Grand Touring: Forgotten steel tempts rust in Aichi Prefecture

A few weekends ago, we were again exploring some outlaying areas outside of Nagoya, and in the middle of the rice fields was a small mechanic who had amazed a sizable collection of varied old Japanese cars. As distressing as it is to see the state of some, it was even more so when they suffered the ignominy of being stacked on top of each other. 

An old 2-door hakosuka Skyline perched precariously on a tiny Honda Z360 as another 2-door Skyline body sat on an Isuzu Bellett GT and two Mazda Carols kept each other company.

And curiously time-line reversed, a small finned contraption atop what was obviously once a gangster kujira Toyota Crown (is that a Porsche front wheel?).

In the unstacked portion of the yard, a lone S130 Fairlady Z is suspended on axle stands next to a BMW 2002. A perhaps functioning Mazda Carol sits next to a few more running hakos and at least two topless Fairlady roadsters.

After wandering the yard for a few minutes, we went inside the garage to talk to the owner. Expecting more of the same inside, there was instead a minty S20-powered Skyline on the hoist and a 246 Dino sitting next to it with no obvious sign of what it was in for. Two customers sitting around next to the kerosene heater taking a cigarette idly explained the owner was not going to be in today, grunted to each other and went back to gossiping about nothing I could understand.

Photos by Skorj, our photographer/journalist living in Japan. You can see more of his work at Filmwasters.

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14 Responses to Grand Touring: Forgotten steel tempts rust in Aichi Prefecture

  1. Nigel says:

    I am happy to see those cars, but sad to see the state they are in.
    (I will take any of the Hako’s).

  2. Need bigger pictures.. these are prime desktop backgrounds but are WAY too small.

  3. Brownie says:

    that 4-door Hako looks mint. That must cost a kidney.

  4. Kaydubbs says:

    Do we have an address for this place? Hahaha

  5. Drive510 says:

    SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!!!

    If it were within my budget, I’d save them all.

    • Tyler says:

      I’ll bet most people here would save them if it were within their means. And their skills… those cars are swiss cheese.

      The building is cool! Also great to see some film photography. I thought they were neko’s at first 🙂

  6. Derrick719 says:

    If i could I’d grab that Datsun 1000 I would

  7. matt says:

    how much you wanna bet one of the “customers” was actually the owner?

  8. E-AT_me says:

    it’s sad to see, but then again we must remember that standard hakos really aren’t “that” special in japan. i mean, when’s the last time you pooped yourself for an old caprice or impala? i never have… i did poop myself when i saw these photos. i would love to own any..

  9. Baskingshark says:

    The finned contraption is a DKW Junior.

  10. cesariojpn says:

    That house in the background of the last pic was in Soko Ga Shiritai!!! Think it was one of those “specialty collectors” show.

  11. Sprinter 1969 says:

    I fantasize about finding fields of cars like these…who wants to back me (financially) to set-up a Japanese equivalent of Death Valley Auto Parts????

  12. Niklas says:

    Such a shame to see a hako rusting away!

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