Event Horizon: It's That Time of Year Again

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Dan Hsu

jccs

Stuck between our monthly water bill and a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon was a little white envelope containing this  colorful surprise.  The appropriately festive parking pass and wristbands have us all giddy with anticipation like a couple of kids on Christmas Eve.  For those of you burning the midnight oil to finish up your entries to this year’s show, get off the internet and get back to work! We’ll see you in two days!

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

This weekend, October 3-4:

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1600-Plus Mazda MX-5 Roadsters Celebrate 20th Anniversary

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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More than 1600 MX-5 Roadsters swarmed Mazda‘s hometown of Hiroshima, Japan on September, 20 for what has to be a new world record in single-model gatherings. After all, the MX-5 already holds the Guinness record for best selling two-seater droptop — as Jeremy Clarkson would say — in the whurrrld. Continue reading →

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Honda EV-N: Retro-Electric at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Ben Hsu

Moments ago, Honda revealed the cars it plans to display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show this October. And looky here – a new concept paying homage to the N-series! Details on the EV-N Concept remain sparse, though more will surely emerge as the show approaches. All we know is that it’s all electric and charmingly inspired by the 1967 N360.

In fact, much of Honda’s Tokyo Motor Show lineup awesomely consists of environmentally friendly tributes to older models. Continue reading →

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NHTSA List of Every Cash for Clunkers Car

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Ben Hsu

cash_for_clunkersThe NHTSA has released a list of all 690,114 cars traded in in the Cash for Clunkers program. Keep in mind that the list is unverified and based on dealer reports. Most of the cars we know and love have been spared genocide, although many casualties still sadden our hearts: 5 Starions, several Cressidas, a moderate number of Nissan 300ZXs, Mazda RX-7s, Toyota Supras of varying years, and a buttload of Previa minivans.

Some don’t even meet the initial 18mpg or worse requirement (1990 Honda CR-X, really?). Others seem to have been traded in on pure laziness – late model Lexuses, a Mazda RX-8, and a Nissan 350Z, for example. Surely owners could have gotten more than the $4500 credit by just throwing it up on craigslist. Keep in mind that these cars had to be driven and registered for the past 12 months, so they aren’t shells or beaters.

Click here for the complete list (PDF).

Hat tip to cesariojpn.

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Mizuno Works, For All Your Kyushakai Needs

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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Need a gurachan spoiler and some wicked fender flares for your kenmeri Skyline? Swing by Saitama’s Mizuno Works, a shop specializing in bosozoku style bombers. Continue reading →

Posted in bosozoku, datsun, japan, nissan, toyota, tuning shop | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

EVENTS: SevenStock XII, Part One

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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SoCal’s biggest rotary gathering took place on Saturday, at Mazda USA’s Irvine, California headquarters. Dan snapped enough photos that we’re splitting them into MotorMavens-style two-post coverage rather than our old massive image dump format. Let’s get to it, shall we?

The first thing you see above is JNC reader dizmine3’s flared GC-style RX-3 sporting SSR Mark IIs and a fresh new coat of yellow paint. The clean machine always takes center stage in front of the main Mazda building and in case you missed it you can see it in person at the JCCS next weekend.

Continue reading →

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Friday Video: Kyushakai Drifters

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Ben Hsu

toyota_soarer_yanki_shakotan2There’s been a recent spate of videos in which cars built with old school bosozoku style take on the decidedly new art of professional drifting. Take a gander at the exquisite airbrushed paint job, for example, captured at Ebisu by our friend Alexi at Nori Yaro. Moments later, the Toyota Soarer it belonged to went full-on sideways out on the track, putting those gorgeous matching SSR MkIIs in jeopardy. Continue reading →

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Event Horizon

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Dan Hsu

nrhonda2008

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

This weekend, September 26-27:

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Kidney, Anyone? One-Owner 1972 Datsun 510

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Ben Hsu

1972_datsun_510
The neverending assault on our internal organs just keeps on coming this week. This Vancouver, BC ’72 Datsun 510 (see Craigslist ad here) has had one owner, a 77-year-old man who is now looking to pass his baby onto a younger caretaker. The mileage is high, at 129,000, but the owner claims it’s mint enough to sweep 44 First Place or Best in Show awards out of 44 shows entered, even beating out a Mercedes gullwing and E-Type Jag at some Concours event.

The only thing holding this blue Bluebird back is its slushbox, but the dictionary-sized stack of maintenance records from “day one” and turnkey condition must be worth something. And that something is $15,000 in the seller’s mind.

A bone stock 510 is a rare bird indeed. But is it 15 grand rare? What say you, readers?

[via BaT]

Posted in datsun, for sale, nissan | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Mr. K's 100th Birthday Party at the Datsun Heritage Museum

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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As we mentioned last week, the Datsun Heritage Museum observed Mr. K’s 100th birthday on September 19.  A Datsun-only car show was held in Katayama-san’s honor, and here are the photos.

Lest we be found guilty of portraying Zs and 510s only, here’s a Datsun 320 pickup upstaging a couple of nice Roadsters and two 510s way in the back.
Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, events, museums, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Mazda RX-3 Savannas Take to the Circuit

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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Here are some actual gurachan – as in Grand Champion, not gurachan-style – Mazda RX-3 Savanna race cars from the mid- to late-70s. In this photo driver Naoki Nagasaka hits the 1978 Fuji GC and Super Touring series.

Note the “Hekinan Mazda Sport Corner” decal, denoting Hekinan city’s branch of the tuning arm that became Mazdaspeed. These sexy vintage photos come courtesy of the archives of RE Sugiyama, an Aichi-based rotary tuning house. Continue reading →

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Kidney, Anyone? 1972 Toyota Corona Mark II

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Ben Hsu

1972 toyota corona mark II rt73l 01This baby blue beaut of a Toyota Corona Mark II is the mintiest we’ve ever spotted. The odometer reads 16,041 miles and the condition seems to corroborate that story. The door jambs could be licked. The trunk mat is as flat as Kansas. According to the seller, everything works, every square millimeter of paint is original, and it has never seen snow or salt.

The Corona Mark II was a more luxurious, slightly stretched version of the more common RT40 barikan Corona. It’s still powered by a four-cylinder 18R-C, but it eventually became its own model a few generations later, when the “Corona” was dropped and it simply became the “Mark II.” It’s the Cressida’s great-granddaddy.

Interestingly, the auction description says it’s part of a Youngstown, Ohio collection being trimmed, which begs the question: what’s in the rest of the collection?

More delicious photos after the jump. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, toyota | Tagged , , | 25 Comments

Friday Video: Nissan Bluebird 610 vs Mazda Luce

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Ben Hsu

From the Japanese TV series Detective Story comes this comical car chase involving Nissan Bluebird 610 and a Mazda Luce sedans. This is the same program that gave us the Mazda Cosmo AP vs Dump Trucks chase we posted a while back. The good stuff starts at 3:13.

The conclusion is after the jump. Continue reading →

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

Nostalgics in 1/64 Scale

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Ben Hsu

When even mainstream media sources like USA Today are talking about nostalgics, you know our beloved J-tin is finally getting some props. Here’s another barometer: diecast cars. Continue reading →

Posted in minicars, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

"Nissan: Passion and Beauty of Function" Exhibit at Hiratsuka Museum of Art

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Ben Hsu

nissan_passion_and_beauty_of_function Nissan will soon sponsor an exhibit called “Car Design History – NISSAN Passion and Beauty of Function” at the Hiratsuka Museum of Art. The exhibit will follow the history of automotive design in Japan. Original sketches and clay models from Nissan’s past will be displayed, along with an studies in the evolution of the Bluebird, Fairlady and Skyline.

Six Nissan cars representing the landmarks of Nissan design will be on display.

  • 1955 Datsun 113
  • 1966 Sunny B10
  • 1968 Skyline C10
  • 1969 Fairlady Z S30
  • PIVO Concept
  • PIVO2 Concept

Shiro Nakamura, the chief of design who has led the company’s design team for that past decade and been responsible for everything from the 350Z to the GT-R, will speak on opening night, October 3. The exhibit will last 8 weeks until November 29.

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00
Admission: 800 yen
Website: http://www.city.hiratsuka.kanagawa.jp/art-muse/info6.htm

[Nissan]

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Event Horizon

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Dan Hsu

DHMToyDrive

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

This weekend, September 19-20:

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Happy 100th Birthday to Mr. K!

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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Yutaka “Mr. K” Katayama, president of Nissan USA during the heyday of the Datsun brand, turns 100 today! Mr. K was dispatched to the US in 1960 to handle the west coast operations of a little known startup marque from across the Pacific. By the time his tenure ended, he had put the Datsun 240Z and 510 into the history books and set them well on their way to being some of the most highly regarded Japanese cars of all time.

The Datsun Heritage Museum will observe his birthday this Saturday, September 19, with a car show from 10am to 3pm. For more information, download this PDF file or visit the DHM website.

[Image: Datsun Heritage Museum]

Posted in datsun, events, museum, nissan | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

USA Today Picks Top 10 Japanese Collector Cars

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Ben Hsu

mazda_savanna_rx-3Last Friday USA Today picked their Top 10 Japanese cars that they think will become collectible in the future. The piece echoes what we’ve been preaching all along, that these cars capture the nostalgic feelings of twenty- and thirty-somethings and are often overlooked by collectors today. Continue reading →

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Datsun 240Z Spews Rodent Dog Food Stash

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Ben Hsu

Oh, those wacky chipmunks…

[Jalopnik]

Posted in datsun, nissan | 11 Comments

Friday Video: Seibu Keisatsu, Behind the Scenes

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Ben Hsu

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Heh heh, whoops! I guess the Monday holiday threw us off. Here’s your belated Friday Videos, a pair of behind the scenes looks at the making of Seibu Keisatsu. These videos have embedding disabled, so clicky click on the screenshots to watch them on YouTube.
Continue reading →

Posted in seibu keisatsu, Video Games | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments