It’s a new year, and you know what that means. Finally, for the love of all that is good and holy, it’s time to open up that good book gathering dust on your nightstand, get that oxidized heap in your backyard moving under its own power, or wipe the drool from your keyboard and buy that nostalgic car you’ve been dreaming of. That’s why our first question of the year is:
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
We’ve got some great stuff ahead for JNC fans, but we can’t spill all the beans just yet. You’ll just have to stay tuned to this bat-channel.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “QotW: What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus?”
Our stockings overflowed with great comments for this one. Many of you wished for completely unobtainable race cars. Others asked for only slightly less unobtainable street cars. A couple of you even made your pleas in song. In the end, it was Raleigh Smith who made the biggest request:
There are two or three options from which I would be happy to receive from the man in red. A 1970 Datsun 510 sporting the heart of an F20C, or maybe a TE27, but ultimately there is only one car of JNC status that ranks above them all for me, and that is the Honda RA272. That car marks the moment that the world had to take the Japanese seriously in the automotive realm. They beat Ferrari, BRM, and Lotus at their own game in the grandest of technological stages.
The RA272 gave us Japanese car lovers our first F1 victory, as well as the one of the most beautiful shades of color ever slathered on a machine, Championship White. On top of it all both drivers of the car were from the United States.
Sure the Toyota 2000GT is rare, but I’ll take the seductive growl of a 1.5 liter V12 making 230hp at 14,000 rpm redline Mexican Grand Prix winner above them all.
To hear what Raleigh is talking about, just watch the video above, but you might want to turn down your headphones first! Omedetou! Your prize from the JNC gashapon is a Hot Wheels Super Speeders mystery pack Mazda RX-7!
My New Years automotive resolution is a reasonably achievable one. It’s to paint my car. Toyota went through a phase of sucking at painting cars from the 80’s to mid 90’s, and my ’92 Sprinter GT is victim to this with the clear coat on the roof peeling off so I aim to resolve this and freshen up the other paint imperfections like the stone chipped panels and rust spots too.
Restoring a ’92 Toyota. You never thought you’d hear this for another coupla years right.
New Years resolution is to get my ’76 Celica to the next stage in it’s build. I have a 18RG sitting in my shed waiting to go in as well as a W50 5 speed. I’m going to rebuild them both then chuck them in. Also fixing up the body work is on the cards 🙂 I’m already half way through installing the RA40 air con that seems to be a direct bolt in
Mine is to finally, after 5 years, get my 86 Civic Si back on the road. I began an engine swap about 5 years ago, and my then-wife decided to take up track days with our Miata. I spent so much time working on the Miata/at the track, that the Civic took a back burner. Sadly, my wife decided to leave me in 2012. As such, the Miata will be leaving the stable shortly to help pay off bills. The upside to this is that I will have time and money to put into the Si. 2012 sucked. I’m going to make sure 2013 kicks as much ass as physically possible.
I am going to stop drooling over old unobtainable cars on the net till 3.15am and not buy that old Carina wagon I just found because some blogger says its awesome. Parts are unobtainable and I am not Jay Leno. I am going to stick a big middle finger at the general consensus and accept that I live in a car unfriendly country where the government thinks normal people can do all their errands on bikes or by public transport. I am going to get those 14 inch steelies out of the basement, paint them dark metalic grey and stick them on the Wagon R+ with a set of chrome nuts. The interior is going to be cleaned and two rear speakers will be installed in the roof. Theres no major performance upgrades, I am keeping it stock but tidying up its old man handicap zone looks and giving the world a tidy RB34 to adore. Make the best of what you have and just use it and get on with it, thats my new years resolution.
2012?? mhmmmm 2013???? ahh my resolution is to find a fj20 engine buy it and put it on an engine stand and start it up every day while I get ready for work. I know I should put it in a car but all I have is a 1987 Celica which means fwd so I’ll just listen to it eventually put it in a old 200sx and make it look like the 240rs. ahhh 2013 ………………. jetlife
My new years automotive resolution: Finish 18RG rebuild for my 73 celica, and finally give my alltrac some much needed attention, as its took the brunt of my abuse for easily the last ten years; old girl deserves some pampering.
Too make my backyard not look like the lead photo. Would make the wife very happy and would free up some money for the 76 Celica. Besides, if I get rid of some of the ‘project’ cars, I would have enough money to swing the 18RG I have had my eye on…
My resolutions?
-Get my 72 240Z in great driving shape. The laundry list:
1. Permanently mount the electrical points conversion… I’ve not been able to bring myself to drill the holes on the firewall to mount the control box.
2. Fix leaky clutch master cylinder
3. Replace incorrect year brake master cylinder.
4. New bushings all around.
5. Konig Rewinds in gunmetal? Wats if I hit the lottery.
6. Not going to happen super goal – respray in 112 “Yellow”, switch from red to black interior.
7. Even more pie in the sky – 112 “Yellow”, black interior, ZG flares, CF hood, CF Spoiler, sensibly lowered.
The other resolution, add a 370Z to the stable
For about I year, I’ve been slowing dissasembling my ’85 CelicaSupra. My NY resolution is to assemble something.
This week will mark the first actual fixing of anything when the entire rear subassembly goes to the powdercoaters to get another 28 years of life out of the car. Poly bushings are ready, waiting for the new paint, and new bearings are on route. The front end comes next, but is in much less dire straights. Hopefully I’ll have it rolled out to a body shop by spring, or be dutifully learning how to do proper bodywork myself.
Drive my RX7, start restoring my RHD Celica, and start a nostalgic car club!
To get my 1987 Impulse running again (I just can’t get the bugger to run right after the rebuild, and its a bit above my head) and to get my 1991 Trooper expedition build completed.
To get my ’82 Celica XX on the road, I’m so close! And to finally make a decision on new rims.
My resolution is getting another project, been 2 1/2 yrs since my last car time too get back into it
Got a ’76 Merc 450sl that mom gave me that’s collecting dust under a tree in Bama. Not a JNC you say? No, but my resolution is to stop lusting for what I don’t have and living for tomorrow and instead make the best of today. JNCers look to the past and try to bring it alive (no wait, that’s the history channel, but I digress) With this as my inspiration http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5098377-I-think-I-m-in-love.-450SL-content. (by the way this car was sold by Classic House Vintage near Nagoya. That’s in Japan;) I decided to not listen to the naysayers who tell me to keep in stock, but to instead combine the world’s greatest driving culture with the world’s greatest car culture and create the ultimate Germanese drift machine! The 450S L20! No saving up for Wats but Rotas. No 3K paint job but Maaco. No Pirelli’s but Dunlops. Stop waiting and live! Live I tell you! Live! Sorry for the long post, but I’m off my meds.
Finish restoring my ’72 240z, just got a vented hatch from a ’70 recently.
Get started on my C110’s body work this year!
my new year’s resolution is to retrieve my ke30 and get it back on the road
for this year i’ve wanted to get my hands on a set of watanabe’s that i’ve been dreamt of along with a set of fresh wide tires and also put some bolt on flares, new sport’s type suspension to replace my custom stock ones, get the scracth on the whole body fixed, fix the starting to rust weld spot on the exhaust tip connection and my list just goes on and on. Then again taking care of your own car is like starting on an endless journey.
Cross fingers i could achieve my goal for this year. ^^
Take the RX2 to Deals Gap Rotary Ralley
Main goal (necessity) is to get a real job in my degree field- transportation design.
Then I can save money to-
Lower my new EH2
Buy an S30 Z
Build the small one-seat electric streamliner I’ve been drawing
Begin restoring my F100
And end up with 3.5 vehicles, 15 wheels and 18 cylinders. 8)
finishing
my ’82 Suzuki Hatch by dropping it another 2inch en finaly do the right hand drive swap (it’s now a european left handdrive)
and leaving the disc to drumbrake swap for 2014