Tag Archives: Question of the Week
QotW: What modern car would be acceptable at a JNC meet?
So it’s Friday evening and your local old school Japanese meet is about to begin. But your sweet, chrome-bumpered ride is still on jack stands and has no hope of being finished in time. Gotta hop in the daily. What … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the worst mod you’ve ever seen on a JNC?
It’s SEMA week, and you know what that means. Steel yourself for an onslaught of the craziest custom cars blasted at you by every media outlet on Earth. Had enough of Lambo doors? Rims taller than a barstool? Paints so … Continue reading
QotW: Which car had the most entertaining celebrity spokesperson?
Japanese automakers have been using celebrities to pitch their cars for decades, forcing them to declare nonsensical phrases, speak Japanese, kiss the product, or barely say anything at all. None of it was ever meant to be seen by western … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most blasphemous engine swap?
Many years ago our very own Technical Editor John “DatsunFreak” Roper declared that there were three and only three engines immune to accusations of blasphemy due to their uniqueness, size-to-performance ratio, and lack of anything comparable. They were: the Honda … Continue reading
QotW: What’s Japan’s greatest factory two-tone?
The Japanese can do two-tone like no other. Once the Bubble Economy was fully underway automakers rushed to tart up their luxe offerings with lavish, multi-toned paint schemes. Somehow, Japan was able to elevate the lines, contrasts and colors into an … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite JNC tuning style?
From bone stock to bosozoku, there’s a wide range styles for nostalgic cars. Crazed pimp van, Mooneyes hot rod, Fuji racer, high-society VIP, Resto-mod, nisei cruiser, rally racer, it’s a blank canvas out there. What’s your favorite JNC tuning style? … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best 1960s JNC for vintage racing?
So the secret is out. This is the subject of our teaser pics last week and the car our friends at JDM Legends built and brought to JCCS. We were honored to have this replica of the legendary Prince Skyline … Continue reading
QotW: How would you like to see the JNC scene evolve?
This coming weekend will be the ninth Japanese Classic Car Show. In those nine years, awareness of vintage Nihon steel has grown in leaps and bounds. They are acknowledged by mainstream media that used to willfully dismiss them, values of … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC should remain stock?
Look, we know it’s fun to take a 2,200-pound car that doesn’t require any smog checks and shoehorn into it the biggest engine you can find. However, one day these cars are going to be rare (some would say they … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC do you most want to see in person?
Here in SoCal, we take a lot of things for granted. One of them is the fact that we get to see some of the rarest Japanese cars ever built. Several times a year, we feast our eyes on sheetmetal … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the hardest work you’ve put into a JNC?
This long weekend was Labor Day here in America. In theory, you’re supposed to be free from work during its observance, but most car guys spent it wrenching. What’s the hardest work you’ve put into a JNC? This is not … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC will the valet park front and center at the opera?
You’re piloting your dream Japanese classic, its drop dead sexiness outshined only by your spouse in the passenger seat, dressed to the nines in an evening gown (or tuxedo, we don’t discriminate). Lights dance across the gleaming hood as you … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest Japanese nostalgic van?
We just finished a 1,500 mile road trip with a Toyota Sienna SE (more on this later), which we are ready to crown as the greatest minivan ever made. The only problem: it’ll be 2036 before it’s officially nostalgic. Not … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your fondest hachiroku memory?
Tomorrow, August 6, is 86 Day and cities on both sides of the Pacific are gearing up for a celebration of the last FR Corolla. It’s perhaps a special one this year, as the Initial D story has come to … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC should be revived for modern times?
The revival of the Datsun brand didn’t go in the direction many Bluebird and Sunny enthusiasts wanted. We know an exact nuts-and-bolts resurrection of a 510 or B110 would not be practical, but cars with the spirit of those JNCs … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest open top JNC?
It’s summertime, and what better way to enjoy the sun than to take a drive with the top down? Japanese cars come in all shapes and sizes, but one body style Nihon tends to lay off of is the convertible. … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most Japanese non-Japanese car?
Japan is a land of unbelievably cool motoring culture, a place you can see cars you’d never in a million years see elsewhere. Sure, you have your standard hakosuka Skylines and funky kei jidosha, but there are other cars the … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest front-wheel-drive JNC?
Light weight combined with a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive architecture is a potent combination. It is the very reason why many of us love JNCs in the first place. Sometimes, however, our love for FR cars can give the appearance that we … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best second JNC for your garage?
So you’ve got your dream JNC sitting pretty in your garage. Your holy grail. Your 2000GT, street fighter 240Z, Fuji GC RX-3 replica, whatever. What do you get next, a SR20-swapped Datsun 510 for daily duty? A bosozoku Mark II sled? … Continue reading
QotW: What new cars on the market are the most JNC?
Japanese automakers are in a bit of a slump. Sure, there’s the fleet-footed Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins, the fire-breathing Nissan GT-R, and the rough-and-tough FJ Cruiser. But is there a car you can buy new today that offers the equivalent … Continue reading