Classic Japanese Cars

**Polyal** · 09-12-2008, 12:37 PM

I dont know if its just me but I have been noticing alot more classic Japanese cars being restored and looking fantastic. The older corolla's, celicas and RX7's really scrub up alright with a bit of TLC.

Admittedly the thread with the 240Z on here got me thinking that some 60's, 70 and early 80's Japanese cars look great. I thought a thread with your favorite ones would be good. A time when a small car wasn't a FWD econo-box. Imagine how well Corolla's would sell (moreso) if they where RWD!

Can the "Jap-Crap" opinions please be left out, I love my V8 but I also love throwing about a smaller sports car aswell.

A couple of my favorites:

Early Supra's, dont know why, maybe it reminds me of a Ferrari from the front

Celica's like this, mini-mustangs! Fender mirrors are kind of cool too.

**Polyal** · 09-12-2008, 12:42 PM

Mazda RX3 GT...

tankclare · 09-12-2008, 01:25 PM

I also love the little Mazda RX3's.

Also can't miss the Datsun 1600. Especially if its got a decent powerplant in it.

Datsun 240z. Awesome looking machine.

Old school Nissan Skyline HT 2000 GT-R

**Polyal** · 09-12-2008, 01:46 PM

Yes the older Skyline coupes are great, and would be worth a fortune now too.

So much more character than the newer stuff!

Fev · 09-12-2008, 02:07 PM

I love all the old school jap coupe's, they're just so mean looking and they have a lot of character. Definately gotta be a 2 door with huge guards and Wantanabe's

Toyota Sprinter AE86 GT-Apex

Datsun Z

Datsun S130

Nissan R31 Skyline GTS

Toyota 2000GT RA25

Nissan KGC10 GT-X

Mazda RX3

**Peuty** · 09-12-2008, 02:41 PM

Speaking of Jap cars, what is that video in your signature Fev? I don't get it?

loosey · 09-12-2008, 03:04 PM

My all time favorite would be the very first Celicas

Mazda Roadpacer anyone? haha.

Quote:

Nissan R31 Skyline GTS

Thats a DR-30...

dusty86 · 09-12-2008, 03:07 PM

sprinter love

not a very good pic though

Fev · 09-12-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

Speaking of Jap cars, what is that video in your signature Fev? I don't get it?

Its a Toyota Supra modified by the tuning garage Top Secret in japan. the owner (of top secret) smokey nagata, the guy who's driving it.

A Toyota Century V12 engine has been fitted to it, along with twin turbo's, it makes 850hp and i think its a 7spd manual.. Smokey has some facination with going fast.. super fast.. and he built it to break 400km/hr. It reached 420km/hr - on the street.. well the highway..

just a favourite car of mine at the moment..

Fev · 09-12-2008, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motionless_xe

Mazda Roadpacer anyone? haha.

Thats a DR-30...

oh, my mistake.

Mazda Roadpacer.. horrible cars lol.. only like 1100 sold apparently.. who the hell would put a 13A in a bloody huge commodore! worst idea ever!

SVD · 09-12-2008, 04:20 PM

ive got two of these bad boys at home outside in the shed, one's original, one will have a newer skyline motor with some other performance bits

Just not GT-R's

xbgs351 · 09-12-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motionless_xe

Mazda Roadpacer anyone? haha.

I saw one on the weekend.

nugget378 · 09-12-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

oh, my mistake.

Mazda Roadpacer.. horrible cars lol.. only like 1100 sold apparently.. who the hell would put a 13A in a bloody huge commodore! worst idea ever!

Mistake number 2, its not a commodore...

Fairlane · 09-12-2008, 05:23 PM

Got a few guilty Japanese pleasures here.

Got quite a soft spot for old Toyota gear. Old KE10 Corolla 2 doors, KE20's and 1960s Corona's and well i have a unexplainable love for all the Toyota Crown's & Century

Hard for me to say no to one of these. Classic Styling, lots of chrome yet uber advanced and with a 5.0l V12.

**Peuty** · 09-12-2008, 05:46 PM

What with all the fender mirrors?

BFZ Wagon · 09-12-2008, 05:50 PM

Mazda Roadpacer anyone? haha.

Roadpacer.... You're not taking the Roadpacer... I just polished the mirrors on the mudguards!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The 70's were certainly interesting!! Bit of a weird idea though.. Sending a big heavy HJ Holden (minus the Engine & Transmission) to Japan and Mazda putting a Rotary engine into it.
They were a bit of a slug apparently & also were VERY thirsty!

The ones I've seen for sale on the Japanese Auction sites, still fetching big money. I guess coz they're rare.

**Peuty** · 09-12-2008, 05:58 PM

I was under the impression that Mazda bought all the tooling and made the cars themselves?

TZENU · 09-12-2008, 06:02 PM

Ol boy used to own an 83 crown many moons ago.. Very nice for the year! and plus i reckon its got enough room to fit a BB!

**Burnout** · 09-12-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

What with all the fender mirrors?

Those mirrors are fitted standard on Nipponese Cars; they are illegal out here & don't conform with ADR's.

Rev28K · 09-12-2008, 06:36 PM

Loved my Honda EF CRX and Nissan S31 260Z (I wish that I still had them), like the Honda DC2 Integra Type R and can see myself keeping it for 10 years, love my Nissan S30 240Z and can’t see myself getting rid of it and I’m looking to get a Honda EB Civic to add to the collection.

If anyone knows of a schmick 3 door EB1, EB2 or EB3 with a Hondamatic (2 speed auto – 1st gear goes all the way to 96kmh) for sale please give me a yell.

mr smith · 09-12-2008, 06:41 PM

Like to own an early RX7 one day. No mods just stock.

Walt Kowalski · 09-12-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairlane

i have a unexplainable love for all the Toyota Crown's & Century

Hard for me to say no to one of these. Classic Styling, lots of chrome yet uber advanced and with a 5.0l V12.

So is this Jap Rolls a Century/Crown or what?

I've never seen one.

Does it have a separate chassis?

Is it suitable as a basis for a hot rod?

I like it.

Walt Kowalski · 09-12-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFZ Wagon

Mazda Roadpacer anyone? haha.

Roadpacer.... You're not taking the Roadpacer... I just polished the mirrors on the mudguards!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The 70's were certainly interesting!! Bit of a weird idea though.. Sending a big heavy HJ Holden (minus the Engine & Transmission) to Japan and Mazda putting a Rotary engine into it.
They were a bit of a slug apparently & also were VERY thirsty!

The ones I've seen for sale on the Japanese Auction sites, still fetching big money. I guess coz they're rare.

And to some outside Australia a little bit Cadillac-ish?

Walt Kowalski · 09-12-2008, 07:01 PM

Thinking of jap classics brings back (scary) memories of the 1968/9 Prince Skyline GTR - the model before Datsun bought Prince and claimed the Skyline name

It had triple triple carbs and no brakes and even worse handling. The axle tramp king as I recall.

Dad used to get some pretty cool cars from his boss back then and the Prince Skyline GTR was a scary one.

I personally love most of the old Dattos and had a 1968 1600 - the model with the clapper wipers and have always hankered for a 240Z.

However I don't think you can beat the Series 6, 7 or 8 (1992 - 2002) RX-7 FD.

If you don't think its a (future) classic think of this.

Its still the fastest production car ever at Bathurst. Terry Bosnjack November 1997 did a 2.27 from memory.

Compare that to the 2007 winning BMW 335 Twin Turbo winning cars with a fastest lap of about 2.32 and the 2008 winning Evo 9RS achieving a 2.32 also from memory.

5 seconds is a long way at Bathurst and the little RX-7 did it in 1997.

Surely a classic.

Mine cost under $10,000

lotus · 09-12-2008, 07:25 PM

[QUOTE=motionless_xe]My all time favorite would be the very first Celicas

Have the same model and colour in my shed (not a GT though) and in the process of restoring it. Has an origional 88,000 mls. Not much for a 72 model!!

dub racing · 09-12-2008, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairlane

Got a few guilty Japanese pleasures here.

Got quite a soft spot for old Toyota gear. Old KE10 Corolla 2 doors, KE20's and 1960s Corona's and well i have a unexplainable love for all the Toyota Crown's & Century

Hard for me to say no to one of these. Classic Styling, lots of chrome yet uber advanced and with a 5.0l V12.

Gee that pic of the KE-10 reminds me of how much fun my first car was ,it was a KE-10 with a 13b bridgeport didnt look much different to photo still had 1200 badges but had some fat hotwires on back .Geez i smoked so people in that car ,which they could never believe they just been blown away by this liitle corrolla .
cheers mark

starkersEB · 09-12-2008, 08:00 PM

Heres a pic of my old beast a Datto 1000

Great idea for a thread BTW

SVD · 09-12-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munroman

Thinking of jap classics brings back (scary) memories of the 1968/9 Prince Skyline GTR - the model before Datsun bought Prince and claimed the Skyline name

It had triple triple carbs and no brakes and even worse handling. The axle tramp king as I recall.

Dad used to get some pretty cool cars from his boss back then and the Prince Skyline GTR was a scary one.

Prince Never had a Skyline GTR. The first ever GTR (skyline) was the Datsun PGC-10 GTR sedan. the first coupe was the KPGC-10 GTR

FJ20ET · 09-12-2008, 08:50 PM

As you can tell by my nick Im a bit of a fanatic on these old jap cars,heres my old s12 silvia rsx on the left maccas on the m4 with its sister.
And after i sold it to guy in sa he lowered it ,fitted an intercooler,ems computer and some trick wheels.
Fj20et motors were original in these japanese gazelles and had 190 hp at the flywheel and did the qtr in 14.9 standard.
Im not totally biased though ,Im looking around for a early falcon tudor for a restoration atm.

bingoTE50 · 09-12-2008, 09:21 PM

Datsun 2000 Sports...