QotW: What’s your favorite JNC underdog story?

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Unless you emerged from a coma this morning you know that the underdog Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl last night. It was a fantastic close game down to the final minutes. Of course, JNCs often had their own underdog stories and a lot to prove, whether in motorsports, sales, or back street antics.

What’s your favorite JNC underdog story?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC introduced in 1993 is your favorite classic of 2018?”  Continue reading →

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Tokyo Auto Salon: The championship-winning TOM’s KP47 Starlet was rebuilt around its original engine

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Toyotaku know the name TOM’s well. Tachi Oiwa Motorsport is the has been Japan’s premier tuner of Toyota and Lexus cars for decades, serving as something of an unofficial performance arm for the Big T. For the Tokyo Auto Salon this year, they brought out a beautiful display showcasing a newly restored KP47 Starlet, the car that launched the tuning house in the wake of the 1973 Oil Crisis.  Continue reading →

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Happy TA22 Day from JNC

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Hey, look, it’s a chassis code holiday where Americans and Australians don’t have to argue about whether the month comes first or not! Happy TA22 Day, better known as Daruma Day, everyone!

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon: Maybe it’s time to stop calling Toyota boring

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Modern Toyota often gets a bad rap for not indulging enough in its fun side. At the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s carnival of car customization and tuning, the Big T reminded us that few other Japanese automakers willing to commit this level of far-out vehicular mayhem.  Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE?: A super clean 1989 Acura Integra

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Ryan Senensky

You. Yes, you. You want this Integra. You want an 80s sports car but you want it to be reliable. You feel it calling to you with its pop-up lights and rev-happy DOHC engine. You need this Integra.  Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Son gifts Dad with Supra identical to the one lost in a crash in 2006

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Here’s a wonderfully heartwarming story about a son, his dad, and his dad’s beloved Toyota Supra. Jason Torchinsky tells the tale of the white-on-maroon A60 at Jalopnik. Even before Dalan Ruttan’s father bought the Supra in 1991, he had surrounded his office with photos of his dream car.  Continue reading →

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MARKETWATCH: 2018 Scottsdale JNC Round-up

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Patrick Strong

Two years ago, we published a round-up of the various JNCs offered for sale during the annual orgy of automotive spending known as the Scottsdale auctions, and based on both the quantity and quality of the cars that crossed the dais that week we concluded that JNCs had at last entered the mainstream of the car collecting community. The Scottsdale auctions (along with Monterey Car Week) are the leading barometer of classic car prices and trends in the US, so now in 2018 we felt it was time to revisit the Arizona desert to see whether the big spenders of the car world are still showing JNCs any love.  Continue reading →

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MOTORSPORT: Bob Sharp inducted into SCCA Hall of Fame

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Nissan racing pioneer and legend Bob Sharp has been inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame. Sharp was one of eight inductees announced for the Sports Car Club of America’s 2018 honors, recognizing a lifetime’s worth of racing achievements, three-and-a-half decades’ worth of which were accomplished with Datsun and Nissan cars. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon: Alaska-to-Chile Land Cruiser restored

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Ben Hsu

On March 29, 1960 a Toyota Land Cruiser embarked on a record-breaking north-to-south journey from Fairbanks, Alaska to Puerto Montt, Chile. The Land Cruiser covered 20,015 miles, took 117 days, and recorded the first time the trip had been completed without accidents. Also, it was bright pink. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 10k-mile Toyota MR2 for $30,000

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The gods of mid-engine runabouts must be receiving their share of sacrifices, because here’s the second ridiculously low-milage MR2 we’ve seen for sale in less than a week. Though this 1986 model in Indianapolis has traveled more than double the distance of the 1993 Turbo from last week, that still means it has only racked up about 10,000 ticks.  Continue reading →

Posted in for sale | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon: Endless brakes make this Hino Contessa a show stopper

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Ben Hsu

One of the benefits of the growing interest in Japanese classics is that aftermarket companies are producing an increasing number of parts for the cars we know and love. One of the leaders of this movement is Endless Advance, the Japanese maker of performance brakes. At the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this month, they showed off their ever-expanding catalog of brake system bits with a raised Hino Contessa in one of the most eye-catching displays of the show. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Nissan still “working on” keeping the Z alive

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The current Nissan Z is nearly a decade old and the automaker has given not even the slightest suggestion of a successor. However, the company’s most memorable model is perhaps not completely dead, according to a Nissan executive’s recent statements.  Continue reading →

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QotW: Which JNC introduced in 1993 is your favorite classic of 2018?

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Ben Hsu

It’s hard to believe, but the year that gave us President Bill Clinton, Jurassic Park, and Beanie Babies is now 25 years in the rear view mirror. 1993 was a seminal year, quite possibly the peak of the Bubble Era cars, as technology developed during boom times reached market. As such, a new round of Nihon steel is now eligible for historic plates, classic car insurance, and import from Japan.

Which JNC introduced in 1993 is your favorite classic of 2018?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?”  Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 16 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? 4,400-mile Toyota MR2 Turbo

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Ben Hsu

If you wanted a brand new second-generation Toyota MR2 Turbo back in the day but foolishly did not buy one, this could be your one shot at redemption. Offered for sale in Canal Winchester, Ohio, is quite possibly the country’s lowest-mile all-original SW20 MR2 in private hands.  Continue reading →

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KEI HERO: Suzuki Alto Works

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Ryan Senensky

Poor America. We don’t even know how bad we have it. In the States, we think of hatchbacks as puny, minimally equipped tin cans that people buy because they can’t afford something better. Elsewhere in the world and especially in Japan, not only are the smallest of the small kei cars acceptable, they are desirable, deliver superior performance, and are packed with technology that would make actual sports cars of the era look like an oxcart. There was perhaps no better example of this phenomenon than the Suzuki Alto Works, the tiniest hot hatch.  Continue reading →

Posted in kei | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

VIDEO: Leno Drives an S30 Z

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Ryan Senensky

Jay Leno built a career on comedy, then built arguably the best private car collection in the world with the proceeds, and today uses that car collection to educate the world about interesting about cars. He doesn’t limit himself to just one type of car, nor does he own the world’s supply of Porsches or every Paul Newman race car. If it’s interesting mechanically, he’s into it.  Continue reading →

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SEARCH & RESCUE: Mazda Millenia S

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Dave Yuan

Dear JNC readers, we need your help. We trust that if you are reading you 1.) believe in our mission to preserve cars for posterity, and 2.) are experienced in tracking down an elusive but prime vehicular specimens for purchase. We are introducing a new series, Search & Rescue, in which we ask our readership to help us find cars for those who will save them. For the first installment, we are seeking a Mazda Millenia S. Whichever lucky example is chosen will live the rest of its life in a very important collection of historically significant Mazdas and be well taken care of. Continue reading →

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COLLECTIONS: Nissan completes restoration of 24 Hours of Spa R31 Skyline

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Ben Hsu

On Saturday Nissan celebrated the completion of its restoration of the Group A HR31 Skyline GTS-R that ran at the 1988 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. With only 800 homologation models made, the R31 Skyline GTS-R is a rare and technologically advanced model, even if often overshadowed by its GT-R brethren. This particular car has even more historical significance, however, as it marked the first time an official Nissan sanctioned Skyline competed in Europe. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Heavy snow hits Tokyo, disrupts road, train and air travel

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Ben Hsu

A heavy snow storm struck Tokyo Monday, dumping 9 inches of powder on the capital city. According to NHK about 50 cars were stranded on Tokyo’s iconic Rainbow Bridge. The weather interfered with Tokyo’s train schedules as well, and according to Reuters 250 flights at Haneda Airport were grounded. Continue reading →

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QotW: Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

One of the worst feelings in the world is that sinking feeling you get upon seeing the rollers of a police cruiser in your rear view mirror. I saw a set of lights on my 86 a minute after entering a local town’s city limits. The offense? No front license plate on my zenki bumper. The bolt holes for a US plate differ from those of a Japanese number plate so I simply left it off. Luckily, I always roll with a trunk full of tools, so I zip-tied the plate on and got off with a warning.

Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?

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

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 17 Comments