Complete this sentence. You’re not a JNC owner unless you… Prefer driving a slow car fast? Live in deathly fear of salt? Have overpaid for parts from Japan? Have abused your AAA towing privileges to move a parts car? With every subculture there are certain joys hardships and that its members can jointly celebrate or commiserate in.
What rite of passage every JNC owner must endure?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Where do you like to drive your JNC?”
The answers from last week ranged from the poetic, like Ian Gopez‘s ode to autocrossing, to the emotional, like Howard Drespain‘s drives down memory lane, to the hilarious, like Yuri‘s question to our question. The winner, however, came from Al‘s fantastic imagination.
I like to drive my JNC (RX7 FD) like it was mwant to be driven, throught curves, hill ups ans downs and listening to an eclectic mix of japanese music and Elvis. I imagine myself on an old Cosmo with MAT-1 livery, so I could go chasing some kaijus thinking I’m Ultraman, keeping the revs high up, changing gears as if they were choreographed movements to make the monster explode. We have to be careful the red light does not start to blink, otherwise you have to go home early, without defeating the monster the right way. That means trouble for later.
Once it is all fonesh, hopefully in a good way and without red lights blinking, you get out, after the struggle at the tail of the monstrous ride, where you left your soul in the asphalt in the form of burnt rubber, and you are back to the garage, and on your human host form, a temporarily disguise until the next kaiju appears.
It’s not over, next weekend, if it does not rain, we will be back with another episode…
Omedetou! Your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop.
Canada so, salt !
I feel it’s not being able to find OEM parts as they’ve been discontinued long ago. You have to search the forums, find nobody’s got it for sale, then you end up at a junkyard 150 miles away about to buy one that looks like it’s shot anyways…
Or maybe you own something that’s reliable and has readily available parts… I envy you as a Starion owner.
Listening to little old ladies say “I drove one of these in High School.”
You’re not a JNC owner unless you can feel some sort of passion for your car, like it’s more than a machine. It feels like part of yourself or your family. Basically if the thought of your car in a junkyard for 30 years brings a tear to your eye you are a JNC person.
The questioning looks from the parts guys at local dealerships when you say you need a part for your car. And then find out, nope, that’s obsolete.
That’s for sure! I have a 1972 Toyota Celica. Bought it new in high school. At a Toyota dealership and asked the parts lad for something. Forget. He said, they didn’t make Celicas that far back. Did you mean ’82 or ’92? Uhhhhhh. :o)
…always having things that must be done to your JNC
I think the one real universal rite of passage for any JNC owner is being asked what kind of car you drive. Doesn’t matter what model you have because at some point, be it a gas station, a parking lot, or the random stop light, sooner or later you will be asked. Part of the joy that comes with driving a classic car is that fact that there just are not many on the streets anymore and most only come out when the weather is nice. Especially with today’s throw-away/ disposable culture, holding on to anything for over 2 decades is a rarity and seeing a JNC from decades past is just as surprising as it is a treat.
Having owned a few JNC of varying rarity and levels of modification I get asked often and this frequently leads to stories of rides past from the questioner. At first I tried to get away as fast as possible but now I listen and chit-chat and share stories. I feel its important to portray the community as being open and friendly. Meeting other car people is a part of having one of these machines.
Shopping for new tires and discovering none of the options available inspire confidence.
Rust, if you’re unlucky enough to live in a place with inclement weather.
Enough said.
“I swear, you spend more time and money on that damn car than you do with me!”
You’re not JNC owner unless you…and your friend/relative had to push your JNC back home after it stalls out while taking it on a test run around the neighborhood.
You haven’t been a JNC owner for very long if you haven’t encountered the LS Bro.
You all know exactly who I’m talking about – the guy who walks around the car show or cars and coffee or touge, saying “man, that thing would be suh-weet if it were LS swapped”.
We as owners of mostly 4 and 6 cylinder engines are particularly vulnerable, as we’re only 2 to 4 cylinders away from LS Bro’s automotive Nirvana, and he absolutely knows 7 other guys who have done the swap, and it’s totally easier than even changing the oil on the old turd!
And Dog help you if you own a rotary.
Anyone can drive JNCs to be honest, but one becomes a legit JNC owner if you start to feel as if your car is gonna fall apart.
And that’s the start of the love-hate relationship your gonna have with each other.
You’re not a JNC owner until…
… you start hoarding parts. Big parts, small parts, critical parts, cosmetic parts (“ooh, a grungy ‘GT’ badge for my grill for only $49!”), cheap parts, expensive parts, NOS parts, junkyard parts, OEM parts, aftermarket parts, wheels and more perfect wheels, restomod parts, and concourse restoration parts. AND THEN, you buy 2 or 3 or all available of everything, “just in case”.
And then, when you’re “done” (if ever) you give the extras away or sell for pennies on your dollar cost.
Answer why you don´t have a new model car and see their faces full of disgust
Jumping into your favorite marque and model because it’s an underrated, well handling, and beautiful car. Also an affordable way to get into cars.
And then watching in terror as the world realizes your marque and model are as rad as you thought, causing the prices to skyrocket and taking prime examples out of your affordability.