Japanese Nostalgic Car

California to enact vintage license plate program

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Great news for nostalgic car owners in California. The state has just announced today a new program that will allow classic car owners to get period correct license plates based on the year their cars were manufactured.

“Legacy” license plates can be issued in one of three styles corresponding to the model year of the car: black on yellow for cars built from 1963-62, yellow on black for 1963-68 cars, and yellow on blue for 1969-1981 cars. The application will cost $50 and the DMV is looking to receive 7,500 orders by January 1, 2015. If they can’t fulfill that quota, the program will be canceled and your half-Benjamin refunded. So go ahead and download the application form!

Posted in News | Tagged california, legacy, license plates | 12 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Nagoya Classic Car Meeting

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Guest Writer

The latest dispatch from guest writer David Lovett of Classic Car Nagoya covers the annual Nagoya Classic Car Meeting held by the shop. Here’s his first-hand account. —Ben

Every year in November Classic Car Nagoya rents out the Toyota Stadium parking lot for a day to hold a large event. This year was no different and I was there from before the sun came up until after it went down. We had over 100 cars entered into the show, over 1,100 cars moved through the parking lot, and over 5,000 people attended. Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 110s, 230, 510, bluebird, c10, Classic Car Nagoya, compagno, compagno spider, cosmo sport, crown. publica, csp311, daihatsu, datsun, f20c, fairlady z, gc10, gloria, Hakosuka, honda, kgc10, kp61, kpgc10, mazda, midget, mitsubishi, n360, nissan, pajero mini, porter, publica, r30, s2000, s30, s800, seibu keisatsu, silvia, skyline, sports 800, starlet, toyopet, toyota | 9 Comments

Happy Boxing Day from JNC!

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Just a quick photo of Team Mizushima and their boxer-powered Subaru FF-1 tearing it up at the 1974 Alpine Rally. Happy Boxing Day, JNCers!

Posted in subaru | Tagged Alpine Rally, Boxing Day, ff-1, subaru, subaru 1000, Team Mizushima | 1 Comment

ART CORNER: Announcing the JNC Ken & Mary Art Contest winners

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Ben Hsu

This year we held our first ever JNC Art Contest. The theme, “Ken and Mary,” was inspired by the 40th anniversary of the C110 Skyline, and we asked our (extremely talented) readers to submit kenmeri related artwork.

Here are the results as chosen by Mary herself, Diane Krey-Wesley, who just returned home to California from a trip to Japan, her first after making those iconic television commercials nearly four decades ago. Says Diane:

Our trip to Japan was like a wonderful dream. [My husband] Joe had the time of his life. Everyone was so good to us. They fed us, took us everywhere and were the best hosts ever… We had a really hard time judging the art. All of the work is fantastic… It was an honor to be asked to judge. Thank you.

So without further ado here are the results. Drum roll, please! Continue reading →

Posted in Art Corner, nissan | Tagged Art Corner, c110, Ken & Mary Art Contest, kenmeri, kgc110, kpgc110, nissan, skyline | 13 Comments

Merry Christmas from JNC!

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Ben Hsu

And now for your holiday viewing pleasure, a GX71 Mark II driver performing a heartwarming rendition of Jingle Bells with nothing but his exhaust. Merry Christmas from all of us at JNC!

Posted in bosozoku, toyota, Video | Tagged bosozoku, chaser, christmas, cressida, cresta, gx71, Jingle Bells, mark II, x70 | 9 Comments

VIDEO: “Napa Valley Roadsters” by Petrolicious

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Hot on the heels of San Francisco Skyline, it’s It’s time for yet another beautifully shot video from Petrolicious. This time, the crew heads north into wine country for Napa Valley Roadsters, a look at two more Nissans, but this time a pair of Datsun Fairlady roadsters owned by Will Campbell and the impossibly named Dandridge Marsh. Could there be a more perfect car to drive through the region’s rolling hills and sunshine? (Answer: no, there could not.) Watch the video for yourself below and just be happy that such beauty has existed in case the world does indeed end tomorrow. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, Video | Tagged 1600 sports, 2000 sports, datsun, fairlady, fairlady roadster, nissan, Petrolicious | 11 Comments

PROFILES: Jun Imai’s 1971 Datsun 510 Wagon

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Dan Hsu

We see a lot of cars here at JNC. A lot. Every so often, however, there’s that one singular car that comes along and truly blows our feeble minds. Jun Imai‘s 1971 Datsun 510 Wagon is exactly one of those cars, and after its official debut at the 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show this year it became one of the most circulated photo subjects on the web. Here’s why we love this shakotan sled. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, profiles, wagons | Tagged 510, bluebird, datsun, hot wheels, jun imai, koyorad, MkII, nissan, ssr, suichuuka, tsurikawa, wagon | 32 Comments

GRAND TOURING: A SevenStock Pilgrimage in Japan’s Car of the Year

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Dan Hsu

We didn’t know it as we barreled up the Newhall Pass, but we were driving the best new Japanese car of 2012. What might that be, you ask? Well according to the panel of journalists that make up the Japan Car of the Year selection committee, it’s a bit of a surprise — the Mazda CX-5. Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring, mazda | Tagged cx-5, Grand Touring, mazda, MazFest, sevenstock, willow springs | 7 Comments

QotW: What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus?

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Well it’s that time of year again, when we gather with our loved ones, reflect on the last 12 months, perhaps drink some hot cocoa, and tear into colorfully wrapped boxes like feral dogs on a holiday ham. And if you were really good all year, one of those presents might just be courtesy of a jolly, red-suited sumo wrestler from the northernmost tip of Hokkaido.

What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus?

It could be anything, a real KPGC110, a set of 11-inch-wide zokusha barrels, or that super-rare NOS trim piece that’s been out of production for 40 years. Our wish might be an obvious choice, but with its rarity, beauty and prices climbing ever beyond our reach, our wish from ol’ St Naoki is a 1967 Toyota 2000GT, in Pegasus White plz.

What say you, dear reader? Since the next two Mondays will be holidays you have extra long to answer this one and the winner will be announced in 2013. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What modern car provides the most JNC driving experience?” Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged 2000gt, 323, demio, mazda, mazda 2, mf10, protege, QotW, Question of the Week, toyota | 45 Comments

POP QUIZ: What kind of car is this?

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Obviously this isn’t really a Nissan Fairlady Z. What is it? Put your best guess in the comments below and we’ll have to use the no-googling honor system here. Find out on Sunday! UPDATE: Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, suzuki | Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, cappuccino, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, s30, suzuki | 44 Comments

MINICARS: 2013 Hot Wheels Mad Manga now in Blue, Yellow and Pink

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Dan Hsu

Hot Wheels just revealed a new color and paint scheme for everyone’s favorite bosozoku diecast, the Mad Manga. Continue reading →

Posted in bosozoku, minicars | Tagged bosozoku, c110, datsun, gurachan, hot wheels, kenmeri, mad manga, minicars, nissan, skyline, takeyari, zokusha | 25 Comments

VIDEO: The Birth of the Skyline Legend

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Yesterday we wrote about the watershed events that put Datsun on the motorsports map in the USA (and by extension, the western world). Here’s how it began in Japan. We’ve written about the Prince Skyline GT-B‘s historic battle against the race-bred Porsche 904 before, but here’s an official video from Nissan. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsports, nissan, Prince | Tagged 1964 Japan grand prix, datsun, japan grand prix, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, nissan, porsche 904, prince, s54, shinichiro sakurai, skyline, skyline gt-b, suzuka, Tetsu Ikuzawa, Yoshikazu Sunako | 14 Comments

BOOKS: The Stainless Steel Carrot, An Auto Racing Odyssey — Revisited

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Ben Hsu

John Morton has lived a life most of us can only dream of. The legendary driver has had a storied career piloting everything from Shelby Cobras to Porsche Le Mans Prototypes. Of course, the reason Nissan nuts line up for hours for his signature and cry out for his nomination as President of the United States is because of his heroic turns behind the wheel of Brock Racing Enterprises‘ iconic red, white and blue Datsuns in the early 1970s.

Some of you die-hard Datsun otaku may think you know everything there is to know about how Morton and his BRE Datsun 510 took down the established giants BMW and Alfa Romeo. Well, unless you have The Stainless Steel Carrot, we can guarantee that you don’t. The book by Sylvia Wilkinson was first published in 1973, chronicling those defining Trans-Am 2.5 seasons of 1971-72 in which a Nissan econobox turned the auto industry on its ear. Earlier this year the book was updated and re-released, and here’s why it just might be the perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays. Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, motorsports, nissan | Tagged 240z, 260, 280z, 510, bluebird, bre, brock racing enterprises, datsun, fairlady z, john morton, mazda, nissan, Pete Brock, rx-7, s30, savanna, scca, Sylvia Wilkinson, The Stainless Steel Carrot, trans-am | 16 Comments

QotW: What modern car provides the most JNC driving experience?

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Classics are great but sometimes you have no choice but to drive a new(ish) car. What that happens, we’d still like something that at least feels like a Japanese nostalgic car.

What modern car provides the most JNC driving experience?

Let’s put the cutoff at 10 years — old to most, but still considered new by all you lovable nuts reading this article — and to keep it interesting let’s limit answers to cars you can actually buy in the US or Australia. The JNC staff pick is the NB Mazda MX-5. It’s light, simple, and shuns electronic middlemen standing between you and the road. What it lacks in horsepower it makes up for in flingability. However, that’s not to say road feel and handling are the only criteria. Where are the slim pillars, the intuitive dashboards, the plain ol’ visibility?

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What’s the greatest Suzuki of all time?” Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged escudo, mazda, mazda roadster, miata, mx-5, pikes peak, suzuki | 47 Comments

NEW PRODUCT: Hayashi Streets now available in 17-inch

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Dan Hsu

The “Street” by Hayashi Racing is a favorite among collectors of old school barrels. Now the company is updating the classic design in a 17-inch size called the Hayashi Street STL. Continue reading →

Posted in subaru, toyota, wheels | Tagged aqua, brz, fr-s, hayashi, hayashi street, prius, prius c, scion, subaru, toyota, toyota 86 | 20 Comments

NEXT VERSION: Test driving the 2013 Honda N-One kei car

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Guest Writer

We love it when automakers dip into their bag o’ heritage for a little inspiration. Such is the case with the Honda N-One kei car. It is, sadly, not sold outside Japan. Guest writer David Lovett, however, is in Japan, and was able to test drive one and report his findings. Enjoy. —Ben

The Honda N360 is a neat looking little car and that 36 horsepower, 360cc air-cooled inline-twin is so endearing that it’s hard not to love. At a paltry weight of just 475 kilograms (1045 lbs), the kei displacement motor moved the whole package along a pretty good clip too. In my eyes, it is one of the all time great 360cc kei jidosha, right up there with the Suzuki Fronte Coupe, Subaru R2 SS and Mitsubishi Minica Skipper. Continue reading →

Posted in honda, kei, Next Version | Tagged honda, kei, n-one, n360, n600, Next Version, z360, z600 | 26 Comments

VIDEO: “San Francisco Skyline” by Petrolicious

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

You may recognize Ivan Jarmillo as one of the co-founders of the Bayline Gathering car show in San Francisco. As it happens, Ivan’s also the proud owner of two coveted classic Skylines, a white hakosuka and a silver kenmeri. In this video by Petrolicious, Ivan talks about why these cars mean so much to him. There’s nothing quite like touring the gorgeous Bay Area, from misty Redwoods to massive bridges, with two stunning examples of Nihon nostalgia. Also, much props for equipping the hako with gunmetal steelies. Watch the video below. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan | Tagged c10, c110, datsun, Hakosuka, Ivan Jarmillo, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, nissan, Petrolicious, skyline | 13 Comments

MINICARS: 2013 Hot Wheels Boulevard series to include Datsun 510 Wagon and Hakosuka Skyline

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Ricky Silverio

It has been confirmed by Brazilian collector’s site T-Hunted that Hot Wheels‘ 2013 Boulevard series will contain at least two of our favorite nostalgics. We’ve shown you one of them already during a sneak preview at this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show — it’s none other than the Datsun Bluebird 510 wagon, complete with external oil cooler, fender mirrors, and deep polished lipped wheels! The other one will be the Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-X, also known as the hakosuka Skyline! Continue reading →

Posted in minicars, nissan, wagons | Tagged boulevard, c10, datsun, Hakosuka, hot wheels, kgc10, kpgc10, nissan, skyline, wagon | 10 Comments

QotW: What’s the greatest Suzuki of all time?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Ben Hsu

We’re still depressed about the departure of Suzuki autos from the US. JNCers have already chimed in on what the company should have done differently, so perhaps before we can move on to Kubler Ross: 5th Stage!, we need to reflect upon some of the plucky motorcycle builder’s automotive successes. Therefore we ask:

What was the greatest Suzuki of all time?

It may not be the popular answer but we’re going out on a limb and say it’s the Jimny/Samurai. The micro-4×4 is often overshadowed by trucks like the Toyota Land Cruiser, but just look at any off-roading enthusiast site and you’ll find a cadre of devoted fans. The Jimny/Samurai is so popular it was built in Japan, Spain and India. It’s been immortalized in R/C and Hot Wheels form. It’s a consistent choice for the Mongolia Rally and a Chilean duo in a Samurai even holds the Guinness world record for highest altitude (21,942 feet) achieved by a four-wheeled vehicle. Supposedly, they found the previous record holder’s blown over “Jeep Parking Only” sign and brought it back down as a souvenir.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What’s the best nostalgic for the Pacific Northwest?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week, suzuki, toyota | Tagged aw11, mr2, QotW, Question of the Week, suzuki, toyota | 21 Comments

FRIDAY VIDEO: Toyota Cresta and Nissan Bluebird double team Jackie Chan’s Mitsubishi Galant Sigma

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Ben Hsu

When Hong Kong triads cold kidnap you from a moving car, a Mitsubishi Galant Sigma with Jackie Chan behind the wheel might be your only hope. That is, unless your abductors have armed themselves with the best of Japan’s luxo-box sedans, the X60 Toyota Cresta and 910 Nissan Bluebird! Continue reading →

Posted in Friday Video, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, Video Games | Tagged 910, bluebird, cressida, cresta, Crime Story, datsun, Friday Video, galant sigma, jackie chan, maxima, mitsubishi, mx61, mx62, nissan, toyota, wagon, x60 | 1 Comment