The japanese hold some awesome classic car meets (gotta go to one one-day) but the JDM events in the USA run them pretty close in terms of quality, if not quite quantity.
Here’s a sublime slideshow of an event in 2006, at Long Beach, California. Feel the Nissan love! The site for the event is here and the next one is scheduled for October 07.
One of the rarest cars in the US is going up for auction on eBay: a 1965 UP10 Toyota Publica Deluxe. Only four are known to exist here, and according to its current owner, Steve Kopito of TORC, the other two were in junkyards and the third was sold for parts to restore a Sports 800 with.
The Publica came into existence when Toyota conceived a car to comply with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry decree for a People’s Car and named it by combining the words “public” and “car”. In stock form, its 697cc two-cylinder boxer engine produced 28hp, and came in a variety of body styles, including a convertible, wagon, and El Camino-esque pickup. The racier Sports 800 was derived from this platform.
Thanks to the Classic Toyota Town group for the tip!
It’s one thing to search all the western websites for classic JDM cars, but that usually only leads you to cars that are in the west. Minkara is basically Japan’s version of CarDomain, so it’s a great place to jump over to and do a bit of a search for your favourite oldskool J-spec. Using the search box at the top-right, just enter the model number of your choice – C110 for example – and you’re away.
As much as we live and breathe classic Japanese cars here at grandJDM, we’ve definitely got no shortage of love for the newer stock. We try not to let it take over the site, but every now and then we just have to indulge ourselves.
Our friends over at Import Bible have been making massive headway with their range of t-shirts inspired by the more popular JDM cars running around the western world, but we thought a link here might help them get a little more exposure.
Kyoru assures me that he’s thinking about doing one or two classic JDM inspired tees, but he’s a little worried about the marketability – so if you reckon you’d sport a tee emblazoned with a slick 240Z or something similar, shoot them an email and tell ’em what you think!
There are few classic Japanese cars that are instantly recognisable to anyone in the Western world without an intimate knowledge of the genre, but the RX-3 is most surely among them. Experiencing massive sales success all throughout the 70s, it was known in its homeland as the Savanna, and was offered in coupe, sedan, and wagon variants. It’s the coupe that most enthusiasts know and love, and it’s Jerry Acdan’s coupe that we’re looking at today.
Although we know the third-gen Skyline as the Hakosuka and its descendant fourth-gen as the Kenmeri, here we can see the happy couple wooing both each other and customers longing for a C10 GT-X Hardtop. Some of the scenes are sappier than a Canadian maple forest, but hey, it sold cars.
Check out carcm555‘s videos for lots more JDM CMs.
While it may technically only be packing a 2ltr engine, stylistically the ’72 GL-6 Laurel has all the looks one expects from an American muscle car – but in that uniquely Japanese way. I’ve been digging these things for a while now, and it turns out that J-Spec – an Australian importer with a worldwide customer base – have got a perfect example in their stock list. I’m not stoked about the brown interior, but everything else about this car is aces. Great ride height, great wheels. Can you imagine it with some tightly stretched tyres pulled over those rims? These whips have so much potential.
Stumbled across these shots a little while ago, and just had to share them. I’d love to feature this car, but the owner’s been hard to get a hold of! Ah well, tough break for us. Gotta share the photos though, it’s just too damn mental to leave out.
Yes, we are totally stalking this car. Last night, our friends at Katysnest twisted and mashed potatoed the night away at the city of Torrance, CA’s Rock Around the Block festivities, a celebration of 1950s nostalgia put on by the Torrance Historical Society. Torrance would be an entirely unremarkable town full of strip malls and office parks were it not for the enormous, sprawling campuses of Toyota USA, Honda of America, and (until their recent move to Tennessee) Nissan USA. With Mitsubishi close by in Cypress, CA, the area is an absolute mecca.
Apparently, when a fifties shindig goes down in your own backyard, it’s a little easier to celebrate your 50th anniversary. Thanks to Katysnest, we finally have some good pictures of the 1958 Toyopet Crown that Toyota USA recently restored and featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. As you can see, taking a photo of the actual car, rather than a photo of a 13-inch countertop television, does wonders for the resolution. Beautiful! We can’t wait to see it in person at the JCCS this year.
Don’t know how we missed this one, but we were going through the forums the other day and discovered member pecx’s post about Nostalgic Hero‘s Best 50 nostalgic cars of all time.
It’s always risky ranking things in a formal order. This list is sure to have their detractors, but what’s a little good-natured rivalry amongst enthusiasts? In one of the most unexpected turnouts, the Nissan KPGC10 GT-R beat the world-renowned Toyota 2000GT to claim the coveted number one spot. It’s understandable, since the Skyline went on to spawn many generations of unbelievably superb machines lusted after the world over, while the 2000GT was a flash in the pan. On the other hand, the 2000GT was Japan’s first supercar, and exported to all corners of the globe to demonstrate that Japanese automobiles were a force to be reckoned with, paving the way for many lesser vehicles to come. Let the debate begin!
So without further ado, may we have the envelope, please:
1. Datsun Skyline Hakosuka KPGC10
2. Toyota 2000GT
3. Datsun Fairlady Z S30 Z432
4. Datsun Skyline Ken&Mary GT-R KPGC110
5. Honda S800m
6. Toyota Sport S800
7. Datsun Bluebird 510 HT 2dr
8. Subaru 360DX
9. Isuzu Bellet 1600 GTR
10. Datsun Skyline DR30
11. Mazda Cosmo sport
12. Isuzu 117 Coupe
13. Toyota Corolla Levin TE27
14. Toyota Celica 1600 GTV TA22
15. Datsun Skyline HGC210 HT 2dr
16. Datsun Fairlady 2000 SR311
17. Datsun Sunny Coupe B110
18. Toyota Corolla Levin AE86
19. Datsun Laurel KHC130 HT 2dr
20. Datsun Skyline HR31
21. Nissan Skyline R32
22. Honda N360DX
23. Mazda RX3 RE12 Savanna GT
24. Hino Contessa coupe PD300
25. Datsun Fairlady S130 280Z
26. Prince Skyline S54 GT-B
27. Daihatsu Midget
28. Mitsubishi Galant GTO
29. Suzuki Fronte coupe GXCF
30. Nissan Bluebird SSS P910
31. Toyota 1600GT RT55
32. Mitsubishi Starion
33. Mazda Savanna SA22C
34. Prince Gloria Super 6
35. Toyota Crown (RSD)
36. Honda Z GS N360
37. Honda Life Stepvan Super DX(VA)
38. Datsun Silvia CSP311
39. Mazda Carol
40. Subaru R-2 (K12)
41. Honda Vamos 4 (TN360)
42. Isuzu Piazza (JR130)
43. Mitsubishi Galant 1600 GSR (ไฟ L) coupe
44. Mazda R360 Coupe (KRBC)
45. Toyota Publica 800(UP20D)
46. Datsun Cedric Custom (H31)
47. Honda Symphony (H1300)
48. Honda Life Super Mini
49. Subaru a’ lacarte (D12A)
50. Honda Civic 1200RS (SB-1)
Image courtesy of pecx.
The online classic JDM community just keeps on growing and growing. Old Japanese Car – perhaps the most aptly named website in the history of teh intarweb – will soon be launching a full website covering all there is to know about, well, old Japanese cars. In their own words: “We aim to provide a central place where people with an interest in old Japanese cars can get together. Whether you want to share your experiences of the Mazda Montrose, ask for advice about the Honda Accord, or know of a Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo going cheap, you’re welcome here. As well as this, we intend to have interesting features, car showcases, scans of brochures/adverts from all over the world and more.”
They’ve already got a gallery or two up on their site right now, so check it out. Post haste mates.
The guys over at the Retro Rides forum have been maintaining a thread devoted to nothing but photos of classic cars. They’re not all JDM, but that’s fine – we do like cars from other countries too, you know! So jump over there and check it out, but make sure you’ve got a good hour or two to spare, because you may find yourself unable to look away. grandJDM takes no responsibility for you getting fired! It’s a great forum by the way, why not join up?
Blimey! There’s a new site on the web about our favorite topic, old Japanese cars, and it’s called Old Japanese Car. Can’t get much more direct that that! The site was started by a couple of chaps who go by the handles Hirst and Spottedlaurel in our forums and they hail from the UK. They already have pictures up on their site of some choice car shows from Britannia, and will have British brochures for your viewing pleasure. Brilliant, that.
So between this, grandJDM and us, we’ve pretty much got the English speaking world covered*. In fact, since Japan has no shortage of sites devoted to their own classics, we’re proud to report that nostalgic-mania now exists on four out of seven continents. Let’s get on the ball, Antarctica!
We can’t wait to see what news these petrol-heads bring from the Isles as enthusiasm for vintage J-cars spreads across the world like Speed Racer and Pokemon. Cheerio for now!
* Accents may vary.
Image courtesy of Old Japanese Car.
We get so absorbed by cars that we’re often rendered clueless when it comes to those swaths of fabric that drape your body…. what’s the word? Oh right, clothes. Apparently, a greasy t-shirt from the last car show you attended isn’t considered appropriate for every occasion. Or at least that’s what women tell us when they refuse to walk down the street beside us.
For some reason, cable tv perhaps, hot rod brands like Von Dutch and West Coast Choppers are suddenly the it thing among the MTV crowd. Not that this stops Paris and Lindsay, but what’s an old school J-head to do if the Iron Cross just isn’t what you’re looking for in a fashion statement?
Well now there’s hope. Our Aussie friends at grandJDM have discovered Samurai Club, a seriously cool crew of dudes from Osaka that wrench their own bosozoku rides, long for “the good old days” and provide a retro J-chic wardrobe alternative for the discerning enthusiast. The stuff ain’t cheap, but on par with other specialty brands in Japan, and we’d rather sport these than a Von Dutch trucker hat any day.
Image courtesy of Samurai Club.
Every Wednesday, I’ll post my favourite shot of the week. Click the photo to see the full size version.
JapaneseNostalgicCar have dug up what’ll probably be my favourite link for the week – Love Old Cars. It’s in Japanese – as all the best Classic JDM blogs are – but as with all of them, the magic is in the photos. In this case though, these are cars that could be yours.
Y’see, Love Old Cars is a blog about cars that are actually available at auction right now. So if you spot one that makes you Reach for the Kleenex™, all you need to do is shoot the link to an importer and arrange for the damn thing to become yours. And when hot rides like this Laurel are available, you’d be nuts to pass it up.
A cool part of any old school scene are the clothes. If you don’t believe me, go to any western hot rod meet and see how many guys are walking around in shirts with the Iron-Cross/West-Coast Choppers insignia on it!
In Japan it isn’t any different, and Samurai Motor Club sells some sweet clothing, in the 50’s old school/hot rod vein, but given a japanese twist. I wonder if they ship overseas….hmm.
There are plenty of blogs in Japan about the classic car scene, but almost all are in Japanese only. Still, it’s fun to look at the pretty picture so they’re still worth seeking out.
An exception is Shige Suganuma’s blog, which is in both Japanese and English. Shige started Mooneyes Japan in 1986 as an offshoot of the original Mooneyes company in SoCal, USA. Dean Moon started the Mooneyes company in the 60s in to cater to the Southern California hot rod scene, and Mooneyes Japan continues the tradition in Yokohama, selling retro goods to JDM hot rodders and old school enthusiasts. Mooneyes is especially active in the JDM Old School scene, even going as far as offering parts and tasty hot up gear for your 1960 Toyota Crowns.
A lot of his blog is dedicated to his travels to hot rod events outside of Japan, but he does cover the JDM events too. Check it out.
One of the many irrational anxieties that haunt us incessantly is the fear that every day, countless nostalgics are needlessly crushed as a result of Japan’s prohibitive auto registration laws, lack of parking space, and fashions that change by the hour. Sometimes we even wake up in a cold sweat clinging to our latest issue of Nostalgic Hero screaming, “Iiiiiie!” That’s why it’s so refreshing to see Love Old Cars, a blog that appears to do nothing but post on Japanese classics for sale on Yahoo Japan Auctions, the majority of them unmodified survivors. Thanks to them, we sleep a little easier knowing that rarities like this yellow Skyline wagon and beauties like this red Laurel can still be found.
Images courtesy of Love Old Cars * Deluxe Blog
Mitsubishi’s fame in the world of motorsport comes mainly from two sources – Lancer Evos hooning it up in the WRC, and Pajeros (Monteros) swallowing sand by the duneful in the Dakar Rally. Successes in these series go down in the record books, but the triple diamond mafia actually began its racing career at the 1962 Macau Grand Prix, where this lead Mitsubishi 500 Super Deluxe, piloted by Kazuo Togawa, and three others like it swept the top four places in the 750cc class.
For your viewing pleasure, here’s another Jalopnik gallery devoted to the 594cc killer of slightly larger cars displayed at the Mitsubishi Owner’s Day, which they attended this past weekend. Eagle-eyed viewers out there may have noticed that this also happens to be the car in our forum banner.
UPDATE: Our forum member bxu71 has posted pics of some seriously sweet old school Lancers/Colts from the event. You can check them out in our forum.
Image courtesy of Jalopnik.
One of the many irrational anxieties that haunt us incessantly is the fear that every day, countless nostalgics are needlessly crushed as a result of Japan’s prohibitive auto registration laws, lack of parking space, and fashions that change by the hour. Sometimes we even wake up in a cold sweat clinging to our latest issue of Nostalgic Hero screaming, “Iiiiiie!” That’s why it’s so refreshing to see