Japanese Nostalgic Car

QotW: How will you purchase your next JNC?

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

We’ve been seeing a massive amount of minty JNCs lately. Many of these perfect specimens come attached with “out-the-barn, no low-ball, I-know-what-I-have” prices. On the other hand, there are still times when you can find a JNC in condition ranging from quasi-decent to “help meeeee” for a much lower price. I’m interested in your take with the current market for JNC.

For your next purchase, do you buy the complete model with a higher price tag; or go low-ball and perform your own servicing to get it back in tip-top shape?

How will you purchase your next JNC?

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

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

EVENTS: Classic Japan 2017

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Kevin San

As the JNC crew in SoCal was getting their 80s and 90s car show fill at Radwood, we here in Australia were going further back in time. Classic Japan in Melbourne is probably one of the best gatherings of Nihon steel in the world, thanks to Australia’s long history with Japanese cars. We had officially sold ADM Princes, locally built Skyline R31s, and a long history of sleeper rotaries. Americans, however, may find it odd to see me geek out over a Corolla FX-16. In any case, here’s the result of our 2,000-km road trip in the JNC Project Hakosuka. Enjoy! Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged australia, c10, Classic Japan, datsun, Hakosuka, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, skyline, subaru, toyota | 4 Comments

EVENTS: The Best of Radwood 2

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Among the, like, totally awesome cars of Radwood were a few that hit us in the face like a blast of Drakkar Noir. This isn’t a scientific polling, because who wouldn’t want to take home the Wolf’s NSX, but just a few cars that we and the Radwood judges felt best captured the spirit of the 80s and 90s. Continue reading →

Posted in events, Spotlight | Tagged 280zx, a60, acura, aw11, black gold, celica, crx, datsun, dc2, ea, honda, Integra Type R, leone, mr2, nissan, prelude, subaru, toyota | 15 Comments

EVENTS: Radwood 2 – Electric Boogaloo

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Ben Hsu

From the moment co-organizer Art Cervantes told us the name of the event, we knew it would be incredible. Radwood. It was a car show exclusively for 80s and 90s machines. Like Goodwood but, you know, rad. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 240sx, 300zx, 4runner, 80-series, 929, a60, a70, A80, acura, ae86, aw11, brat, CBR900RR, celica, charade, chaser, civic, Civic EF, Civic EG, corolla, corona, cr-v, cressida, crx, daihatsu, delica, Dodge Raider, e70, eclipse, fc3s, fd3s, fj60, fj62, galant, Galant VR-4, honda, infiniti, integra, KA4, KA7, land cruiser, legend, lexus, Lexus LS, mazda, miata, Miata NA, Mighty Max, mitsubishi, montero, motocompo, mr2, MX-3, mx-5, N60, nissan, nsx, pajero, prelude, Q45, r33, r34, Radwood, rx-7, s13, sa22, skyline, subaru, supra, sw20, x70, x80, z31, z32 | 11 Comments

Consider the Following: RT40 Toyota Corona

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Ryan Senensky

With the prices of the most popular models entering unattainable status for a lot of younger JNCers, we felt it necessary to highlight some painfully overlooked yet still affordable (for now) nostalgics. Welcome to another Consider the Following installment, in which we consider the RT40 Toyota Corona. Continue reading →

Posted in Consider the Following | Tagged barikan, corona, t40, toyota | 27 Comments

VIDEO: What it’s like to drive an Autozam AZ-1

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Ben Hsu

“Ridge Racer-feeling” are the words used to describe the Autozam AZ-1, the Mazda-Suzuki collab that was quite possibly the pinnacle of the kei car breed. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, just death and taxes, or something like that. So in exchange for the gift of reduced vehicle registration fees and the ability to park anywhere, the otherwise unforgiving Japanese government imposed severe constraints on physical size and engine displacement kei cars. Mid-engined, twin-cammed, turbo-charged, and gull-winged, the Autozam took those constraints and made the most bonkers, futuristic sports car it could. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged autozam, az-1, kei, mazda | 3 Comments

QotW: What’s your favorite color on a JNC?

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

One of my favorite bands of all time is Living Colour. As a kid growing up in the dying ages of cassette tapes and the new age of digital platters, my first journey beyond the radio man’s reach was listening to my brother’s Living Colour CDs. Therefore, we must ask:

What’s your favorite color, baby, on a JNC?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What modern day feature does your JNC need?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 14 Comments

A 600-mile road trip in the JNC Project Hakosuka

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Ben Hsu

JNC is attending two car shows this weekend, one on each side of the globe. For the SoCal team it will be an easy journey. Basically, I’ll take a leisurely 30 minute drive down to Anaheim for Radwood, the 80s and 90s car show, in my Don Johnson white pants, shoes and blazer with a blue T-shirt. Team Australia has it slightly harder. Kev is taking the JNC Project Hakosuka from Sydney to Melbourne for Classic Japan, the largest gathering of vintage Nihon steel in the country.

That’s a distance of 1,000 km, or 600 miles in Yank speak, and to top it all off it’s summer in the southern hemisphere. That means nine hours with no aircon and no music but the sweet sounds of an L-series at sustained rpm. Follow our road trip, in which we convoy with the Nissan Cedric from Barrel Bros., in the videos below. Continue reading →

Posted in jnc | Tagged 330, c10, cedric, Classic Japan, Hakosuka, JNC Project Hako, nissan, Project Hakosuka, skyline | 2 Comments

LA Auto Show: Mazda’s “north-star” offers a beacon of hope

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Ben Hsu

If the Tokyo Motor Show was bleak, LA was a Blade Runner dystopia of crushing inhumanity. The cars unveiled weren’t autonomous pods so you didn’t get the sense that Skynet was taking over, but nearly every new model was a crossover. It’s as if we have lost our automotive imagination. Among the Japanese automakers, only Mazda offered a beacon of hope, in what Mazda North America CEO Masahiro Moro called the company’s “north star.” Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged LA Auto Show, LAAS 2017, mazda, mazda 6, Vision Coupe | 4 Comments

GALLERIES: Nissan says the Stanza Wagon is as iconic as the Datsun 510

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Vindication. It’s a good feeling. Earlier this year when Ryan published a Consider the Following article about the many charms of the Nissan Stanza Wagon, the comments section got rather heated. Some couldn’t believe a Pulitzer-esque publication like JNC would sing the praises of the Prairie, which — shocker — is apparently not a cool car to some eyes. Well guess what, nonbelievers. Nissan has taken our side. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 510, bluebird, c10, c130, cube, datsun, gt-r, laurel, leaf, m10, nissan, nissan gallery yokohama, prairie, pulsar, r35, skyline, Stanza Wagon, U11, violet, Z12 | 21 Comments

Consider the Following: Subaru XT

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Ryan Senensky

Posted in Consider the Following | Tagged alcyone, subaru, xt | 17 Comments

NEWS: Nissan’s NISMO Heritage parts program launches

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Nissan has begun its NISMO Heritage program, which manufactures parts for its iconic cars. The program kicks off with 74 parts for the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R, but there could be more in the future. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged gt-r, nissan, r32, skyline | 12 Comments

QotW: What modern day feature does your JNC need?

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

Last weekend I found myself behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Turbo. It was fun to toss the plucky 4WD on stock 5.5-inch wide tires around corners like it was ice skating, but the thinness of the doors and lack of sound deadening made conversations hard to have over road noise and turbo howls. What would the Pajero Mini needed for it to be a perfect little 4-wheeler — a body with higher torsional rigidity, or high-tech terrain system with crawl control, or would updated safety systems in case of a T-bone collision.

What modern day feature does your JNC need?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the best stock JNC steering wheel?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 14 Comments

NEWS: Mitsubishi unveils a hideous tribute to its first car

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Mitsubishi began work on its first car, simply named the Model A, in 1917. That was 100 years ago, and so to celebrate this momentous occasion Mitsubishi Motors North America commissioned a recreation of it. Sadly, the Re-Model A, as it is called, it just plain ridiculous. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged mitsubishi, mitsubishi model a, Outlander, Outlander PHEV | 42 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving from JNC

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Have a happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at JNC. A big domo arigato gozaimasu for reading, weighing in with your comments, and purchasing items from the shop, as well as for being enthusiasts, caretakers, and drivers of the cars we love. We are truly thankful for your patronage. Be safe this holiday.

Posted in Holidays | 6 Comments

Tokyo Motor Show: The State of Cars in Japan

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Kevin San

By now you have seen plenty of car magazine and social media channels declare the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show as being a disappointment. Leading up to the show, there were whispers of some tasty production cars being revealed: a Fairlady Z concept from Nissan, the next-gen Supra and a turbocharged F version of the Lexus LC coupe from Toyota. After a rousing speech from Akio Toyoda the JDM sports car renaissance would burst onto the stage amid cheers, hugs, and confetti.

What actually happened was the opposite of that. Continue reading →

Posted in Tokyo Motor Show | Tagged brz, calsonic, Concept-Ai, CrossHub, crown, Dakar Rally, Fine Comfort Ride, gt-r, hino, honda, Kai, kei, LCV D-Cargo, le mans, mazda, Motobot, MWC4, nissan, r35, s660, Sora Fuel Cell Bus, subaru, SuperGT, tokyo motor show, tomica, toyota, toyota 86, TS040, Viziv Performance Concept, Wonder Capsule, WRX STI, yamaha | 10 Comments

Kei Hero: Subaru 360 Young SS

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Ryan Senensky

The Subaru 360 gets a lot of praise as being the first massively successful car in the Japanese market, as important as the VW Beetle was for Germany and the Model T was for the US. That is great and well deserved recognition, but mention of it being the first high performance Subaru is rare, and I think its high time we shed some light on the Subaru 360 Young SS. Continue reading →

Posted in kei | Tagged kei, subaru, subaru 360 | 11 Comments

NEWS: Four cars inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Ben Hsu

The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has announced the inductees into their Historic & Heritage Vehicles class for 2017. The selected automobiles are regarded to have contributed to the development of Japan’s automobile industry and car culture, and are deemed worthy of preservation. There were four inductees this year. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 3-wheeler, daihatsu, fj40, japan automotive hall of fame, land cruiser, prince, s54, skyline, subaru, subaru 1000, toyota, Tsubasa | 2 Comments