Today is Respect for the Aged day in Japan, a reminder to show some appreciation for your elders. It’s not always easy to keep in mind when the youngins are faster and flashier than their predecessors. However, there are cars like the Mazda RX-3, which don’t get nearly as much attention as the RX-7, or even much as contemporaries like the Datsun 510. But there are many, many even more obscure cars that we should do well to respect.
What JNC doesn’t get enough respect?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What modifications on cars make you cringe most?”
As it turns out, people have strong opinions (and deservedly so) on cringey mods. There are probably just as many bad mods as there are good ones but that doesn’t stop owners from subjecting innocent cars (and our eyes) to them.
One of the biggest offenders, for example, is the oversized spoiler on street cars, as Brett Shields was the first to point out. Likewise, the all-too-common counterpart to the big wing, as mentioned by Marcos, is the unfortunate fake vent. These are just universally bad.
There are others that are a question of taste. Many of these are not offensive per se, but have been taken an extreme. Scotty G lamented the ubiquity of bolt-on wheel arches. Hansjorg nominated overly stretched tires. A number of readers, like vic, took issue with black wheels.
Then there were the more philosophical answers, which delved into how certain mods made brought down the culture (and supply) of cars in general. kikiichiban had no love for fake parts, Alan mourned the loss of 90s sports car icons to trendy aftermarket gizmos, and RX626 wept for the chopped tops that ensured the car’s next owner would be a scrapyard.
The winner this week is Alex Larsen, who had a litany of dislikes. However, it wasn’t his laundry list of mods that nabbed him the win, but how he rued the motivation behind them — building a car for the ‘Gram:
Tsurikawas, tow hooks and straps on non tracked cars, emo decals, underglow, Cheap ass steering wheels and chinese shift knobs from alibaba, white labeled by instagram “tuners”. Spiked lug nuts, Wings with limited or no function, Cheap ass parts with no originality added to a build with the sole purpose to checking off a social media required parts checklist
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
Nissan Cedric,Nissan leopard, Silvia S12, Skyline R30 & R31 ,Subaru Alcyone, Subaru SVX, Subaru Brat, Subaru Leone, Toyota Crown, Toyota Soarer, Toyota Celica Supra, Toyota Carina, Toyota Corona, Mazda 929, Mazda 626, Cosmo HB,
Honda 1300 Coupe – and Hino 1300 Contessa.
(and amazingly, the two are intrinsically linked as many of the Hino engineers preferred to be poached by Honda rather than work for Toyota, after the agreement between Hino and Toyota rang the death knell for Hino’s lovely 1300 Contessa sedans and Coupes. Quite a bit of Hino-originated technology in the Honda 1300 Coupe motor!)
Isuzu Impulse / Piazza
I have to say, a tie between the Nissan 280ZX (S130) and the 300ZX (Z31). In Z-car circles, it’s in vogue to actively hate on these cars, how they “got fat”, and “stopped being a sportscar”. In official Nissan promotional materials, one would be forgiven for assuming that the Z cars jumped from the S30 to the Z32, and I have to say I am shocked to have seen both, if only for a few frames, in the new Z promotional videos.
If both the enthusiasts and the manufacturer like to act like two entire generations of a car don’t exist, I’d say that’s not just not enough respect, but active disrespect.
I’d normally say the Subaru 360 Deluxe sedan, but there’s a resurgence of value going on right now that’s mind-blowing ($50,000+ for a #1 car?!), so I’ll defer to the great answers by the other commenters.
The title photo has me nominating old piston powered Mazdas. The rotaries steal the show for good reason, but the GLC saved the company when the oil crisis hit and they put all their eggs in the rotary basket. Those along with 808s and 616s that haven’t rusted out are most likely rotary swapped.
Gonna be a bit bias here and say toyota coronas. Aside from a t40 corona you hardly ever see or hear anything about them. But theyre a bloody good car, more room and more power than the much more popular corolla, without the higher price tag of a cressida or crown. I own 2 tt132 coronas, wagon and a sedan. They seem to have slipped through the cracks and can still be found relatively cheap compared to other old toyotas.
Isuzu Bellett GTR
There are so many cars that don’t get respect. Of course outside of enthusiasts, most people would only appreciate the car for personal reasons.
I’ve always gotten the “FWD dislike argument” from a lot of the younger owners because they are into what the mainstream cars are doing right now… drifting and stance.
There is also an aspect of tuning that people are hesitant to go after a platform that “they can’t do much with”.
I think that can go with “going fast” and/or keeping it “factory”. Especially if the car is a bit more obscure and not well supported like main platforms. Resources can be tough.
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I find it that people don’t respect the cars because they never owned one or tried to build one (or a tleast properly as some will say “there’s nothing for this car, i tried”).
Also I feel that most younger generation compare cars rather than appreciate a car for what it is. They would compare an S13 to a _______ or an Evo to a _______.
In the US, definitely a lot of FWD cars like the Mazda 626 never gets love.. dare I say Mx3/6, SVX, XT… as well (even though I know the enthusiasts community exists).
AE92 corollas, older Camrys, Even Lexus ES250. Infiniti G20s.
Maybe old Mitsubishi Mirages, Mazda 323….
My bias.
The Infiniti M30 gets this false respect. I say that because people want to make it an S13, so they just don’t respect the car as it is. They hate its AT, they hate it isn’t the IRS like S13s, the hate the VG30… When these guys get an M30, they often abuse the car and it just degrades. It is what it is though and it aint my car or money. But people need to stop acting like they respect the car when they don’t even put any effort to make it better.
As for the M30 in Japan…. the community there can’t understand why such a rare car is always in bad condition (when they see American owners post) and why the M30s are always being changed. They highly value the M30 and especially the M30 convertible because it is the version of the F31 they didn’t get domestically. The M30s that are in Japan (at least the ones my friends own) are well maintained and are taken cared of.
The Honda City Turbo. Sure it’s looks were questionable with it’s tall roof and short wheelbase. And Honda definitely had more sportier alternatives for buyers in the way of the CRX SI, Integra and the Civic. But surely there’s something to be said for a 1600lb 108hp Kei Rocketship! Looks aren’t everything and I think anyone who has had the opportunity to drive or ride in a City Turbo has come away with a smile on their face.
Sure you see the occasional one at a car meet or show but it’s usually looked at more as an oddity… Which is a shame because I think the City Turbo deserves to be seen as a legitimate performance hatchback rather than the funny little clown car so many seem to label it as….
I’m going to go with either the V20 gen Camry, or the Suzuki Samurai. While the Jimny is quite popular over in Japan for offroading, the Samurai is looked down upon in The States as being a cheap throwaway car without most of a second thought. As for the Camry, it’s usually just regarded as a “grandma’s car” or “Ol’ Faithful”. I do have to agree with Jeremy A. about the 280ZX. I think the 280 gets ratted on for not being ___Z or just being called the ugly one.