Japanese Classic Cars

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Runs And Drives: 1972 Honda Z600

Finding a 1972 Honda Z600 today is a pretty rare occurrence. But what if you ran across two of them in the same week painted in the same color? That’s the case here when two of our readers turned… more»

1 of 30 Made? 1970 Subaru 360 Yacht

When I think of muscle cars, my mind automatically goes to the Hemi Cuda. Maybe because my best friend in school had a ’73 Barracuda and the Hemi Cuda was always a car we wanted to own. Exotics? The… more»

No Time to Drive: 1985 Toyota Celica GT-S Convertible

When it comes to aftermarket convertible conversions, the results are usually less than stellar. You’re talking about a car that the factory didn’t want to take the time to convert into a drop top, and then expecting an outfit… more»

One Family Owned: 1994 Mazda RX-7

The FD-chassis Mazda RX-7 remains one of the more intriguing investment options in the modern classics category. Easily one of the most beautiful Japanese coupes ever made, the rotary-powered two-door was also produced in fairly limited quantities and is… more»

Cheap Micro Car: 1972 Honda Z600 Project

The Z600 is the coupe hatchback alternative to the N600, both being “kei” or microcars produced by Honda in Japan. More than 40,000 were produced between 1970 and 1974 with some being imported to the U.S. and sold by… more»

Turbo Diesel Two-Door: 1990 Nissan Patrol GR

The JDM vehicle market has been hot for a while, but like all good things, it seems to have become almost expected that we see a regular parade of forbidden fruit from overseas come marching through our ports. To… more»

Mid-Engine Gullwing: 1993 Autozam AZ-1

No matter the size of the vehicle, the horsepower, or the value, there aren’t many features that will gather a crowd like having a set of gullwing doors open while you’re getting gas or at a car show. This… more»

Original Paint: 1974 Datsun 260Z Survivor

Datsun needed a hit when the 240Z landed on American shores in late 1969.  Called the Fairlady Z in their home market, this handsome sports car with a silky smooth inline six under the hood was the right car… more»

Gas Miser: 1992 Geo Metro Convertible

The elfish Geo Metro amounted to one of the nine lives of the Suzuki Cultus, a car that was badged variously as the Suzuki Swift, the Chevy Sprint, and the Pontiac Firefly from 1985 to 1989. General Motors, partnering… more»

Upcoming Classic? 1982 Mazda 626 Coupe

By the 1960s, the American consumer understood exactly what a no-frills economy car was, thanks to Volkswagen. The import scene became a real brawl: Toyota brought us the Crown, then the Corona, Volvo the PV444, then the 140 series,… more»

1996 Toyota HiAce Bambee Diesel Camper

As the years roll by, the US rule allowing a person to import a foreign car so long as it is more than 25 years old is bringing ever more interesting metal onto our shores. From Japan, we’re seeing… more»

Rare Series 1: 1971 Datsun 240Z

In the world of Z cars, the holiest of grails is the unrestored Series 1 that has no rust and hasn’t been modified. This particular 1971 Datsun 240Z is almost that car, save for an unfortunate respray to a… more»

Still In The Crate: 2002 Kawasaki KX250 L4

The term mint-in-box is something I hadn’t heard before I started using eBay back in the mid-1990s. We’ve seen around a dozen motorcycles still in the crate here, but this 2002 Kawasaki KX250 L4 is as close to being… more»

Celestial Arrow: 1978 Plymouth Arrow GT

Every now and then I see a Mitsubishi on the road and wonder why they never seemed to catch on in the U.S., much the same as when Suzuki offered four-wheeled passenger vehicles here. They both were the basis… more»

Make an Offer: 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser

Rarity claims for any classic must be taken at face value unless a seller holds documentary evidence supporting their belief. Such is the case with this 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser. The seller describes its paint shade as rare, and… more»

BF Auction: 1970 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

UPDATE – The seller has a 2011 Chevrolet LS V8 engine they had intended to install in the FJ, while not included, a deal could be arranged to include it and any of the parts the seller has acquired… more»