Author Archives: Ben Hsu
C32 Laurel
Tsurikawa, check. Shako stance, check. Two-tone, check. Work Equip 03s, check. RB20DET? Possibly. Don’t get us wrong. We’re grateful for the Cressida, but sad that Nissan never brought this rival to the Toyota luxemobile stateside. There can never be too much 80s boxiness. … Continue reading
Friday Video: Nissan Cedric vs Matsuda
Yusaku Matsuda, to be precise. Although not a rotary-powered model, it still exhibits all the nimble handling the brand is known for. Video below the fold.
Toyota Skyline, Anyone?
Since we mentioned the BRE Mitsubishi Evo yesterday, we might as well one of the most classic examples of minicar marque-model mismatch. Zee Toys went out of business in 1996 but in its heyday the company had, among other products, … Continue reading
BRE Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X?
So we were browsing the diecast aisle at Target the other day when the unmistakeable red/white/blue livery of Brock Racing Enterprises caught our eye. It was slathered over a big honkin’ semi rig with a matching smaller car on the … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? 2500-mile 1982 Toyota Starlet
Who says the northeast doesn’t have any nostalgic treasures? The spectre of oxidization may loom large, but that just guarantees that when a specimen emerges, it’ll be a low-mileage garaged beauty. Unlike the $500 finds from SoCal whose odometers have … Continue reading
Friday Video: Toyota Corona vs Nissan Cedric
Finally, an inter-marque rivalry between the two titans of Japanese auto manufacturing! As with last week, we are unsure which movie this chase comes from, but who cares? We’ve got a daring escape by a bank robber in a jacked … Continue reading
Where to Get Tomica Toys in the US
We reported that Tomica was returning to the US market and debuting at the JCCS. Here are the details on where to buy them.
Datsun 240Z Breaks Bonneville Record with 172.9 MPH Run
This salt-caked 1972 Datsun 240Z hit 172.9 miles per hour on September 17. In doing so, it broke the the F/GT class (GT = Grand Touring gas-only class, F = the engine size, which has been upgraded to 3.0L) record previously held … Continue reading
Yonmeri
Sometimes four doors are better than two. Check out this GC110 and more in JNC reader dalla’s mega gallery of the Historix Japan event at Suzuka.
Kidney, Anyone? 12,000-Mile 1983 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
As we have shown, the S130 chassis has potential, but if you were lucky enough to win this 1983 Datsun 280ZX for $17,200 you won’t flaring it like some bosozoku sled. That’s because its Tron-like 80s dashboard reads only 12,245 … Continue reading
Friday Video: Rare Toyota Destruction!
We’re not sure what this movie is, but it features terrible tons of totalled Toyotas. Corona Mark IIs and Crowns with bad/no brakes get slaughtered in some of the most spectacular patrol car pileups since The Blues Brothers. It’s enough to … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? Datsun 610 Bluebird Van
After seeing all the sexy Datsun 610s at this year’s JCCS, Matt went shopping on YJA and found this 1975 Nissan Bluebird 610 Van. These babies are rare, even in Japan, and the odo indicates it’s hauled just 62,000km (or … Continue reading
EVENTS: SevenStock 13, Part 02
Welcome to the second and final part of our SevenStock coverage. Even though the yearly powwow in Irvine is the largest collection of early RX cars on the continent, the number of SA22/FB RX-7s dwarfs all the R100s and RX … Continue reading
EVENTS: SevenStock 13, Part 01
It’s late September so that means Mazdafarians everywhere are making a pilgrimage to Irvine, California, home of Mazda North America and SevenStock! Compared to Toyotas and Datsuns, old rotaries are rarer than UFO sightings (this ain’t Oz), but somehow new … Continue reading
Maisto Fifty-5s Datsuns and Toyotas Now On Sale
Back in January John discovered that Maisto was coming out with a new lineup of diecast cars honoring some of our favorite old school rides. Now they’re out in independent retail and online stores. Most reports have indicated they are … Continue reading
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05
We have so much coverage from JCCS that we’ve skipped the Friday Video this week and spilling the final installment into the weekend. So like a fleet of ported rotaries roaring down the 710, let’s tear right in!
Event Horizon for the Weekend of September 17, 2010
This weekend: Saturday, September 18 / Irvine, CA: Sevenstock XIII Sunday, September 19 / Bridgeport, CT: OSTC Classic Import Auto Show Sunday, September 19 / San Diego, CA: IMG Old School Meet Sunday, September 19 / Fontana, CA: SW Datsun Pickups BBQ
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show 2010, Part 03
Mazda is one of two major automakers that sponsors JCCS, and there’s always a nice display of rotaries thanks to the legions of SoCal Mazdafarians. Here is a study in contrasts, the sleek and sexy SA22C RX-7 and its pistonless … Continue reading
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show 2010, Part 02
This year’s JCCS was so big, so popular, so insane, attendees had to wait at least one hour just to get through the gates. Some gave up and went home (their loss). Word has it that the line stretched all … Continue reading
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show 2010, Part 01
This is the first installment of many from JCCS 2010. Toyota USA is a major sponsor and they pulled no punches with several of the race cars in their collection. More on this later!


