Japanese Nostalgic Car

We hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving long weekend last week. Perhaps you were able to get some quality time with your car because today, November 28, is Car Wash Day in Japan. In fact, it’s one of two Car Wash Days, the other one being April 28. In Japanese, the numbers 1128 and 428 can be read as a homonym for the phrase “high luster” or “high gloss”. Here in southern California, it’s necessary to wash, clay, and wax twice a year to protect the paint, as the harsh sun tends to pulverize the clear coat and discolor plastics. That, and buying a whole ‘nother car that you don’t care about as a daily beater.

What does your car cleaning regimen consist of?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite childhood road trip memory?“. Continue reading →

The holiday season is upon us, and that means a lot of traveling to visit family and friends. Some of our earliest experiences of automotive adventures are sitting in the back of the family station wagon, in the days before seat belt laws, and going on what seemed like never-ending car rides across states to visit relatives. Perhaps the prevalence of screens on such drives might be one reason why the younger generation has less interest in cars, but in the days before smart phones or headrest-mounted screens we looked for cool cars in interstate traffic and alphabets in road signs to keep ourselves occupied. Studying mom and dad operate the controls and buttons on the dash gave us an appreciation for the machinery. These were good times.

What’s your favorite childhood road trip memory?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Why aren’t there more good looking cars?“. Continue reading →

The Powerball jackpot has grown to $1.9 billion, the biggest ever in a national lottery according to the Guinness Book of World Records. For the winner the possibilities will be endless, quite likely in several life-ruining fashions. You could build your dream garage several times over. Or open the world’s greatest car museum. You could even buy a controlling stake in Mazda and force them to restart the RWD straight-six sedan project and put a rotary engine sports car into production. It’s such a huge amount of money it’s hard to wrap your brain around it.

What automotive dreams would you fulfill with $1.9 billion?

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 sinister looking JNC?” Continue reading →

Just in time for All Hallows’ Eve, we come to you with a question of the most sinister looking JNC. Some people think old wagons are just creepy because they look like hearses. An S40 Gloria wagon in particular looks like something that might be driven by the Addams family. A modded JZA80 Supra would strike fear into any rear view mirror it appeared in, but the smoothed out shape of car it self doesn’t look all that scary. Then again, you probably wouldn’t want to approach a Toyota Century with tinted windows if you saw one in a dark alley. There are several ways to skin this cat.

What’s the most sinister looking JNC?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Can you help a fellow JNC reader find a ride-on car for their daughter?” Continue reading →