Friday Video: Shakotan Boogie, The Movie

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Don your headbands, hang your friends out your side windows and get ready for Shakotan Boogie. In 1987 Japan apparently made a movie out of the manga that celebrates the bosozoku lyfe. Plot points include cross-cultural drag racing that ends in some hard-to-watch hakosuka and F-body carnage, but the parade of boso’ed cars is worth the suffering. There are more Japanese lowriders than you can shake a takeyari exhaust at — Soarers, Cedrics, Glorias, Crowns, Skylines, and even some other not-so-boso cars like an AW11 MR2 and Honda CR-X.

Anyone who can name all the cars in this clip will win either an Apple iPad or our eternal admiration (prize to be determined).

Hat tip to banpei, via 86ers.org.

Posted in honda, nissan, toyota, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Mr. K Talks Z-Cars: Yutaka Katayama opines on the Nissan 370Z, Toyota FT-86, Datsun 200SX, toy ponies, and the future of driving. Full article at Racer.com.

Posted in datsun, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Event Horizon for the Weekend of Jan 29, 2010

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Dan Hsu

If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at feedback(at)japanesenostalgiccar(dot)com

This week:

Future events: Continue reading →

Posted in event horizon | 2 Comments

BRE Reunion Dinner Video Availalble Now

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Matt De Mangos

From the video description:

Experience the BRE Reunion! In the Fall of 2008, BRE (Brock Racing Enterprise) team members reconnected en mass for the first time since the end of the 1972 race season. The BRE team changed the perception of Japanese cars as they won the SCCA D Production Pacific Coast Championship in 1969 with the BRE Datsun 2000 Roadster, the C Production Championships in 1970 and 71 with the BRE Datsun 240Z and won the professional Trans-Am 2.5 series Championships in 1971 and 72 with the BRE Datsun 510s. If you want to hear insider stories of what it was like to be on the BRE team and some of the crazy things that happened, you can get a two hour DVD of the reunion at www.bre2.net. Also a favorite moment of the night was when each team member shared what they are doing today. Don’t miss it!

Watch and learn. Available at BRE2.net.

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Posted on January 27, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Mazdas at the 2010 Retromobile Show: Retromobile 2010 is one of the biggest classic car shows in Paris. They have all sorts of vehicles showcasing the history of locomotion, and this year Mazda had a big display. Check out photos at LeBlogAuto and ClassicMotor.se.

Hat tip to Alan F and Magnusrx7.

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Posted on January 27, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Strong Nostalgic Showing at the Tokyo Auto Salon: This year’s TAS had more J-tin that we can remember for a long time. Check out Speedhunters’ coverage here: Old School Style @ TAS 2010.

Hat tip to DegreE.

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Posted on January 27, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Kyuusha Dealership Found Outside of Japan: We’ve seen plenty of nostalgic car dealerships in Japan, but this is the first one we’ve heard of on the outside. Sadly for us ‘Murrikins, it’s still on the other side of the ocean — Christchurch, New Zealand to be specific. But it’s a start! Check out the post on Retro-Classics.

Posted in for sale | Tagged | 2 Comments

Mazda Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Ben Hsu

In just a few days Mazdafarians will begin rejoicing in honor of their chosen marque’s 90th birthday. It has been ninety cycles of the sun since Toyo Cork Kyogo Company, Ltd. was founded in in the city of Hiroshima. Continue reading →

Posted in mazda | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Help Add A Mazda RX-3SP and Honda CR-X to Forza 3

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Forza 3 is teaming up with Jalopnik for the next round of downloadable cars for the racing sim. Let’s try to stuff the ballot box with J-tin like this Mazda RX-3SP (flames not included). Other candidates include the ’84 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE, first-gen Honda CR-X Si and quasi-nostalgics like the B13 Sentra SE-R, Mazda 323 GT-R, Acura Legend, Mitsubishi Evos I and V, ’96 Scooby STi, and ST165 and ST185 Toyota Celica WRC cars.

Vote for Group I

Vote for Group II

Vote for Group III

UPDATE: Looks like the RX-3, RX-7, CR-X and a some of the newer J-tin made it!

Now there’s a new batch, including a Datsun 240Z (um, why wasn’t this car in there from the beginning?), 1970 Corolla, Pulsar GTI-R, R31 Skyline, AW11 MR2, Mitsubishi Starion, and more.

Vote for Group IV

Vote for Group V

Vote for Group VI

Hat tip to JamesE.

Posted in mazda, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Nissan Skyline & Electric Vehicle Postage Stamps

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Ben Hsu


If you’re expecting mail from Japan you might be lucky enough to receive a Nissan Skyline or two. The automaker is teaming up with the Minami Kanto Regional Office (Nissan’s home turf) of the Japan Post Network to offer these postage stamps depicting the history of the Skyline model. The sets will be available from February 1 to August 31 and will be limited to 5000 sheets.  Continue reading →

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Friday Video: Toyota Starlet Driving Lessons

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Here is Japanese comedy troupe Katoken in a sketch about driving lessons behind the wheel of a four-door Toyota Starlet. Hilarity and havoc ensue. Surprisingly, there appears to be a Pontiac Fiero GT at one point. It escapes unscathed. However, the same cannot be said for unfortunate JNC reader favorites like the Mitsubishi Sigma and Mazda 626 at the end.

Hat tip to cesariojpn.

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

Honda Z600 Sells for $27,500 at Barrett Jackson

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Hold on to your H-shaped hood ornaments, dear readers. You’re looking at a record breaking, potentially history making, piece of J-tin here. At the Barrett Jackson auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona yesterday, the value of this 1972 Honda Z600 Coupe went up to $27,500 when the gavel dropped. But our sources say that a year ago, this was an $8500 car that wasn’t even running properly. How did it more than triple its value in such a short time? Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, honda | Tagged , , , | 31 Comments

Wednesday Wall: Original Feature – Datsun 240Z & 510

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Dan Hsu

For today’s Wednesday Wall, here’s a blast from the past – our very first photoshoot for JNC. Back then, I was still pretty inexperienced with automotive photography and only had the bare minimum of proper equipment. The photo would’ve benefited from a circular polarizer filter, but overall I like the way it turned out. The orange really pops, and the blue background provides a very nice contrast (bonus points to anyone who can figure out where this photo was taken).

The two things I wanted to highlight with this photograph are the cars’ incredible stances (seen in the 510), and the tremendous attention to detail the owners put into their construction (seen in the closeup of the Z’s front end). These traits best exemplify the spirit of the cars, and that’s why this is my favorite photo from the series.

An interesting thing to note is the Z’s pointed nose. Its sharpness is something I never really noticed before, but from this angle it looks as finely honed as a samurai sword.

See the rest of the photos in JNC Issue 1 available in our shop.

widescreen 1920 x 1200
standard 1600 x 1200

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Event Horizon for the Weekend of Jan 22, 2010

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Dan Hsu

There’s no shows we know of this coming weekend but be sure to check the list of future events after the jump!

If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at feedback(at)japanesenostalgiccar(dot)com Continue reading →

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Rust in Peace: J's Tipo Ends Magazine Publication

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Sad news from Japanland today. It’s the end of the road for J’s Tipo magazine. The publishers have announced that Issue 180 will be the last for the long-running automotive periodical.

They covered mostly new cars but always had a good amount of nostalgic car content. Henceforth, they will be a web-only publication.

We don’t know the fate of their sister titles like J’s Tipo Speed HistoriX, which was devoted to vintage Japanese cars and was only launched in November of 2009.

You can check out the current J’s Tipo website here. Be sure to spend some time browsing the section of old JDM brochures, all of which are downloadable in PDF format.

Rust in Peace to a great magazine.

Posted in media | Tagged | 8 Comments

Rotary Overload: New Zealand Summerdrags 2010

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Ben Hsu


Listen up, Mazdafarians! If you want to see over 300 pics of vintage kiwi-style rotaries at the recent 2010 Summerdrags, click right here and braap your brains out.

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Kidney, Anyone? 40K-Mile 1985 Subaru GL

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Ben Hsu


At first, this 40,433-mile 1985 Subaru GL surprised us by popping up in Phoenix, Arizona. What does a state need with a quirky, all-wheel-drive hatchback if they don’t even know what a snowflake is? But it makes sense that such a cream puff would only survive in a winter-less wonderland. Northerners bought these to drive into the ground, and most Yankee Subies have been returned to the earth in flakes of iron oxide. Continue reading →

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V is for Vintage: Rays Volk TE37V

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Ben Hsu

You know you’re a JNCer if you hear “TE37” and think third-gen Toyota Corolla rather than the coveted six-spoke by Rays Wheels. Remember how in the 90s every tuner with JDM jones lusted after the Volk TE37?

Well Rays recently debuted a reformulated version for us old schoolers called the Volk TE37V. The V stands for “vintage,” and they were all the rage at the Tokyo Auto Salon (as if you needed more proof that the nostalgic movement is gaining speed!). But there is an important philosophical question we need your input on at the end of this post.

Continue reading →

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Nostalgics at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Ben Hsu

For the latest and craziest in women’s fashion, you turn to the runways of Paris. For the latest and craziest in automotive tuning, we look to the Tokyo Auto Salon. But like costumes on the catwalk, you might find yourself face to face with the vehicular equivalent of a Mobius Strip hat made of dead peacocks. Thank goodness there’s an increasing amount of J-tin to class up the joint! Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, nissan, tokyo auto salon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

New Year's Meeting… of Auckland

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Well, the Japanese New Year Meeting doesn’t take place for another few weeks but here’s BeeOneOneOh’s photos from their local meet in Auckland. I am in love with this visor-clad Crown goon.

Posted in mazda, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments