Japanese Nostalgic Car

Today, November 4, is Butt Day in Japan. Now as you pick your brains up out of the gutter you should know that the holiday comes from the popular children’s character Detective Butt, who is a crime solver with a rump for a head. The official description from Toei Animation states, “While he may look like a butt, he is a great detective with excellent deduction.” As with many special occasions, the day comes from the fact that 11 can be read as ii (11) oshiri (04), which means, “nice butt”. It also happens to be Det. Butt’s birthday. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, cars. In all the time we spend gazing upon them, the angle we view them the most from is the rear. In real life the side view is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it blur. Front view? Maybe at a car show. On roads, in traffic, in parking lots, the primary perspective is the rear. So it’s fairly important for car designers to spend time on a good looking posterior. The question this week is simple:

Which JNC has the best-looking rear?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite animated JNC?“. Continue reading →

October 28 is International Animation Day, and what better day could there be to ask about your favorite animated cars? We’ve always had a soft spot for a certain white FC RX-7. Among the legendary Takahashi brothers, the older Ryosuke was the smarter and more stone cold racer than the younger and more emotional Keisuke. Yet Ryosuke was the one with the “lesser” RX-7. That didn’t stop his FC, the White Comet of Akagi, from being more formidable an opponent than Keisuke’s FD though. When watching Initial D for the first time that was an unexpected and welcome twist that drew us into the story even more.

What’s your favorite animated JNC?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How do you clean old stains from floormats and carpets?“. Continue reading →

I’ll admit this QotW is purely for selfish reasons, but we are trying to do a deep clean on my AE86 and the carpets have very old stains from an unknown substance. We’ve tried everything — a Bissell carpet cleaner, Dawn dish soap, baking soda, Folex, and various mixtures of those. The stains have gotten lighter, but they’re still there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

How do you clean old stains from floormats and carpets?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What is your favorite form of motorsports, and what car would you compete in it with?“. Continue reading →