Car & Driver posted this humorous take on the Periodic Table where the elements are sports cars instead. It looks like some nostalgics are represented, albeit in the “Reliable Transportation Metals” category. Better than the Poseur-oids, we suppose! Click on the image to view a larger version.
[Car & Driver via Autoblog]
In this climatic scene from Mottomo Abunai Deka, the 1989 film based on the hit cop show Abunai Deka, a Nissan Civilian bus must ram through a roadblock of unlucky patrol cars. Watch what happens below and, as a bonus, watch the “making of” behind-the-scenes stuntwork as well. Continue reading
We know how difficult it can be for Northeasterners to find an old school Toyota that has not fallen victim to decades of salt-assisted cancer. That’s why it’s pretty amazing to find two artifacts from the waning days of the Big T’s rear-wheel-drive era for sale along the eastern seaboard. So if you live out east and are hankerin’ for a mid-80s ride from Aichi, read on. Continue reading
When John posted a funeral flanked by a pair of Datsun 240Zs, it was a dignified affair, and the enthusiasts who had passed got a lot of respect. In this case, the deceased owner of this Nissan S13 decided that he had built his car exactly how he wanted, and in the words of his friends, “No one wanted a punk ass 16yr old to be driving the car around that he finished the way he wanted it before he died.. so instead of it getting picked apart in a junk yard.. crush it…”
Maybe because JNC is all about preserving historic cars, or maybe because a two-tone pig-nose — single-cam and all — coupe unadorned with drift decals and big wings is my personal idea of a perfect (and increasingly difficult to find) S13, but dying wish or not, this still pains us to watch.
After seeing the Wink Martindale promo from Monday, Australian JNC reader Tristian C. dropped this ad for the Chrysler Galant in our inbox. The Triple Diamond Mafia masqueraded as Chryslers down under, with Mitsubishi‘s Colt Galant (which was also sold as simply the Dodge Colt in the US). Somehow, the Aussies even got The Beach Boys — they of “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Shut Down” and “409” fame — to re-lyric their hit “I Get Around” to make it about a Japanese car. Watch the ad below the fold. Continue reading
Like the Toyota Crown from last week, this 1976 Datsun B210 was kept well and out of the public eye for most of its life, accruing only 33,161 miles since it rolled out of the factory. And like the Crown, it seems to have exchanged hands only a few weeks before suddenly being thrown on to eBay by a seller primarily interested in Detroit iron. Obviously, Japanese nostalgics are increasing in value, but let’s hope not all of these gems are going to be flipped for a quick buck. Continue reading
Silent shaft technology! Rally cluster! Power mirrors! Four-wheel disc brakes! Handsome wood-grain paneling! These were the selling points for members of the Triple Diamond Mafia infiltrating the Dodge lineup in 1978. Game show host Wink Martindale narrates this promotional video featuring the Dodge Challenger and Colt models. Yes, they were actually three different Mitsubishi models — the Galant Lambda, Galant Sigma Wagon and Lancer — but Mr. Martindale wants you to take home America’s fifth best selling import! Watch the video below the fold. Continue reading
After nearly two years of Friday Videos, we may have exhausted every Japanese cop show car chase you YouTube. Luckily, there’s NicoNico Douga, Japan’s most popular video hosting site, ready to be mined! Here’s a clip from Daitokai (The Big City) in which Tetsuya Watari chases down the very rare 510-esque C30 Nissan Laurel with an even rarer Isuzu Florian! Clearly this was prior to the days where corporate sponsorship made it look like everyone on Earth drove a Datsun. Watch the clip below the fold. Continue reading
If the recent MS55 Toyota Crown is a bit too stock for your tastes, how about a mild-bosozoku Nissan Laurel SGL? It’s easy to get hypnotized by the butaketsu Laurel‘s shapely rear but the HC130 sedan can look just as dope, especially when modified in proper lowdown style. This SGL’s stock 2.0L straight six has been mated to a 5MT and boasts only 38,335km (just under 24,000 miles). It’s swathed in 70s green inside and out, complemented by bright red 14×7 Star Sharks. The price on Yahoo Japan Auctions is currently at ¥1,480,000 (or $17,625 American). More photos below the fold. Continue reading
We have long maintained that a car’s fame is directly proportional to how many diecast models of it have been made. Ford Mustang? You can’t swing a petrified cat at Toys R Us without hitting a scale replica of the quintessential American automobile. But for fans of nostalgics like the hakosuka Skyline, the only recourse has been the toymakers of Japan. Until now. Continue reading
This might just be the cleanest, most original MS55 Toyota Crown in the United States. It was purchased new in 1970 by an elderly woman in Butte, Montana, and comes with a thorough ownership history, including the original sticker and sales card from Knievel Imports (of Evel Knievel fame) Continue reading
If the idea of a MkII Toyota Supra lining up on the starting grid opposite a Mitsubishi Starion gets your motor going, then this is the race series for you. The new Motor Racing Legends JD Classics series will pit touring cars from 1977-1985 against each other, running period correct specs.
Unfortunately, this will take place in Europe only. However, that means the field will be populated with cars like the BMW 635csi, Merkur/Sierra XR4Ti. The organizers are looking to include production cars from the American IMSA as well, which means Mazda RX-7s and Datsun 280ZXs!
The organizers believe that “a lot of the genuine race cars still exist, sitting in garages, but they’re not being brought out en masse as there isn’t a series catering exclusively for them… It’s a time that many of us remember clearly, and even more of us would like to see revived as a historic race series.” The inaugural checkered flag drops at the Donington Historic Festival, April 29 to May 1, 2011.
Alright, alright, we’ll post about it! We’ve been getting emails about Far East Movement‘s Z-heavy music videos almost as frequently as the songs are played in nightclubs. So apparently this LA-based band likes Datsun 240Zs and has populated at least two of their videos with them. The first was the Billboard #1 hit “Like a G6”, which apparently has nothing to do with front-wheel-drive Pontiacs. The second one, shown above, is “Rocketeer”, which laid to rest any doubt about their love for the for the S30 chassis. If your cup of tea consists of something called electro-hop, check out the videos below the fold. Continue reading
In honor of Mazda‘s 90th Anniversary, Mazda Europe has issued a press release documenting the evolution of the Mazda logo. From the word “Mazda” itself to a stylized flying M, here’s nearly a century’s worth of hood emblems and the explanations from the company itself. Continue reading
We get so used to concepts like takeyari and tsurikawa it’s easy to forget that for some, it’s a mind-blowing world. Here’s a look at AOL Translogic’s tour of Japanese modding culture. Continue reading
This week:
Something for the Mazdafarians: an off-white Hiroshima screamer sitting on red Enkei 92s. The black A-pillars give the SA22C the illusion of a cantilever roof and adds to the overall feeling of lightness. Want.
[cVon12]
You are not experiencing a deja vu. This is the second consecutive week in which we’ve had a car chase involving a brown, late-model Datsun Z. This one hails from a completely different continent — ours, in fact. Robert “Mannix” Forester gets behind a Chevy Chevelle to chase down a car thief in a stolen 280Z 2+2 in the 1983 film Vigilante. Video below the fold. Continue reading
This week:
The Toyota Celica Supra P-Type is one of the best looking OEM wheels ever made. The classic four-spoke alloy was delivered stock with the MA61 from 1982 to 1986, and although the L-Types had a 15×6 option, the wider P-Type 14×7 is the most desirable. Almost 30 years after their introduction, they’re a staple of any self-respecting Toyotaku’s garage stash, and make appearances on everything from AE86s to Cressidas.
Now, some enterprising enthusiasts on CelicaSupra.com have remade them in 17- and 18-inch sizes. Continue reading
