Japanese Nostalgic Car

Behold the bridge of the USS Mazda Cosmo

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Ben Hsu

This is the interior of a third-generation Mazda Cosmo. The first generation 1967-72 Cosmo Sport had space-age styling on the outside. Then Mazda brought back the Cosmo name in 1975 for the Mazda RX-5, and the only thing spacey about that was the idea of a Cosmo with Landau roof.

In 1981, the third-gen was modernized to look like, at least from the inside, a bridge station on the USS Enterprise. The instrument pod is really pod-like, attached to an otherwise pancake-flat dash. What would you do with the space behind it? Hidden radar detector? Beanie Baby gallery? The possibilities are as endless as the number of buttons on the pod itself! Continue reading →

Posted in mazda | Tagged 13b, cosmo, hb, mazda, rx-5 | 18 Comments

Friday Video: Japanese Demolition Derby Circa 1976

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Ben Hsu

We have absolutely no idea where this video is from, what is going in it, and why it is happening. All we can say is that it’s from approximately 1976 and shows the senseless wreckage of many rare vintage Japanese cars, including what appears to be a MS51 Toyota Crown Coupe. Sadness. Bonus points to anyone who can identify all the cars in this chaotic clip. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, toyota, Video Games | Tagged 510, bluebird, crown, datsun, ms51, nissan, toyota | 8 Comments

Rumors of Datsun comeback comes back

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Ben Hsu

It seems like every few months now a new article is published claiming the return of the Datsun brand. It’s the same old story. It would be Nissan’s bargain-price brand, likely for developing markets, and not in the US. The last spike of interest in this topic occurred in July. Another inning took place in 2008.

Each time, the automotive media collectively takes the news nugget and passes it along like a cursed monkey paw, until its sheer prevalence gives the story credibility. For this round of specious wildfire, it looks like Auto Express was the one who flicked the cigarette butt out the window. They’re not exactly known for judicious use of the “publish” button, so yeah, lets not hold our breaths for this one.

Posted in nissan | Tagged datsun, nissan | 16 Comments

Vintage Toyota Land Cruisers are in advertisements everywhere

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Ben Hsu

There’s an adage that says once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend. If that’s the case, then old Toyota Land Cruisers are about to become fashion icons. Just in the last month alone, we’ve seen a trio of advertisements featuring vintage FJs.

In the case of the ad above, there are no less than two FJ40s trekking through the jungle, surrounded by models, which is a pretty good situation to be in actually. This life-sized mural festoons Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland, heralding the future home of an American Eagle Outfitters franchise. Fluke. Continue reading →

Posted in cm, toyota | Tagged cm, fj40, fj60, land cruiser, toyota | 10 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 22,000-mile 1989 Toyota MR2 SC

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Where have cars like this gone? Back when Jean-Luc Picard was captain of the Enterprise, the only thing that could make Toyota’s lightweight midship runabout even more fun was taking its high-revving 4A-GE — the same one found in the legendary AE86 — and strapping on a factory supercharger. The result packed 145 angry horsepower into a sub-2500-pound car that looked as if it could transform into an Autobot at any moment. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, toyota | Tagged aw11, mr2, toyota | 23 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 1977 Datsun F10 Wagon

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Another garage-stored east coast car comes out of hiding, this time in Rhode Island. Ladies and gentlemen, may we present to you this cherry Datsun Cherry. That’s the Japanese market name for the 1977 Datsun F10, the diminutive front-wheel-drive coupe that ushered in both Nissan‘s front-wheel-drive age and the “atomic cockroach” design theme. This is actually the second gen Cherry, and like many 70s Datsuns sold by its chassis code rather than the JDM name. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, wagons | Tagged cherry, datsun, f10, kidney anyone, nissan, wagon | 5 Comments

Friday Video: Intersection pimps CR-Z, but first-gen Honda Prelude is all class

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Ben Hsu

The French arm of Intersection, the half-automotive half-fashion magazine, recently pimped an unsuspecting Honda CR-Z. Is a gloss beige sport hybrid with orange tires laughably ridiculous, or so avant garde that our uncultured pea-brains can’t comprehend it? Continue reading →

Posted in honda | Tagged cr-z, honda, intersection, prelude | 18 Comments

Vintage Racing: SCCA GT4 TE27 Toyota Corolla

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s Isuzu, here are some more vintage racing snaps. A couple of weeks ago at JCCS, we met a dude from T. Creations Paint Designs of Pasadena. He had collected some photos of this car, the old Downey Toyota TE27 that was often seen around SoCal’s road courses. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsports, toyota | Tagged corolla, levin, sprinter, sr5, te27, toyota, trueno | 16 Comments

Wednesday Wall: Isuzu Bellett Rally Car, 1965

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Ben Hsu

We realize there was a dearth of Isuzu-related material at JCCS, so here’s a big bad wolf just cold storming through the woods of Australia, circa 1965. We found it whilst skimming Teh Internets on the site of Bruce Upton, a 60-year veteran photographer. You can see many more beautiful images, automotive or otherwise, on his site.

[Upton Photos]

Posted in isuzu | Tagged bellett, isuzu, rally | 11 Comments

Tomica Limited Vintage Toyota Crown CM Collection

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Toyotaku will want to keep their eyes peeled on October 5, when Tomica will release the limited edition Toyota Crown CM Collection. The set, created in conjunction with media company Avex, will contain a 1:64 scale Tomica Limited Vintage RS41 Toyopet Crown and a DVD containing Toyota Crown commercials from 1963-2010. Click through to see a sampling of the adverts that will be included. WANT. Continue reading →

Posted in cm, minicars, toyota | Tagged cm, crown, rs41, tomica, tomica limited vintage, toyota | 8 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 09, Motorcycles

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Dan Hsu

This year JCCS welcomed vintage Japanese motorcycles for the first time, so for our final installment of our 2011 JCCS coverage let us take part in their admiration. As you will see our collective knowledge of two-wheelers is rather limited but we thought these machines were too beautiful not to share, so please chime in if you can enlighten us JNCers. Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, suzuki | Tagged chabbott engineering, honda, japanese classic car show, jccs 2011, kawasaki, lossa engineering, monkey, motocompo, motra, shinya kimura, suzuki, yamaha | 11 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 08, Editors’ Picks

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Dan Hsu

Each year the organizers of JCCS graciously allow us to issue a JNC Award. But instead of just showing you the winner we thought it might be fun to take you through the decision process and the arguments amongst the staff. Really, there were so many amazing cars that it was hard to pick only one.

So let us begin with Gustavo Sanchez‘s 1987 Nissan 200SX SE V6 for our favorite 80s car. As we have mentioned before, the S12 Silvia chassis has become increasingly popular amongst old schoolers and it’s easy to see why. The angular lines, RWD layout and plethora of engine options make it a tuner’s dream. There were a lot of great S12s at the show, but we dug Gustavo’s red and gray two-tone beauty for its distinctly 80s groove and simple beauty. Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota | Tagged 200sx, 240z, 260, 280z, a20, celica, datsun, fairlady z, honda, hoshino, mazda, mikuni, ngk, nissan, ra21, riverge, riverside, rx-7, s12, s30, sa22c, silvia, ta21, volk, z600 | 24 Comments

RIP, Fred Jordan, Datsun Heritage Museum Founder

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Ben Hsu

We interrupt our 2011 JCCS coverage to bring you some sad news. Fred Jordan, founder of the Datsun Heritage Museum, has passed away. UPDATE. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan | Tagged datsun, datsun heritage museum, fred jordan, nissan | 15 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 07, Race & Historic Cars

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Dan Hsu

In Part 07 of our 2011 JCCS coverage we’ll look at some race cars that, unlike the Mazda 787 from Part 01, are within the reach of the common man. This isn’t to say they are any less impressive. They’re just don’t cost a kajillion dollars. Continue reading →

Posted in events, mazda, nissan, toyota, Uncategorized | Tagged 152e, 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, a20, a40, a60, ae71, bluebird, bre, celica, dan gurney, datsun, e20, e70, john morton, long beach grand prix, mazda, nissan, pace car, peter brock, r100, ra21, rotary, ta21, te27, toyota | 16 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 06, The Mod Squad

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dan Hsu

We know there’s a contingent of JNCers out there whose brains scream “moar powahhh!” every time they see a bone stock nostalgic. For them, old cars aren’t about chrome and soul. They’re about bodies with the weight of a cobweb that are conveniently exempt from smog laws. If that’s what you see in the mirror each morning, Part 06 of our 2011 JCCS coverage is for you. Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota | Tagged 13b, 240sx, 240z, 260, 280z, 411, 4a-ge, 510, a20, a40, acura, ae71, ae86, bluebird, capella, celica, corolla, datsun, e20, e30, e70, f20c, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, fj20, garage autohero, hachiroku, honda, kp61, levin, liftback, mazda, miata, mx-5, na, nissan, nsx, pl411, ra21, ra29, ra42, rays, rotary, rs watanabe, rx-2, rx-3, s13, s2000, s30, savanna, sprinter, starlet, ta21, te21, te27, te37, te37v, toyota, trueno, volk, watanabes | 6 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 05, Wagons and Trucks

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dan Hsu

Our 2011 JCCS coverage continues onward as we look at classic haulin’ machines, starting with a quasi-boso Datsun 610 wagon. There’s nuttin’ like an old school goon laid out on ninja stars. Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, trucks, wagons | Tagged 410, 411, 430, 510, 520, 521, 610, 810, bluebird, cedric, civic, colt, corona, corona mark II, datsun, dodge, fj55, galant, gloria, hilux, honda, japanese classic car show, jccs, jccs 2011, L320, land cruiser, land cruiser 70, mark II, maxima, mazda, mitsubishi, monkey, mx28, nissan, nl320, pickup, repu, rotary pickup, toyota, truck, wagon | 11 Comments

JNC “Best of the Best” Shirts Now Available

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Our “Best of the Best” shirts, featuring the top late-Sixties GT cars in racing livery, were a big hit at JCCS. We’ve made more of the sizes that sold out at the show, and they are available now in the JNC Shop. You can read more about the histories of the Fuji 24hr Toyota 2000GT, the Marathon de la Route Mazda Cosmo Sport, an the Yanagida GC Nissan Fairlady 240ZG here.

Posted in mazda, nissan, nostalgic wear, toyota | Tagged 110s, 2000gt, 240z, 240zg, 260z, 280z, cosmo, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady z, fuji 24hr, fuji speedway, garuchan, grand champion, haruhito yanagida, marathon de la route, mazda, nissan, s30, toyota, yanagida z | 5 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 04, Rolling Stock

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Dan Hsu

In Part 04 of our 2011 JCCS coverage we take a look at some cars that have been faithfully restored to original spec or, on rare occasion, simply preserved over the years. Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota | Tagged 210, 300zx, 310, 610, 616, a40, ae86, b110, b210, bluebird, capella, celica supra, civic, corolla, cr-z, crx, datsun, datsun 1200, e10, enkei 92, fb, honda, levin, mazda, merciless mings, n600, nissan, pace car, publica, rx-2, rx-3, rx-3 sp, rx-7, s800, sa22c, savanna, sb1, sprinter, sunny, supra, tim mings, toda, toyota, trueno, z31, z600 | 28 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 03, Street Style

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Dan Hsu

Welcome to Part 03 of our 2011 JCCS coverage, where we look at tastefully modified cars that are more about clean lines and nostalgic style rather than going fast (although some clearly can).

Let’s jump right in with a shot of this gorgeous Mazda RX-4. We’ve always thought the little Luce coupe is one of the most breathtaking designs to emerge from Hiroshima. It’s a rare event to see one at all, much less one that is this clean. Continue reading →

Posted in events, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, Uncategorized | Tagged 200sx, 2011, 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, 610, 620, a175a, a20, a40, a60, acura, ae86, apache II, bisimoto, bluebird, capella, celica, civic, corolla, corona, da3, daruma, datsun, ef, enkei, enkei 92, fairlady z, fb, Hakosuka, hayashi, hayashi street, honda, integra, japanese classic car show, jccs, jccs 2011, kgc10, kp61, lancer, levin, longchamp xr-4, longchamps, luce, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, pickup, ra21, ra63, ra64, rs watanabe, rt40, rt50, rx-2, rx-4, rx-7, s12, s30, sa22c, shuttle, silvia, skyline, sprinter, ssr, starlet, ta21, toyota, trd, trueno, wagon, wagovan, watanabes | 18 Comments

EVENTS: 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 02, Ganso VIP

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Dan Hsu

This year the JCCS crew added a new category, Ganso VIP. “Ganso” means “original,” but not in the sense of “stock.” Instead, it’s the original in “orignal gangsta,” meaning the cars that originated VIP. Continue reading →

Posted in events, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged crown, kujira, ms65, shakotan, sparkle garage, toyota | 13 Comments