1958 Toyopet Crown Sells for $22,322

Posted on June 29, 2008 by Ben Hsu

We held off talking about this car because we heard that some JNCers were considering bidding on this baby. But now the auction is over and if its description is correct, this is one of the earliest examples of any Toyota — or any Japanese car, period — to exist in the US. It’s a 1958 Toyopet Crown used by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco to demonstrate their home country’s top-of-the-line auto. After putting just 28,698 miles on the car, the consulate signed over to the title to the current seller in 1964 and it has sat in a garage since. This is truly an amazing piece of Japanese automotive history, and the selling price of $22,322 definitely reflects that. Let’s hope that the owner will restore it to the rightful condition it deserves.

Thanks for the tip, Toyotageek.

Image: eBay

Posted in for sale | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Mazda Car Club of Queensland Car Show

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Ben Hsu

mazdaqueensland
Rotaries are big in Australia, the preferred vehicle of choice for road warriors and hoons alike. From achingly mint restorations to massive-horsepower drag monsters shod in 18-inch rims, the land down under has got it all. For a sampling of the pistonless potpourri available there, take a look at the Mazda Car Club of Queensland’s Car Show last weekend. Thanks to B1500boy from our Vegemite Sandwich Bureau, owner of over 50 nostalgic Mazdas and counting, for the pics!

Posted in events, mazda | 4 Comments

Honda Civic, One-Make Racing Since ’81

Posted on June 26, 2008 by Ben Hsu

civic1make

We all know that Hondas provide some of the best deals in cheap motoring fun, and Honda Japan knows this too. It’s been sponsoring a one-make race series in Japan since 1981, when the second-gen Super Civic debuted. From then on, some generation of Civic – Wonder, Grand, Sports, Miracle – has been the HOA (Honda One-Make Racing Association) chariot of choice until 2002 when the Integra took over. Continue reading →

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Reminder: ZONC Datsun Show June 28

Posted on June 24, 2008 by Ben Hsu

zonc Just a quick reminder for those of you from or visiting NorCal this weekend. Be sure to check out the Z Owners of Northern California’s Blackhawk Datsun/Nissan Extravaganza in San Ramon on June 28. All manner of Datsuns are welcome – 510s, Zs, and Roadsters. Doors open at 10 AM. For more information, check out the ZONC website.

Posted in datsun, events, nissan | 2 Comments

Datsun Fairlady Z: The Manga

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Ben Hsu

projectx_zDMP’s Project X: Datsun Fairlady Z, tells the story of the iconic Japanese sports car in graphic form. Unlike Wangan Midnight, this is non-fiction and  has characters like Mr. K and Yoshihiko Matsuo. The description goes like this.

In 1960s America, the Japanese automobile was seen as a “second-class” inferior. In spite of it all, men dared to dream of building a world beating Japanese sports car. Through the innovative zeal of Yutaka Katayama (now reverently known as “Mr. K”) and the genius of designer Yoshihiko Matsuo, this dream became reality in the form of the legendary sports car, the Nissan Fairlady Z. Known as the Datsun 240z in America, this automobile was an unprecedented success and is still beloved today. The dramatic story of these men who refused to be beaten by the hardships they encountered will inspire all who read it.

It’s been around for a while but we’re not really hip to the whole manga scene. At least now we can sleep better knowing that the Z-car is among other hallowed cultural landmarks covered in the Project X series such as, um, 7-11 and Cup Noodle.

Posted in datsun, manga, nissan | 4 Comments

JNC Magazine Price Change

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Ben Hsu

5yencoinHello JNCers, just a quick announcement about the magazine. Starting July 1, prices are going up. Mostly it has to do with the increasing cost of paper, and the fact that we set our introductory prices very low because we were asking you to take a plunge into the unknown with us.

It’s not going to be a huge change, something you could easily recover by making a few less trips to the vending machine or by following our gas saving tips. This is only for new subscribers. Current subscribers will see no change. But we wanted to inform you anyway so all the lurkers and procrastinators out there could have one last chance to get in on the good deal. Thanks for understanding and thanks for supporting us!

Sincerely,
Team JNC

Posted in jnc | 7 Comments

9.5 Tips For Relieving Your Gas Pains

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Ben Hsu

gaspricesRegular at $4.00 per gallon is already a distant speck in the rear view mirror for some parts of the country. But if you think that’s bad, in Japanland the precious elixir sells for about ¥200 per liter now, which works out to $7.57 a gallon! So what’s a car fiend to do? Here’s 9.5 ways you can save your fuel, and thus, your yen.

1. Where’s the Fire, Son? By far, driving style has the greatest effect. When you mash the pedal that extra jolt has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is the exploding dino juice in your cylinders as the engine shoots towards redline.

Our homeboy Issac Newton’s First Law of Motion says that a body in motion tends to stay in motion; a body at rest tends to stay at rest. So while few things in life are more fun than stomping on it as you snick through the gears, just know that there’s a price to pay when you indulge.

Also, if you have cruise control, use it.

Continue reading →

Posted in howto | 1 Comment

Uptown Girl: Infiniti Silvia?

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Ben Hsu

infiniti_rwd
We dream of one day becoming as important enough so that Nissan will invite us to exotic, faraway locales and give us cars to test drive while showing us sneak peeks of upcoming releases. Kinda like they did with the writers at Inside Line when they took them to Portugal and let them see the upcoming Nissan Silvia successor. Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, retro | 3 Comments

Palo Alto Concours D'Elegance

Posted on June 20, 2008 by Ben Hsu

paconcours
For the first time in its 42 years, the Palo Alto Concours D’Elegance will feature a small section on Japanese cars. Only a select few cars, some of which will be featured in the next issue JNC, have been invited to attend thanks to efforts by David Swig of Motoring J Style, which we told you about in our 2007 coverage of the show.

The debut of Japanese cars at the Concours will not be quite the splash we hoped, since the organizers have not yet made them eligible for judging and awards, but it still represents a step towards recognition. Most of the other cars that enter into this event cost over six digits, so the nostalgics will be in good company and hopefully bring some awareness about Japanese classics to this niche.

The 2008 Palo Alto Concours D’Elegance will be held on the campus of Stanford University this Sunday, June 22. Doors open at 7 AM.

Posted in events | 4 Comments

Battle S30Z Does Battle

Posted on June 20, 2008 by Ben Hsu

battlez
This JDM Fairlady Z is a total track monster, built by a Mr. Kuni of Gunma Prefecture. The L-series motor has been stroked to 3.1L and puts out 337ps, which gets channeled through an R32 Skyline GT-R transmission to motivate the car and its 23-point rollcage and FRP doors around Tsukuba circuit in 1:02.911. Check out the details on Speedhunters.

Posted in datsun, nissan | 6 Comments

Show Some Love for Ove

Posted on June 19, 2008 by Ben Hsu

celicaove5
We all know of the recent untimely passing of rally legend and Toyota Team Europe founder Ove Andersson. If you would like to express your thoughts about this tragic loss, you can do so by signing a memorial book at Toyota USA HQ, the Toyota USA Museum, or at Toysport. Or you can email tribute_to_ove@toysport.com and your message will be included in the book, which will be sent to Toyota Motorsport GMBH (formerly TTE) in Cologne, Germany in time for the memorial service on July 1.

You can read Toysport founder Joel Luz’s words about Andersson after the jump. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport, rally, toyota | 1 Comment

Catching Up with Nostalgic Car Events

Posted on June 19, 2008 by Ben Hsu

Things have been pretty frantic here at JNC headquarters, so we’ve missed posting on an event or two. Most notably, from the Better Late Than Never Bureau, the Z Car Club Inland Valley’s Datsun & Nissan Car Show. Check out Dan’s fantastic pics here.

And from the Roo Bar Bureau on the other side of the world, Aussie JNCer Dave Carey attended last year’s Bay to Birdwood vintage car event with his Isuzu Bellet and wrote an excellent piece about it. Accompanied with some drool-inducing photos of Down Under J-tin that we don’t get to see in the States, we just had to post it up. Read all about it here. Thanks, Dave!

Posted in datsun, events, isuzu, nissan | Leave a comment

Suzuki LJ80 Pickup Spotted In the Wild

Posted on June 19, 2008 by Ben Hsu

suzukijl80
There’s so little Suzuki news that we like to throw this marque a little love whenever the occasion presents itself. A while back, one such occasion did, when a minty fresh Suzuki LJ20 appeared on eBay. Now it’s successor, the LJ80, has appeared on Jalopnik’s “Down on the Street” series in pickup form. To say that the interior is spartan would be like saying the ocean is a bit damp. Check out the full gallery here.

[Jalopnik]

Posted in suzuki, trucks | 6 Comments

Quiet on the Set: Datsun 510 Stars in Movie

Posted on June 18, 2008 by Ben Hsu

datsun510movie
For months JNCer Datsunfreak has been tempting us with updates about how his very own Datsun 510 was recruited to star in a movie. At last, the shooting has taken place and now he’s spilling the beans. His writeup on the experience is a very entertaining read, and an excellent behind-the-scenes peek at how a car is prepared for filming. Cleaning all the dirt off so you can spray on fake dirt? That’s showbiz, baby!

And while “it’s a wrap” here in the US, the film crew heads to Australia next for more shooting, where Aussie JNCer SX-510 will be waiting for them with a matching 510, in LHD no less. It’ll be interesting to see if we can tell the difference between the two cars in the final product.

The movie is called Mao’s Last Dancer and is based on a true story. It doesn’t come out until 2010, but you can be sure we’ll post a reminder here when it opens so all you JNCers can go see Datsunfreak’s car (and a bunch of other actors and stuff) on the big screen. Congrats, DF!

Posted in datsun, jnc, nissan, Video Games | 1 Comment

Ove Andersson, 1938-2008

Posted on June 18, 2008 by Ben Hsu

oveandersson

Last week the world of motorsports lost one of its greats, Ove Andersson, Swedish rally driver and a key figure in Toyota’s worldwide racing endeavors. He started out with his native Saab but went on to race Lancias and Renault Alpines before sliding behind the wheel of a Toyota Celica 1600GT in 1972. His own Andersson Motorsport team eventually became Toyota Team Europe, and was responsible for Toyota’s WRC efforts straight into the 90s. After that, Andersson and TTE led the automaker’s Le Mans and Formula 1 undertakings.

Although mostly retired, Andersson died doing what he loved, rallying. It was during the South African Continental Milligan Rally that the Volvo Andersson was driving collided head on with a car attempting a pass on the wrong side of the road. So let’s send him off with a gallery of photos from his rallying days and remember him as best we can, charging through the dirt in a Celica. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsports, rally, toyota | 6 Comments

Blimey! Old Japanese Cars Invade UK Show

Posted on June 17, 2008 by Ben Hsu

ojc

Our English friends across the pond at Old Japanese Car gathered in Leeds this past weekend to represent the J-tin at a car show in the Yuke. Take a gander at this fantastically preserved Datsun Violet (aka 710) sedan, one of the most under-appreciated members of the vintage Nissan family. That wing mirror to the right belongs to a pretty mean looking 610, and the first Sunny imported to the British Isles waay back in 1968 was there as well. Even Japanese-influenced machinery from neighboring Asian nations made guest appearances. Now saunter over our forum and OJC to check out more photos.

Posted in events | 3 Comments

55,000-Mile Toyota Celica Liftback

Posted on June 17, 2008 by Ben Hsu

celica55k

As Keanu Reeves would say, “Whoa.” Here’s a California blue plate special, a 1976 Toyota Celica Liftback with just 55,000 original miles and one owner. The asking price from Old Town Classics in San Diego is $12,500, which, while not unreasonable for a car in such minty fresh condition, does make you wonder how much they paid that one owner for it. This bicentennial beauty was spotted on Bring a Trailer but you could probably drive it home without one.

Thanks to Alex K. for the tip!

[Bring a Trailer]

Posted in for sale, toyota | 1 Comment

Toyota Museum Shout Out on NPR

Posted on June 16, 2008 by Ben Hsu

toyotanprWe were flipping through the radio dials when suddenly our ears perked up to the phrase “Toyota Museum” on American Public Media’s Marketplace. It was part of a segment on how corporations are recognizing their heritage.

Those who have been to the Toyota USA Museum in Torrance, CA know that it’s actually a warehouse with no markings whatsoever to indicate that there are classics galore housed inside. So far, the company has kept mum about whether a proper gallery is in the works.

Of note, the story mentions the fact that it was 10 years ago on Toyota USA’s 40th
birthday that they began to take an interest in preserving their history. Then they started buying back cars and restoring them. Today, the museum contains eleven million dollars’ worth of Toyotas, both production cars and concepts. You can listen to the story here, which includes an interview with curator Susan Sanborn talking about the Toyopet Crown.

[Marketplace]

Posted in media, museum, toyota | 2 Comments

2009 Carlisle Imports Welcomes the J-Tin

Posted on June 16, 2008 by Ben Hsu

carlisle The town of Carlisle in southeastern Pennsylvania is synonymous with mega car gatherings. A few summers ago, we went to the All Ford Nationals and there were probably more Boss Mustangs at that one event than all the surviving Toyotas Coronas in the country put together. These shows are huge. Traditionally, Japanese cars have been bunched together with European imports, kit cars, and replicas, making them seem like part of the category marked “other.” But finally, in 2009, they’ll have their day in the sun.

According to a recent press release, cars from Japan will take center stage at the 2009 import/kit/replica show. Say the organizers, “Although there were relatively few Japanese cars in the US in the 60s, by the 70s Americans had come to recognize the fun and excitement of these cars.” The event will be May 15-17, 2009. Mark your calendars to remind yourself to buy a 2009 calendar so you can mark that.

UPDATE: Here are some pictures from this year’s event posted in our forum courtesy of oleyline.

Thanks to Toyotageek for the tip!

[Cars at Carlisle via Toy700and800 Group]

Posted in events | Tagged | 3 Comments

Subaru Celebrates 50th with Fan Fan Festival

Posted on June 13, 2008 by Ben Hsu

subarufanfestival
Fuji Heavy Industries is throwing a 50th birthday bash for its automotive arm Subaru next month at the Red Brick Building in Yokohama with the the Fan! Fan! Festival! Exclamation point! Cars on display will include its earliest classics (brought out from the company’s Japan museum) to the latest and greatest motorsports machines like the brand new 2008 WRC Impreza WRX STI. The event will be held July 5 to 6 before going on tour throughout the rest of Japan. If anyone attends, please send some photos our way and we’ll send you some prizes for your efforts.

[Subaru]

Posted in events, japan, subaru | 3 Comments