The jobs that had to be done before we could go back for certification was to fit rear belts, convert the front belts to stalk buckles, fix the horn, and raise the front ride height. And some of those jobs more or less fixed themselves, and we’ll soon see.
Back when we were kids there was no Wii, MyFace, or whatever the hell kids are into these days. The bicycle was the king of birthday presents, and the freedom of movement it provided is probably what turned us into car nuts in the first place. And yeah, we’d put our grubby little paws all over sweet rides just like this kid. We didn’t know any better, but it helped fuel our lust for fine automotive machinery. Decades later, boom, JNC!
Here’s a great documentary on the birth of the Z car. It’s a 1995 documentary, and has very much a US-centric focus, but since the US demand was largely responsible for the success of the 240Z, this is hardly a criticism (although I can almost feel the incandescent rage that diehard Z fans will feel about Count Albrecht Goertz getting yet another undeserved credit for styling the car)
It covers the early history of Datsun in the USA market, and the conditions that led to the introduction of the 240Z in 1969. It also contains great racing footage of the BRE 240Z and later IMSA 280ZX race cars too. It’s rather imaginitively recorded, but well worth the 30mins!
With only 1,519 of the Mazda Cosmo Sports built, it’s rare to see one with heavy modification done, especially to the body. Although some might cringe to see one of these in anything less than original condition, we think this one looks pretty good, especially with what appear to be very low-offset Work Equips and a deep red paint job. Unfortunately, we don’t know any more about this car and could only find this one photo.
Today is Resurrection Day, and as everyone knows, long-dead spiritual figures just love to reveal themselves to the world via pre-sliced bread conveniently warmed by modern kitchen appliance. Toast is the medium of choice, in fact, for the likes of Jesus, Elvis, and even non-dead icons such as the King of Pop and Runaway Bride. The Virgin Mary’s whole wheat visage pulled in $28,000 on Ebay despite having a bite taken out of it. What then, are we supposed to make of this 1936 Toyota AA that appeared on one slice of this ham and cheese holder?
The AA was Toyota’s first passenger car, and the company is quite proud of the fact that it was engineered and built entirely in-house at a time when many of its rivals were assembling complete knock-down kits. The styling is among several post-Chrysler Airflow designs, one of the earliest based on the principles of aerodynamics pioneered by Tatra designer Paul Jaray. Keep in mind that most cars at the time still featured bolt upright radiator grilles and long, swooping fenders with wide running boards, elements the AA unfortunately somewhat retained. So beauty wasn’t its strong point, but it’s the Toyota that made all the Celicas and Corollas we now love possible.
California State Senator Dean Florez has proposed a new bill that, if passed, will repeal the emissions exemption on pre-1976 cars in eight California counties. This means your classic car would have to pass California’s emissions test for the life of the vehicle.
Ok, so you might not live in those counties, or even in California, but the state is known for having the toughest environmental protection laws in the nation. Once all the research and debate has been done and the bill passed, it could be easily adopted statewide. Other states have also been known to piggyback on California’s laws. It’s happened before.
For the record, we here at JNC care very much about Mother Earth. It’s the only planet we got, and we should try not to wreck it. We do our best to recycle and conserve, but this bill is ridiculous. Pre-’76 cars, as owned by classic car collectors, comprise so little of the actual pollution going up into the atmosphere that it’s essentially nil. There are far greater polluters out there. For example, poorly designed, non-green architecture accounts for nearly 40% of greenhouse gases. Cow farts make up another quarter. Why penalize cars that, for the most part, don’t even see use on a daily basis?
SEMA believes lawmakers are scapegoating classics. In addition to putting on a big car show ever year, the Specialty Equipment Marketers Association also advocates for car enthusiasts on issues such as this. See their news release and the eight affected counties after the jump. (more…)
It’s being reported now that the Japanese government is encouraging drivers over the age of 65 to hand over their driver’s licenses. It’s a move meant to reduce congestion in crowded cities and road accidents as well, about 100,000 of which in 2007 were caused by elderly drivers. In return, businesses are offering them things like higher interest rates at banks and discounts on meals, because we all know that if there’s two things the elderly like, it’s saving and meals (probably at 4pm).
Anyway, since our beloved kareha elderly driver’s mark is only required above age 75 (and recommended above 70), could this mean the demise of the orange and yellow leaves?
With only 1,519 of the Mazda Cosmo Sports built, it’s rare to see one with heavy modification done, especially to the body. Although some might cringe to see one of these in anything less than original condition, we think this one looks pretty good, especially with what appear to be very low-offset Work Equips and a deep red paint job. Unfortunately, we don’t know any more about this car and could only find this one photo.
California State Senator Dean Florez has proposed a new bill that, if passed, will repeal the emissions exemption on pre-1976 cars in eight California counties. This means your classic car would have to pass California’s emissions test for the life of the vehicle.
It’s being reported now that the Japanese government is encouraging drivers over the age of 65 to hand over their driver’s licenses. It’s a move meant to reduce congestion in crowded cities and road accidents as well, about 100,000 of which in 2007 were caused by elderly drivers. In return, businesses are offering them things like higher interest rates at banks and discounts on meals, because we all know that if there’s two things the elderly like, it’s saving and meals (probably at 4pm).