Japanese Nostalgic Car

A friend recently called to ask for car buying advice. He commutes 60 miles each way to work and the fuel bill’s adding up. He is a car guy and owns a stable of fun cars, but they’re all either too precious or too thirsty to daily. He fills up twice a week on premium right now. He’s considering a 2012 RAV4 EV for around $5,000, thinking he’d make the cost back in fueI savings in about a year. He only has access to an EV charger at his workplace, not at home. I had suggested a kei car, but his commute has no traffic and he was worried about sustaining 75 mph in one. Also, the roads aren’t great so a low car isn’t ideal.

How can we save my friend from buying a 12-year-old EV?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What LHD car would you drive in Japan?“. Continue reading →

It’s much easier to import a USDM car to Japan than it is to import a JDM car to the US, especially if you live in California. In Japan, you do have to prove its smogworthiness, but different emissions equipment isn’t an automatic fail. And major cities actually have LHD toll booths. Many marques, like Chevrolet, sell LHD cars directly from the dealership. Imagine going into an American Nissan showroom and being able to drive out in a RHD Skyline GT-R.

But contrary to popular belief, there are USDM cars that were “better” than their Japanese versions. Our S12 200SX/Silvia, for example, came with a V6 while Japan only got four-cylinders. Today, February 10, is Left Handed Day in Japan, a play on the word le (0) fu (2) to (10) in Japanese, and established by the Japan Southpaw Association.

What LHD car would you drive in Japan?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What kid-friendly commuter is still fun to drive?“. Continue reading →

As much as I love my Land Cruiser, I’ve been fantasizing about a car that’s a bit more fun-to-drive on a daily basis. Right now the LC is the only car in my fleet that’s kid-friendly (four doors, big trunk), but I’d like something that’s a bit more exciting in the traditional sense (sharp handling, three pedals). My son is old enough now that he’d appreciate if driving wasn’t just a slow lumber through traffic.

As a bonus, it would be nice if the car didn’t cost a lot, got decent mileage, and was nondescript enough that I could park it anywhere in LA without drawing attention. I have my AE86, for example, but it fails on the parking, attention, and door count metrics. Whichever car it is, if this ever becomes more than a fantasy, wouldn’t replace the Land Cruiser; I still need that for apocalypse reasons.

What kid-friendly commuter is still fun to drive?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which Japanese classic should be remade for the modern age?“. Continue reading →

One of the biggest stunners at the Tokyo Auto Salon was Rocky Auto’s remake of the Prince R380, constructed using the original body molds but with modern engines underneath. It got us thinking about which cars might be ideal for a similar treatment. This is a different question than that of which car’s body shell should be remanufactured. Those shells are pretty much only good for building track cars or providing replacement panels for rusted or damaged bodies. We’re talking about cars whose numbers are so scarce that you can’t even find a donor to begin with, like the R380 or Toyota 2000GT. You’d need not just the body, but chassis, suspension, glass, interior and more all built from scratch.

Which Japanese classic should be remade for the modern age?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car from 2000 would you import from Japan?“. Continue reading →