So despite popping awake at 4am due to ungodly jetlag and traipsing all over the Nos2Days show, I went to check out Mooneyes’ cruise night on Saturday, where I nearly passed out from a mixture of gasoline fumes and exhaustion. Here’s a Mitsubishi Debonair stealing away into the night.
Detroit iron is exotic stuff here. Although I wanted to see more JDM cars, all the machinery present was old school and thus stone cold cool.
The Japanese cars that did show up were, in many cases, nucking futs. Bonus points to anyone who can guess what car this is. If I had taken the photo from the back you would never know. Hint: look at all the other pics carefully if you can’t guess.
The craziness wasn’t limited to cars either. Take this custom chopped Honda Super Cub for example. Look how low it sits, putting your torso somewhere around bumper height on that Nova. I would be terrified to ride this thing on public roads. The owner also has a collection of S40 Crowns.
This is what a normal Super Cub looks like. Mooneyes has a cafe and coffee shop too. This scene looks like it could have come straight out of the 60s.
Inside, the Mooneyes shop has all the car accessories you might ever need, including JNC magazine!
Here are some new old stock Marchal H4 lights, which were extremely popular in 1970s Japan. The unique lens pattern meant the light beam cast a distinctive scatter that could be instantly recognized as the car approached.
Then it was time to start the cruise. Here’s another photo of the Debonair. This car looks so gangsta in black. It wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if several pinky-less yakuza henchmen suddenly emerged from the shadows, sat down in this bad boy, and headed out to their next pachinko parlor shakedown.
And look who else showed up, the actual hakosuka-nosed mabo, or Suzuki Mighty Boy! It had some kind of crazy turbo kei car engine and zipped around like a hummingbird.
I wanted to go for a spin in the Chop Sticks Racer, but it was open top and the weather was freezing.
Instead, I hitched a ride in a slammed primer-black ’54 Plymouth 2-door wagon that scraped over every anthill-sized bump in Yokohama’s historic Motomachi district.
Check the gallery below for a rare glimpse of import… er, domestic cars on JNC.
Now you’re living the life, Bro! Go MOON! 🙂
Uh, I think the green machine is known as “Kuzzira”, an MS60 Crown … 😉
Man, I make the contests too easy!
Yeah, TG got it right off the bat. I would have written it first if I woke up as early as he does! Haha… the turn signals gave it away.
LOL – no, i just happened to have good timing and knew where to look for an answer 😀
You can tell what the green car is just by carefully looking at it. The corner lights on the tops of the fenders are a dead giveaway.
I know there’s a Japanese magazine that published this Crown. Is that what you’re talking about, Toyotageek?
BTW, I do miss pulling into the back parking lot of Mooneyes in Motomachi. Don’t miss the price for the burgers and fries though. lol
heh heh, nah ~ I wasn’t even planning to score Bonus Points, but when I stumbled across it by accident on the Mooneyes Crown Classics Blog, and the answer was there in front of me, I couldn’t help but come back here and sound like a know-it-all. LOL
Talk about burger prices, check out Shige’s blog post about the “Moon Tower” burger – only 3,675 yen (with tax) 😀 Can you eat it?!
http://www.hobidas.com/blog/shop/mooneyes/
A cool collection of cars your living the dream
Okay you smarty pantses, where is the 2nd image of the green Crown? 🙂
In the poster for the Street Car Nationals. 😛
The Japanese Magazine is Vintage Auto #16. It’s funny how Yamazaki-san, the chief editor of that mag used to be my neighbor. I knew him from waaaaay before.
Oh nice! It’s also on the cover of the latest issue of Cruisin’.
Also, TG is forbidden to answer any more questions! 🙂
I envy you guys..one day id love to visit Japan. Is this the same Moon store that is owned by Shigue? Hes been a JCCS vendor 2 years running.
Yup, that’s the one. Mooneyes is an old school hot rod accessory maker but they are now HQed in Japan and thus have an interest in Japanese cars.
Ugh, missed it. I knew that was a crown right away too- the unmistakable hood trim gave it away.
Very, very, very cool pics. I wish I was in Japan right now. Might as well be, it’s already cold as hell in Detroit. 🙁
Love the ’54 Plymouth too. MMmm.
Knew it was a Crown, as well.. you just gotta shift and straighten out the headlights, then it comes into focus, what kinda car it is.
Also, the hood line is unmistakable. lol 🙂
thats a sick ass crown, the one with the lincoln head lamps. fucken awesome!
There is some serious heavy metal on display here! That green Crown is absolutely nuts, but I really like the small Suzuki. It is all about power to weight and a strong motor in such a tiny body can only lead to huge grin factor….