Category Archives: Question of the Week

QotW: Which car should Japanese automakers sell again exactly as they were?

In 1998 Nissan embarked on an unprecedented program to buy back 1970-71 Datsun 240Zs, restore them, and sell them through dealerships with an official warranty. Only about 40 of the 250 planned cars were sold, and even at nearly $28,000 … Continue reading

Posted in honda, nissan, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

QotW: What Japanese car is the best investment?

It’s car auction season, and collectors with more money than sense are flocking to Arizona to pay the highest possible prices for the cars of their dreams. Our buddy Jeff Koch is covering the auctions for Hemmings and reports that … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week, subaru, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

QotW: What’s the most significant “new” nostalgic car from 1988?

It’s 2013, and that means a new lineup of vehicles has officially crossed the magical 25-year threshold to become nostalgics. Cars built when INXS and Arsenio Hall ruled the airwaves can now officially qualify for historic tags and and collector’s … Continue reading

Posted in nissan, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , | 31 Comments

QotW: What’s your New Year’s resolution?

It’s a new year, and you know what that means. Finally, for the love of all that is good and holy, it’s time to open up that good book gathering dust on your nightstand, get that oxidized heap in your … Continue reading

Posted in honda, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

QotW: What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus?

Well it’s that time of year again, when we gather with our loved ones, reflect on the last 12 months, perhaps drink some hot cocoa, and tear into colorfully wrapped boxes like feral dogs on a holiday ham. And if … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

QotW: What modern car provides the most JNC driving experience?

Classics are great but sometimes you have no choice but to drive a new(ish) car. What that happens, we’d still like something that at least feels like a Japanese nostalgic car. What modern car provides the most JNC driving experience? … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged , , , , , , | 47 Comments

QotW: What’s the greatest Suzuki of all time?

We’re still depressed about the departure of Suzuki autos from the US. JNCers have already chimed in on what the company should have done differently, so perhaps before we can move on to Kubler Ross: 5th Stage!, we need to … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week, suzuki, toyota | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

QotW: What’s the best nostalgic for the Pacific Northwest?

I’ve just spent the Thanksgiving holiday driving through rural Oregon, along the Columbia Gorge, up to Portland and ultimately Seattle. It rained, heavily, non-stop the entire 900 miles. Everything from minivans to tractor trailers threw up walls of mist so … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week, subaru | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

QotW: What are you most thankful for, car-wise?

It’s Thanksgiving week for us Yanks and it’s a tradition to reflect on what we’re most grateful for. That’s why this week’s question is: What are you most thankful for, car-wise? For us it’s simple. We’re thankful that classic Japanese … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, Question of the Week, suzuki, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

QotW: What should Suzuki USA have done differently?

Alas, Suzuki, we hardly knew ye. This statement rings especially true in the wake of the Suzuki’s departure from US shores last week, because as JNC reader Tyler pointed out, many of their best cars were not sold here under the … Continue reading

Posted in kei, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged , , , , , , | 30 Comments

QotW: What music do you listen to when driving your nostalgic?

We all know the correct answer is “the engine,” but sometimes you need to rock out to some tunes to fully capture that nostalgic feel. What music do you listen to when driving your nostalgic? With songs their bosozoku-inspired costumes … Continue reading

Posted in nissan, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , | 27 Comments

QotW: What car would you drive across Japan?

From Hokkaido to Kagoshima, Japan has some of the coolest highways and mountain passes known to man. We live vicariously through Skorj’s Grand Touring stories, in which he travels across Japan looking for nostalgic cars “in the wild.” Though he owns a Honda … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

QotW: What’s the greatest Japanese racing livery?

Graphics. Livery. Warpaint. Originally meant to identify the country of origin and visually distinguish fast-moving cars on the track, they are now the domain of corporate sponsors. Either way, there have been some darn cool ones. Therefore we ask: What’s … Continue reading

Posted in honda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

QotW: What’s the best sequel?

Rarely is the follow-up better than the original, but when it is, it’s not just slightly better — it blows the original away. That is why we ask: What’s the best sequel? We just spent a weekend at 86Fest, so … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

QotW: What’s the best Japanese car emblem?

Japanese automakers love emblems, and we’re not just talking about those for the various marques. In Japan, each model often has its own as well, and these badges are highly desirable to those of us who want to JDM-ize our … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, minicars, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

QotW: What is the greatest Mazda of all time?

From greatest engine to most luxurious to most beautiful to proudest marque, Mazdas have consistently been winners in our QotW series. And since it’s also SevenStock/Mazdafest week, we thought we’d devote the next question to this one very special marque. What is the … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, nissan, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

QotW: What made you fall in love with Japanese nostalgic cars?

This past weekend one of my oldest friends, whom I’ve known since the eighth grade, came to his first JCCS (more on that later). After his baptism by fire into the world of nostalgics, he immediately went home and began scouring … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, mitsubishi, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota, wagons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 50 Comments

QotW: What would you like to see at JCCS this year?

It’s JCCS week, rock ‘n’ rollers, so today’s question is all about the biggest kyuusha show in the hemisphere. What you would you like to see at JCCS this year? Our answer is perhaps a bit out there, blasphemous to … Continue reading

Posted in events, nissan, Question of the Week, trucks | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

QotW: What’s the coolest Japanese Nostalgic Truck?

There’s been a lot of QotWs about Japanese nostalgic cars, so it’s high time we asked about their bed-equipped workhorse counterparts that were responsible for creating an entire vehicle segment: What’s the coolest Japanese nostalgic truck? Our pick is the Datsun … Continue reading

Posted in nissan, Question of the Week, trucks | Tagged , , , , , , | 43 Comments

QotW: Where’s your favorite place to drive your nostalgic car?

Japan is home to some of the best kept secrets in auto-dom. Their tolls are prohibitively expensive, have little to no English signage outside major metro areas, and are all floating on an island you can’t drive to. And yet … Continue reading

Posted in nissan, Question of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , | 35 Comments