One of the sacrifices we have to make to drive the cars we love is safety. And while old cars offer great visibility thanks to large greenhouses, that advantage is nullified at night when 30-year-old wiring and outdated bulb technology conspire to turn your touge run into a date with Dead Man’s Curve. Today we seek to remedy that with some Hella H4 conversion kits. Continue reading
The SSR Formula Mesh is one of the classics, a vintage barrel whose design looks fantastic on cars from nearly any era. The good news is Speed Star Racing is bringing them back. However, the catch is that they’ll only be available in 16 inch and 19 inch diameters. And then there’s the issue of lug patterns. Continue reading
It’s SEMA week, and you know what that means. Steel yourself for an onslaught of the craziest custom cars blasted at you by every media outlet on Earth. Had enough of Lambo doors? Rims taller than a barstool? Paints so loud you can use them as a form of sleep depravation torture? Well too bad, because it’s all coming at you whether you like it or not. Which brings us to the question:
What’s the worst mod you’ve ever seen on a JNC?
The most recent assault on our senses popped up a few weeks ago on that virtual pit of despair known as Craigslist. Though this… this Accorolla? Corollord? may look more finished than many actual AE86s out there, why anyone think it was cool to graft a CB7 Honda front end onto a Corolla GT-S, we cannot even fathom. But as bad as this is, it’s probably not even close to the worst.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “Which car had the most entertaining celebrity spokesperson?” Continue reading
Honda‘s first passenger car went on sale in October 1963. That was 50 years ago, and the S-Series was a screamer. You know the story: While the rest of Japan’s burgeoning auto industry was assembling crude beasts of burden, Soichiro Honda was skipping right ahead and building one of Japan’s first true sports cars, using advanced technology that helped his humble company win the world championships of motorcycle racing. Continue reading
To all JNCers resurrecting creaky, decrepit, faded, and just plain old cars, we wish you a Happy Halloween.
Fasten your seatbelts, cause we’re about to enter super-ultra-otaku mode on the scintillating topic of Toyota windshield wipers. Along the way we discover that even when you buy Toyota parts from a Toyota dealer and it says Toyota on the packaging, it’s not always original.
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No big deal, just your average 2JZ-powered X30 Cressida drifting on a closed road in Norway. This is Norwegian drifter Fredrik Sørlie preferred commute. Watch the video below. Continue reading
Peter Butler loves Nissans. The 92-year-old man from Somerset County in the UK has just bought his 32nd Nissan from the same dealer, where he’s been a customer for 41 years. Continue reading
Subaru has always been a quirky automaker, but the funkiest feature in a pantheon of funkiness has got to be the Passing Lamp. Basically, it’s a third headlight hidden in the center of the car’s grille. When closed, the light’s door looks just like any Subaru constellation logo. Flip a switch on the turn signal stalk and BAM — the door swings up to reveal a glorious beacon of Fuji Heavy radiance commanding the darkness retreat! Continue reading
Japanese automakers have been using celebrities to pitch their cars for decades, forcing them to declare nonsensical phrases, speak Japanese, kiss the product, or barely say anything at all. None of it was ever meant to be seen by western eyes. With the advent of the internet, these ads are just a mouse-click away and a source of non-stop entertainment. Therefore we ask:
Which car had the most entertaining celebrity spokesperson?
Sonny Chiba became an international martial arts star with 1974’s The Street Fighter, but before that he had already achieved quite a bit of fame in Japan. In 1970 Toyota hired him to hawk their latest ride, the A10 Carina. Younger American audiences probably remember Chiba as Hattori Hanzo in Kill Bill or, more likely with the car crowd, the yakuza kingpin who settled beefs with drift battles in Tokyo Drift. Of course, having a Japanese star peddle a Japanese car somehow doesn’t seem as hilarious, so maybe it’s not actually the most entertaining.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the most blasphemous engine swap?” Continue reading
Kidney anyone? Well, not quite, as I bet this pair of Isuzu Bellels can be had for a song. Wait, wait! Before all you Toyota and Nissan geeks shrug this one off as just another boring Isuzu no one wants, you should know that the Bellel was the first passenger car to carry the Isuzu name, after they built the Hillman Minx in the 1950s. It was also Japan’s first passenger car to run with a diesel powerplant. Continue reading
The last time we saw Electric Federal they were chatting with Brian Karasawa about his 1977 Celica Liftback. Now it’s time for some classic Honda love (of the two-wheeled variety).
Gasser Customs builds classic cafe racers like this Honda CB 350, nicknamed the Silver Bullet. Although its displacement is pretty tiny compared to modern sport bikes, it does what old Japanese steel does best — capitalize on its light weight to sling it through the corners. It’s a gorgeous piece of machinery and worth the watch. (PS. See if you can spot the random AE86 sighting in the video). Continue reading
Want to stand out from the crowd and express your love for retro 80s styling? Now’s your chance. This 1983 Datsun 720 4×4 pickup is beautifully unmolested, and at 30 years old, looks almost brand new save for some minor bed wear that proves it was used as intended. Continue reading
The Honda S660 Concept is set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show late next month. The name recalls the S500/S600/S800 of the 1960s, the first use of the S-Series name since the demise of the S2000 in 2009. In theory, at least. Continue reading
Comedian and Datsun collector Adam Carolla is reportedly working on a documentary about the life of Paul Newman. Plenty has been said about the Oscar winner/organic food purveyor/racer, but the difference is that this project wil focus on Newman as a driver rather than actor (or salad dressing mogul).
According to an interview with Racer, Carolla’s movie will start with Newman’s days with Bob Sharp Racing and the Datsun 510 and culminate with his time as a CART team owner at Indy. Presumably his considerable time behind the wheel of IMSA Nissans will be included as well. No word on whether his time as a R30 Nissan Skyline spokesman will make the cut.
There’s no distributor for the film or official release date yet, but the project is slated for completion before the start of racing season next spring.
Skyline. Just say the word and it conjures visions of Japan’s greatest motoring icons. From unobtainable high-tech monsters christened “Godzilla” by western journalists to sepia-toned commercials in which teenagers fell in love, the name evokes a meaning for everyone. However, if it wasn’t for a car very much like the one JDM Legends brought to the Japanese Classic Car Show this year, “Skyline” may have just been another forgotten model from the early days of Japan’s auto industry. Continue reading
Many years ago our very own Technical Editor John “DatsunFreak” Roper declared that there were three and only three engines immune to accusations of blasphemy due to their uniqueness, size-to-performance ratio, and lack of anything comparable. They were: the Honda F20C, Mazda 13B, and Nissan SR20 turbo. Today we’re asking about swaps that are clearly sacrilegious.
What’s the most blasphemous engine swap?
We don’t know if this is the most blasphemous swap ever done, but we spotted the above V6 at the 2008 Motorsport Auto West Coast Z Nationals. But that wasn’t what caused the affront to its 240Z host. What made it truly profane was the transversely mounted mid-engined placement that is not only pointless in the already great-handling Z, but it turned its elegant lines into the thing you see below. Continue reading
Don’t have $65,000 to shell out for an AE86, but still want a pristine Bubble Economy RWD sports coupe? This unmolested 1986 Chrysler Conquest can be had for $55,000 less!
With just 25,000 miles on the clock, the original owner has kept this rebadged Mitsubishi Starion garaged and meticulously maintained inside and out. With original factory black paint and no cracks on the leather interior, this 80s flagship deserves further preservation. Perhaps you can save it from a V8 swap or a pole wrapping. See it on Craigslist San Francisco.
Thanks to The Black CRX for the tip.
Yes, you read that right. $65,000 is the asking price of this 1987 Corolla GT-S located in Canton, Ohio. The seller clearly realizes the rarity of an unmolested AE86:
“So your neighbor has a Gold Plated Lambo too? Don’t have to worry about him pulling up in this. Facing extinction, this may be the most original, documented, and functional AE86 GTS in existence.”
Damn, don’t tell him that Medium Gray Metallic is an ultra-rare color offered for only one year! Continue reading
In the latest Fuji Heavy video, called “Chain of Subaru,” a Subaru 360 transforms into its descendants like a giant robot from Cybertron. That’s the cool part. The rest is jammed with happy, beautiful people driving Subarus, frolicking, and driving more Subarus. But if you like Subies and Transformers then this is your bag. Watch the video below. Continue reading
