Prince Skyline S54 GT-B at the Gates

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Ben Hsu

In honor of Shinichro Sakurai, we’ve been poring over images of Skylines both Prince and Nissan. Here’s a quasi-replica of the Prince Skyline S54 GT-B that went up against a purpose-built Porsche 904 race car at the 1964 Japan Grand Prix. Black Wats are a fitting substitute for the original black steelies as it stages for the 2010 Rotary Club Fellowship Rally — sorry, Mazdafarians, this particular rotary club has more to do with community service than trochoids. In a field of Maseratis and Astons, this was the only domestic, a true classic.

[Image: Blue Mercedes]

Posted in motorsports, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 1982 Mazda 626 Capella

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Ben Hsu


In the United States, the Mazda 626 was mostly known as an honorable mention in the Accord-Camry wars of the 1990s. Competent if unmemorable, the front-wheel-drive sedan was Hiroshima’s answer to the family car question few had asked. Europeans love the “second-gen” 626, which prompts the question, “There was a first?” Yes, there was a predecessor sold from 1979 to 1982, and guess what, old schoolers? It was rear wheel drive! Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, mazda | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Ben Hsu

On January 17, 2011 in the quiet Tokyo suburb of Setagaya, Shinichiro Sakurai, the father of the Nissan Skyline, passed away due to heart failure at the age of 81. Every major newspaper and reporting agency in Japan ran a story about the man’s life. Otherwise gruff auto enthusiasts wept openly. This outpouring of emotion and respect for a simple engineer is proof that Sakurai’s creation not only had an immense impact on the motoring community, but Japan as a whole. Continue reading →

Posted in Legends, motorsports, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Friday Video: Toyota Celica in Family Guy/Incredible Hulk

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Ben Hsu


Your eyes do not deceive you. This is a non-photoshopped image of Stewie Griffin changing the tire on a 1971-72 Toyota Celica. Continue reading →

Posted in toyota, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon 2011: Nissan Roundup

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Ben Hsu


Many people want the beauty of a nostalgic car but still need a family hauler that won’t sacrifice modern amenities like working aircon, cruise control and fuel injection. A hakosuka-faced Nissan Stagea is here to answer your prayers. Continue reading →

Posted in events, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon 2011: Toyota Takes the Stage

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Ben Hsu


Perhaps the biggest surprise of Toyota’s exhibition at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon was not a car, but a person. Company president Akio Toyoda took the stage and spoke about how driving the Lexus LFA in the 24hrs of Nürburgring is giving him renewed determination as an enthusiast. Keep in mind this is not the Tokyo Motor Show; TAS is a strictly aftermarket showcase, and although OEMs have a presence, the fact that Toyoda would personally address fans says a lot about how the company is trying to reconnect with enthusiasts. Continue reading →

Posted in events, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tokyo Auto Salon 2011: Electric Boogaloo

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Ben Hsu


There’s a lot to see at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon, but let’s start with something both electric and nostalgic. Proving electricity can be fun, the Toyota Sports EV Twin weighs 700kg (1543lbs), can go 160kph (100mph) and has a range of 100km (62mi) on one charge. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Defi Gauges for Nostalgic Cars

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Ben Hsu


The onslaught of vintage gear keeps on coming. Shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Defi gauges for old school cars! Instead of a hellscape orange or aquarium blue, these glow a cool whitish-green and through a proper vintage typeface. These are prototypes, and the company is asking kyuusha fans which style they prefer, and in linked or standalone.

[Nori Yaro] Hat tip to Nils E!

Posted in Aftermarket | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Friday Video: The Man Who Stole the Sun Mazda RX-7 SA22C vs RX-5 Cosmo

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Ben Hsu


We posted about 1979’s The Man Who Stole the Sun three years ago but the video has since been taken down. Besides, that one didn’t include the car chase in its entirety, so here’s a new one that does. In fact, the complete movie is available. Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Honda and Mazda Team Up to Make Small Cars Fun (Again)

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Ben Hsu


In recent years, the biggest disappointment for Japanese car enthusiasts has been the lack of fun, especially the affordable kind. Gone are the RSXs and MR2s, and aside from the Mazda MX-5, what else is there for the average Joe?

Enter the B-spec class for cars in the sub-Civic class. If you think the use of economy cars for racing is strange, the principals behind it are even stranger. This new racing series was jointly created by new bedfellows Mazda and Honda. Continue reading →

Posted in honda, mazda, motorsport | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Rays Gram Lights 57V

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Ben Hsu


This time last year Rays Wheels unveiled the Volk TE37V, a version of their iconic tuner wheel sized especially for RWD nostalgics. They couldn’t keep ’em on the pallets, so in 2011 Rays is following up with the new Gram Lights 57V! Continue reading →

Posted in wheels | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Have a Bosozoku New Year with Hatsuhinode, First Sunrise Run

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Ben Hsu


Did you spend your January first running from the cops? Then you are probably a fine, upstanding citizen because that’s the preferred New Year’s tradition of the bosozoku. Continue reading →

Posted in bosozoku | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Welcome to the New JapaneseNostalgicCar.com!

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Welcome to the brand new JapaneseNostalgicCar.com! It’s a new year and a website redesign is something the JNC team has been wanting to do for a long time. The goal was to get the look of site in line with the look of JNC magazine and update the back end with modern software.

Our next step is to update the forum and the shop, which will be much easier to use and contain many new treasures. Like any project, there will be a few errant gaps to close and bolts to torque, so please bear with us in the coming weeks. We hope you like the new site, and if you have suggestions or see any missing nuts, be sure to let us know!

Posted in jnc | 18 Comments

Friday Video: Mitsubishi Galant GTO in 3000km Trap

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Ben Hsu


The 1971 film 3000km Trap tells the story of a young man, played by Jiro Tamiya, whose wealthy businessman father has just lost a golfing bet with the president of a large Hokkaido department store. The wager? The “best sports car on the market,” a Mitsubishi Galant GTO. Continue reading →

Posted in mitsubishi, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Event Horizon for the Weekend of January 7, 2011

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Dan Hsu

This week:

Posted in event horizon | 4 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 1969 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Ben Hsu


After the 2000GT, the second-most valuable vintage Toyota is not a car at all, but one of the original SUVs, the FJ40 Land Cruiser. Some have exchanged hands for $50,000 plus, and they are one of the few Yotas that are regularly restored to the exacting level typically reserved for high-end sports coupes.

Most wouldn’t buy a Land Cruiser unless the intent was to either go off into the great unpaved wilderness or preparation for a zombie pandemic, and workhorses are usually thrashed until the last limp. Then it’s off to the great glue factory/recycling yard in the sky, making any rust free and un-dinged examples rather difficult to come across. This one on eBay boasts only 53,800 miles on the original engine and a three on the tree manual. The opening bid is a “mere” $22,670.

Posted in for sale, toyota | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

JDM Legends in Hi-Def Video

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Ben Hsu


We see images of incredible nostalgics all the time, but rarely are they captured so beautifully in dramatic lighting, unhurried tracking shots, and high-definition video. Check out the work put into these historic machines by our friends at JDM Legends in the video below the fold. Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, nissan, toyota, tuning shop | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Start 2011 Off with a Traffic Safety Omamori

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Ben Hsu


In Japanese tradition, one should visit your local temple for New Year’s. There, for a small donation, you can get a wide assortment of omamori, amulets of silk, wood or metal that will bring you good luck in their respective categories. Typically people seek fortune in the realm of love, prosperity and health. And then there are ones concerning the not-so-ancient rituals of, say, driving an automobile. Continue reading →

Posted in japan | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Datsun’s Leaping Hare Hood Ornament Wishes You a Prosperous Year of the Rabbit

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Datsun Leaping Hare Hood Ornament

The 1935 Datsun Model 14 was Nissan‘s first factory production vehicle and the management deemed, as was appropriate for cars of the era, that a sculpture be affixed to the vehicle’s prow. Luckily, the choice of a figure was right there in the car’s name. Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, nissan | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Happy New Year from JNC!

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Posted in honda, jnc | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments