QotW: What’s your favorite animated JNC?

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Steve Chang

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 →

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Peep the glorious diversity of cars on a Kobe street in 1972

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Matt De Mangos

A lot of Showa Era photos have the usual suspects when it comes to traffic. You got your Toyota Crowns, your Nissan Cedrics, maybe a Fuso or two. This scene published by the City of Kobe, though, has an incredible lineup of cars that aren’t your typical sightings. Sure, there’s a 510 Bluebird and barikan taxis in the mix, but seeing a Honda TN360, a Mazda Familia Van, or a T60 Crona Mark II all in close proximity is rare. Look in the back and there’s a Toyota Carina or an L40 Suzuki Carry in there. The longer you stare at the photo the more you discover. May your weekend be as rich as the variety of cars in this photo.

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A Honda T360 helps you build a vending machine empire in Honcho video game

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Steve Chang

Honcho is a new video game that is ostensibly about resource management, but in fact maintaining a Honda T360 seems like a major part of the draw. The game takes place in 1980s Japan, and appropriate cars of the era appear as background traffic while you drive your kei truck around town. With cheerful graphics and a humorous tone, maybe this can be your next time killer. Continue reading →

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Kia has restored two Mazda-based examples of its earliest cars

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Ben Hsu

The Korean auto industry has come a long way. So long, in fact, that they now have the luxury of looking back at their early history and honoring it by restoring a couple of the earliest Kia vehicles. At first glance you might have mistaken them for a couple of classic Mazdas, though, because that’s essentially what they are. Continue reading →

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What would you pay for an ex-JGTC Toyota Supra?

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Ben Hsu

The heyday of the All-Japan Grand Touring Championship marked a time when tuner culture hummed at fever pitch and racing machines were immortalized in the pixels of Gran Turismo. The A80 Toyota Supra was yet to be catapulted into movie stardom in the Fast & Furious franchise, but those who followed it through “import” mags and pirated DVDs already knew of its racing exploits across the Pacific. Now one of those ex-JGTC cars is about to hit the auction block. What will it go for? Continue reading →

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QotW: How do you clean old stains from floormats and carpets?

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 9 Comments

Bose’s jumping “Magic Carpet” Lexus LS400 is now a parts donor

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Steve Chang

Remember the “leaping Lexus” developed by Bose? Back in 2004 the audio electronics company revealed an active suspension system and installed it on a first-gen Lexus LS400. The results were extraordinary. The car exhibited zero body roll, even under heavy braking, in a slalom, or over bumps. For its most impressive party trick, the Lexus jumped over a six inch high piece of lumber. Recently, that exact prototype showed up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Continue reading →

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Karaoke has its origins in a 60-year-old car stereo

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Ben Hsu

Today, October 17, is Karaoke Day in Japan. The date marks the establishment of the Japan Karaoke Association (JKA) on this day in 1994, exactly 30 years ago. Karaoke was named — along with kei cars, the Honda Super Cub, and the CVCC engine — one of Japan’s Top 100 Innovations. A portmanteau of kara (Japanese for “empty”) and oke (short for “orchestra”), the ability to sing along to instrumental recordings of songs could not have happened without the car stereo. Continue reading →

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Nissan Violet and Toyota Crown taxis queue up near Mt Fuji

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Matt De Mangos

The areas near Mt Fuji have always been a popular sightseeing destination, but without a car it’s rather inconvenient to get to the top. At one of the train stations in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, a queue of taxis line up to take travelers to nearby destinations like Gotemba Ski Resort or Mt Fuji. Kujira Toyota Crowns, 230 Nissan Cedrics and 710 Nissan Violets seem to be the cabs of choice here. The center Violet wears the livery of the Fujikyu Shizuoka Taxi Co., which is still in use today.

Cars can only climb to the 5th Station (there are 10 in all), but during snowy weather buses and cab companies may refuse to ascend the legendary mountain. Private cars are allowed, however, so plan accordingly.

Posted in Showa Snap | 5 Comments

Honda Prelude revival won’t have manual transmission after all

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Steve Chang

Womp womp. It turns out that the report of a manual transmission for the upcoming Honda Prelude was incorrect. A top exec has confirmed that the coupe will be automatic only. And yes, that’s a photo of an Acura TL Type-S up there, another Honda that was cruelly denied a stick shift, much to the disappointment of enthusiasts. Continue reading →

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QotW: What is your favorite form of motorsports, and what car would you compete in it with?

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Ben Hsu

Today, October 14, is Sports Day in Japan. It was created in 1966 to commemorate the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, an event that set off a massive infrastructure program — bullet trains, expressways, satellite broadcasting — that helped spur auto manufacturing. Today, Sports Day is a general health and fitness reminder but we’re here to put our vehicular spin on it. From Honda Insights hypermiling to Hino Rangers charging through the desert, motorsports takes endless forms. Amateur gymkhanas can be just as thrilling as Formula 1.

What is your favorite form of motorsports, and what car would you compete in it with?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “LED headlights, yea or nay?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | 9 Comments

Help Nissan find the stolen R32 Skyline GT-R from their Heritage Collection

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Ben Hsu

Thieves suck. They all deserve to get the book thrown at them, but it’s especially painful when they steal something that isn’t just an easily replaceable mall crawling Kia. Down Under, some particularly brazen lowlifes has pilfered the R32 Skyline GT-R from Nissan Australia’s heritage collection. Local authorities are investigating. Continue reading →

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Kawasaki W230 expands retro lineup with quarter-liter standard

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Dan Hsu

We are in a golden age of retro bikes. However, most of the offerings have been at either the high end of the market, with models like the Kawasaki Z900 and W800, or the low end of the market like with Honda’s Monkey and other 125cc minis. Now, the Kawasaki W230 is coming to America, and it’s a perfect entry-level quarter-liter Japanese bike with retro styling. Continue reading →

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Get a JCCS Coupon Code right here

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Ben Hsu

We are happy to share a coupon code for the upcoming 2024 Japanese Classic Car Show. Just enter the code “JNC5” when you purchase tickets online and you can get five bucks off the regular online admission price of $20. Tickets at the gate on the day of the show will cost $25. That means if you buy now, you’ll save $10!

The 19th annual JCCS will be held at Marina Green Park in Long Beach, California this coming Saturday, October 12, from 9am to 3pm. Be sure to stop by the JNC booth and check out the US debut of the RS-Watanabe RS8R 3-piece wheels and maybe a diecast giveaway or two (this one will be different from the official show diecast, a Tarmac Works Advan R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R). See you there!

Posted in Reminder | 4 Comments

That time Pop Tarts went hard with tuner culture

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Steve Chang

The tuner scene had been flourishing for years by the time Y2K rolled around, but it still wasn’t mainstream. Even after the success of the The Fast and the Furious in 2001, non-car people didn’t get why you’d tune a Honda Civic instead of a Camaro. It was still rare to see kandy colored VTECs in popular culture, which made it somewhat surprising that Kellogg’s, the company built on making the same corn flake cereal since 1906, glommed onto tuners in this memorable ad circa 2002. Continue reading →

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QotW: LED headlights, yea or nay?

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Ben Hsu

Today, October 7, is National LED Light Day. One of the easiest mods to update a vintage car is LED lights. They instantly improve night time visibility and vision with technology decades newer than old school sealed beams. However, one could argue that perhaps classic cars should not be updated, and that LED lights spoil the look and feel of an otherwise authentic classic. What say you?

LED headlights, yea or nay?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What complete JNC body shell should be reproduced next?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 15 Comments

See the reborn RS-Watanabe RS8 3-piece wheel at JCCS, coupon code included!

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Ben Hsu

The 3-piece take on classic RS-Watanabe 8-spoke wheel is back. After 30 years the iconic wheel company has released an updated version of the Watanabe RS8. This time around, they collaborated with Work Wheels to create the RS8R, which incorporates Work’s deep step-lip barrel for a more aggressive look. As it happens, the first set in the US will be on display at the JNC booth at the upcoming Japanese Classic Car Show. Continue reading →

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Showa Snap: Two-tone taxis teem toward Tokyo terrace

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Matt De Mangos

It’s been a while since we had a Showa Snap, but here’s a striking photo of taxi drivers gathered in front of a row of storefronts. Note that the 230 and 330 Nissan Cedric cabs have no toplights, and that the various taxi companies are denoted by vivid two-tone paint jobs. We know these aren’t privately-owned vehicles because of their green license plates.  The businesses include what looks like a travel agency and a small food market. The image was likely taken in 1975, meaning these young drivers are probably retirees by now.

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The Honda Dax 125 is coming to America

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Dan Hsu

Honda has announced that the revived Dax motorcycle is coming to America. The updated classic minibike was announced for the Japanese market in 2022, but now it’s officially crossing the Pacific. It joins Honda’s “mini moto” class of 125cc bikes like the Cub, Monkey and Grom. It’s also probably the most faithful to the original version of all the recently revived motorcycles in Honda’s lineup. Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Honda Prelude revival will reportedly have manual transmission

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Ben Hsu

Honda surprised a lot of enthusiasts with the debut of the Prelude at last year’s Japan Mobility Show. Honda has since said that the sleek-looking coupe will be powered by a hybrid powertrain. Now, a report from Japan says the Prelude will come with a 6-speed manual transmission. If true, it would be the first gasoline-electric hybrid with a stick since the Honda CR-Z. Continue reading →

Posted in News | 5 Comments