Nostalgic Heroes

Found some good, albeit grainy, nostalgic content to round out the week.

I'm really hyped on C210's lately, in part due to the June issue of Gworks.

S130 on C8's is insanity. Methinks it's this car (scroll down), but I can't say for certain. If you know, or if you own it, please comment.

Christmas in July

After a very long wait that was very worth it, issue 4 of Japanese Nostalgic Car has arrived.

Anyone that's coming here to read my drivel should also be reading this magazine. Ben & Co have put together a tremendous publication and the new issue features an even snazzier format than before. This is a work of love wrought by people who own, drive, live, and breathe vintage Japanese iron. Even after only four issues, you can page back through them and see how the JDM Nostalgic movement in the US has grown and changed over time, it's our history. These sorts of magazines are NOT cash cows but are hugely valuable to the community, so please SUBSCRIBE NOW.

Distracted

I was trying my damndest to make a post about how much I like the Honda GB500 and the myriad reasons why I'd like to own one, but then I ran across this CB750 bobber on Flickr and just went to pieces.

See the whole set HERE

Some Things

Look at them

Stickers

No, this post is not about my making blog stickers, because I'm not. Ever.


This showed up in the mail recently from Yahoo Japan Auctions:



These are enroute:














I'd really like to find a "Racing Family Law Break" banner after reading this month's issue of G-Works, but I don't think anyone makes one. If you've got the hook up, please comment.

Random Acts of Z

Thanks to This Guy

I had to make up for that awful purple S30 in the previous post.





4-spoke wheels need to come back.

False Advertising

I spend an awful lot of time on Craigslist looking at cars, even when I'm perfectly happy with the one I've got.

In this particular case, I was being seduced by the prospect of a V8-swapped S30 Z, which is something I've wanted for awhile. I exchanged a few emails with the seller, and I generally thought I was in for an otherwise-stock SBC-swapped S30 with some nice meshies on it.

He did not, for whatever reason, see fit to mention the Grimace Purple color, XJS Flying Buttresses, Luke Skywalker Landspeeder tail lights, spaceship wing, or FLAMING Z's on the hood. All of that apparently slipped his mind, and so after he sent me photos he was just as surprised as can be that I was no longer interested.






Yeah.

Two of a Kind

I found this Daihatsu Charmant on Masaru Tanaka's Photostream.

The Charmant is effectively a rebadged KE70 Corolla with a few aesthetic differences. I really like when people do up these compact cars in a similar style to larger shakotan platforms.

This particular Charmant is owned by Hasshy, who also owns the slammed red Mirage everyone likes so much.

Visit him here: Cannabis-Beer


Hasshy has swapped over brakes, suspension, and an LSD from an AE86 into this Charmant. The wheels are Focus Racing (8.5J front, 9J rear). The car also has a 4AG 20v swap from an AE111 with ITB's and an E&E Freedom ECU.

Proto-Ruckus

Meet the Honda Motra, a JDM-only minibike produced in the early 1980's. Looks like some sort of Jurassic Ruckus ancestor, doesn't it? It's actually better than that, because it's got actual off-road capabilities, a proper 3-speed gearbox, and it's not made of plastic.

The gearbox has a second stage with a lower final ratio across the three speeds for hill climbing with a load, and the bike is capable of carrying substantial extra weight beyond just the rider. No spongy soft suspension like on the Ruckus.

This particular bike was restored by Sammie from TotalRuckus. Check out his thread HERE


He's done an exceptional job, as the bike was a rusty mess to begin with. I also really like the photography, as they remind me of Bow's illustrations.

See his full restoration gallery on Flickr HERE

Aftermarket exhaust in this shot. He says he's only going to use it while he refinishes the OEM one, but I rather like it. Why couldn't Honda make color-matched wheels an option on the Ruckus?