Japanese Nostalgic Car

Alright, so this isn’t strictly pre-1980 (in fact, I can say here and now with great confidence that 1985 was after 1980), but it’s just too damn hilariously awesome to not mention.

If you’ve ever wondered how to go about converting your Cressida to the Garuchan following, this is a fairly indepth look at the steps involved!  It might be stupid, but hot damn I’ll bet it’s fun.

Check it out.

Here’s a poignantly written column by Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called “Summer Ode to a Beloved Rust Bucket” about his 1980 Toyota Corolla. The piece begins with an amusing story about how his neighbor’s kid is mystified by the car’s window crank. We’re not sure when we passed the event horizon, but it’s true – even the cheapest rental mule comes equipped with power windows now.

Bookman’s experience with his “old friend” parallels those of many Americans who have known the joy of old Japanese car ownership. He purchased his car fresh out of college for $5000 twenty-seven years ago and has owned it ever since. The a/c and radio died long ago, but the motor just keeps on humming. Bookman doubts it will ever attain classic status and still drives it every day, cracked dash and all, much to the chagrin of his entire family.

Note: This photo is from our Toyotafest gallery. Bookman did not include a picture of his trusty sidekick in his article.

Source: [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

Ok, we’re not going to complain, even though it’s taking ever fiber of our beings. We promised we wouldn’t. It’s just that in Toyota of Brunei has, to celebrate their 40th anniversary, held a contest to find the oldest and best maintained Toyota in the country. The winner, of both the $1000 prize and the most difficult to pronounce name, Pg Rosli Pg Hj Bakar, took the top spot with his 1970 Corolla 1200 (Note: Car pictured is not Mr. Bakar’s actual car. The article had no accompanying photo). In fact, the two runners up were also Corolla 1200s.

The only other thing we know about Brunei is that the sultan of the oil-rich nation reportedly owns an enormous collection, hundreds deep, of exotic cars, many of them custom built Ferrari and Aston Martin wagons. He allegedly owns so many Rolls Royces that the company sends a rotating team of mechanics to Brunei just for his garage. We wonder if he rocks any nostalgics in that fleet.

Source: [Brunei Times]