Forget the Black Gold, Black & Red, or even the Activision Pace Car, this must be the rarest of all the 280ZXs. We’ve been talking about the S130 chassis a lot lately, but if you can indulge us here’s one more mention. In 1983, Midori Melon Liqueur sponsored a contest in which the grand prize was a Midori Green Datsun 280ZX. The tie-in makes sense because although the melon liqueur hails from Mexico, it’s actually a product of Suntory, the Japanese brewery (“midori” is the Japanese word for “green”). However, this isn’t the only rare, green S130. Continue reading
Friday Video: Hamanako to Haneda Airport with the Nippon Datsun Club of 1961
Rather than showing you clips of Nissans cold catapulting over construction sites and Sgt. Daimon blasting fools in the face this week, here’s some footage of real life Nissans and Datsuns just doing what they were built to do.
Recorded on the ancient technology of 8mm film, this video shows the NDC (Nippon Datsun Club) of 1961 driving from Hamanako to Haneda Airport. This 180-mile (290km) trip is more difficult than it sounds. In 1961, Japan had no expressways to speak of, so the journey was taken along Japan National Route 1, which runs along the southern coast of Honshu before snaking through the Hakone Mountains, the birthplace of drifting. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, Friday Video, nissan
Tagged bluebird, datsun, hamanako, haneda airport, nissan, P310, P311, PL310, PL311, PL312
6 Comments
The New and Improved(?) Elderly Driver's Mark
As we reported last October, the Japanese government is changing the time-honored Koreisha Mark. Problem was, senior citizens deemed the current design — a teardrop shaped leaf in fall colors (center) — rather insulting and complained to the National Police Agency, who oversees driving symbols.
Apparently, the elderly did not like to be reminded of their impending mortality. However, even when the autumn leaf is replaced, the Wakaba Mark for beginning drivers will still remain a green and yellow spring leaf.
The four Koreisha Mark finalists are, starting from the top left:
- A four-leaf clover with a stylized “S” for senior
- Circles of various colors, symbolizing the many years lived by our elders
- A bird, heart, and hand combined into one symbol
- Palms symbolizing a harvest of rice
What does this mean for the JNC logo? Nothing, except that it’ll be even cooler to say that the leaf was the old school (well, 1997 old) elderly driver’s mark. Which design do you like the best?
[Asahi Shimbun] Hat tip to Satoshi,
Posted in japan
Tagged beginner driver mark, elderly driver mark, koreisha mark, kourei, shoshinsha, wakaba mark
17 Comments
Shakotan Sedans: Toyota MX32 Cressida and MS65 Crown
JNCer toji004 posted this photo of his butame Cressida and theShaz’s kujira Crown with nothing but the caption “sexy pic.” Not only is it sexy, but sinister too. If these shakotan sleds don’t make all the neighborhood kids run and hide, we don’t know what will.
Event Horizon for the Weekend of Jun 18, 2010
If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at the feedback address at the bottom of this page.
This week:
- Sunday, June 20 / Queensland, Australia: All Japanese Day
- Sunday, June 20 / Switzerland: Japanese Young and Old Timer Meet
Mazda Familia 1200 Van, Ozzie Style
The Australians’ love for old Mazdas is exceeded only by their love for Venetian blinds and windscreen visors. Perhaps in the Outback it’s the only protection one has from becoming a steam-cooked dingo snack. Continue reading
Datsun Dealership from the 1970s
From the age of film cameras comes these photos of Chilliwack Datsun in British Columbia. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
Tagged 240z, 510, b210, bluebird, bre, chilliwack, datsun, dealership, fairlady z, nissan, peter brock, s30, sunny
6 Comments
Why Daimon Is a Total Badass
A bad guy guns down his partners in crime in cold blood. There’s nothing standing between him and freedom except Sgt. Daimon, his gullwinged S130 Z, and his shotgun. Video below the fold, with bonus senseless Fairlady Z destruction! Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
Tagged 240z, cedric, daimon, datsun, fairlady z, japanese cop show, nissan, s30, seibu keisatsu
10 Comments
Crimson S130 Tide
Let’s pause for a moment to appreciate the S130 Z. We know the typical litany: it’s heavier, not as good-looking, and rides softer than the S30 Z, but is the second-generation Fairlady Z getting a bum rap? Continue reading
Event Horizon for the Weekend of Jun 11, 2010
If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at the feedback address at the bottom of this page.
This week:
- Friday, June 11 / Salem, OR: Canby 2010 Autocross
- Friday, June 11 – June 14 / Victoria, Australia: Roadster Nationals
- Saturday, June 12 / San Diego: Opening Ceremony for Datsun/Nissan, The American Story @ San Diego Auto Museum
- Saturday, June 12 – June 13 / Salem, OR: Datsun Driving Canby Fun
Morimoto Celica
We see a lot of cars, but the Morimoto Celica still gives us funny feelings every time we look at it. Continue reading
Posted in toyota
Tagged celica, morimoto, ra25, ra28, ra29, rs watanabe, toyota, watanabe
18 Comments
These Boots Are Made for Motoring: Nancy Sinatra's Datsun 1600 Roadster
Did you know Nancy Sinatra drove a Datsun? A 1966 1600 Sports roadster, to be exact. It was a gift from her guitarist Lee Hazlewood when their song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” hit #1 on the pop charts in 1966. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
Tagged 1600 sports, datsun, fairlady, nancy sinatra, nissan, roadster, spl311, you only live twice
5 Comments
Friday Video: Guerilla Group 8 Mitsubishi Sigma Clown Car
As we’ve mentioned before, Guerilla Group 8 was Mitsubishi‘s attempt at throwing vehicle sponsorship behind an action cop show to spice up their image (a la Nissan and Seibu Keistasu, Abunai Deka, and many others).
Since Mitsubishi was footing the bill, we learn that: a). a convertible Galant Sigma makes a great clown car; b.) the staring Pajero, Debonair V 3000 Royal AMG, and gullwing Starion must remain unscathed but it is perfectly okay to blow an E70 Toyota Corolla to high heaven; and c.) Daimon is even more awesome than usual when he brings down bad guys at point-blank range because d.) we still hate clowns, including Japanese ones. Video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi, toyota, Video Games
Tagged ae71, amg, corolla, debonair, e70, galant, guerilla group 8, gull-wing, japanese cop show, mitsubishi, montero, pajero, raider, shogun, sigma, starion, te71, toyota
11 Comments
Skylines at the Gates
Outside of Japan, any one of these nostalgic Nissans would make heads explode. There, it’s par for the course. Just a little inspiration for Skorj.
Nostalgic Car Shopping in Yokohama
The first real hot day of summer. I’m looking at a few options in buying a nostalgic car, so we took a quick drive on the Shuto to a reasonably well stocked shop near Yokohama. While I’m interested in one of their hakosuka Skylines, I was also taken by a few of the other options available. All relatively sound, in nice honest condition. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2010 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part II
Welcome to Part Two of our coverage of the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals. As we mentioned in Part One, this show often blends American and Japanese customization styles, as evidenced by this army-themed van.
If you think a US military motif, complete with kill markings indicating bombs dropped, is a bit incendiary for a Japanese car, count the number of Rising Sun flags at your next Datsun meet. Vans are the biggest thing in Japan right now, and there’s no reason why old schoolers should be left out. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan
Tagged b110, bertone, caravan, cedric 430, crown, daihatsu, datsun, datsun 1200, debonair, gemini, hiace, hijet, i-mark, isuzu, luce, mazda, mitsubishi, ms52, ms53, nissan, nissan cedric, pickup, rs46, rx-3, savanna, sunny, toyopet, toyota, wagon
11 Comments
Friday Video: Abunai Deka's F31 Nissan Leopard vs. Boat
Put on your shades and slick back your hair because it’s the 80s, and the dangerous cops of Abunai Deka simply will not tolerate your lousy escape attempt to escape by boat. Perhaps Infiniti would have sold more M30s if Crockett and Tubbs drove an F31 Leopard instead. Full video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan, Video Games
Tagged abunai deka, f31, infiniti, japanese cop show, leopard, m30, miami vice, nissan
3 Comments
EVENTS: 2010 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part I
You can tell by its name that the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals is an event heavily influenced by American hot rod culture. You won’t find much, if any, of the typical stuff we crave from JDM shows. Sorry, no negative offset 14×9 barrels, ground-scraping shakotan sleds, or sky-high takeyari pipes here.
Instead, as automotive trends ping-pong across the Pacific, mods range from the clean and subtle — as in the movement of mirrors from fender to door on the Crowns above — to the, shall we say, darker side of USDM car culture. Here are some photos from our intrepid operative Satoshi. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota
Tagged 510, 610, 810, a10, bluebird, century, chaser, city, cressida, crown, crown eight, datsun, familia, figaro, kujira, mark II, mazda, mooneyes, ms60, ms65, nissan, odaiba, prius, r100, rotary, rx-3, s40, s60, savanna, stanza, street car nationals, violet
9 Comments
Event Horizon for the Weekend of May 28, 2010
If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at the feedback address at the bottom of this page.
This week:
- Thursday, May 27 – September 27 / San Diego: Datsun/Nissan, The American Story @ San Diego Auto Museum
- Sunday, May 30 / Temecula, CA: 8th Annual Z-Car Club of Inland Valley Datsun Show
