Cool JDM Concepts: 1970 Mazda RX-500

Posted on November 5, 2008 by Kevin San

Back in the day (waaaay back in the day…) when concept cars weren’t about hokey technology to save the planet, motor show specials were a lot more fun.

A case in point is the Mazda RX-500, which was unveiled at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show. A futuristic, mid engined rotary concept, it was a proper working prototype with some tasty mechanicals. The engine was touted as being a production 12A, presumably because the 12A engine was having its debut in the Capella that year. However the engine bay of the RX-500 remained resolutely shut during the show… Continue reading →

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

EVENTS: Empire Z Car Show

Posted on November 2, 2008 by Ben Hsu


We hit up the Empire Z Club Car Show today to find more subscribers for JNC and check out some fine examples of classic Datsuns. The club is eight years old and is about 35 members strong. They own Z-Cars old and new, but the show itself, held at Corona Nissan in Corona, California, is open to all vintage Datsuns, and not necessarily to club members. If you’re a Nissan/Datsun owner who lives within the region spanned by Ontario, San Bernadino, Riverside and Yucaipa, check them out. Click to this thread to see the pics.

Posted in datsun, nissan | 3 Comments

Happy Halloween from JNC

Posted on October 31, 2008 by Ben Hsu

It’s All Hallows Eve, the time during which ancient Gaels believed that the worlds of the living and the dead merged for one night. Treats for all those bringing back a long forgotten nostalgic from the dead, and nothing but tricks to those who would send them to the crusher.

We’re not sure what the story is with this two-tone Were-Mazda RX-4, but beware! Apparently it can keep it’s lycan form even when there’s no full moon out. You can see more awesome photos of it and much more thanks to puregroove, who gave us another post about the recent Nostalgic Street Fighters show in Georgia.

Have a safe and happy Halloween, JNCers!

Posted in events, mazda | 4 Comments

EVENTS: Maniac '08 Hometown Pride Festival

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Ben Hsu

We wish we could hop across the Pacific for every car show in Japan, but it’s just not possible on our budget (unless you guys tell every bookstore in your town to stock JNC, hint hint!). In the meantime, we must thank for our Man in Japan Satoshi for these fantastic photos of the Maniac ’08 Hometown Pride Festival in Gifu Prefecture. Head to the article to see some ultra-rare J-tin!

Posted in events, japan | 1 Comment

Actually, Here Are Some Official Nissan 370Z Pics

Posted on October 29, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Oh Nissan, why do you toy with us so? Less than 12 hours since we posted a bunch of spy shots and speculative renderings about the upcoming 370Z, you decide to unleash photos of the real thing. Maybe we can just claim we were ahead of the curve?

Anyway, here it is, in all it’s naked, uncamouflaged glory. Check out those voluptuous fenders. Baby got back! Also, The 240Z C-pillars are an official go, although Jalopnik calls the design a BMW-copying “Hoffmeister Kink.” Grrrrrrr…

Pics of the rear and interior after the jump. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, retro | 7 Comments

RWD Retro Car Roundup

Posted on October 29, 2008 by Ben Hsu


It’s been a while since we’ve posted about the upcoming cars that are, unbeknownst to most of the car-buying public, based on our favorite nostalgics. First up, there’s been a cavalcade of spy shots and rendered images of the Nissan 350Z, which looks like it will definitely receive its forefathers’ C-pillar treatment. The front air intake has been likened to a vampire, which may explain why there have been spy shots of it prowling graveyards. More shots and a video can be seen floating around the internet, as well as after the jump. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, retro, subaru, toyota | 7 Comments

Empire Z Club Show This Saturday, Nov. 1

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Just a quick reminder, the Empire Z Club is holding their second annual car show at Corona Nissan this Saturday, November 1. All manner of Datsun and Nissan are welcome, but we’ll be crashing it in the JNC ‘Yota Wagon. Here’s a gallery of pics from the 2007 Show. Go to EmpireZ.com for more details.

Posted in datsun, events, nissan | 1 Comment

Atlanta's Nostalgic Street Fighters Pics

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Last week the Nostalgic Street Fighters crew from Hotlanta’s Zero Garage held a lakeside meet in the Dirrrty South. Check out the pics on this thread. Who knew there were so many old school cars and one very fuzzy RX-4 in the Peach State? Thanks to qdseeker for the pics!

UPDATE: Here is another thread of awesome pics. Thanks to puregroove:dot:org for posting them.

Posted in events | 3 Comments

Datsun 510 Reborn, in Hot Wheels Form

Posted on October 27, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Like, OMG. Back in July, we reported that a vintage import was on its way into the Hot Wheels lineup. Well here it is, the Datsun 510! And it looks fantastic, with a BRE-style front spoiler, fender flares, and perfect proportions. Damn, this is sexy, if a toy car can be such a thing. Click through for more and a rear view. Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, minicar, minicars, nissan | 10 Comments

JNC at the Big Dog Garage

Posted on October 24, 2008 by Ben Hsu


So a couple of weeks ago the JCCS went down. To give you an idea of how big the show has gotten and how much it has brought together the old school Japanese car community, here’s a story about a well-known celebrity and an attendee who came from 3000 miles away.

Brian Baker is proprietor of Formula H Motorworks and the top Honda S-car expert in the US, who came all the way from Middletown, NY. The reason? Because car collector and talk show host Jay Leno needed him to prepare his 1965 Honda SM600 for the event. That’s the back of his head in the photo above, riding shotgun (it’s JDM, yo!) to the JCCS. Continue reading →

Posted in honda, jnc | 10 Comments

Vintage Racers at Motorsports Japan Festival

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Ben Hsu


The annual celebration of Japan’s competition-bred cars known as the Motorsports Japan Festival was held recently. Here’s an awesome photo of some old school circuit warriors courtesy of Speedhunters. From front to back, That’s a Honda Civic, a Nissan Sunny, Toyota Starlet (?) and Prince Gloria. The best part about this event is that all the major manufacturers take part, and even deafen the crowd by running the race cars in a closed parking lot demo!

[Speedhunters]

Posted in events, honda, japan | 2 Comments

Defi Takeover of Trust Rumors

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Ben Hsu

Last month the bankruptcy declaration of Trust, one of Japan’s most respected tuning houses and parent company of GReddy, surprised many in the Japanese auto aftermarket industry. But it looks like they will stay afloat to fight another day. Rumor from Japan has it that Nippon Seiki, makers of Defi brand gauges, will supply the necessary cash infusion needed for Trust to continue normal business operations. Defi has been a supplier of gauges to Trust for a while now, and their finances seem to be on the plus side. That’s good news, but we’re not if sure this is just a temporary fix for a much bigger issue – the overall decline of car enthusiasm in Japan. We hope that companies as storied as Trust can continue to support Japanese car enthusiasts like they have since 1977, but only time will tell.

[Image: Trust]

Posted in industry, tuning shop | 1 Comment

Toyota Carina Escapes Motorcycle Gang

Posted on October 20, 2008 by Ben Hsu

Here’s some footage of a very rare and very sleek Toyota Carina TA17 Hardtop. Leather-clad motorcyclists are so captivated by the Carina that they stop lurking in the shadows and give chase. Illuminated only by their headlights, the car is the star of what might just be the most poorly lit commercial of all time. What are these mysterious bikers trying to do, exactly? Oh, simply admiring the ride and not attempting to being threatening in any way whatsoever, as it turns out. And despite having a blinding spotlight shined into his face, the driver just flashes a relaxed smile and takes off.

UPDATE: Our Japanese friends have told us that the driver is actor Sonny Chiba!

Posted in cm, toyota | 2 Comments

Nostalgic Car Events for the Weekend of 10/25

Posted on October 20, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Here are some more events coming up for this weekend, and for once it’s for you east coasters! First up, for those south of the Mason-Dixon you’ve got the Nostalgic Japanese Street Fighters meet sponsored by Zero Garage in, um, Cumming, Georgia. This is one of the fastest growing groups in the country, and they are aiming to have over 100 cars there this Satruday, October 25.

Then, if you can book it all night up I-95 like you’re haulin’ moonshine across state lines, maybe you can just make it to the Team Toyminator old school Toyota Parts Swap on Sunday, October 26 in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Just be careful of Smokey!

[Image: I95highway.com]

Posted in events | 2 Comments

Another Japanese Classic Car Show, in Brisbane

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Ben Hsu


We yanks just had our Japanese Classic Car Show, but so did the Aussies, a week prior! Thanks to down under JNCers B1500boy and Saru for the photos. Check out the unique assortment of weird J-tin that we never recieved in the States… Datsun 240Ks, Isuzu Bellets, and weird Mazdas like the ones in this pic. Much obliged, mates.

Posted in events, isuzu, mazda | 3 Comments

How ‘Bout Some Dodge Colt, Forty-Five?

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Ben Hsu

Don’t you hate wasting good alcohol when tippin’ a 40? The solution: start out with a Colt 45 for five extra ounces. For JNCers who live overseas, Colt 45 is an American brand of malt liquor that, due to its cheapness, is far more popular as an ironic pop culture reference than an actual beverage. The brewers, though they would never admit it, obviously got a lot of mileage in name recognition because Colt 45 sounds suspiciously similar to the name of a popular .45 caliber handgun made by Colt Firearms.

Perhaps to prove that many things can be named Colt, Pabst Brewing enlisted the help of a Dodge (née Mitsubishi) Colt, hot rodded in gaudy 70s Corvette Summer style, for a commercial. Also, it’s piloted by star of 70s sitcom Sanford and Son Redd Foxx, who drives it off a ski jump to deliver a six-pack to Billy Van, an even more obscure 70s TV personality. Can one have too much 70s nostalgia? Apparently, yes.

[Jalopnik]

Posted in cm, mitsubishi | 10 Comments

EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show 2008

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Highly anticipated pics from the 2008 Japanese Classic Car Show are up. It was the best JCCS yet, and the 345 photos in our gallery prove it!

Posted in events, jccs | 12 Comments

JNC at the JCCS

Posted on October 14, 2008 by Ben Hsu


The Japanese Classic Car Show has come and gone. It was a phenomenal event, as always. We are going through our mountain of pics and will post them later tonight, but there’s one very important pic we forgot about: our JNC booth!

Dan and I were taking turns manning the table – selling magazines, stickers and T-shirts, trying to get people to subscribe, etc. – while also trying to scout the show for potential profile articles, talking to potential advertisers, and of course, taking hundreds of photos for you guys!

So thanks to Toyotageek, who snapped this pic, or we wouldn’t even have one of our wagon at the show! You can see more of his photos at his Flickr page. Also, a special thanks to everyone that stopped by. It was great meeting all of you JNCers in person. Arigato!

Posted in events, jccs, toyota, wagon | 6 Comments

Datsun Roadster Does La Carrera Panamericana

Posted on October 14, 2008 by Ben Hsu


Issue 2 of JNC should be arriving in mailboxes this week, and in it you will find an article about Lucha Libre Racing. Or you might have seen the team’s 1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster in the race car corral at the JCCS this weekend. It’s the first Japanese car to race La Carrera Panamericana, the legendary road race that takes competitors 2000 miles across Mexico in the course of one frantic week. Streching from the Guatemalan border to Texas, it’s one of the toughest races in the world.

This year, owner Michael Emery is mounting a second attack on La Carrera. He’s also raising money to buy school supplies for Mexican children, so please check out his entertaining blog and help out with a T-shirt or sticker purchase if you can. JNC advertiser Pack Racing/VTO Performance went the extra mile by custom-making a set of 15-inch superlite wheels for the car!

JNC also bought a small square of real estate on the Datsun’s flanks, and we are excited to report that soon our logo will be hurtling across Mexican highways when the race kicks off on October 24. We wish LLR the best of luck!

Posted in datsun, motorsports | 5 Comments

Washin' the Wagon for JCCS

Posted on October 11, 2008 by Ben Hsu


See you there tomorrow!

Posted in events, jnc, wagon | 4 Comments