own private label parts.
Over time, most of those items ended production. Some were because the manufacturers stopped being able to produce them, or because they didn't sell quickly enough to warrant the investment in additional production runs, or because the quality had dropped off and no longer met my standards. Regardless of why they're no longer available, I've always wanted to bring them back. Since moving to Japan, I've been working to do just that.
My naïve self though that finding manufacturers in Japan would be easy - Japan has a long-running reputation for high-quality manufacturing, after all. The reality is that most companies in Japan are still very old-fashioned and don't like to take on new things. After attempting to hire various companies to produce my parts, I finally said, "Okay fine, I'll do it myself."
The first of the products I'm manufacturing are my Exterior Lighting kits, prototypes of which are currently in testing. These consist of front corner markers, rear corner markers, and side repeaters. The rear bumper reflectors are still to come, and I'll post an update once I'm happy with them.
The ones pictured above are prototypes for fit, function, and durability testing. The final product will not look the same - specifically, the lenses will be different and will be dark smoked. Once approved by my testers (and signed off by me), I'll begin producing them for sale on Redpants Japan.
While testing is underway for the Exterior Lighting products, I'm getting prototypes ready for the next product: Redpants Air Box Delete Brackets. I'll be testing these myself, including on track at Fuji Speedway.
First Track Day in Japan
Speaking of Fuji Speedway, I did my first track day in Japan there last weekend! The track day was hosted by Porsche Club Roppongi, which had invited me to participate. Many of the cars there were newer Porsches, including multiple GT3, GT3RS, and GT4RS cars, but my 17-year old Aston Martin still managed to hang in there.
My tires and brakes were big limiting factors for not doing better than mid-pack (beyond the huge differences in vehicle potential, experience at this track, lack of practice, and talent/skill in general). I'm using street-oriented Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, while most cars were on Michelin Pilot Cup 2 or other track-oriented tires. The Hawk HPS 5.0 brake pads I use are great for combined street and track, but Fuji Speedway's incredibly-long 1.5 km front straight pushes them too far, especially with the smaller brakes of my 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, so I kept my top speed to 160 kmh (100 mph) in the morning and 220 kmh (137 mph) in the afternoon.
My next track day is in a month and a half, again at Fuji Speedway and again with Porsche Club Roppongi, and I won't be changing my tires or brakes by then - instead I need to practice on improving myself with this track. I'll probably step up to some stickier tires sometime next year but for now I'll make do with what I've got, especially given the coming winter and wanting to be able to drive my car year-round. Cup 2 tires aren't the most winter-friendly, after all!
Quick side note: Funny enough, my first-ever track day was with this very same car and at the invitation of a Porsche Club of America.
World Endurance Championship Races
If you follow our Redpants Unzipped account on Instagram, you'll have seen posts from the last few WEC races: Circuit of the Americas in the US a couple months ago, Fuji Speedway in Japan a couple weeks after that, and currently Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain happening right now. Luanna was hired as the translator for one of TF Sport's drivers, so she's been going to each of those races as part of that job, and I tagged along for the first two of those (I couldn't make it to Bahrain due to scheduling conflicts).
Truth be told, I filmed very little while we were at each race and most of what I did film was limited to some shots of the cars and pit stops. I also took some pictures for Instagram but that was about it. Luanna's so busy working during the trips that she barely has a chance to take any pictures or videos herself, but hopefully she'll be able to snag a few while she's in Bahrain so we can share it with everyone.
Bahrain is the final stop of the World Endurance Championship for 2024, but we're hoping to attend them next year. If we do, I'll be doing my best to cover them as best as possible so we can share much more content beyond what we put on Instagram.
Also, a big Thank You to Koizumi-san and TF Sport for the opportunity to be a part of the races, and for the great hospitality!
Keep Up to Date
If you haven't done so already, make sure you subscribe to our mailing list using the form on the Redpants Japan home page. We keep usage of this to an absolute minimum so you don't have to worry about lots of emails or spam.
Also, subscribe to the Redpants and Redpants Unzipped YouTube channels, and make sure notifications are turned on!