Japanese Nostalgic Car

There’s the old joke about a wrenching noob that goes into an auto parts store to ask for a 710 cap. Well, in Japan they’ve gone and made an entire day out of it. Today, July 10, is officially Lubrication Oil Day as registered by Japan’s  National Petroleum Industry Cooperative Association. Specifically, it’s because the word “OIL” printed on the cap looks like “710” when turned upside down.

Oil an important part of engine maintenance, but there are as many ways to go about it as there are types of cars. Do you religiously stick to a premium brand or just pull whatever is cheapest off the Walmart shelf? Do you keep on a strict 3,000-mile schedule or go with the manufacturer’s recommendation? Do you always use an OEM filter or just hand the keys over to a JiffyLube mechanic?

What’s your oil change routine for your car(s)?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the most ‘American’ JNC?“. Continue reading →

These days if you look at a Japanese car company’s US lineup and the hometown Japanese lineup, there isn’t much overlap. Almost all the US models have been engineered for the US market, built in the US, and sold here with no counterpart in the motherland. The myth of Japan always getting the best version isn’t true either. During the Gentleman’s Agreement Era, for instance, our versions of Japan’s top sports cars were all rated (on paper at least) with higher horsepower numbers than their domestic counterparts. But answers for this week’s question don’t necessarily have to fall into these categories. Some cars, like an S130 or 4Runner, just feel more American. All is fair game for this week’s Independence Day-themed QotW:

What’s the most “American” JNC?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC is not being preserved, but should be?“. Continue reading →

Today is 626 Day, an occasion to commemorate a car that’s been largely forgotten though they were once everywhere. The Mazda sedan didn’t sell as well as rivals from Toyota and Honda, but it’s an interesting car nonetheless. It served as the bread-and-butter staple of the Mazda lineup for years, spawned sports versions like the MX-6, and even predates the Camry. First-generation models were rear-wheel-drive as well.

But as far as we know, Mazda does not own a 626 in either at its Hiroshima museum or its US headquarters. The European museum has a later front-drive 626, but we’re not sure if a rear-drive model exists. It’s not really the kind of car one would seek out and restore, either, unless you were some kind of Mazdafarian nut and already had all the rotary cars you could warehouse. History is littered with cars like this.

What JNC is not being preserved, but should be?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Do friends and family actually take your car advice?”. Continue reading →