Don’t cha just love it when you manage to get some free time over the weekend to spend with your car? While the JNC workhorse wagon is not exactly slammed like a mamma jamma, it is somewhat lower thanks to RS-R springs. It also now sits on a random set of old school wire-spoke wheels minus the baskets. What did you do this weekend?

We were just checking in with our compadres at grandJDM and nearly died laughing when we came across this post on rapper Snoop Dogg’s new album cover.

If you’ve had your eye on one of these cars you’d better grab it quick, cause once the MTV crowd figures out exactly what ride this album is pimpin’, Datsun 510 Wagons will be selling like they’re made of gold, and probably end up plated in it too. Clearly, the utter old school coolness of a five-tizzle is what the label in the bottom right corner is advising parents of.

We have to wonder, is this Datsun what Mr. Dogg was talking about in his 2000 composition, “Hennesey N Buddah,” featuring his colleague KoKane, when he said:

I never ever dropped a dime, sheeeit
Nigga might cop a dime
Never hesitate to pop a 9, bah
And always come up with the proper line

A modern-day Chaucer, if you ask us. How long before the garages of MTV Cribs are teeming with Datsuns? Place your bets now. Thanks for making our day, mates.

There’s a virtual lovefest going on today over an unlikely object of affection, the 1985 Toyota Tercel 4WD Wagon (aka Sprinter Carib in Japan). This is probably why Jalopnik is the best automotive site out there today (um, other than JNC, that is). Where else can you find site with 1.9 million readers a month whose commenters pretty much all have good things to say about a 20-year-old station wagon with drivetrain that zig-zags from a longitudinal engine to a V-drive tranny then back under the oil pan and finally to the rear wheels?

Reader extraordinaire gamby sent us a link to this BringATrailer.com, which posts on interesting classics up for sale, including some of Japanese stock. That got us thinking, one of the most frequent questions we get is, “How much should I pay for a [insert Japanese classic of choice here]?” to which we usually answer, “How ever much you want.” This usually results in, “Thanks for nothing.”

Perhaps it’s about time we started following the market and giving you, our dear readers, reports on how it’s looking for J-tin. After all, we’re entering the era when Japanese cars are truly being recognized as serious classics. If you think this would be useful, let us know in the comments. Without further ado, here’s the car that gamby sent us.

1967 Datsun Bluebird 411 Wagon. Predecessor to the iconic 510, the 411 was styled by Italian design house Pininfarina. This example is a not a pure survivor. It was repainted and reupholstered at least once in its lifetime, but the good news is it spent most of its life as an exhibit in a dealership showroom. 65,000 miles, aftermarket wheels of unknown brand, virtually rust-free. According to the owner, only minor rust exists, such as in the battery tray. Starts right up and runs, he says. It would take far more than the selling price to restore one to this condition (seller claims $8500 spent on restoration), if you can even find one. Sold at $4000 [ebay]. A very reasonable buy for a virtually one-of-a-kind car.

Here’s a rare bird, spotted by our resident Honda head reader colhogen, who heroically posted it in our forum. It’s an ultra-rare 1974 Honda Life, which, in Honda genealogy, succeeded the N360 and N600, and spawned variations such as the Life Step Van and, later, the Life Dunk. Although not mentioned in the auction, this example is actually a Life Van/Wagon, which has a larger rear and no sloping hatch. Either way, it’s scarcer than Bigfoot in a party hat, having never been officially sold US. As a result, it’s got RHD JDM exclusivity, and could be yours for the BuyItNow price of $2800. That way, the next time someone tells you to “get a life,” which happens to us frequently, you can say, “I already have one, so there.” That’ll show ‘em.

Last week, we told you about a new Japanese magazine that just hit the stands, called Street Van and Wagon, with a longback S50 Crown and C10 Skyline gracing the cover. Being the wagon whores we are, we had to see more. Well there’s more, baby. A lot more, at their online gallery! The old gold Sunny and slammed crimson Carina are just an appetizer, so stab that mouse button with all your might, your eyes will thank you.

There’s a new magazine in town, if your town happens to be in Japan.  It’s called Street Van & Wagon, and we know painfully little about it.  We can see that it’s about longbacked cars from the 60s - 80s, and in case you forgot, there’s a defiant reminder that “We still live in this world!”  It’s no secret that we love wagons here at JNC, and the clean custom Toyota Crown and Nissan Skyline on the cover promise what we can only imagine are pages full of sizzling hot wagon action on the inside.  We want this mag, now!

[Love Old Cars]