Author Archives: Ben Hsu

Nissan 370Z Designer Is an S30 Owner

Well whaddya know. Randy Rodriguez, one of the key designers of the Nissan 370Z, is an S30 fan at heart, according to this Canadian Press article. He’s owned 10 of them, in fact, and currently drives 1977 280Z that he … Continue reading

Posted in datsun, nissan | 3 Comments

Toyota "086A" Project On Like Donkey Kong

Hachiroku, the digits 8 and 6, are legendary in the annals of Toyotaku by simply being the chassis code for last of the great FR Corollas. The car’s demise left a gaping hole in Toyota’s lineup that couldn’t be filled … Continue reading

Posted in subaru, toyota | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Big Gallery of Airborne Nostalgics II

Back by popular demand, here’s the continuation of our Airborne Nostalgics series in which we post nothing but pictures of J-tin momentarily defying the forces of gravity. We also urge you to free any similar images you have from the … Continue reading

Posted in datsun, isuzu, mitsubishi, motorsports, nissan, rally, subaru | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mr. Craft Closes Its Doors

Any car nut who has been to Tokyo has surely passed through the doors of Mr. Craft, a five-story building full of toy cars in every scale, brand, and material you can imagine. Radio control, plastic model kits, diecast, wind-up … Continue reading

Posted in japan, minicars | 3 Comments

Tire Stretching Guide, With Pictures

We all know there are few things sexier than stretched tires flush mounted on an old school Japanese car, right? The problem has been trying to figure out how a particular tire will look on your rim without a bunch … Continue reading

Posted in wheels | 7 Comments

MX41 Toyota Chaser Meets Crusher

Here, have a sad. This is what happens at Japanese junkyards every day. In this case, a perfectly decent-looking MX41 Toyota Chaser, a 2-door version of the Cressida that we never got, is introduced to the Grim Crusher. It was … Continue reading

Posted in japan, toyota | 11 Comments

Z Club of San Diego Sweetheart Run

Just got this email from the guys at the Z Club of San Diego. Join them this Sunday if you want to drive through Temecula Wine Country. Details below.

Posted in datsun, events, nissan | Leave a comment

President's Day Miracle: Nissan President Wagon

In celebration of President’s Day here at JNC we thought we’d bring you a photo of the baddest, most mind-numbingly awesomest example of Nissan’s flagship that we could find. That’s right sportsfans, it’s a 250 President wagon. As if having … Continue reading

Posted in nissan, wagons | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

Japan’s Frantz Kobe Sweets releases a popular set of chocolate tools around this time each year. It even comes with a cocoa sparkplug for lending a little spark to amorous moments with your loved one. Kev is going to present … Continue reading

Posted in jnc | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Toyota Crown on Crown Violence

It’s Friday, so here’s your weekend video. This video clip causes me actual physical pain because it combines three of my deepest loves – the kujira Crown, wagons, and vintage work vehicle paint schemes – and blows them all to … Continue reading

Posted in toyota, Video Games, wagons | 10 Comments

Nissan Silvia Dies, But Mazda RX-7 Lives!

Oh noes! Our friends a The Motor Report, um, report that the upcoming revival of the Nissan Silvia is dead in the water. Anyone care to venture a guess as to why? Ding ding ding! That’s right, the correct answer … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, nissan | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Slidin' Sunnys and Coastin' Corollas

We know not all JNC readers baby their nostalgics, so here’s some examples of nostalgics behaving badly from a couple of blogs we like. Nori Yaro‘s gallery of drifting remind us of the guys from the Japanese KE70 drift team … Continue reading

Posted in datsun, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Mazda MX-5

Has it really been 20 years since the birth of the Mazda MX-5? Indeed. The little two-seat roadster was unveiled in February 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. Okay, we know this really isn’t a nostalgic yet, but it was … Continue reading

Posted in mazda | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Arthur Garage, Used Car Dealer Manga

Here’s another car-based manga to add to your library in addition to Initial-D, Wangan Midnight and Garage Restore 251. It’s Arthur Garage, a series published in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine. From what we can gather based on extremely limited Japanese … Continue reading

Posted in bosozoku, manga | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Hanshin Expressway Plows Through Building

This is the Gate Tower Building in downtown Osaka, an otherwise nondescript office high-rise except for the fact that the Hanshin Expressway plows right through the middle of it. How did this happen? Apparently it’s the result of a freak … Continue reading

Posted in japan, road trip | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Cash for Clunkers, UK Edition

Egad! As if the moist climate of  Ye Olde World hasn’t taken enough old J-tin, it appears that Cash for Clunkers programs are now being rolled out in the UK as well. In this piece titled “Money for old rope? … Continue reading

Posted in laws | 6 Comments

Subaru 1000, Front Drive for the Jet Age

We’re not sure if this 1967 Subaru ad is trying to draw a on the company’s aeronautic background, but there’s plenty of jet footage interspersed with a group of Subaru 1000s at the high-banked Yatabe test track. Of course, Subaru … Continue reading

Posted in cm, subaru | Leave a comment

Honda S800 & S2000 Rendezvous

How about a nice Honda screensaver, illustrated by master automotive artist Bow? It’s called “Dream,” a charming little story in which a vintage S800 has a coastal rendezvous with a new S2000. Unfortunately the S-car lineage has just ended for … Continue reading

Posted in honda | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

EVENTS: JCCA New Year Meeting 2009

Ok, we lied. This is the last post before the weekend. Click the picture above for nearly 300 pics from the JCCA New Year Meeting. Enjoy!

Posted in events, new year meeting | 6 Comments

Mazda Cosmo Sports Monster Fighter!

It’s Friday and you’ve made it through another week. We thought we’d end this one with another old Japanese clip featuring a nostalgic car. This time it’s Return of Ultraman, the fourth in the tokusatsu television series, running from 1971-72. … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, Video Games | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments