Japanese Nostalgic Car

QotW: What’s your most heartwarming JNC story?

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Somehow, old cars inspire tales of friendship, camaraderie, and bringing out the best in your fellow humans. Case in point: this weekend we learned about an entire country that banded together to help one owner restore a Toyota Corolla that had been wrecked by the 2011 tsunami.

What’s your most heartwarming JNC story?

What say you, dear reader? As always, 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 best tale of JNC indestructibility?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 5 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 03

Posted on March 13, 2016 by David Lovett

During Day 01 and Day 02 of our road trip across Japan, it rained constantly. On the morning of Day 03, the weather finally broke. As the clouds departed to the north, we were headed south, and that meant nothing but increasingly clear skies and sunny weather from here on out. Our goal for today was to take the Isuzu 117 Coupé from Matsue City on the northern end of Shimane Prefecture to Shimonoseki, the southernmost city of Japan’s main landmass. Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring | Tagged 117, Grand Touring, isuzu, Izumo Taisha Shrine | 14 Comments

VIDEO: A nation of car enthusiasts helps restore a tsunami-destroyed 1971 Corolla

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Toyota Corolla TE27 tsunami restoration 01

Toyota Corolla TE27 tsunami restoration 02

Five years ago, waves from the devastating tsunami that struck Japan’s eastern coast swept Masayuki Watanabe’s 1971 Toyota Corolla from its garage. Today, he got that car back. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged corolla, te27, tohoku, toyota | 10 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 02

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Skorj

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the twin disasters — a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami — that struck Japan off the coast of Tohoku in 2011. In remembrance, we are re-running a series of stories that relate to the event’s aftermath. This article was originally published on October 23, 2012.

In Part 01 of our Grand Tour through Japan’s Tohoku region we headed north from Tokyo, past tsunami-devastated villages and deep into Aomori Prefecture. Normally on such trips the nostalgics we encounter are the most beloved — Skylines, rear-drive Corollas, Honda S-cars — but this time we’d been pleased to cross paths with machines less often seen. We pick up Part 02 as we trace Mutsu Bay on the northernmost tip of Honshu, Japan’s main island. Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, isuzu, kei, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 117, 280zx, 300zx, 520, 521, aomori, b120, barikan, cedric, corona, cr-v, datsun, debonair, fairlady z, fukushima, gloria, Grand Touring, honda, isuzu, iwate, jeep, kei, life, mitsubishi, Mutsu Bay, nissan, rt40, s130, sanitora, sunny, t40, tohoku, truck, y30, z31 | 17 Comments

How Subaru became masters of AWD

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the twin disasters — a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami — that struck Japan off the coast of Tohoku in 2011. In remembrance, we are re-running a series of stories that relate to event’s aftermath. Another version of this article was published on July 9, 2015. Here it is with minor updates.

The story of how Subaru became masters of AWD is one of pure chance. In 1969, Tohoku Electric Power Co., northeast Japan’s power company, was looking for vehicles to replace their fleet of Land Cruisers (in some versions of this story, the vehicle is described as a “jeep-like” truck, which could refer to a Mitsubishi JH). Employees often had to venture into rugged and snowy terrain to repair power lines. The trucks were deemed too uncomfortable and inefficient, especially in winters, when their canvas tops would let cold air in. Continue reading →

Posted in subaru | Tagged DL/GL, ff-1, subaru, tohoku, wagon | 27 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 01

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Skorj

For the last year or more, most of our visits to Tohoku have been single minded – helping with the recovery efforts. This trip was a chance to relax, tour the glorious countryside, meet people and, of course, capture some glimpses of nostalgic cars in the wild. For this we traveled northward from Tokyo as far as possible, all the way to the Aomori coast on the northernmost tip of Honshu. Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, isuzu, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 117, accord, aomori, c10, cb7, cr-v, crown, Grand Touring, Hakosuka, honda, inakadate, isuzu, iwate, jeep, kgc10, kpgc10, kujira, maewaka, mitsubishi, ms65, nissan, r34, s60, sendai, skyline, tohoku, toyota | 13 Comments

VIDEO: Check out this Honda Head’s massive collection

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Ben Hsu

In a video titled Honda Kokoro (Honda Heart), a collector welcomes viewers into his incredible collection of Honda memorabilia. If the wall of valve covers didn’t clue you in already, it is a collection of epic proportions, from bikes to Hot Wheels, generators to Honda-branded gym socks. Lance isn’t just an otaku, though. He works for the company as well. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged Cuby, honda | 4 Comments

Consider the Following: The third-generation Honda Accord is a great buy

Posted on March 10, 2016 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 — often for no good reason at all — yet still affordable (for now) nostalgics. Consider the following: The CA Honda Accord. Continue reading →

Posted in Consider the Following | Tagged accord, Accord CA, honda | 38 Comments

VIDEO: A key part of Japanese industry now lost

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Here’s a video, perhaps in the same grade-school documentary series as the one about Japanese industry in the 1970s. It has no cars, but you can still learn a thing or two. In particular, there’s a scene showing a family-owned sewing business (6:19 in the video below the fold). In the small home, a family might live in one room, while a “factory” occupied another. It is difficult to describe the scale of such an operation without visuals. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged industry, nissan | 10 Comments

EVENTS: Marikina Old Schoolers East meet

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Walter Pineda

Perhaps unbeknownst to most Americans, the Philippines has an incredibly strong tradition of classic car enthusiasm, especially with Nihon steel. Due to the nation’s proximity to Japan, it was one of the early export markets and received many models that would be popular with JNCers today. The Old Schoolers East are a club composed of owners from the eastern side of Metro Manila who are into vintage cars, mostly ones that were common in the capital city during the 70s and 80s. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged corolla, e20, Greenhills Style, kp61, lancer, mitsubishi, Old Schoolers East, Philippines, starlet, te27, toyota | 14 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — This is Japan

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Ben Hsu

A life-size Gundam robot towers above the trees. Giant windowless shopping centers operate like small cities. In this snapshot of a hyper-futuristic metropolis floating on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, tradition comes in the form of a parking lot teeming with zokusha. This is Japan. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 510, a10, a20, bluebird, bosozoku, c10, c110, carina, celica, chaser, cherry, cosmo, cresta, crown, daruma, datsun, e10, EVA, Fukuoka Style, Gundam, gurachan, gx71, Hakosuka, honda, kaido racer, kenmeri, life, Luce Legato, mark II, mazda, new year meeting, rx-5, skyline, ssr, toyota, x70 | 21 Comments

Happy International Women’s Day from JNC

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Continue reading →

Posted in jnc | Tagged daihatsu, datsun, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, suzuki, toyota | 15 Comments

VIDEO: Watch loads of JNC goodness in this documentary about Japan in the 1970s

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The video you’re about to watch is what American schoolchildren were taught about Japan in the 1970s. Throughout it all, there are brilliant scenes of Showa Era Japanese streets and the cars that populate them. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged b310, colt, datsun, fto, galant, lancer, mirage, mitsubishi, nissan, Showa Era, sunny | 8 Comments

QotW: What’s your best tale of JNC indestructibility?

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Ben Hsu

One of the greatest things about owning a JNCs is its reliability. Think that’s boring? Well, while macchine nostalgico Italiano owners are leaking vital fluids, Deutsch nostalgischen auto owners are trying to figure out why you need to remove the transmission to change a bulb, and British reminiscing motorcar owners are studying for Master’s degrees in electrical engineering, JNC owners are out there driving their cars. We’re so cocky, we sometimes even willfully abuse our cars, knowing they’ll just roll with the punches.

What’s your best tale of JNC indestructibility?

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What once-common car has suddenly disappeared?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 20 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 02

Posted on March 6, 2016 by David Lovett

In Part 01 of our once-in-a-lifetime road trip, we set out from Nagoya and headed to Maizuru City via Lake Biwa. Our car was an Isuzu fresh off of a head gasket change, and while Day Two was yet another day of pure rain, a quick look at the weather radar showed it’d be the last foreseeable shower for a while. Regardless, we weren’t going to let our spirits be dampened by dampness! So we hopped back in the 117 and hit the road again, out of Maizuru, sticking to Japan’s northern coastline. Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring | Tagged 117, Grand Touring, Hakuto Jinja, isuzu, Tottori Sand Dunes | 30 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 02 — The Parking Area

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

In Part 02 of our New Year Meeting coverage, we delve into the parking area to unearth gems as good as anything inside the show. Some of them aren’t able to make it simply because of the age cutoff, others perhaps have owners who don’t necessarily care about showing off their cars. In any case, being greeted by a row of gorgeous Bubble Era Soarers is reason enough to go exploring. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 280zx, 510, a20, b110, bluebird, cb400, celica, cressida, cresta, crown, daruma, datsun, dekotora, elf, fairlady z, gemini, Hawk, honda, isuzu, mazda, mirage, mitsubishi, new year meeting, nissan, rally, Rocket Bunny, rx-3, s110, s130, s30 z, Sera, Shakotan Boogie, soarer, sunny, suzuki, today, toyota, Wagon R, x70, z10, z20 | 15 Comments

EVENTS: The Mazda Ice Academy explains why Mazdas are so darn fun to drive

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The Mazda Ice Academy’s main reason for existence was to show off the Hiroshima automaker’s newfangled all-wheel-drive system. That was good, as we’d marveled before at how they managed to give a mid-size crossover better handling than many actual cars. We wanted to learn the secret, but by the end of day two the academy had turned into a session of drifting Miatas on a snow-covered mountaintop. With the top down. In below-freezing temperatures. As it turns out, the two are more closely related than you think. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged mazda, miata, mx-5, ND Miata | 4 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 01

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

The New Year Meeting is Tokyo’s premiere classic car show and it takes place at the end of January. You’ll likely never see a gathering of J-tin so diverse anywhere else, and the magic begins with a line of cars at the show’s gates. Right off the bat there’s a 1960s H31 Nissan Cedric, Sunny, Subaru Leone wagon, and a daruma Celica all queued up. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 117, 3K, 510, a20, bluebird, bosozoku, c10, c30, cedric, celica, corolla, corona mark II, daruma, drag racer, Farialdy Z, galant gto, h31, Hakosuka, honda, isuzu, kaido racer, kp47, laurel, le mans, leone, life, mazda, Mazda B360, Minica Skipper, mitsubishi, Musashi Crystal, new year meeting, nissan, porter cab, publica, Rilakkuma, S-Series, s30, skyline, soarer, starlet, subaru, t60, toyota, z20 | 9 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? The finest replica of a Mugen CRX SCCA GT4 race car is in France

Posted on March 3, 2016 by David Lovett

In the early 1980s, Honda wanted to show the appeal of its high-performance vehicles to American enthusiasts. It set about building a racing car with the help of its tuning and racing division, Mugen, to compete in the SCCA GT-4 class. The weapon of choice? The Honda CRX. It debuted in 1985 at Road Atlanta, was campaigned all the way through 1990, kicking butt and taking names for the entire 6 years it ran. Honda had America’s attention. But they also caught the attention of an enthusiast from France. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale | Tagged crx, honda, kidney anyone, mugen, scca | 8 Comments