Tag Archives: bluebird

EVENTS: Okutama Sunday Meeting

A short time ago, we were invited to attend the monthly Okutama-ko Sunday kyusha meeting. Loosely organized by the well-known Isuzu shop Eagle Sports, it always attracts a wide range of cars. This weekend was special though, as GT-B driving … Continue reading

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Happy 610 Day from JNC

This year the Datsun 610 turns 45 years old. To celebrate, here are a couple of our favorite 610 stories from over the years.

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EVENTS: 2016 Z-Bash

Eighty-two years ago today Nissan Motor Company was established. What better way to celebrate than with a slew of photos of its most iconic sports car? Fortunately, the recent Z-Bash show in Anaheim, California had approximately 400 of them.

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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 03 — The Fast & the Fastidious

In this installment, we take a look at two very different types of cars: original barn finds and restorations whose every last nut is factory correct, and those that were treated like instruments of war. In other words, all the stuff that’s prized by predictably … Continue reading

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Happy 5/10 Day from JNC

2016 marks JNC‘s 10th anniversary. The 510 has been an important car for us over the years, including serving as the subject of our very first feature story. As such, we’ve decided to celebrate 5/10 Day by taking a look at the most memorable … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 01

At this year’s Nostalgic 2 Days show, we were on assignment to meet a very specific person, a towering figure from the golden age of Japan’s automotive history. Before our appointment — which will be covered in the next installment — … Continue reading

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TOUGE CALIFORNIA: The Cars and Teams of 2016

The Touge California is done. We’ve covered how the epic, 8-hour, 200-mile rally went, but we also wanted to recognize all the fearless drivers, stalwart navigators, and gorgeous machines that participated. Here are the cars and teams of the 2016 JNC Touge … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2nd JNC Touge California, 2016

Touge driving is not meant to be easy. This is doubly true when the car you’re driving ranges anywhere from 30 to 50 years old. Earlier this month, 28 Japanese nostalgic cars queued up at the start of the 2016 Touge California. By the … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Why you should buy a Datsun 510

“Experts across the world concluded it had to be a copy of the BMW. It wasn’t… As long as it could be dismissed as a copy, the global car industry didn’t have to face the real threat the Datsun 1600 represented,” … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — This is Japan

A life-size Gundam robot towers above the trees. Giant windowless shopping centers operate like small cities. In this snapshot of a hyper-futuristic metropolis floating on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, tradition comes in the form of a parking lot teeming … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 02 — The Parking Area

In Part 02 of our New Year Meeting coverage, we delve into the parking area to unearth gems as good as anything inside the show. Some of them aren’t able to make it simply because of the age cutoff, others perhaps … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 01

The New Year Meeting is Tokyo’s premiere classic car show and it takes place at the end of January. You’ll likely never see a gathering of J-tin so diverse anywhere else, and the magic begins with a line of cars at the … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Beautiful dioramas of model cars from Japan

Takuji is a Japanese artist who places 1:43 and 1:64 scale minicars into beautifully constructed dioramas. From AE86s on touge roads to Mitsubishis tearing through a rally stage to mechanics tuning Skylines in a garage, each scene is a slice of … Continue reading

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PROFILES: Randy York’s rare 1973 Datsun 510

Long before social media, Randy York was one of the first members of the Bluebirds email list. He ran United Five-Ten Owners (UFO) SoCal from the mid-80s through the 90s before it faded, and was a founding editor for the definitive … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 04 – JNC Staff Picks

For our final installment of our 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon coverage, we asked some of our JNC team Tokyo staff to identify the coolest whips they encountered at the annual mega-fest of Japanese automotive excess. Here’s what they came up … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 01 — A Preview

The Tokyo Auto Salon kicks off this weekend, and that means it’s time for the craziest builds the Japanese aftermarket has to offer. While gold-plated GT-Rs and VIP vans are still very much a part of it, looking past the glitz this year … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: The Super Silhouette Nissans that inspired a generation of bosozoku

One of the biggest treats from the NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway the display of Nissan’s Super Silhouette racers from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Developed for Group 5 specifications, their extreme aero styling inspired a generation of bosozoku and kaido racers. 

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VIDEO: Shakotan car show rollout

And now for your viewing pleasure, a metric buttload of kyuusha leaving a car show in Japan. Every single one is a proper, old school Japanese sled. Also note the immaculate smoothness of Japan’s roads, which makes these shakotan rides possible. Watch … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Club-level race at Nakayama circuit in 1985

This video of a club-level race at Nakayama Circuit in 1985 has got everything: AW11, Gemini, Bluebird, R30, SA22, multiple generations of Truenos and Levins, and the smooth jazz of a Gran Turismo menu screen. Watch the video below.

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MINICARS: Remember to get your Hot Wheels x JNC Datsun 510 Wagon tomorrow

Just a quick reminder: These exclusive black Datsun 510 Wagons with the JNC inkan will go on sale tomorrow at 9:00 am local time at participating Kmart stores. This is a KDay event, and in case you need a refresher on … Continue reading

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