QotW: What about your current JNC made you to buy it?

Sometimes, when we see a car, it’s love at first sight. An example of this is the primal reaction to motor show unveils (as in last week’s QotW). A car can have that special “something” that shoots straight to your heart, and puts blinders over your eyes to any mechanical annoyances or glaring faults.

For me, retractable headlamps has been a repeat offense. 80 percent of all vehicles I’ve owned have had pop-ups. They are impractical, can be costly to fix, and can leave you looking foolish if they go haywire — but they are so cool looking! I’ve bought cars hook, line and sinker for this very feature, despite the presence of rust, engine gremlins and transmission issues.

What about your current JNC made you to buy it?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How excited are you about the new Supra?” 

Last week we asked your impression of the unveiled Supra (GR spec’d at least). Though many had several positive and concerned opinions; it’s no doubt the Supra made waves and will continue to do so until we can get in them on the showroom floor.

The post by RX626 caught our eye. Not for deep analysis, but for the glimmer of hope that may be down the road: Old school tuners getting their hands on these beasts and opening up the raw power. I’m talking about, well, RX626 said it best;

“…Top Secret, Abflug, JUN, Blitz … I hope to Japanese tuners make exciting Supra again.”

You and me both. I hope to see the old school tuners bring some old tricks to this new dog.

Omedetou! Your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop.

JNC Decal smash

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21 Responses to QotW: What about your current JNC made you to buy it?

  1. TommyGUN says:

    Some of the more “modern” cars have them too but nevertheless..

    ..the tape deck.

    It’s nice to pop in an old Maxell mixed tape and reminisce about the good ol’ days!

  2. Martin says:

    I bought Mazda 929L HV. There was quite a lot of things that i loved about her (yeah I am a wierdo who is giving name to his cars 😀 ). The biggest factor was her chassis. I love big 80´s boxy Wagons, I do not know exactly why, but I do. Secondly, she is RWD. Lastly it is her big and comfy interior, there is something different about her deep blue plush seats, it is like sitting on sofa. You just fall in and relax. By the way her name is Yunko (純子)

  3. Dave Patten says:

    My current JNC is a Datsun 510 vintage racer. What feature made me buy it?

    Well it wasn’t a design feature as much as it was the car’s ability to perform.

    As a 14 year old kid. I saw the #46 BRE Datsun 510 in its very first TransAm 2.5 race, May 1971. The race didn’t go very well, they lost the diff early on. But in true BRE fashion they repaired the car and got it back on track many laps down.

    The amazing feat was John Morton had the car going so quickly they were able to pass the 2.5 leader multiple times and unwind some of the laps they had lost in the pits.

    That experience is why I have owned/built several Datsun 510s in both street and race trim.

  4. Subaru GL10: Digital Dashboard
    MX83 Cressida: Tail lights, pop out climate control and functional AC
    CA Accords: Pop up headlights and pop out windows
    EF Civic Si: Street racing fantasies I had as a teenager (I’ve owned this car since I graduated)

  5. Jason Ward says:

    I have always had a love for Mitsubishi 2 doors and set myself a goal to own one of every rwd ’70s Mitsubishi 2 door, a goal I have now achieved with my 1979 Galant/Scorpion/Sapporo/Challenger.
    My list of ownership includes A53H Galant, A112H Galant, A53C Galant GTO and an A73 Lancer

  6. Jose Vera says:

    The Rotary Engine. First time I heard one with headers (through muffler) it was love at first heard. Had five of them since. Restoring my latest ’78 RX3SP.

  7. Banpei says:

    What made me buy the AE86? The 7800 rpm redline of course! 😀

  8. DH says:

    My 1980 RX-7: the factory-option, rear plate delete plate with the handscript-style “RX-7” on it. The script is so obviously a scan of someone’s handwriting that it’s both a bit shocking and lovely at the same time.

    My 1976 Celica: the Dragon emblem. To me, it always reminded me of a Viking ship, but it’s apparently a dragon, so I’ll go with dragon. Sitting on a Viking ship.

  9. Gabriel Ronquillo says:

    I bought my 91 Civic Si because I always wanted one. Back when I was in middle school, my aunt was baby sitting a kid and his dad had an EF. He gave me a ride once and it felt like the fastest car in the world, and it was definitely much cooler than my dad’s Nissan Quest. After I got my license, I started hanging out at local car meets, and there was a red EF there with an LS VTEC setup. It was a complete monster, made big power, and looked rad. I was sold. It took me almost 10 years to finally be in the position to buy a nice EF (red too!).

    So to sum it up – I bought on the nostalgia. Sure, it’s a capable platform with a huge aftermarket, but it was purchased on the memory I had of these cars growing up, which is why I’ve put the car together with only period correct parts.

  10. Joel says:

    My MKIII Supra Turbo. Got it because it wasn’t a DSM, Mustang, or Camaro. Love the smooth inline 6 power. Good aftermarket support. Comfortable and fast.

  11. bob dadd says:

    My most recent JNC was about as close as I am going to come to turning the clock back to 1978 when my father showed up in a twin to the car I purchased (see link below) recently. By the time he purchased this car I had already been aware of the S30 Z cars (a yellow 240z was my earliest recollection and I was smitten) and at the time our family still owned the ’73 Celica ST they bought new in 1973.

    The 280z was a special car for the family and even though it was only around for 4 years and 92k miles I can still recall how special it was to ride in that car for hours at a time (trips to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving and Christmas) with my father. Even today some 40 years later the simple task of driving the car or even changing the oil or washing and waxing can bring back so many fond memories.

    https://www.motorcarclassics.com/1978-datsun-280z-c-92.htm

  12. Pippin Osborne says:

    In the summer of 1990, I was 32 and I had just bought and registered my first vehicle, A 1984? Toyota wedge van. Driving this van was somewhat disappointing but it was perfect for my business and damn, it did amazing donuts. haha

    I had always loved cars and had Can Am and drag racing posters on the walls of my room when I was a kid. As a kind of geeky kid, I build dozen’s of plastic scale models of these kinds of cars as well as muscle and pony cars. I would have had posters of the 240Z and built models of it too if they were available. When I turned 16, my life changed and I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 28. I rode and raced my bike. I worked in the bicycle industry and had always ridden my bike everywhere but, in 1989, my bike parts manufacturing company needed a vehicle to take our parts to and from the anodizing shop etc.

    Shortly after my disappointing purchase I was walking back to work, after lunch, when a white flash in the corner of my eye, caught my attention. It was a Z32 Twin Turbo Nissan 300ZX. I had never seen one before. The car was going way too fast and was in a drift. I was instantly in awe of the design and the sinuous curves of the car as I watched it go from smoking squealing drift, straight to the scene of the accident. My workmate and I immediately ran over to make sure that no one was hurt. They were fine but the car and the Jeep that it hit were probably write offs. The driver was a Nissan salesman, in a company demo car with a client. Haha. I’ve always wondered if the client eventually bought one. I have never forgotten that moment and the shape of that car was etched in my mind, forever.

    In 1991 my company Shanghaied my Toyota van and I bought a new 91 Toyota 4Runner 2 door. Had it for 20 yr and loved it for almost 500k. I later bought a few pickups and ended up in 2015 with a 2007 Toyota Tacoma 4X4.

    It had been a decade since I needed a 4X4 pickup, no idea why I bought it except that I had wanted one a decade before. I started complaining to my friends about how boring it was driving the Tacoma, even thought it was perfect for what it was designed to do. They encouraged me to change my mind and try something fun. I instantly thought back to the 300ZX. I searched high and low to find one that was aesthetically clean and a bit stronger than stock.

    Last fall, I found a beautiful 1992 example. Its almost show quality but with 600+hp. The test drive was an emotional experience. After bringing it home and driving a few more and longer drives, I realized that I’d bitten off way too much. The car had full tread but17yr old, rock hard tires and way too much power for my skills. It scared the hell out of me.

    I sold my Tacoma and had to buy a daily driver so I looked around again and found a 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-T for a pretty good deal. (they are cheap here in Canada) I thought that a stock R34 would be the perfect “trainer car” so I started auto crossing and learned so much, thanks to the community. I also took the Skyline to track days 3 times last summer and again learned and built confidence.

    This year I’ve got some fresh R compound rubber on the 300, fresh brakes and fluids, and we’re going to the track, still with some trepidation. Learning!

    So, the boredom of owning a 2007 Toyota Tacoma was the inspiration to my new JNC life. I’ve always loved cars and now, at 60, I finally have not 1 but 2.

  13. Phil says:

    I was given the task of disposing of a 1989 Toyota Celsior for a gentleman whose marriage was going to be in jeopardy if said car wasn’t removed from its resting place in his front yard. It turns out that it had been parked up for some years because of a failed water pump.
    Rather than lift roughly with a crane on to the truck then transport it to certain doom, the decision was made to connect a jumper pack to the battery and see what would happen. Sure enough the 1uz v8 burst into life and idled like it was driven the day before. That very moment my friends was the beginning of a love affair. There were some minor repairs and maintenance to appease the authorities for registration and the rest as they say is history. The sheer music produced by the Japanese V8 was all it took. You can keep your screaming turbo’s and your cannon exhausts. Give me the open road, an old home made mix cassette and the burble of a 4.0 OHC Japanese aluminium V8.

    • Mark Newton-John says:

      An 89 Celsior? That’s a rare bird. Toyota only wanted Lexus to be an export brand at the time, so they came up with the Celsior name for home market LS400s. At least you can get parts.

  14. Don Scott says:

    My ’91 Miata SE was starting to look a bit worn, and miles on it were getting close to 100k, so I found a ’01 SE with 4,800 miles on the odo. I sold my ’91 to a friend and it has 260k miles on it now. My ’01 has yet reach the 30,000 mile mark, so likely I will keep it another ten years.

  15. Jeremy A. says:

    Several things about my current JNC made me buy it. The big Z on the hood, the fact that it’s an S130. But I’m an absolute sucker for 80s nostalgia, so the T-Bar roof, digital dashboard and turbocharger were what sealed the deal and made sure my current ’83 S130 would become my JNC of choice.

  16. Angelo says:

    Well, my first car ended up being a rusty, but good-running JNC. I was very reluctant at first, but when I layed eyes in her in the flesh… I knew, I just had to buy her. That was despite my family’s hate for the car.

    My 1989 Nissan Sentra ain’t fast, she doesn’t turn heads, but what she does is give me a very big smile whenever I drive her. That small, carbureted engine just… Damn, every rev feels like you’re a rebel.

    It’s only been a few months since ownership, and yet, here I am, decided to keep the car for more years to come.

    She’s out in front, just waiting to rack up some more K’s. I’m working to fixing her up bit by bit.

  17. Negishi noi Keibajo says:

    Suzuki Samurai Tin Top: Do more with less.
    Autozam AZ-1: Do more with less.

  18. vic says:

    My 1972 Celica RA21. Bought it in December 1972. At the time, was comparing the Celica and the Vega GT. Thank goodness I picked the Celica. The dash layout with full instrumentation, list of standard features – options for many other vehicles – and styling was what won me over. Still have the car!

  19. MikeRL411 says:

    1967RL411, It fit my 4 foot 11 inch tall newly licensed wife and our 3 kids and had the automatic transmission option. And the 411 was my favorite taxi while in Japan. Reliable ? yes, 3 of the original Toshiba headlights still work, the fourth was broken in a parking lot hit.

  20. Pete wong says:

    Any of my 5 rotary Mazdas. Rotary for life.

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