Author Archives: Ben Hsu

Friday Video: Dekotora Chase!

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The 1996 film Super-Woman was not in fact about an ultra-strong female hero, but a cashier who uncovers shady dealings at a rival supermarket chain. The Japanese love of abbreviation strikes again! The movie would be altogether unremarkable except for a … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota, Video Games | Tagged dekotora, Friday Video, toyota | 9 Comments

Your gallery of Superdeformed Nostalgics is here

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Ben Hsu

In case you were wondering where you could get your favorite nostalgic drawn in superdeformed anime style, your prayers have been answered. This unnamed master of Choro-Q style illustrations is a master of the form. Peep the gallery and video … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, prince, subaru, suzuki, toyota | Tagged 110s, 2000gt, 240z, 240zg, 260z, 280z, 430, a20, anime, axio, b10, b210, barikan, c210, cedric, celica, concept, contessa, corolla, corona, cosmo, cosmo sport, coupe 9, crown, datsun, debonair, dome zero, eunos, ex-7, excellent, fairlady z, fronte, galant gto, gemini, hino, honda, isuzu, kujira, laurel, mazda, mitsubishi, ms65, nissan, nsx, pf50, prince, progres, r30, rt40, rx-3, s30, s60, savanna, skyline, skyline sport, subaru, subaru 360, sunny, suzuki, t40, ta22, toyota | 11 Comments

Early Japanese classics among top emerging collectibles says Hagerty

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Ben Hsu

With all the automotive madness whipped up by the Arizona auctions week, let’s take a look at how it affects the nostalgic car scene. First, collector car insurance company Hagerty issued a press release identifying three “segments represent[ing] a group … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, kei, nissan, subaru, toyota, wagons | Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, 280zx, 510, barikan, bluebird, corona, cr-x, crx, datsun, fairlady z, fj40, honda, kei, land cruiser, n600, nissan, rt40, s130, s30, s500, s600, s800, shovelnose, subaru, subaru 360, t40, wagon | 18 Comments

Cedric-Corolla switcheroo pulls off 300 million yen heist

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The biggest robbery in Japanese history took place on December 10, 1968. On that day, duralumin cases with the year-end bonuses for an entire Tokyo Shibaura Electric (now Toshiba) factory was to be delivered by the Kokobunji branch of the … Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, toyota | Tagged 300 million yen incident, bluebird, cedric, corolla, datsun, e10, ke10, nissan, prince, skyline, toyota | 11 Comments

The Story of Ronald Reagan’s Subaru BRAT

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Here’s proof that Subies aren’t all driven by tree-hugging bleeding hearts. At least one was driven by a tax-slashing, commie-hating Reagan-style capitalist — Ronald Reagan himself. We mentioned the Gipper’s Subaru BRAT a couple of years ago, but now Benjamin Preston of Petersen’s 4Wheel … Continue reading →

Posted in subaru | Tagged brat, fuji heavy industries, ronald reagan, subaru | 10 Comments

The Story of Diane Krey, the “Mary” behind the Kenmeri Skyline

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The C10 hakosuka GT-R made “Skyline” a legend among Japanese gearheads, but the C110 kenmeri made it a household name. Its popularity was due in no small part to the now re-famous Ken & Mary television commercials that gave the fourth-gen Skyline its nickname and … Continue reading →

Posted in cm, nissan | Tagged c110, datsun, diane krey, jimmy zinnai, kenmeri, kgc110, kpgc110, nissan, skyline | 34 Comments

Friday Video: Mitsubishi Colt Targa in Armor of God

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Twenty-five years ago the film Armour of God broke the following things: Hong Kong’s box office records, a tree in Yugoslavia, and, in a stunt gone awry, Jackie Chan‘s skull. Chan was rushed to the hospital to remove a fragment … Continue reading →

Posted in mitsubishi, Video Games | Tagged armour of god, colt, jackie chan, mirage, mitsubishi, montero, pajero, shogun, starion | 10 Comments

Animated Hondas from new “Blue Skies for our Children” ad campaign

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Honda’s new ad campaign features some animated classics and a Watchmen-like generational mirror. The only question that remains is why, when the son gets to the EG, doesn’t slam it while riding around in baseball hat cocked at a 45 … Continue reading →

Posted in cm, honda | Tagged accord, civic, cm, honda | 8 Comments

JNC Project Hako and Kev’s Sexy Aussie Accent

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Listen to those sonorous vowels flow from the maw of JNC Aussie editor Kevin San as he talks to Hoon TV about his world-famous Project Hako.

Posted in Friday Video, nissan, project hako | Tagged c10, datsun, Hakosuka, kevin san, kgc10, kpgc10, nissan, project hako, skyline | 13 Comments

Scion FR-S Drifter and First 86 Program

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Toyota made two announcements today regarding the US-badged neo-hachiroku. Firstly, ToMoCo expects sales to be so piping hot that they built a website just to give the enthusiasts a chance to be one of the initial (no pun intended) 86 … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged ae86, drifting, fr-s, gt 86, hachiroku, ken gushi, scion, toyota, toyota 86 | 6 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? Frame-off Restored 1981 Toyota Hilux Trekker

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Ben Hsu

A die-hard Toyota truck nut (not to be confused with the plural) in Southern Pines, North Carolina has conducted a frame-off restoration of a 1981 Toyota Hilux Trekker. These ur-4Runners started out as a half-built Hilux pickups, which were then … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota, trucks | Tagged hilux, kidney anyone, pickup, toyota, trekker | 12 Comments

Friday Video: Liberty Walk’s Boso Roots

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Ben Hsu

We first caught up with JDM tuning house Liberty Walk a couple of years ago at SEMA when we saw their catalog for the mini-hako. Sadly, it wasn’t on hand because LB was there to promote their main business of … Continue reading →

Posted in Friday Video, nissan | Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, bosozoku, c10, c110, c210, datsun, fairlady z, garuchan, Hakosuka, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, liberty walk, motorcycles, nissan, police, skyline, wataru kato, yonmeri | 7 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? Toyota Celica TA64 Group 4 Rally Car

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Even if you were a mere fetus in the mid-80s, you must know by know of the legendary Group B rally cars — machines like the Audi Quattro, Ford RS200 and Peugeot 205 Turbo — that kicked off the AWD … Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, motorsports, toyota | Tagged 152e, a60, celica, group 4, group b, kidney anyone, ra63, ra64, rally, tct, toyota, wrc | 7 Comments

Aoshima Gurachan Collection Nissan Fairlady 240ZG

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Yesterday we showed you some Aoshima 1/6 models of vintage Japanese racing barrels. On the opposite end of the scale scale Aoshima offers these bosozoku sleds from the 1/64 Gurachan Collection. The series has been out for a while, but … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars, nissan | Tagged 240z, 240zg, 260z, 280z, a20, aoshima, bosozoku, c10, c130, celica, chaser, cressida, datsun, fairlady z, gt-r, gurachan, gx61, Hakosuka, kgc10, kpgc10, laurel, mark II, mazda, minicars, nissan, rx-3, s30, savanna, skyline, x60 | 6 Comments

JNC’s Top Stories of 2011

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Ben Hsu

As the year draws to a close, we’d like to wish all JNCers a happy new year. May all your roads be smooth, and your all schools be old. For this year’s nengajou, we chose this photo of the real-life version … Continue reading →

Posted in jnc | 7 Comments

Fuji-go and Sakura-go Ride Again

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Ben Hsu

53 years ago, Nissan sent a pair of Datsun 210 sedans to compete in what was known as the “World’s Cruelest Rally.” The 1958 Around-Australia Mobilgas Trial was a tortuous, 19-day circumnavigation around the continent, over mostly unpaved roads. Named … Continue reading →

Posted in motorsports, nissan | Tagged 210, bluebird, datsun, fuji-go, mobilgas trial, motorsports, mr k, nissan, rally, sakura-go, yutaka katayama | 5 Comments

Toyota 86 and Sports 800 reunited for the holidays

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Ben Hsu

It may be AE86 Jr., but when the holidays come the Toyota 86 prefers to spend time with its great grandpa, the Sports 800. A picture perfect family reunion, or is this Toyota telling us, “Hey, we made a front-engined, … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged 86, ae86, fr-s, ft-86, gt 86, hachiroku, scion, sports 800, toyota | 8 Comments

Subaru’s 1986 XT Turbo Restoration

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Strolling the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center at last month’s SEMA show, we were blown away by Subaru of America‘s impeccable 1986 XT Turbo. It’s not every day that you see a fully restored 1980s tech wedge, so we … Continue reading →

Posted in subaru | Tagged alcyone, sema, subaru, xt | 21 Comments

Haunted by the Ghosts of Nostalgics Past

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Ben Hsu

For someone who loves driving, I am notoriously bad at recognizing landmarks. It’s embarrassing, really. Ex-girlfriends have raised many an eyebrow, astonished at how I could fail to notice — even though “we’ve passed by a thousand times” — that a new … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged japan, publica, publica 800, shibuya, toyota, up20 | 5 Comments

Merry Christmas from JNC

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Ben Hsu

We at JNC would like to wish you a Merry Christmas. May your travels in an old, airbag-less car be safe and your stockings filled with rare NOS parts. And if you are absolutely sick of hearing “Silent Night” over … Continue reading →

Posted in jnc | Tagged city, gloria, honda, jnc, kishidan, nissan | 7 Comments