Japanese Nostalgic Car

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 →

The Japanese can do two-tone like no other. Once the Bubble Economy was fully underway automakers rushed to tart up their luxe offerings with lavish, multi-toned paint schemes. Somehow, Japan was able to elevate the lines, contrasts and colors into an art form. Though it gradually fell out of favor by the late 1990s, for a while two-tone was a symbol of its era’s extravagance.

What’s Japan’s greatest factory two-tone?

While they may not be the most iconic, we love the complex two-tones of 1980s Toyota sedans. Whether it be Mark II, Cresta or Chaser, they went beyond simply bisecting the car lengthwise. Some followed the contours of the body, but all added some glitz to the boxiness of the times.

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 your favorite JNC tuning style?”  Continue reading →