Our destination for this tour was Mie Prefecture, some 250 miles southwest of Tokyo on the far side of Ise-wan (the same wan in Wangan, meaning “bay”). Known for its ancient craft ceramics and as the birthplace of the ninja, Mie is rife with history and culture, but we also hoped for the usual automotive diversions. Continue reading
Er, how many kidneys does a human body have? Whatever it is we hope you’ve got enough, cause hidden gems are surfacing left and right this week. Hot on the heels of yesterday’s unmolested FC RX-7 comes a trio of Honda S600s in Temple City, California. Continue reading
It’s getting increasingly difficult to find a bone stock FC3S Turbo. Peruse craigslist and you’ll find all the blown apex seals and drift-damaged body panels you can hoard, or an endless parade of motor-less shells whose forced-induction 13Bs have been plucked for other projects.
Once in a while, however, a time capsule of a 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II with 46,000 original miles does emerge from its hidden from its underground bunker. Continue reading
One of our proudest accomplishments for the inaugural Nissan Jam was the ability to gather a truly diverse set of rare Nissans that you can’t see anywhere else. In Part 01 we looked at the SoCal Standards, stalwart machines that no Nissan show would be complete without. In Part 02, we’ll visit the rarest gems that filled the venue, and — this is how spoiled we are in SoCal — that doesn’t include the hakosuka Skylines. Continue reading
Japanese automakers are in a bit of a slump. Sure, there’s the fleet-footed Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins, the fire-breathing Nissan GT-R, and the rough-and-tough FJ Cruiser. But is there a car you can buy new today that offers the equivalent of what Japanese cars of sixties, seventies and eighties did? In other words:
What new car on the market is the most JNC?
You can define JNC-ness in any way you want — great design, practicality, user-friendliness, affordable sportiness. Our pick is the Mazda 6/Atenza, which combines sharp styling with excellent driving dynamics and puts it in an utterly utilitarian family sedan/wagon package. A package, by the way, that blows away everything else in its class, including the established giants (in this case, the Accord and Camry) and yet is completely overlooked.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “When is it okay to buy an automatic transmission?” Continue reading
It may surprise you to learn that SoCal, epicenter of car culture that it is, lacks a dedicated all-Nissan show. Oh sure, there’s plenty of club shindigs, marque-specific events, and informal meets, but nothing on the order of a Toyotafest for the hard core Nissan or Datsun fanatic. That is, until the Nissan Jam. Continue reading
JNC contributor Mark “ScaleMaster” Jones has created some amazing Hot Wheels cars with the liveries we wish they came with. But not everyone has the wherewithal to go to that level of detail. So I asked Mark to make a simple tutorial where all you need is mostly paint and a bit of elbow grease. Enjoy — Ricky
This set of three Hot Wheels Skylines will be re-done in an established classic scheme. You can follow along and make your own if you wish, as the steps to make these simple repainted customs will be explained and illustrated with photos. Perfect for a (I hesitate to use the term “toy”) car you might have sitting on a shelf that you desire a little more personality from. Continue reading
A couple of months ago we were alerted to the presence of a hakosuka Skyline in an episode of Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. It appears that the artists are back with another nostalgic Nissan, this time in the form of a Datsun 510. Continue reading
Don’t worry, you haven’t mistakenly stumbled onto German Nostalgic Car. We just thought it was cool that someone built a Porsche 911 inspired by what is one of the all-time great decal packages. Continue reading
Looking for a rare little turbo trickster from the dawn of Honda’s golden age? Look no further than this 1986 Honda City Turbo II, Soichiro’s bulldog with the foldable bike in the trunk. Continue reading
When considering what new cars will be future classics, JNC‘s Law of Transmission Selection for Future Collectability states: if it’s sold with a stick, you must buy it in stick. Yes, fancy new gearboxes can shift faster than a human being, many supercars aren’t even offered in MT, and the law is often in direct conflict with our Law of Engine Selection for Future Collectability: you must buy it with the most powerful engine option offered.
But in the old days, every car was offered with a manual, from the lowliest Subaru 360 to the grandest Toyota Crown. Plus, those old slushboxes were power-leeching whirlpools that needed at least one — more likely two — extra speeds to make you feel comfortable about highway driving.
When is it okay to buy an automatic transmission?
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the greatest JNC barn find story?” Continue reading
The plan was simple. Three classic car shows, one week, 1,000 miles of driving. We even had at our disposal Japan’s latest long-distance luxe-UV, a brand spanking new 2013 Infiniti JX35. What could go wrong? A lot, apparently. Oh, it wasn’t the Infiniti’s fault at all —unless you can blame it for being too attractive to thieves — but I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let’s start at the beginning. Continue reading
All these years and JNC still hasn’t done a 510 shirt? It’s the little econobox that could. Launched in August 1967, the Datsun 510 was the underdog trailblazer that took down the biggest names in motorsport — Ford, BMW, Alfa Romeo — and spawned a legend. Get your own Giant Killer this Sunday at the Nissan Jam. Continue reading
Almost two years ago to the day we reported on a 24,000-mile 1977 Celica GT Liftback for sale in Berthoud, Colorado. Asking price? $19,000. Some balked at the sum, despite the fact that the car was showroom fresh with an undercarriage you could eat off of. Turns out it was a bargain, because that exact same car is for sale again, and for significantly more dough. Continue reading
Time to dig out your Zodiac shoes, Guess jeans and bolo tie, because Martin Scorcese is producing yet another period film about the ethnic gangs of New York City. This time, the period is the 1980s and the setting is Chinatown. Revenge of the Green Dragons being filmed right now and footage taken at the set reveals period correct automobiles including a Honda Accord and a very 80s RA64 Toyota Celica on what appear to be black-painted stock wheels. Continue reading
Last week we asked what was the hardest JNC to find. Well, what happens when you actually find one? You can still discover JNC deals for a steal, but that era is quickly coming to an end as people realize that their old Japanese cars are actually worthy classics. It’s about time we asked:
What’s the greatest JNC barn find story?
We’ve reported on several barn find stories here at JNC, including this massive haul of old Celicas from the UK, this 297-car discovery in Australia, and a treasure trove of NOS Toyotas from the UN buffer zone in Cyprus. Still, we’re partial to this Mazda Luce Coupe frozen in time somewhere in Japan.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the hardest JNC to find?” Continue reading
In Part 01 we looked at the broad spectrum of US and Japanese customization styles present at Motorsport Auto‘s 2013 Z-Car West Coast Nationals. In the past, the S30 generation (encompassing 240Z, 260Z and 280Zs) were the beloved stars of the show, vastly outnumbering and out-classing S130s and Z31s. This year, those second- and third-generation Z cars caught up and finally began to hold their own. Continue reading
Okay, so there’s nothing nostalgic about a Suzuki Carry. However, we fully approve of modifying your company kei truck with a Suzuki Every turbo, a Cappuccino rear end, and a Silvia(!) coilover setup for the express purposes of drifting said company truck. It’s undiluted sunshine glee.
But! Is it as much fun as one-box endos? Thankfully D1 driver Ken Nomura and Drift Tengoku editor-in-chief Ryusuke Kawasaki are here to answer those pressing questions in a hilariously titled segment called “Unusual Drift!” It’s probably a good thing that kei trucks are illegal here. Continue reading
In the age-old battle of USDM vs JDM, there is one car both camps can agree on — the Z. In late 1969 Nissan created one of the all-time great canvases on which enthusiasts could paint their automotive dreams. In those pre-internet days, Americans modified them in the only way they knew how, while our compatriots in Japan had an entirely different take. Continue reading
This week’s QotW was about the hardest JNCs to find. Here’s another one. We are proud to announce our latest collab with Hot Wheels, the 2013 Treasure Hunt Mazda RX-7!! You read that right. JNC has entered the rarefied ranks of the TH series. Continue reading
