Datsun 240Z Stars in Russ Chimes' Midnight Club Videos

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Being the semi-old farts that we are, we do not know why purveyors of electronica have flocked to the Datsun 240Z as the automobile of choice for their music videos. First it was “Like a G6” and “Rocketeer”, both by the Far East Movement. Now there’s this fellow by the name of Russ Chimes who released an EP called “Midnight Club”.

Don’t get your hopes up, though. The three-part story in the music videos have nothing to do with either the Devil Z nor the legendary Japanese hashiriya team Mid Night Club. Instead, it’s about some hipster kidnapping plot whose only saving grace is that it features a yellow 240Z fairly prominently. Watch the videos below the fold if you must. Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

MX73 Toyota Cressida Outpaces Your Bourgeois Euro Saloons

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Nowadays nostalgists regard the MX73 Toyota Cressida as a RWD four-door Supra for the shakotan/bosozoku/drift/VIP crowd, but it spent much of its existence as an understated executive sedan, a Japanese alternative to Benzes, Bimmers and Jyaaags in the pre-Lexus days. For evidence, watch this 1985 commercial from Quebec, Canada, complete with “Oh what a feeling, Toyota!” leap in French. Continue reading →

Posted in cm, toyota | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Merry Christmas from JNC!

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Ben Hsu


May your travels be safe and stockings filled with rare JDM parts. And may they arrive by Mazda Bongo, a rear-engined van that is retro-futuristic in a Jetsonian kind of way.

The year of Mazda’s 90th Anniversary is almost over, and the company from Hiroshima has commissioned some nostalgic wallpapers for all you Rotorheads and Mazdafarians out there. Download them below the fold. Merry Christmas from all of us at JNC! Continue reading →

Posted in jnc, mazda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Does the Toyota FT-86 Logo Have a Boxer Engine On It?

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Car and Driver claims to have uncovered the logo that will adorn the upcoming lightweight RWD Toyota FT-86 sports coupe. If this is true, hachiroku fans will be happy that the nickname for their beloved mid-80s RWD steed is now is now forever enshrined in Toyota canon. Buuuut they will also be sad, because this reminder that a Subaru 2.0 flat four — and not a traditional Toyota-Yamaha twin-cam — powers the FT-86 is too forever enshrined, right there on the car. Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Amazing Customized Nostalgic Minicars

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Ben Hsu


As we’re waiting impatiently for the Hot Wheels hakosuka to debut next year, here’s something to hold us over until it does. While browsing YJA, John, our resident Datsun 510 freak, spotted this diecast Nissan 510 Bluebird, customized in a way that would haunt our dreams were it real. This minicar is heavily customized, with incredible detail for a 1/64 scale car (equivalent to a Matchbox or Hot Wheels), and it shows in the selling price of ¥17,500 (approx. $209)! Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, minicars, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

One Mean First-Gen Honda Civic

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Just another SB1 Honda Civic shell? Look closely… Continue reading →

Posted in honda | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Philippines Old Schoolers Auto Club Meet

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Ben Hsu


The Filipino devotion to Toyotas rivals that of mother to child. JNC reader Jetto based out of Manila recently posted a slew of photos from the Old School Auto Club in the Philippines, with an even bigger slew of nostalgics dropped on vintage barrels. It’s cool to see cars not as popular in the US — the T130 Corona and various Mitsubishis, for example — amass a strong following over there. Click to the forums to see the photos.

Posted in events, mitsubishi, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Periodic Table of Sports Cars

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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]

Posted in datsun, honda, mazda, media, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Friday Video: Nissan Civilian Suicide Mission

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in nissan, Video Games | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Kidneys, Anyone? Northeast Corolla GT-S and Celica Supra

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in for sale, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Deceased Nissan S13 Owner Has Car Crushed

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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.

[Vimeo via Jalopnik]

Posted in datsun, nissan | 10 Comments

Chrysler Galant, by Mitsubishi, Gets Around

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in cm, mitsubishi | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 33,00-Mile Datsun B210

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in datsun, for sale, nissan | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Dodge Challenger and Colt, By Mitsubishi!

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in mitsubishi, wagons | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Friday Video: Isuzu Florian vs Nissan Laurel

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in datsun, isuzu, nissan, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 1973 Nissan Laurel HC130

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in datsun, for sale, nissan | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Hakosuka Nissan Skyline Reborn, in Hot Wheels Form

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in datsun, minicars, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 1970 MS55 Toyota Crown Deluxe

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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 →

Posted in for sale, toyota | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

New JD Classics Race Series for 1977-1985 Cars

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Ben Hsu


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.

[Motor Racing Legends]

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

Friday Video: Far East Movement Loves Datsun 240Zs

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in datsun, nissan, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments