Author Archives: Ben Hsu
VIDEO: KE10 and AE86 shill for 2014 Toyota Corolla
The latest commercial for the 2014 Toyota Corolla will either make you think Toyota is pretty rad or ruin your entire day. The spot titled “Step Up to Style” starts with cool 60s daddy-os groovin’ with a KE10. Flash forward … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? $1,600 Datsun steering wheel watch auctioned at Bonhams
We’d gladly give up our internal organs for ridiculously rare cars, but a wristwatch? Amidst all the excitement over million dollar Toyotas at the Monterey Historics we nearly overlooked the fact that a rare Datsun timepiece sold for $1,586 at … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the hardest work you’ve put into a JNC?
This long weekend was Labor Day here in America. In theory, you’re supposed to be free from work during its observance, but most car guys spent it wrenching. What’s the hardest work you’ve put into a JNC? This is not … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1968 Toyota 2000GT follow-up
Recently a second Toyota 2000GT went up for auction. When the bidding was over, the gavel fell on $935,000 for the 1968 Belatrix Yellow supercar. While it fell slightly short of the $1.2 million baby from Texas earlier this year, … Continue reading
EVENTS: Nisei Week Stancenation & Showoff
Nisei Week has been a Los Angeles institution for nearly two decades. For years the car show capping off a week of Little Tokyo cultural festivities has been a showcase of nisei automotive culture, but now the torch has been … Continue reading
QotW: What non-car Japanese nostalgic vehicle would you love to drive?
We just spent two days driving every new Nissan vehicle produces, from the Moco kei car to the Cabstar truck (more on this soon). Which got us thinking: What non-car Japanese nostalgic vehicle would you love to drive? By 1974 … Continue reading
CRYSTAL, ANYONE? Breaking Bad Toyota Tercel 4WD Wagon
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you probably know that a little TV program called Breaking Bad is heading chaotically towards its series finale. Only six episodes of the show remain and filming has already wrapped. That’s why one of its … Continue reading
Posted in for sale, toyota, Video Games
Tagged Breaking Bad, sprinter carib, tercel, toyota
4 Comments
EVENTS: Vintage Auto Salon, Part 03 – Bayline Cruisers
For the third and final installment of our Vintage Auto Salon coverage, we take a look at cars that aren’t necessarily the rarest or the sportiest. Instead, this motley crew is comprised of bone stock survivors, tough trucks, and wicked … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC will the valet park front and center at the opera?
You’re piloting your dream Japanese classic, its drop dead sexiness outshined only by your spouse in the passenger seat, dressed to the nines in an evening gown (or tuxedo, we don’t discriminate). Lights dance across the gleaming hood as you … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week, vans
Tagged delica, mitsubishi, previa, Question of the Week, toyota, vans
13 Comments
EVENTS: Vintage Auto Salon, Part 02 – Light, Quick, Agile
Despite holding three shows in one year’s time, including one just three months ago, the variety of cars that come out of NorCal’s woodwork for Historic J events never disappoints. In Part 02 (Here’s Part 01 if you missed it) … Continue reading
EVENTS: Vintage Auto Salon, Part 01 – JDM Machines
Vintage Auto Salon is the third show of its kind held by Historic J, the team that’s quickly becoming the de facto force for nostalgics in the Bay Area. Though co-founders James Vorasane and Ivan Jarmillo are both Americans, their events … Continue reading
Posted in events, nissan, toyota
Tagged 240z, c10, celica, corolla, csp311, daruma, datsun, fairlady z, gc10, Hakosuka, historic J, levin, mango, nissan, r30, rocky auto, s30, silvia, skyline, sports 800, ta22, te27, toyota, Vintage Auto Salon, Yoshiya Watanabe
16 Comments
NEWS: So apparently Felix Wankel was a big fat Nazi
Today, August 13, is Felix Wankel‘s birthday. Mazdafarians might know him as the father of the rotary engine. Until now, much of his history had been either unexplored or glossed over. On the official Mazda website, they describe him only … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest Japanese nostalgic van?
We just finished a 1,500 mile road trip with a Toyota Sienna SE (more on this later), which we are ready to crown as the greatest minivan ever made. The only problem: it’ll be 2036 before it’s officially nostalgic. Not … Continue reading
NOSTALGIC LIFE: Towing anything, anywhere, anytime.
Oh, the machinery we would put in the JNC dream garage. You cannot even imagine. The rarest twin-cam Toyotas, ex-works Nissan racers, immaculate rotaries, obscure kei cars. It would be downright pornographic, I tell you. No matter what though, our fantasy fleet always has … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your fondest hachiroku memory?
Tomorrow, August 6, is 86 Day and cities on both sides of the Pacific are gearing up for a celebration of the last FR Corolla. It’s perhaps a special one this year, as the Initial D story has come to … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged ae86, corolla, levin, QotW, Question of the Week, sprinter, toyota, trueno
21 Comments
JNC GARAGE: Ben’s 1980 Toyota Celica Supra
On Monday Toyota UK posted a history of the Supra. This led at least one major media outlet to wonder aloud whether it had anything to do with rumors of the nameplate’s revival. Sadly, that same major media outlet led … Continue reading
NEWS: After 18 years of touge battles, this is how Initial D ends
The final chapter of the long running manga Initial D was released yesterday in Japan. After 18 years of publication the hugely influential story that introduced touge battles and the glory of RWD Japanese cars to a whole generation of … Continue reading
