Japanese Nostalgic Car

Today, September 21, is officially Lightweight Day in Japan, established by Kawakami Sangyo Co., Ltd., a Nagoya bubble wrap manufacturer. Kawakami literally means “river’s source” and thus chose the water nymph Naiad from Greek mythology as their symbol. Naiad also happens to be the third moon of Neptune, the ninth planet according to Kawakami, this making Lightweight Day the third Monday of the ninth month (nevermind that Neptune’s really the eighth planet).

Dilettantes obsess over horsepower, but connoisseurs care about weight. And Japan is known for its many lightweight, nimble, and well-balanced cars, from Datsun 510s to Toyota AE86s to Mazda Miatas to Acura Integras.

What’s your ultimate lightweight JNC?

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 best story about moving a dead car?“. Continue reading →

Being into old cars, most of us have almost certainly been in a situation where we’ve had to move a completely dead car. Maybe something went catstrophically wrong while on the road, or maybe you had to rescue a car that was destined for the crusher. Perhaps you had to rely on a janky improvised wheel chuck, some life-saving tool like an electric drill-powered winch, or the power of friendship. Anytime there’s two tons of steel free rolling there’s the potential for tragedy or a great anecdote.

What’s your best story about moving a dead car?

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 song or jingle associated with a car?“. Continue reading →

Yesterday, September 7, was Commercial Song Day in Japan (it was also Labor Day in the US so we had the day off). On that day in 1951, radio stations in Japan aired the country’s first commercial jingle. It was actually an entire song, “I’m an Amateur Photographer“, about a man who tries to take pictures of his girlfriend but which end up all being out of focus. It was written specifically to promote Konishiroku Photo’s (now Konica Minolta) Sakura brand of film. Notably, it never actually mentions Sakura or Konishiroku by name.

As applied to cars, when I’ve looked at my old Toyotas (4Runner and A70 Supra) I can’t help but hum two songs. One is the “I Love What You Do For Me, Toyota” jingle, and the other is Huey Lewis’s “Power of Love” from Back to the Future, even though Marty’s dream Toyota pickup is first shown several minutes after that song is used in the movie.

What’s your favorite song or jingle associated with a car?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What other ‘outdated’ things do you enjoy?” Continue reading →

Recently my 7-year-old has become obsessed with DVDs. He was born in an age where everything you could ever want to watch is on-demand. He can’t fully grasp it when I explain (in old prospector’s voice) that back in my day, you had to remember what time your show aired, sit through opening credits, endure commercial breaks, and wait a week for the next episode. Sure, DVDs aren’t that old, but they aren’t as “convenient” as Netflix either, yet he loves holding the physical disc, studying the art, sorting the boxes. I realized that very few things in his world are tangible: video games, music, books, photo albums, receipts, calculators, maps, etc. To most people, the cars JNCers love are old and archaic, but we know newer does not equal better. Here’s hoping that my son’s love for DVDs translates into a love or analog cars as he gets older, outdated as they might be.

What other ‘outdated’ things do you enjoy?

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 JGTC livery?” Continue reading →

The All-Japan Grand Touring Championship was a golden age of Japanese motorsport. Heavy hitters like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda duked it out for glory in the GT500 class, while Subaru, Mazda and second-tier models like MR2s and Silvias competed in the GT300 class. Not to mention, it was the first multi-marque series that Lamborghini ever competed in, along with other European names like McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari. JGTC gave us some of the most iconic liveries to ever grace a race car, often headlined by aftermarket and automotive brands that owners could find on shelves at auto parts stores. The fact that the liveries appeared in games like Gran Turismo only fueled the craze. Enthusiasts today still remember these battle colors fondly and lament them when they’re gone.

What’s your favorite JGTC livery?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the most inexpensive way to command respect at Car Week?“. Continue reading →