QotW: Do you prefer stock or aftermarket wheels?

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

Some JNCs came with absolute knock-out wheels — the AE86 snowflake, the 240Z iron cross, while other JNCs came with steelies that would never steal anyone’s heart. How could they when you have classic rims such as Star Sharks and Work Equips? Now, there’s a great divide. Keep everything stock and authentic; or upgrade to something vintage, or new-old vintage.

Do you prefer stock or aftermarket wheels?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What do you want to know about living in Japan?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 19 Comments

Happy 929 Day from JNC

Posted on September 29, 2018 by Ben Hsu

It’s September 29, which means it’s time to honor the plushest Hiroshima sedan ever built. Even when it’s on the road it feels like it’s sailing along calm waterways. Happy 9/29 Day from JNC!

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MARKETWATCH: Integra Type R sold for $58,000

Posted on September 29, 2018 by Ben Hsu

What if I told in you in 1997 that you could buy an Acura Integra Type R, store it in a garage for 21 years, and put only 1,191 miles on it during that time, and make about $34,000 in profit? Would that be worth it to you? Because at a Barrett-Jackson auction this week, that’s exactly what happened. Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — Trucks

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Trucks are the unsung heroes of the JNC world. While many of us would love to have a Skyline or Supra, the truth is that these rigs did just as much to earn credibility and loyal customers for our favorite marques. We are always thrilled to see the turnout, so here are the trucks, SUVs and vans of JCCS. Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Subaru and Isuzu

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Ben Hsu

One of the clues that JCCS 2018 was history’s biggest was the presence of Isuzus and Subarus. Not a lot, granted, but in past years we would have said there were a lot if even one car of either marque showed up. This year, both did! Continue reading →

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NEWS: Mazda completes first factory NA Roadster restoration

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Mazda has completed its first factory restoration of a Eunos Roadster. The program was launched in August 2017 to help owners get their beloved NAs back to new condition, as well as to manufacture discontinued parts for the first-gen Roadster. To celebrate the completion of the first job, Mazda invited the owner to one of its restoration facilities to hand over the keys. Continue reading →

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JCCS Spotlight: This N600 was Honda’s first race car in America

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Ben Hsu

At this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show, you may have been wondering why there was a rusty heap of an N600 given prime position in the middle of the Honda booth. Surrounding it were a new Civic Type R and NSX, and clean examples of a first-gen Civic and Legend. This N600 was special, though, because this very car was the first Honda race car in America. Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Hondas

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Ben Hsu

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Honda has  founding, we continue our JCCS coverage with the brand that Old Man Soichiro built. Thanks to a bigger venue this year at Marina Green Park, JCCS is now able to allow 90s cars, arguably the prime decade for Honda. Continue reading →

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Happy 70th Anniversary to Honda Motor Co.

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Ben Hsu

On this day 70 years ago, Honda Motor Corporation was officially established. The photo above is that of Honda’s first factory, in Hamamatsu, with 34 employees. The company’s first product was a small engine strapped to a bicycle, making it the first Honda motorcycle. Founder Soichiro Honda was inspired to build it a few year earlier, when he saw his wife riding her bicycle to town every day and wanted to make life a bit easier for her. Continue reading →

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QotW: What do you want to know about living in Japan?

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

We’re doing our first AMA (Ask Me Anything). As one of the JNC staff living in Japan, I can say that one of the best things about it is the daily exposure to all things JNC. Want to know more about a car? Head over to a bookstore and grab a copy of the numerous magazines or mooks available. Want to start a crazy JNC garage? Go for it, as long as you have a parking space approved by the local police force. Living in Japan is not just about geeking out on JNCs, though. This is a whole different world and culture. We’ll do our best to answer, so:

What do you want to know about living in Japan?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Do you rock JNC gear on the regular?” Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything, Question of the Week | Tagged | 44 Comments

WILDLIFE: A Land Cruiser and Skyline GT-R become buds

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Ben Hsu

You know those animal videos where a dog and a tortoise become friends? That is what this in-the-wild spotting of an R34 Skyline GT-R and a Toyota Land Cruiser in Yokohama reminded us of. Each one has come to represent the pinnacle of enthusiast vehicles for their respective brands. Nissan’s fans today are pretty much all about the GT-R, and Toyota’s are all about off-roaders. Who would’ve thunk?

Posted in Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 02 — Toyotas

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Ben Hsu

For the first time since the show’s beginning, Toyota didn’t have a booth or any of its museum cars at the Japanese Classic Car Show. Mazda, Nissan, and Honda all had an official presence, but not the Big T. That’s because the company’s US headquarters has moved to Texas, far away from the epicenter of car culture in southern California. Luckily, individual owners represented with their own cars. Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — JDM

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Japan-only cars have been making their way into JCCS for a while now, but this year the trickle seemed to turn into a tsunami. You couldn’t swing a fender mirror without coming into contact with a RHD ride from the land of the rising sun. And it wasn’t just your typical Skylines and Sprinter Truenos, either. The selection was approaching a diversity of Nihon steel you might see at late night rest area meet back in Japan. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Listen to the wail of the Prince R380

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Ben Hsu

At the second Japan Grand Prix in 1964, Prince Motor Company pit a family sedan against a race car. And even though Shinichiro Sakurai stuffed a two extra cylinders down the nose of the Prince, the purpose-built Porsche 904 won — but not before creating the legend of the Skyline. For the third Japan Grand Prix, Sakurai didn’t mess around. Prince returned with a purpose-built race car of its own, the R380. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

NEWS: Akio Toyoda actually built a Century GRMN

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Ben Hsu

It seemed like a throwaway joke. Shortly after the Tokyo Motor Show last year, where Toyota unveiled only the third new Century design in 50 years, the company’s car-nut CEO Akio Toyoda was interviewed on a Japanese talk show called “We Love Cars.” In it, the host asked Toyoda-san what kind of car he would like to drive. “A Century GRMN,” he replied. Would Toyoda really combine his company’s plushest luxury sedan with the top modification level from his in-house tuners? Apparently, the answer is yes. Continue reading →

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JCCS Spotlight: The Wild Cards always turn up

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Ben Hsu

It’s become something of a tradition. The Wild Cards team rolls in like a storm with a gang of the show’s most stunning cars.  There’s always debut builds of the highest quality, but even many of their existing MVPs return with new looks to update the lineup. A stroll through their ranks never fails to excite, and this year was no exception. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: How the Mazda Familia evolved into the Mazda 3

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Here’s an interesting little video about the evolution of the Mazda Familia, now known as the Mazda 3. In it Mazda chassis engineer and former editor-in-chief of Sport Compact Car Dave Coleman describes the link between the Mazda GLC and the 2018 Mazda 3 hatchback. It started with the 1977 GLC, originally named the Familia in Japan and built on the first-gen RX-7 chassis. Continue reading →

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QotW: Do you rock JNC gear on the regular?

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

We’ve discussed previously about having JNC-related trinkets around the house; or interesting bits in your vehicles, but now I want to know if you have a favorite vintage shirt that just never goes out of your wardrobe rotation despite a loved-one’s repeated request. Maybe a rad JNC shirt you got from a car show, possibly even from the official JNC booth last weekend?

For me, I had an old Formula Drift shirt that I wore twice a week minimum (washed, of course). That is, until the shirt’s fate was sealed when I tried to drop a transmission with 10% fluid still left in it. Tell us:

Do you rock JNC gear on the regular?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What would you like to know about getting started with JNCs?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week, Uncategorized | 15 Comments

VINTAGE RACING JOURNAL: Why Monterey was so important for Nissan

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Glenn Chiou

For one week this summer, Monterey became the playground of Nissan and Datsun fans from all over the globe. For us Datsun racers, it was our opportunity to tell a story, a story of a manufacturer long overlooked in automotive racing history, a story of true grassroots racers who competed for the love of the sport, and who proudly wore the Datsun and Nissan badge as one of honor. Continue reading →

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JCCS Preview: See you all at the Japanese Classic Car Show this Saturday

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Ben Hsu


The 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show is just two days away, and we are excited for what promises to be a new era for the country’s premier gathering of Nihon steel.

After 13 years at the Queen Mary, the JCCS moves to a new location this year, Marina Green Park in Long Beach, California, in order to better accommodate show cars and spectators alike.

We at JNC have some exciting things happening at our booth. We will have some never-before seen Hot Wheels castings on display, and there will be some special surprises for a few lucky fans. Author and legend of automotive journalism Sam Mitani will be autographing copies of his debut novel, The Prototype. And, we will debut our latest shirt, Vintage Barrels Zero, a revisiting of our original design from 2010.

Please stop by the JNC booth this Saturday, September 15. The show goes from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. For reference, this is the same location as Toyotafest the last couple of years. Hopefully, the new location will solve many of the problems with spectators finding parking. See you there!

Posted in JCCS Preview | Tagged | 8 Comments