EVENTS: Classic Japan 2012, Part 01 — Rock Stock

0890_Classic-Japan-2012

Today’s coverage of the 2012 Classic Japan comes courtesy of Australian contributor Adam Laws. Enjoy! —Dan

November 25th saw the second running of Classic Japan in Melbourne, Australia, a show celebrating 25-plus-year-old J-tin, run by the Toyota Car Club of Australia (VIC), in conjunction with the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club.

The weather was brilliant and the new venue on the banks of the Yarra River at Como Park, South Yarra worked perfectly for us, with around 235 classic Japanese cars turning up on the day, along with 40 classic Japanese motorcycles, and stacks and stacks of spectators.

Our coverage of the cars of the show starts with the originals, those special machines that have some how survived the ravages of time and look as good (or in some cases better!) than the day they left the factory.

1416_Toyota-Corolla-E70

In an age when just about every KE70 Corolla has been turned into a drift or circuit hack, Ben Lavric’s crisp white Toyota is like an oasis of originality. Ben even went to the trouble of copying newspaper sales advertisements from the early 80’s in displaying his pride and joy.

0755_Mazda-RX7

A first generation Mazda RX-7 is another car we rarely see on the roads these days, and when they do appear they generally have had a later model turbo engine installed, a wild body kit and a trashed interior. So to see this clean example on show was like a trip down memory lane.

0761_Toyota-Crown

It was only a few years ago that MS65 kujira Toyota Crowns like this were being chopped up as the basis for Cobra kit cars here in Australia. It is great to see that they are gaining popularity again for what they are, a great old cruiser. Omar’s example is resplendent in its 70’s orange paintwork, complete with old school sunvisor over the front windscreen.

0891_Toyota-Corolla

I must confess, when our fathers were bombing around in Toyota T140 Corona wagons in the 1980s as company cars, no one would have thought they would one day be admired like this beauty was at the show. Owner Peter Anscombe had only collected it from its single previous owner the day before the show, given it a quick tub and then brought it along. It was amazing how clean it was, particularly the interior which would normally have suffered badly under the harsh Aussie sun.

0911_Toyota-Crown

This beautiful MS55 Series 1 Toyota Crown is just one of a couple of beautiful old Crowns owned by one of our club members. Beautiful in burgundy, it is as neat inside as it was outside.

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Another MS65 Toyota Crown, this time in another shade of the 70’s, tan! Or is it khaki? Either way it is amazing so many of these old girls still survive in such original shape, right down to the thin white wall tyres.

1066_Honda-Civic-SB1

The Honda Car Club of Victoria has some fantastic machinery in their ranks, including this pair of tidy first generation Civics. When Australians (and Americans too, I guess) were getting around in big 6 and 8 cylinder family sedans, it must have been quite a brave call for someone to go out and buy a dimunitive little Honda like these ones.

1091_Toyota-Corona-T140

Another surprisingly tidy example of a T140 series Corona, this time in sedan form. Plastic hub caps and bumpers were only new technology back then and its impressive to see them in great condition nearly 30 years on.

1154_Mazda-RX3-Savanna

Is there a more 70s colour  than lime green? Seeing a Mazda RX-3 in captivity is a rare thing, to see one completely unmolested like this one is even rarer again. The ability to fit them with later model turbo engines and huge wheels saw most of them turned into fire breathing monsters ready for drag racing duties in the 80s and 90s, so it was refreshing to see this one in such an original state. I am not sure the white venetian blind in the back window was something that a new sports coupe buyer would have optioned up back in the 70s, but it’s a fantastic retro touch today.

1201_Mazda-R100-Familia

We were blessed with the attendance of not one or two, but seven Mazda R100s at Classic Japan. They ranged in condition from stock as a rock like this one, through to turbocharged rocketships. This one was perfect in every detail inside and outside, right down to its original hubcaps and its era-correct black and white number plates (license plates to you Yanks!) I love all the round gauges inside the cabin.

1207_Mazda-R100-Familia

Another one of the seven R100s on display, this one was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Those original hub caps disguise a car far quicker than the original 10A-powered version ever was, the only clue being the much fatter rear rubber.

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Another R100, this one in a gorgeous maroon colour. Given the number plate I have to assume that this one is just about stock as a rock too, rocking a tiny little 10A Wankel powerplant.

1213_Toyota-Crown-S40

There is something about old Toyota Crown owners, they rarely own just one! This is a one-owner MS41 sedan and just one of a couple that he owns, with a collection that includes utes and wagons too. The Crown Deluxe was a pretty advanced machine back in the day, with auto station seeking radio in the front and back seats, along with a very plush interior. Local Australian-built Holden and Ford sedans were much more spartan in comparison.

1306_Toyota-Corolla-Levin-AE86

The Toyota AE86 Sprinter, as they were sold in Australia, is another carthat is rarely left stock nearly 30 years on. They were released here with the rather unexciting carby-fed 4AC engine, but as we all know, a 4AG transplant along with some suspension mods transforms them into something very special. Its great to see that the owner of this one has resisted the urge to modify and has preserved a little bit of Toyota history. Personally I don’t know how he does it!

This finishes our first instalment from Classic Japan 2012, stay tuned for further coverage showing some 80s classics, some rarities not seen in the USA, the modified beasts as well as a bunch of others besides.

Adam is a committee member of the Toyota Classic Car Club of Australia (Victoria), which organizes the Classic Japan Car & Bike Show. If you’d like to join the club, please contact him here.

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14 Responses to EVENTS: Classic Japan 2012, Part 01 — Rock Stock

  1. Nigel says:

    The silver KE70 Corolla was just like mine.
    (Except you could see the ground through the rear fenderwells).
    Great show coverage.

  2. E-AT_me says:

    nice pics. in the one with the AE86, that looks like a volvo next to it, but not really? am i confused?

  3. KidCoughDrop says:

    Good coverage. That Lime Green RX-3 is calling to me!

  4. bert says:

    “It was only a few years ago that MS65 “Kujira” Toyota Crowns like this were being chopped up as the basis for Cobra kit cars here in Australia.”

    I don’t understand!

  5. Ben says:

    So many beautiful cars! That green RX-3, the orange kujira, even the unmolested AE86. Great photos and superb coverage, Adam! Thanks!!

  6. Adam says:

    E-At met that is actually a Mazda 929 Sedan that you can see.

    Bert – yes here in Australia the bodies were being removed from Crown chassis and thrown in the scrap. The base chassis was then used in making Cobra kit cars.

    Thanks for the kind words, hope you enjoy the following installments too.

    • bert says:

      See, aside from my absolute religious feelings on the matter of sacriligously destroying one of the finest machines to ever come out of Japan, I would think a chassis that long wouldn’t work for a Cobra chassis.

  7. timmy201 says:

    I was reading the thread on the R100 “KSF-340” only this morning:

    http://www.ausrotary.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=128385

  8. jivecom says:

    this post hit me like an arrow to the heart – next to kei sports cars and kei vans, and ahead of cool sports cars like all the skylines and things, lie my #2 jnc love – basic 1970s and 1980s saloons and wagons

  9. Ben Lavric says:

    Now that’s a honour having my car mentioned on JNC, I’m the proud owner of the white ke70 Corolla at the top. It was great day to show off these Japenese Beauties 🙂

  10. Adam says:

    I got some feedback on the Classic Japan facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/classicjapanshow ) from David Prince of the Honda Car Club regarding the little blue Honda convertible:

    They were badged “cosmo” by the Aussie importer who brought in a bunch of them and complied them here as grey imports. As part of the arrangement, they couldn’t be called by a name that Honda sold new here, so cosmo it was! The blue car in the photo has been a new members daily driver for 15 years, and was only collected from the panel shop on the Friday before the display. Eight weeks previously the car was written off by someone who didn’t know what a stop sign meant. But thanks to the donation of a whole parts car by another member, it lives again! And glad you like the interior, I sourced the fabric myself from spotlight for $7.95 a metre on special! Wad quite proud of my lateral thinking! Keep up the good work, and be assured of hccv’s ongoing support!

    Thanks

  11. Mike says:

    Wow, what a trip. My dad had an T140 back in the day, and I always loved driving the “big block” as opposed to my mum’s KE70, lol!

  12. José montes says:

    Want.mazda rx3 year 1073

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