Category Archives: Question of the Week
QotW: What’s your best/worst dealership story?
Today is apparently the first ever National Automotive Dealer Day. Love ’em or hate ’em, dealerships are a part of life. We suspect that most people don’t like spending a lot of time in them, but if you love cars … Continue reading
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QotW: What’s the craziest odometer reading you’ve ever seen?
Today, May 12, is National Odometer Day. The modern odometer is credited to William Clayton, a Mormon pioneer who attached a mileage counting device to his horse-drawn wagon in 1847. The device tracked wagon wheel’s number of revolutions as his … Continue reading
QotW: Why do you like driving?
It’s hard to believe that in all the years we’ve done QotW we’ve never asked the most basic question about why we’re all here in the first place. If we like cars it should stand to reason that we like … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite car care product?
Today, April 28, is Car Wash Day in Japan. The date comes from a play on words for 4 (yo), 2 (itsu), and 8 (ya), or yoitsya, which means “a good gloss” in Japanese. Washing your car can be a … Continue reading
QotW: What movie or TV wreck makes you cringe?
Carspotting in movies and TV shows is a great pastime, especially when watching older forms of visual arts. Unfortunately, we all know that whenever a car appears on screen there’s always the chance that it’ll meet a grisly end. Even … Continue reading
QotW: What car has been absolutely ruined by pop culture?
Pop culture can make cars into stars, but also destroy them. If it wasn’t for Back to the Future the DeLorean would be a historical footnote. If it wasn’t for 007, the Aston Martin DB4 would not even be uttered … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your craziest tire-related story?
Today, April 7, is Tire Gauge Day in Japan. It was established by Asahi Sangyo, a tire gauge manufacturer established in 1946, to remind people of the importance of keeping your car tires properly inflated. My craziest story doesn’t involve … Continue reading
QotW: Gun to your head, which crossover would you drive for the rest of your life?
The body style wars were bloody, but a clear victor has emerged. Sedans are dead; the crossover reigns supreme. Future generations will sing the praises of Mazda CX-5s and Acura MDXes the way we applaud ‘Speed 6s and Integras. Resistance … Continue reading
QotW: When a marque dies, do its classics lose their luster or become more legendary?
What happens when a marque dies? Not that we have anything particular on the mind; it’s just a random topic that came up around the JNC water cooler the other day. Some of us believe that the lack of connection … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite automotive manga or comic?
Today, March 17, is the anniversary of Japan’s first weekly manga, Shukan Shonen Magazine. Launched in 1959 and published each Wednesday, the book kicked off the trend of serialized comics for boys, and spawned stories such as Shuichi Shigeno’s Bari … Continue reading
QotW: How did you learn about cars?
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article 80 percent of Americans prefer to let professionals handle their automotive maintenance. Fewer DIYers was also the reason cited by Advance Auto as to why it’s closing over 700 stores in the … Continue reading
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QotW: What’s a car-related thing that you should really get rid of?
Today, March 3, is National “Simplify Your Life” Day. As fans of old cars we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. It starts with the actual car(s). Then comes the spare parts, aftermarket parts, tools, entire donor cars, diecast … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC is a must-have for a car museum?
In case you hadn’t heard, San Francisco’s Academy of Art University is selling off most of its collection of 150 classic cars. As one of the nation’s top industrial design schools — and headed by none other than Tom Matano … Continue reading
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QotW: How can we save my friend from buying a 12-year-old EV?
A friend recently called to ask for car buying advice. He commutes 60 miles each way to work and the fuel bill’s adding up. He is a car guy and owns a stable of fun cars, but they’re all either … Continue reading
QotW: What LHD car would you drive in Japan?
It’s much easier to import a USDM car to Japan than it is to import a JDM car to the US, especially if you live in California. In Japan, you do have to prove its smogworthiness, but different emissions equipment … Continue reading
QotW: What kid-friendly commuter is still fun to drive?
As much as I love my Land Cruiser, I’ve been fantasizing about a car that’s a bit more fun-to-drive on a daily basis. Right now the LC is the only car in my fleet that’s kid-friendly (four doors, big trunk), … Continue reading
QotW: Which Japanese classic should be remade for the modern age?
One of the biggest stunners at the Tokyo Auto Salon was Rocky Auto’s remake of the Prince R380, constructed using the original body molds but with modern engines underneath. It got us thinking about which cars might be ideal for … Continue reading
QotW: What car from 2000 would you import from Japan?
It’s hard to believe, but Y2K was 25 years ago. It honestly doesn’t feel like that long ago, says the old man typing these words without using AI. Nevertheless, that means cars built in the year 2000 are now eligible … Continue reading
QotW: How do you save a car from a natural disaster?
Over the last few days I’ve been racking my brain on how I could have better prepared for the terrifying California wildfire scare we experienced last week. Aside from my family and a few heirlooms and photos, the most valuable/sentimental/precious … Continue reading
QotW: What car and color combo is the perfect fit?
Today, January 6, is Color Day in Japan because the first syllables of ichi (one) and roku (six) color, can be combined to spell iro, which is “color” in Japanese. Color on cars is interesting, because the right combo can … Continue reading
