Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Nissan GT-R Brochure
Look what arrived in the mailbox at JNC HQ today. Nissan has finally begun sending out GT-R brochures to interested parties. In it, there’s a brief history of the Skyline GT-R and, as far as we know, it’s the first … Continue reading
Posted in catalogs, datsun, nissan
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1958 Toyopet Crown Sells for $22,322
We held off talking about this car because we heard that some JNCers were considering bidding on this baby. But now the auction is over and if its description is correct, this is one of the earliest examples of any … Continue reading
Mazda Car Club of Queensland Car Show
Rotaries are big in Australia, the preferred vehicle of choice for road warriors and hoons alike. From achingly mint restorations to massive-horsepower drag monsters shod in 18-inch rims, the land down under has got it all. For a sampling of … Continue reading
Posted in events, mazda
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Honda Civic, One-Make Racing Since ’81
We all know that Hondas provide some of the best deals in cheap motoring fun, and Honda Japan knows this too. It’s been sponsoring a one-make race series in Japan since 1981, when the second-gen Super Civic debuted. From then … Continue reading
Reminder: ZONC Datsun Show June 28
Just a quick reminder for those of you from or visiting NorCal this weekend. Be sure to check out the Z Owners of Northern California’s Blackhawk Datsun/Nissan Extravaganza in San Ramon on June 28. All manner of Datsuns are welcome … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, events, nissan
2 Comments
Datsun Fairlady Z: The Manga
DMP’s Project X: Datsun Fairlady Z, tells the story of the iconic Japanese sports car in graphic form. Unlike Wangan Midnight, this is non-fiction and has characters like Mr. K and Yoshihiko Matsuo. The description goes like this. In 1960s … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, manga, nissan
4 Comments
JNC Magazine Price Change
Hello JNCers, just a quick announcement about the magazine. Starting July 1, prices are going up. Mostly it has to do with the increasing cost of paper, and the fact that we set our introductory prices very low because we … Continue reading
Posted in jnc
7 Comments
9.5 Tips For Relieving Your Gas Pains
Regular at $4.00 per gallon is already a distant speck in the rear view mirror for some parts of the country. But if you think that’s bad, in Japanland the precious elixir sells for about ¥200 per liter now, which … Continue reading
Uptown Girl: Infiniti Silvia?
We dream of one day becoming as important enough so that Nissan will invite us to exotic, faraway locales and give us cars to test drive while showing us sneak peeks of upcoming releases. Kinda like they did with the … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, retro
3 Comments
Palo Alto Concours D'Elegance
For the first time in its 42 years, the Palo Alto Concours D’Elegance will feature a small section on Japanese cars. Only a select few cars, some of which will be featured in the next issue JNC, have been invited … Continue reading
Posted in events
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Battle S30Z Does Battle
This JDM Fairlady Z is a total track monster, built by a Mr. Kuni of Gunma Prefecture. The L-series motor has been stroked to 3.1L and puts out 337ps, which gets channeled through an R32 Skyline GT-R transmission to motivate … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
6 Comments
Show Some Love for Ove
We all know of the recent untimely passing of rally legend and Toyota Team Europe founder Ove Andersson. If you would like to express your thoughts about this tragic loss, you can do so by signing a memorial book at … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport, rally, toyota
1 Comment
Catching Up with Nostalgic Car Events
Things have been pretty frantic here at JNC headquarters, so we’ve missed posting on an event or two. Most notably, from the Better Late Than Never Bureau, the Z Car Club Inland Valley’s Datsun & Nissan Car Show. Check out … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, events, isuzu, nissan
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Suzuki LJ80 Pickup Spotted In the Wild
There’s so little Suzuki news that we like to throw this marque a little love whenever the occasion presents itself. A while back, one such occasion did, when a minty fresh Suzuki LJ20 appeared on eBay. Now it’s successor, the … Continue reading
Posted in suzuki, trucks
6 Comments
Quiet on the Set: Datsun 510 Stars in Movie
For months JNCer Datsunfreak has been tempting us with updates about how his very own Datsun 510 was recruited to star in a movie. At last, the shooting has taken place and now he’s spilling the beans. His writeup on … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, jnc, nissan, Video Games
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Ove Andersson, 1938-2008
Last week the world of motorsports lost one of its greats, Ove Andersson, Swedish rally driver and a key figure in Toyota’s worldwide racing endeavors. He started out with his native Saab but went on to race Lancias and Renault … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, rally, toyota
6 Comments
Blimey! Old Japanese Cars Invade UK Show
Our English friends across the pond at Old Japanese Car gathered in Leeds this past weekend to represent the J-tin at a car show in the Yuke. Take a gander at this fantastically preserved Datsun Violet (aka 710) sedan, one … Continue reading
Posted in events
3 Comments
55,000-Mile Toyota Celica Liftback
As Keanu Reeves would say, “Whoa.” Here’s a California blue plate special, a 1976 Toyota Celica Liftback with just 55,000 original miles and one owner. The asking price from Old Town Classics in San Diego is $12,500, which, while not … Continue reading
Toyota Museum Shout Out on NPR
We were flipping through the radio dials when suddenly our ears perked up to the phrase “Toyota Museum” on American Public Media’s Marketplace. It was part of a segment on how corporations are recognizing their heritage. Those who have been … Continue reading
Posted in media, museum, toyota
2 Comments
2009 Carlisle Imports Welcomes the J-Tin
The town of Carlisle in southeastern Pennsylvania is synonymous with mega car gatherings. A few summers ago, we went to the All Ford Nationals and there were probably more Boss Mustangs at that one event than all the surviving Toyotas … Continue reading
