What's your favourite Japanese classic ?
Discussion
liner33 said:
V88Dicky said:
Always loved these;
Me too
). This is a lip lickingly good thread!
FourWheelDrift said:
The Japanese Mustang copy, RA28 Toyota Celica
This.I mean i love the 90s cars and the old mazda rotaries ( i alternate betwen 90s japs and french hatches ) but these things are incredible.
Shortly after first discovering them i literally tripped over an immaculate example parked up near a coffee shop in athens of all places - the missus was somewhat nonplussed when I whipped the phone out and made her wait while i was taking pictures.
300zx, supra4 or an r33 gtr are next on my hit list.
The first generation Mazda RX-7.
When I First got into cars, beyond matchbox toys, this was the sports car to have.
While most of the cool young guns about town were hooning around in 323s, pulsars, and commodores, the teens in the know were in RX7s.
These noisy, skid-loving coupes were just so different.
The friend who's dad had a rotary race car workshop certainly was a major influence too. Once I started visiting the local race track, and saw the Pro7 and GT class 7s buzzing around, I was hooked.
Saving money to buy one became a goal. High school wages made it slow going. But the height of the rotary craze was coming. No matter how much I saved, the goal posts kept moving.
Once upon a time a roadworthy 7 could be bought for $2k. Then 4. Then 8. Then asking prices got stupid. $10k for a rusty one, and $20k for a tidy garage queen. Why buy an FB when an FD was hardly more?
So much for that idea. I ended up getting an Aw11 Mr2 for $3k and didn't look back.
Still, once day a classic 7 will find a place in my garage.
When I First got into cars, beyond matchbox toys, this was the sports car to have.
While most of the cool young guns about town were hooning around in 323s, pulsars, and commodores, the teens in the know were in RX7s.
These noisy, skid-loving coupes were just so different.
The friend who's dad had a rotary race car workshop certainly was a major influence too. Once I started visiting the local race track, and saw the Pro7 and GT class 7s buzzing around, I was hooked.
Saving money to buy one became a goal. High school wages made it slow going. But the height of the rotary craze was coming. No matter how much I saved, the goal posts kept moving.
Once upon a time a roadworthy 7 could be bought for $2k. Then 4. Then 8. Then asking prices got stupid. $10k for a rusty one, and $20k for a tidy garage queen. Why buy an FB when an FD was hardly more?
So much for that idea. I ended up getting an Aw11 Mr2 for $3k and didn't look back.
Still, once day a classic 7 will find a place in my garage.
Edited by Pelo on Sunday 25th January 07:16
Mkiv Supra for me. Totally biased, as Ive owned two. 'Classic' in terms of its status rather than age, but its the one for me and it trumps the early GTR Skylines imho. Getrag 6-speed manual remains my favourite ever box (once warmed up). Still has great presence on the road, provided it hasn't been desecrated by a tasteless yout.
R33 GTR is my favourite of the old Skylines (V-Spec in Midnight Purple please). I know R32 is the 'right' answer for various reasons, but the R33 is just more muscular and appealing to me.
RX7 FD completes the 'Holy Trinity' of Jap classics as far as Im concerned. The prettiest Jap car of all time, and the rotary lump in the modern, beautiful body (RX8 never had anything like the same desirability) makes it a very special thing indeed. Also; pop-up headlights.
2000GT rivals the FD for beauty, and rivals many other cars regarded as genuinely beautiful from the same era. If it wasn't a Toyota, its beauty would be talked about alot more. Saw one in the Tokyo Toyota Museum back in March 2011 (flew home 2 days before the earthquake/ tsunami!), was the car that I lingered on the most, even more than the Toms JGTC Supra which Im a total fanboy for.
R30 Skyline is right up my street, and I guess it's age means it is a genuine classic. No one did 'boxy' quite as well as the Japanese back then...
300ZX/ Fairlady Z is also a wonderful thing. Rear lights in particular really float my boat for reasons I can't quite put into words. SWB model looks rather exotic if you squint a bit.
Also rather fond of the 3000GT/ GTO. If only it had been an Evo in a lovely GT/ coupe body, rather than the slightly suspect thing time has shown it to be. Final facelift model with the integrated swoopy spoiler and bulbous headlamps was particularly pretty.
(Initial D liveried) Hachi Roku has become a (hugely expensive) classic I suppose... I like them, but not that *insert insane current price* much. If I had ready access to a Japanese touge, perhaps I'd be more enamoured.
Mk1 MX5 (again, biased; Ive had 2) is a genuine classic. Lotus Elan from Japan innit. No matter what Harris says, it's not overrated, love the fellas work but he's got access to too much fantasy metal to judge it by normal human standards. Owned several roadsters, nothing quite compares, especially around that price point.
EG shape Civic (Si-R was the hottest IIRC?) is a great looking thing. Friend of mine had an EK9 Type-R, and still hankered after nice EGs. It's an old Honda hatch, but its proportions are sublime to my eye. Prettiest Jap hatch ever for me.
Soarer sticks out as a very good value coupe/ GT, being available with a 2.5 twin turbo/ 4 litre V8 lump. Off-topic now as its not a classic, so I'll shut up.
R33 GTR is my favourite of the old Skylines (V-Spec in Midnight Purple please). I know R32 is the 'right' answer for various reasons, but the R33 is just more muscular and appealing to me.
RX7 FD completes the 'Holy Trinity' of Jap classics as far as Im concerned. The prettiest Jap car of all time, and the rotary lump in the modern, beautiful body (RX8 never had anything like the same desirability) makes it a very special thing indeed. Also; pop-up headlights.
2000GT rivals the FD for beauty, and rivals many other cars regarded as genuinely beautiful from the same era. If it wasn't a Toyota, its beauty would be talked about alot more. Saw one in the Tokyo Toyota Museum back in March 2011 (flew home 2 days before the earthquake/ tsunami!), was the car that I lingered on the most, even more than the Toms JGTC Supra which Im a total fanboy for.
R30 Skyline is right up my street, and I guess it's age means it is a genuine classic. No one did 'boxy' quite as well as the Japanese back then...
300ZX/ Fairlady Z is also a wonderful thing. Rear lights in particular really float my boat for reasons I can't quite put into words. SWB model looks rather exotic if you squint a bit.
Also rather fond of the 3000GT/ GTO. If only it had been an Evo in a lovely GT/ coupe body, rather than the slightly suspect thing time has shown it to be. Final facelift model with the integrated swoopy spoiler and bulbous headlamps was particularly pretty.
(Initial D liveried) Hachi Roku has become a (hugely expensive) classic I suppose... I like them, but not that *insert insane current price* much. If I had ready access to a Japanese touge, perhaps I'd be more enamoured.
Mk1 MX5 (again, biased; Ive had 2) is a genuine classic. Lotus Elan from Japan innit. No matter what Harris says, it's not overrated, love the fellas work but he's got access to too much fantasy metal to judge it by normal human standards. Owned several roadsters, nothing quite compares, especially around that price point.
EG shape Civic (Si-R was the hottest IIRC?) is a great looking thing. Friend of mine had an EK9 Type-R, and still hankered after nice EGs. It's an old Honda hatch, but its proportions are sublime to my eye. Prettiest Jap hatch ever for me.
Soarer sticks out as a very good value coupe/ GT, being available with a 2.5 twin turbo/ 4 litre V8 lump. Off-topic now as its not a classic, so I'll shut up.
aww999 said:
I had a Soarer as well, (bit of a Toyota/Lexus fanboy I'm afraid!), it was the 2.5TT and it had a good turn of speed. I could never get on with the mismatch between the revvy eager engine, well-balanced chassis, and dim-witted slushbox though.
I tried a V8 many years later but the speedo screen was on the blink, I did a bit of research and decided against it. 
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