Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Shakotan: You know your car is low when…
Actually, the road-mopping tsurikawa is laying flat with the help of a carabiner, but the point is nevertheless made. This super slammed A40 Celica honestly couldn’t be any lower without that rear diffuser getting caught on a manhole cover, but is this … Continue reading
Tomica R30 Skyline Super Silhouette is among the most detailed 1/64 cars ever
Since Tomica‘s sponsorship of Masahiro Hasemi‘s actual Group 5 R30 Skyline Super Silhouette back in the early 80s, the insanely be-winged racer has been replicated in countless forms. The latest iteration will be released this May in Tomytec‘s Tomica Limited Vintage Neo lineup and — … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, motorsports, nissan
8 Comments
Kidney, Anyone? 18,000-mile 1973 Datsun 510
Actually, it’ll take more than a kidney to get your grubby little paws on this sub-18,000-mile 1973 Datsun 510, because it’s not even for sale. Despite many inquiries, it’s stayed in the same family for 40 years and three generations. … Continue reading
EVENTS: Eagle Rock Datsun-Nippon Swap Meet
Laugh all you want at our super-strict smog tests, but at the end of the day SoCal has at least one redeeming trait — enough nostalgics to hold a regular swap meet. Here’s what you missed from the recent Eagle … Continue reading
Posted in events, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, wagons
Tagged 510, 720, a20, b310, bluebird, c22, celica, colt, corolla, datsun, dodge, galant, king cab, levin, libre, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, nl320, phantom, rx-3, sprinter, ssr, SSR MkII, te27, te28, techno, toyota, trueno, vanette, wagon
21 Comments
Kidney, Anyone? Tuned 1974 Mazda RX-4
It’s not a limited edition, nor does it have a slew of rare options, but we at JNC have a soft spot for the 2nd-gen Luce. They’re just rare in general and although much maligned when new, 38 years later … Continue reading
Question of the Week: What 1987 car is the next classic?
It’s 2012 and that means another new model year has made it into the ranks of “classic.” The rolling 25 year cutoff for vehicles eligible for historic license plates and classic car insurance is now at the year of Iran-Contra, … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week, toyota
Tagged all-trac, celica, gt-four, long beach grand prix, pace car, Question of the Week, safety car, st165, toyota
31 Comments
Friday Video: Gene Hackman, Toyota Celica racer
The most famous celebrity driver raced under Nissan’s white-red-blue colors, but their main rival had an Oscar-winner of their own flying the red-orange-yellow. Yes, Nissan may have had Newman, but Toyota had Hackman. After competing in the SCCA Formula Ford series … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, toyota
Tagged 24 hrs of daytona, a40, a60, celica, dan gurney, daytona, Gene Hackman, supra, toyota
8 Comments
California bill may exempt pre-1981 cars from smog testing
Car nuts in states which are not California may envy our perpetual sunshine and plentiful kyuusha stocks, but when it comes to our emissions laws they just point and laugh. Most states have a rolling cutoff for cars of a … Continue reading
It’s official, the Datsun brand will be resurrected
After a long rumor parade, it’s finally happening. Early this morning Nissan CEO Mr. Bean officially announced the return of the Datsun brand. Sadly, for Nissan nuts, modern Datsun badges will likely be rebadged Dacias rather than retro 510s. The … Continue reading
Friday Video: Aleks Efremov’s Cressida Wagon
MX72 love emanates round these parts like rays of a dying sun. But with supplies of Cressida wagons dwindling on American roads, we have few opportunities to show our affection. That’s why we were fortunate to find this awesomely retro video … Continue reading
Posted in Friday Video, toyota, wagons
Tagged cressida, Friday Video, mx72, toyota, wagon, x70
17 Comments
Question of the Week: What is the most underrated nostalgic car?
Nostalgic Hero‘s top 20 list has caused quite the stir among Mazdafarians, upset that the Cosmo Sport was the sole Hiroshima machine to make the cut. As we warned, the same car can mean different things in different countries and … Continue reading
Toyota’s awesome 2012 Geneva Motor Show display
What’s happening right now is the Geneva Motor Show, traditionally the unveiling venue for six-figure European exotics. To stand out ToMoCo had to do something special, and we’d say a pair of gleaming white RWD GT coupes fits the bill. … Continue reading
Friday Video: Nissan Cedric 230 vs Nissan Cedric 230
We’ve seen some oddball Seibu Keisatsu match-ups over the years, but two evenly balanced foes is a rarity. Neither has the weight advantage. It’s a battle of sheer will as they sideswipe each other repeatedly down a strip of two-lane blacktop, … Continue reading
Posted in nissan
Tagged 230, car chase, cedric, datsun, gloria, japanese cop show, nissan, police drama, seibu keisatsu
Leave a comment
Question: What should be the first model under the Datsun brand if it comes back?
It’s been a few months. Time for another cycle of Datsun revival rumors! The media has been awash with speculation on the return of the Datsun brand for the past week. We’ve heard it before, last October, July and beyond, so instead of just … Continue reading
Aussie Rally Champion Hoons Rebuilt RA40 Celica Rally Car
Neal Bates is a four-time Australian Rally Championship winner, long associated with Celica GT-Fours and AWD Corollas that we didn’t get here in the states. Though retired, Bates spent the last 18 months building a replica RA40 Celica rally car inspired … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, toyota
Tagged celica, neal bates, ove andersson, ra40, rally, toyota, wrc
8 Comments
Friday Video: Nissan Technical Center Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Instead of the wanton destruction of 430 Cedrics, this week’s video shows them being created at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. Founded in late 1981, the NTC is the design and engineering hub of the Yokohama-based automaker, … Continue reading
Posted in Assembly Lines, nissan
Tagged 430, 720, 910, assembly line, bluebird, cedric, datsun, fairlady z, gloria, gt-r, maxima, nissan, Nissan Technical Center, pickup, z34
5 Comments
For Sale: Victor Laury’s 1972 Datsun 240Z
No glib joke about kidneys today, because it’s with great sadness that we announce the sale of Vic Laury’s 1972 Datsun 240Z. He is no longer able to enjoy this car because of his recent health conditions, and must reluctantly offer … Continue reading
Posted in for sale, nissan
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, datsun, fairlady z, kidney anyone, nissan, s30
14 Comments
Friday Video: S41 Prince Gloria vs ’65 Dodge Coronet
Miki Sugimoto was most known for her roles in 1970s exploitation films that lured viewers into 90 minutes of low-budget cinema with 0.5 seconds of soft-core nudity Sadly, the only cheap thrills we can promise today come from Sugimoto’s S41 Prince … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, prince, Video Games
Tagged coronet, dodge, gloria, miki sugimoto, nissan, prince, s40, s41
8 Comments
