Tag Archives: QotW

What happens when a marque dies? Not that we have anything particular on the mind; it’s just a random topic that came up around the JNC water cooler the other day. Some of us believe that the lack of connection … Continue reading →

Today, March 17, is the anniversary of Japan’s first weekly manga, Shukan Shonen Magazine. Launched in 1959 and published each Wednesday, the book kicked off the trend of serialized comics for boys, and spawned stories such as Shuichi Shigeno’s Bari … Continue reading →

Today, March 3, is National “Simplify Your Life” Day. As fans of old cars we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. It starts with the actual car(s). Then comes the spare parts, aftermarket parts, tools, entire donor cars, diecast … Continue reading →

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 … 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 … 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), … 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 … Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe, but Y2K was 25 years ago. It honestly doesn’t feel like that long ago, says the old man typing these words without using AI. Nevertheless, that means cars built in the year 2000 are now eligible … Continue reading →

Over the last few days I’ve been racking my brain on how I could have better prepared for the terrifying California wildfire scare we experienced last week. Aside from my family and a few heirlooms and photos, the most valuable/sentimental/precious … Continue reading →

Today, January 6, is Color Day in Japan because the first syllables of ichi (one) and roku (six) color, can be combined to spell iro, which is “color” in Japanese. Color on cars is interesting, because the right combo can … Continue reading →

A new year is almost upon us, which means new opportunities, new perspectives, and new resolve. We don’t know what the year will bring, but let’s head into it with the bright-eyed optimism and energetic enthusiasm of Japan in the … Continue reading →

We were all young and dumb once. Our tastes change as we mature and we realize that what we once thought was cool is actually something cringe. Turns out a giant wing and underglow don’t really make a car go … Continue reading →

There’s been some shocking rumors about Nissan circulating in the past week or so. According to The Financial Times, an anonymous senior official from the company said that Nissan has about “12 or 14 months to survive.” Sales have been … Continue reading →

It’s the holidays and we need some gift ideas. So tell us the things that have made your automotive wrenching easier, saved your butts, or are simply so satisfying to use that you want to spread the joy. They can … Continue reading →

Today, November 4, is Butt Day in Japan. Now as you pick your brains up out of the gutter you should know that the holiday comes from the popular children’s character Detective Butt, who is a crime solver with a … Continue reading →

October 28 is International Animation Day, and what better day could there be to ask about your favorite animated cars? We’ve always had a soft spot for a certain white FC RX-7. Among the legendary Takahashi brothers, the older Ryosuke … Continue reading →

I’ll admit this QotW is purely for selfish reasons, but we are trying to do a deep clean on my AE86 and the carpets have very old stains from an unknown substance. We’ve tried everything — a Bissell carpet cleaner, … Continue reading →

Today, October 7, is National LED Light Day. One of the easiest mods to update a vintage car is LED lights. They instantly improve night time visibility and vision with technology decades newer than old school sealed beams. However, one … Continue reading →

As someone who lived through the 1990s, I feel like the decade is hard to pin down. A lot of what is called 90s is actually an 80s aesthetic, and everywhere you look there are claims that 90s fashion is … Continue reading →

In the US government vehicles tend to be American. It probably makes politicians look bad if they buy foreign cars, but some slip through. We’ve heard some states have Subaru police cars though we’ve never seen one. The Pentagon used … Continue reading →