Behold, the new JNC Wagon. You’re looking at a 1987 Toyota Van in all its two-tone glory, complete with dual sunroof, ice maker, and a big ol’ pock mark smack dab in the middle of its prodigious face. Now for the drive back to LA. More photos to follow soon!
Congrats! Looks fantastic!
Thanks, Myron!
…well…it’s cavernous, lots of JDM stuff is probably available in Japan to retrofit, and not too many cabover vehicles are around anymore, so the “millennials” can reminisce being picked up at day-care or soccer practice in one of these…
…import some JDM or Australian stuff and rename it “Master Ace Surf” or “Tarago” to make people go “I don’t remember it being called that?”…
Carbureted, or injected?
Awesome, Ben! I’ll be right over for some ice.
Sadly, the ice maker doesn’t work at the moment. But I’ve heard from a Toyota employee that even when it was new you could run it all night and it would make about six cubes!
Dig it! You’re definitely going Dekotora style on it, right?
As soon as I think of a mural…
Hmmm….was that one on B.a.T.? Looks familiar.
I don’t think it was ever on BaT.
With a modified graphics package you could have used this Nissan. 🙂
https://www.japaneseclassics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/0-5-15.jpg
Oops I meant Toyota
Just saw a RHD example the other day here in Toronto, with *drumroll* glass roofline! My goodness it looked spectacular!
Wish that was an option in the US!
ICEMAKER??? I didn’t know they had that. I don’t know that too many millenials could remember this, even from daycare, but my old Gen X mind is going more and more these days.
Honest to god, this was my next guess for your new wagon. Great rig but I think a turbocharged Maxima Diesel wagon would have rocked too.
That would’ve been cool but we needed something with more space than the Cressida.
It’s glorious
Thanks!
Funny i just bought last week a 1979 gen II Toyota Hiace diesel with column shifting
Sadly ours is an automatic.
Are you in the UK or Australia/NZ? Most Japanese manual column shifts after 1968 or so were RHD-only, once they learned that four-on-the-floor was the norm in Europe and considered sporty in the US they realized they needn’t bother with an LHD column linkage.
Nicely done!
Thanks! Loving it so far.
Nice, congrats!
Thanks!
Very cool, (Made in the eighties…) !
Whether it’s loved by the ladies remains to be seen.
YESSSSSSS
I love it. Phenomenal!
That may be the first time “phenomenal” has been used to describe the Van
OUTSTANDING! We are original owners of our 84 Van LE (5 speed!). We don’t have a few of these goodies (no sunroofs, ice maker, or alloy wheels).
Let me know if there’s any questions I can help with! So glad to see you guys picked this up
Good job! YOU were the one who called it closest!
http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/qotw-what-should-the-next-jnc-wagon-be/
Oh geez! I totally forgot about that 🙂
I love it!
I would retrofit the 80s stripe/graphic package that was so prevalent on these vans in their heyday, and find some suitably rare JDM barrels of appropriate vintage. Of course, I spend entirely too much time and money trying to relive my youth, but even without the rose tinted nostalgia, these are great vehicles. Lots of room, Toyota reliability, and in a sea of cookie cutter beige Accords you aren’t likely to lose it in a parking lot.
Great idea. There were so many graphic packages it’ll be hard to pick one!
YASSSS! i drove one of these in HS. i miss her!!!
Looks good!
Since you mentioned the dent, there are plenty of “paintless dent repair” places that can take care of that bit of “character.”
As long as the clear coat is intact, a good polishing, and 2 coats of FK1000P, and in about 3 days, it’ll look better than new – GLASSY! (Don’t get it on the black, plastic trim.) By hand, that’d be a weekend. I’d recommend Collinite 845 for the black trim, and also a FANASTIC “wax.” (It’s a weird hybrid stuff.)
So the “More photos to follow?”
Congrats Ben on the new member of your family. That model LE with those options and 2 tone at that was the top of the line. Very desirable LE van. Very nice indeed!
Thank you, Russ!
It looks fabulous! I wish we had those cars in France (or Europe). I love “underdogs” like vans or your cressida