Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What’s the most annoying stereotype about old Japanese cars?
The sixth(!) installment of the Fast & Furious movies has set a new record as the biggest opening weekend ka-ching in the history of both Memorial Day and Universal Studios. 1969 Mustangs, Jensen Interceptors and MkI Escorts were destroyed in glorious fashion, … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged fast & furious, mazda, QotW, Question of the Week, wheels
49 Comments
EVENTS: Shokuji J-Tin, Part 01 – Wangan Style
Last year a fantastic new show called the Bayline Gathering emerged on the NorCal scene. It brought out some of the best cars the region had to offer and filled a void that desperately needed filling. Last month, the organizers were … Continue reading
Announcing the 2013 Nissan Jam
There’s an exciting new car show coming to SoCal this summer. The Nissan Jam is the brain child of the folks who are responsible for the world famous Japanese Classic Car Show, and we at JNC are proud to be on board … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the coolest OEM wheel?
Seeing various AE86s, Celicas Cressidas at Toyotafest got our brain gears turning. We’ve asked you before about the coolest vintage barrel because Japanese racing alloys are an indelible part of the JNC culture. But not everyone can afford or find a … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged 240sx, nissan, QotW, s13, silvia, supra, toyota, wheels
30 Comments
Made in the 80s now available online!
At Toyotafest, our Made in the 80s shirts and decals sold out faster than dime bags of Colombian snow on Sunset Boulevard circa 1983. If you missed them and are itchin’ for a fix of 80s love, they are now … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2013 All-Toyotafest, Part 04 — The Angular Eighties
Though just the size of California, by the 1980s Japan had become the world’s premier industrial giant. With unprecedented growth and technology advancements, Nihon’s cars of this Bubble Economy, especially Toyotas, established a unique design philosophy that was on full … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2013 All-Toyotafest, Part 02 — The Seventies
As we mentioned, there was more urethane than chrome at this year’s Toyotafest. Still, it’s the strong presence of Aichi classics that anchor this must-see event and separate it from other shows.
QotW: What’s the greatest JNC of the 1980s?
If the question was simply the greatest JNC, it would be hard not to choose something legendary like a 2000GT or KPGC10. But since we’re on an 80s kick with our Made in the 80s theme for Toyotafest, let’s limit … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
36 Comments
JNC GEAR: Made in the 80s
JNC‘s 25-years-or-older rule has put the nostalgic cutoff at 1988. It’s time we embraced the 80s. This year, our annual Toyotafest shirt debut will be a tribute to the boxy designs of the techno-funk decade, the Turbo Era, the Bubble … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Million Dollar Baby: 1967 Toyota 2000GT
A couple of weeks ago John wrote about a 1967 Toyota 2000GT that had come up for auction with an expected fetch of $650,000 to $850,000. We rarely do a followup on Kidney Cars but this one bears mentioning. This … Continue reading
ART CORNER: Toyota 4A-GE made of Legos
In retrospect it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to build an 80s Toyota out of Legos; they’re all pretty darn boxy. But an iconic 80s Toyota engine? Well, a Lego artiste by the name of Solde has created a plastic … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest Japanese Nostalgic Motorcycle?
We talk a lot about cars here, but really, the most Japanese form of transportation is the motorcycle. From pimped scooters to crotch rockets the variety and performance spectrum of Nihon’s bikes is just as great as that of their … Continue reading
Posted in honda, Question of the Week
Tagged civic, cvcc, honda, QotW, Question of the Week, sb1
23 Comments
QotW: What’s the most environmentally friendly JNC?
Today is Earth Day, and JNCs have always been at the forefront of environmentally friendly motoring. If it wasn’t for the Oil Crisis of 1973, JNCs may not have even entered the mainstream automotive world. From kei cars to hybrids … Continue reading
Posted in honda, Question of the Week
Tagged crx, fj40, honda, land cruiser, QotW, Question of the Week, toyota
18 Comments
MOTORSPORT: Mazda is the official car of the SCCA
Mazda often boasts that on any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on racetracks than any other marque. As such, it was already the de facto car of the SCCA, but now it’s officially official. Mazda is the car of the Sports … Continue reading
Posted in mazda, motorsport
Tagged 787, demio, fb, fd, grand-am, imsa, mazda, mazda 2, mazda 6, miata, motorsport, mx-5, mx-6, rx-7, sa22, scca, yojiro terada
13 Comments
EVENTS: Formula D Round One / AE86 Nights, Part 02
In Part 01 of our coverage from last weekend’s SoCal car scene we watched the opening round of the 2013 Formula D season. After the smoke settled in Long Beach everyone booked it across the southland to El Monte for some grassroots … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best Japanese nostalgic SUV?
We’ve asked you before what’s the coolest Japanese nostalgic truck, and the comments were as diverse as they were plentiful thanks to Nihon having pioneered the mini-truck segment altogether. However, Japan was also building SUVs before the term SUV even … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged fj40, land cruiser, QotW, Question of the Week, toyota
13 Comments
