Friday Video: Hairpin Circus

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Ben Hsu

The Friday Video series has touched upon many great Japanese movies and TV programs celebrating the automobile. But while they made their cars brutish and macho and excellent for ramming criminals into submission, they never made cars sexy. Well, turn down the lights and pour yourself a masu of warm sake before hitting “play”.

1972’s Hairpin Circus was the seminal Japanese motoring film. The age of the personal RWD sports coupe was in full swing and Japan was still blissfully unaware of the oil crisis to come. The giants, especially Toyota, Mazda and Nissan, believed that they had earned their place on the world stage with world-class cars. So why not a world-class film dripping with passion and petrol? Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, toyota, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Rotorstock & Retro Show at Santa Pod

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Ben Hsu

datsun_710_nissan_violet JNCer from across the pond, colink, sent us some photos of the recent Rotorstock and Retro show at Santa Pod Raceway in Bedfordshire, England. This beautiful blue Nissan Violet/1600 (aka Datsun 710) really caught my eye.

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Posted in datsun, events, mazda, mazda rx-7, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? 1971 Dodge Colt

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Ben Hsu

1971_dodge_colt_mitsubishi_galant3Just look at this pristine interior! It looks like you could lick it and still get the taste of brand new vinyl on your tongue. It belongs to a cream puff 1971 Dodge Colt, aka Mitsubishi Colt Galant, found in an ad on Bring A Trailer. It’s a California blue plate special and was found during a San Diego estate liquidation. There are only 39,722 original miles and the asking price is a kidney-saving $3500. According to the ad, the owner wants to take it to Concours d’Lemons, but we think it’d make a much better entrant at the JCCS!

More pics after the jump. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, mitsubishi | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Event Horizon: Fun For Everyone

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Dan Hsu

eventsGood news if you live on one of the coasts! This weekend, there’s a number of different events to choose from, provided you happen to live near an ocean.

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Posted in events | Tagged | 3 Comments

Happy Nissan Day

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Ben Hsu

1981_datsun_by_nissan_badge_210According to the internets, on July 16, 1981 Nissan execs officially changed their brand in the US market from Datsun to Nissan. The campaign to notify the public began in earnest that fall and for three years badges like the “By Nissan” one on this 1981 Datsun 210 (actually a B310 Sunny) appeared on the rumps of various cars.

Even back then, the rebranding effor cost the company over $500 million dollars, says Dan Banks of the Z-Car Club or America (read this for a detailed history). With a sticker price of just under $4000, that could have bought 125,000 Datsun 210s!

[Image: Jalopnik]

Posted in datsun, nissan | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The New York Times Talks Hondas

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Ben Hsu

honda_civic_cvccThe New York Times came out with their take on Honda’s 50 years in America recently. We disagree with the conclusion that they won’t be classics (the same thing was said about every Chevy, Ford and Dodge to come out of Detroit) but it’s a great read on the raw genius and unabashed ambition of Soichiro Honda and his motor company.

Accompanying the article are slideshows covering 50 years of American Honda and potentially collectible Hondas. Oddly, an S600 appears in the former even though it was never sold in the US and despite what the caption says, the T360 pickup was actually the first four-wheeled Honda product. Unfortunately, the Times also calls the cars “primitive” despite their advanced, high-revving engines and unique drivetrains.

Thanks to Brian Baker, who tipped us off to the article and actually owns the white S600 shown in the slideshow. Brian also informs us that the red S600 has an S800 motor and was purchased by ex-Honda F1 driver Jenson Button for a ridiculous price at Bonham’s auction.

Posted in honda | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

JNC Issue 4 Sneak Peek

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Dan Hsu

skyline
John Oshima’s absolutely sinister 1977 Nissan Skyline.  See more of this car in Japanese Nostalgic Car: Issue 4!  Subscribe now to ensure you don’t miss out on the next issue!

Posted in jnc mag, nissan | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Toyota Soarer Soars Through Your Computer

Posted on July 12, 2009 by Ben Hsu

Good lord, this 1983 Toyota Soarer ad looks like a deleted scene from Tron. It’s almost as insanely 80s as this MkII Toyota Celica Supra commercial we found a while back. Just thought you’d like to see what a Toyota driving through cyberspace looked like.

Posted in cm, toyota | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Friday Video: Abunai Deka Cedric 430 Chase

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Ben Hsu

In this clip from 80s Japanese cop show Abunai Deka, a Nissan Cedric 430 unmarked patrol car gives chase to a Gloria Van of the same generation. As you can see, this series doesn’t take itself as seriously as, say, Seibu Keisatsu, which would have ended the pursuit with Daimon arriving just in time to cut the baddies off at the pass and blow the crap out of their driver with a blast from his shotgun. Instead, Abunai lets its heroes play the fools, and even though we can’t understand what’s being said in this clip it still made us lawl.

Posted in JNC Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Retro Roundup: Mazda RX-7, Toyobaru 086a, Honda Prez

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Ben Hsu

new_mazda_rx-7_renderingDespite a flagging global economy that’s hit Japan particularly hard and reports of the world’s auto manufacturers bailing on this year’s Tokyo Motor Show left and right this year, there are now some surprising rumors surfacing. If true, the 41st Tokyo Motor Show may be a retro revival of sorts.

Continue reading →

Posted in honda, mazda, mazda rx-7, subaru, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sold! 1972 Datsun 240Z for $2000

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Ben Hsu

datsun_240z_barn_find
Yes, you read that right. $2000. Tipster John O. recently wrote that a friend of his bought this 1972 Datsun 240Z from the original owner, an old lady who always babied the car. She only let Datsun/Nissan dealerships perform work on it and kept all the service records and documentation in its 37-year history. As the story goes, she got tired of sinking money into it and put it up on craigslist. She interviewed all the buyers one by one and chose one lucky new owner at the end. And sold it to him for $2000 American. Up Next: Bigfoot caught!

Posted in datsun, for sale, nissan | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Event Horizon: Heatwave Edition

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Ben Hsu

cruiseAs summer heats up there’s just more and more events coming down the pipeline!

Continue reading →

Posted in events | 7 Comments

JNC Book Club: In Search of the Holden Piazza

Posted on July 8, 2009 by Ben Hsu

in_search_of_the_holden_isuzu_piazza_impulseIn case you’ve missed the epic debate in the JNC Forums regarding the Isuzu Piazza (called the Impulse in the US market), here’s your chance to read all about what could be either one of the greatest (or one of the worst) Japanese cars ever built.

In 2006 two friends named Joe Kremzer and Chris Warr took off on a trip around the Australian continent to meet as many owners of the Piazza (badged as a Holden down under) as they could. Their faithful steed was a heavily worn example of the very car they were searching for, which they christened Alyce. With admittedly little experience wrenching on cars they set off on their journey in search of answers to questions like, “What prompted anyone to buy what they call ‘the dodgiest car ever imported’ and how many had survived?”

Along the way they became minor celebrities on a local radio show and documented the entire escapade tongue-in-cheek in a book called In Search of the Holden Piazza. From the parts we’ve perused at Google Books it seems like a terrifically entertaining read. We don’t know if the conclusions they draw about the Giugiaro designed coupe are ultimately flattering or not, but we’ve all probably felt some kind of bond to a car that is largely unloved. And by that measure the fondness for machine Piazza evokes makes both the car and the book a winner.

Posted in isuzu | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Michael Jackson's Message is Suzuki Love

Posted on July 7, 2009 by Ben Hsu

We’re a little late here, but it occurred to us that Michael Jackson did a bunch of Japanese ads for the Suzuki Love back in the day. We always thought they were a little cheesy in that 80s Japanese commercial way, but now that he’s gone it’s impossible not to feel slightly bittersweet when watching them.

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Posted in cm, suzuki | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

JNC Wagon Breaks Down at Another Junkyard

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Ben Hsu

toyota_cressida_wagonOur poor little JNC Wagon! It’s like the Giving Tree of cars. It relinquishes every ounce of pull we demand of it and yet we just keep asking and asking for more. It hauls loads of magazines and our booth to car shows, makes runs to the junkyard, and even jaunts down to Wal-Mart when we need new socks.

Sometimes bits of the ol’ girl just can’t hold out any longer and conk out, but she always makes sure we’re within walking distance of salvation. Continue reading →

Posted in how to, toyota, wagons | 14 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? Actual J-Tin Toyota Crowns

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Ben Hsu

asahi tin toyota crown s30 1960 - brown 01Forget Tomicas and Choro-Qs, those are nice toys but the real money’s in J-Tin. No, not that J-tin, but actual toy cars from the 60s made of real tinplate. Most have friction motors inside that can move the car if you rev it up a little.

They go for big money among toy collectors, as demonstrated by these S30-generation Toyopet Crowns made by Asahi and Bandai. Seriously, even the “low” end $3800 is more than the combined cost of service, parts and the car itself for our daily driver JNC wagon. We’re not sure how rare these Crowns actually are, and although four figure price tags are by no means uncommon, these are the highest amounts we’ve seen on a tin toy. More pics after the jump.

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Posted in minicar, toyota | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Friday Video: Seibu Keisatsu's New Recruits

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Ben Hsu

Hmm, it seems that the last Friday Video, Keishichou Satsujinka, failed to generate the type of enthusiasm among Subaru and Toyota fans that Seibu Keisatsu clips instill among Nissan nuts. How about the unlikely combination of Seibu‘s cast and Toyotas?

In this “remake,” a new recruit has joined the force, and with his arrival some changes are being made to the Seibu Keisatsu fleet. Instead of the usual Cedric 230 chase fodder, standard issue black-and-whites have been replaced with Toyota Chaser/Mark IIs (though an unmarked cruiser is still a Cedric 430). The end of this clip takes a turn to the surreal, but the new guy has been the spokesman for Boss Coffee for several years.

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Thanks to cesariojpn for the tip.

Posted in cm, datsun, nissan, seibu keisatsu, toyota | 7 Comments

Event Horizon: Independence Day Weekend

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Ben Hsu

While you enjoy your hot dogs and fireworks this Independence Day weekend here’s some activities you can do with your car family.

Continue reading →

Posted in events | 5 Comments

JNC Wagon: Tokico Shocks Install

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Ben Hsu

A bone stock 1986 Cressida Wagon is a lanky beast, in desperate need of a slam. We’ve had low-down springs on our JNC Wagon for a while now, but 23-year-old shock absorbers meant we were bobbing like a Halloween apple over every undulation in the road. It was time for some new shocks.

Old Japanese wagons are downright bitchin’, but they can also be a bitch to find parts for. We wanted some no-hassle off-the-shelf parts that were guaranteed to fit. Unfortunately for us, the MX72 isn’t exactly a common platform for aftermarket goodies here in the States. When all else fails, though, going with an old school JDM giant is a pretty good bet. Tokico‘s been around since 1937 and, wouldn’t you know it, they’ve got plenty of support for old Toyotas and other nostalgics as well.

A couple of weeks later, the UPS man dropped off a fresh new set of Tokico blues. What followed was a moderate-difficulty upgrade that almost anyone can do, with only one instance of blood drawn when an errant alligator lizard ran into the garage (technically not part of the install).

Continue reading →

Posted in how to, toyota, wagon | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Japanese Classic Car Show Registration Open

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Ben Hsu

This is it, kyusha fans. Registration for the 2009 Japanese Classic Car Show is now open! This one’s a can’t-miss because it’s the fifth anniversary of the JCCS and it will be the biggest ever. If you haven’t done so already, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 3 and remind yourself to head down to Hidden Valley Park in Irvine, California for a day of the craziest nostalgics you can imagine. Whether you’re a Mazdafarian, Toyotaku, Datsun diehard, Mitsu-maniac or Honda-head, come represent your marque in full force. Spaces will be going fast, so register early!

Posted in events, jccs | Tagged , | 36 Comments