Japanese Nostalgic Car

I haven’t really searched for a car on the internet in almost a decade. I tend to be very specific about the cars I want, and that one was a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser 40th Anniversary Edition in Antique Sage with triple lockers (not the one pictured above). J80s were just on the cusp of skyrocketing in price, so it was still possible to find one listed as a used car. I searched the main sites (Autotrader, Cars.com, eBay, Craigslist/SearchTempest) daily and found one within the 2-month timeframe that I had. It had some dings and was located in North Carolina, but the asking price was reasonable.

These days, there are so many sites, algorithms, and flippers that it’s nearly impossible to cast a country-wide net. Do you sift through the detritus on a mainstream site to find a deal, or try to beat the scalpers that lurk on Facebook Marketplace for a living? Japanese cars are no longer a “secret” so many are appearing on classic car sites like Hemmings. I try to avoid collector car auction sites because by definition an auction means you’re paying the maximum possible market value. And don’t even get me started on the physical auctions like Barrett-Jackson.

How do you find the car of your dreams for sale?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your most terrifying near miss story?“. Continue reading →

Today, March 23, is Near Miss Day, commemorating the day in 1989 when the asteroid 4581 Asclepius got close enough to Earth that astronomers thought we might end up like the dinosaurs. That would almost be as bad as if something were to damage your car. A few years ago, I took my 66,000-mile Lexus SC300 factory 5-speed for a completely unnecessary drive just to stretch its legs. I noticed something I never see while in my daily: a large truck wheel bouncing over the freeway median. It was headed right toward me. Luckily there was space enough to swerve two lanes, and a second later it obliterated the front end of the Prius that had been behind me.

What’s your most terrifying near miss story?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How did you learn to drive?“. Continue reading →

Today, March 16, is Driving Instructor Day, an occasion to honor those who teach others how to drive. As this 1960 photo from Minami Fukuoka Driving School shows, it can be a dreary existence repeating the same meandering route many times a day. During my first on-road lesson, my instructor and I came up on a cop that had pulled someone over on our route. “Slow down,” my instructor said, rolling down his window as we neared. As we passed traffic stop he stuck his head out of the car and yelled, “Fuck you!” as he gave him the bird. It was quite the education.

How did you learn to drive?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Who in the automotive community would you like to say thank you to?“. Continue reading →

Today, March 9, is “Thanks Day” in Japan, created because three (san) and nine (kyu) sound like “thank you” when said together. These days, saying thanks almost seems like a lost art, what with everyone on social media so obsessed with self-promotion. Back in the forum days, you could ask a question, receive an answer, and actually thank someone for their help. And there are so many people in the auto industry that deserve our thanks.

On one end of the spectrum there’s executives like Akio Toyoda carrying the torch for fun cars, or the nameless engineers that invented the Honda K engine. On the other end there’s the organizer of your local coffee shop meet or the friend who helps you bleed the brakes. There are so many people who help keep car culture alive.

Who in the automotive community would you like to say thank you to?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite automotive miniature of all time?“. Continue reading →