Category Archives: minicars
How to build custom Hot Wheels BRE Datsuns, Part 02
In Part 01, Mark “ScaleMaster” Jones showed us how to prep standard Hot Wheels cars for customization. In this installment he transforms diecast Datsun 510 and 240Z into highly detailed custom BRE racers. — Ricky In Part 01 we disassembled stripped, cleaned, … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, nissan
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, bluebird, bre, datsun, fairlady z, hot wheels, minicars, nissan, peter brock, s30, ScaleMaster
22 Comments
Wednesday Wall: Aoshima Gurachan Box Art
If you haven’t gone to the Aoshima‘s English Facebook page yet, you’re missing out on some gorgeous gurachan wallpaper based on their box art. Where else can you decorate your desktop with a beautiful shakotan Skyline Japan in purple illustrated in purple? … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, nissan, Wednesday Wall
Tagged aoshima, c210, japan, nissan, skyline, Wednesday Wall, wednesday wallpaper
1 Comment
The beautiful Box Art and history of Aoshima model kits
Step inside any Japanese hobby store and you’re bound to be dazzled by both the beauty and abundance of Aoshima box art. Their highly detailed plastic model kits have been around for decades, and in many cases have done a … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged 240k, 330, 350z, 430, ae86, aoshima, aristo, bosozoku, c10, c110, c210, cedoglo, cedric, chaser, corolla, cressida, datsun, dekotora, enkei, evo x, fairlady z, fd3s, focus racing, fuso, gazelle, gc10, gloria, gs400, gurachan, gx81, Hakosuka, hayashi, hilux, japan, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, lancer, lancer evolution, levin, lexus, mark II, mazda, mitsubishi, model kits, nissan, pgc10, r32, rx-7, s110, shadow, shakotan, silvia, skyline, soarer, sprinter, ssr, street, toyota, trueno, v-max, x30, x40, x80, yamaha, z10, z33
9 Comments
How to build custom Hot Wheels BRE Datsuns, Part 01
As part of a new series on JNC, guest writer Mark “ScaleMaster” Jones will show you how to make your own custom Hot Wheels. Enjoy his step-by-step guide to creating a set of diecast BRE Datsuns. — Ricky When the Hot Wheels … Continue reading
Posted in minicars
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, bluebird, bre, datsun, fairlady z, hot wheels, minicars, nissan, peter brock, s30, ScaleMaster
15 Comments
QotW: What diecast car should they make next?
Last week it was announced that Tomica, after 42 years making diecast Japanese cars, is finally coming out with the pivotal Datsun Fairlady roadster. We learned too that the first A60 Celica to exist anywhere in 1:64 universe would soon debut, a mere … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, Question of the Week
Tagged 12a, 13b, hot wheels, luce, mazda, minicars, QotW, Question of the Week, rotary, rx-4, rx-7, sa22, savanna
38 Comments
Tomica Limited Vintage Datsun Fairlady 1500 Roadster
Following up on Ricky’s piece about the A60 Celicas, here’s another nostalgic that’s been absent from Tomica‘s lineup for far too long. But not to worry, the Datsun Fairlady Sports is about to become a 1:64 scale diecast in the Tomica Limited … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, nissan
Tagged 1500 sports, 1600 sports, 2000 sports, datsun, fairlady, fairlady roadster, nissan, tomica, tomica limited vintage
5 Comments
Tomica Limited Vintage A60 Toyota Celica 1600GT-R
A60 Toyota Celica coupes have been surging in popularity lately, and why not? It’s RWD, still affordable, and styled with that 80s angularity we love so dearly. They’re like the AE86‘s big brother, but a lot easier to find on craigslist in … Continue reading
The astoundingly detailed custom Hot Wheels of ScaleMaster
Please allow me to introduce our two newest JNC contributors — Ricky Silverio, an unquestionable nostalgic car guru who will be writing regularly about Japanese collectibles, and Mark Jones, the man behind these custom toy cars. Enjoy Ricky’s first article. – … Continue reading
Posted in honda, minicars, nissan, toyota
Tagged 2000gt, 240z, 260, 280z, 350z, ae86, bre, celica, civic, civic si, corolla, datsun, fairlady z, hachiroku, hks, honda, hot wheels, kurosawa, levin, minicars, mooneyes, mugen, Nerve Hammer, nissan, r32, s30, ScaleMaster, skyline, sprinter, super tsunami, supra, toyota, trd, trueno, z33
20 Comments
MINICARS: 2012 Hot Wheels Mad Manga now in red and gold
Grease up your rizento because second color of the Mad Manga is coming. Earlier this year, Hot Wheels shocked the minicar world by creating what is almost certainly the first diecast zokusha outside of Japan. A recolor in red and gold is … Continue reading
Posted in bosozoku, minicars
Tagged bosozoku, hot wheels, mad manga, minicars, sharknose, takeyari, zokusha
15 Comments
Tamiya R/C Honda Ballade Sports Mugen CR-X Pro
If the upcoming Hot Wheels Honda CR-X is too small for you, try this one on for size. Japanese hobby company Tamiya has released a radio control version of the Mugen CR-X Pro, the ne plus ultra of early 80s pocket rockets. Not … Continue reading
2012 Hot Wheels X JNC Mazda RX-7 now in white, Kroger’s mystery pack
Sorry to do this to you guys, but there is now a third Hot Wheels Mazda RX-7 to be look out for, and it’s a beauty. The latest recolor is an ultra-Japanese pearl white with our JNC inkan in classic red on … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best car commercial from Japan?
Now that the star of one of the most famous Japanese car commercials has been rediscovered, it’s time we asked: What’s the best car commercial from Japan? The 1972 Nissan Skyline hit the market just as Japanese citizens getting hooked … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best model name?
The Japanese are known for colorful uses of the English language when it comes to christening their cars. There’s seductive women’s names like Silvia and Gloria, word salads like the Isuzu Wizard Alive and Honda Life Dunk, and perfectly chosen appellations like … Continue reading
Posted in mazda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota
Tagged 110s, 240z, 260z, 280z, choro-q, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady z, kp61, mazda, nissan, Question of the Week, s30, toyota starlet
36 Comments
QotW: What’s the most beautiful OEM color?
The world of nostalgics is filled with bold colors, perfectly paired two-tones and the whitest whites this side of heaven. Go to any gathering of vintage Japanese cars and it’s a feast for your retinas, a refreshing break from the … Continue reading
Posted in honda, minicars, Question of the Week, suzuki
Tagged alto, f1, honda, jimny, Question of the Week, ra272, sj140, suzuki
30 Comments
MINICARS: 2012 Hot Wheels ’87 Toyota Pickup
The latest nostalgic Hot Wheels to roll from the mad minds at Mattel is a 1987 Toyota Pickup. When it was first announced last December, we envisioned for reasons unknown a slammed minitruck, but instead it’s a lifted 4×4 that would … Continue reading
Toyota Camatte concept debuts at Tokyo Toy Show
This charming, retro-looking contraption is the Toyota Camatte, a real car that ToMoCo unveiled today at the Tokyo Toy Show. The venue may seem odd, but the concept’s goal is to spark children’s interest in cars, a noble cause if … Continue reading
Four new Choro-Q Zero models spotted at Shizuoka Toy Show
The discontinuation a few years ago of Choro-Q, also known as Penny Racers or Turbo Tricksters to USDM fans, will remain one of the great injustices of modern Japanese society. Last year the line was relaunched as Choro-Q Zero with a focus on … Continue reading
