Tag: Nissan

Automotive by Sean

Feature: Power House Amuse 370Z Vestito

Japanese mega tuner Power House Amuse was on site at Super Autobacs Yokohama recently to demo their new aero kit for the Z34; the Vestito.  Lucky for us, Taka was there as well to capture it all.  Amuse has long been producing unique and aggressive aero kits for a variety of chassis.  This is their latest offering for the Z platform; preceded by the Superleggera kit for the Z33 chassis.  I believe Amuse took a less domineering approach to this kit, and put more emphasis on flowing lines and function; and flat out on the track the Vestito proves that it does more than just look good.  Click past the break for more display shots.

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Automotive by Sean

Encounter: JGTC Xanavi 350Z

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A long time ago I was visiting Ginza, and happened upon the Nissan Gallery.  You can tell this was awhile back because the JGTC doesn’t exist anymore.  Replaced by Super GT, the series is no longer overseen by JAF, but solely by the FIA.  Upon the arrival of the 350Z, the R34 GT was retired in the class.  This was Nissan’s 2006 (?) entry car.  The gallery was closed, so I couldn’t get a tour inside.  Maybe next time.

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Automotive by Sean

Encounter: S30 Kannai


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We were walking back to our hotel after a decent dinner at a place in 伊勢佐木町 when I saw this old Datsun parked on the street.  Of course the lighting and weather conditions were horrible for pictures, but since I didn’t get much material on this trip I decided to snap a few anyway.  It had some pretty classic styling; such as the exposed rivets on the fender flares and rear wing.  The gold Watanabes were a nice touch against the white and black color scheme.  Click past the break to see a few more shots.

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Automotive by Sean

Locale: フライラット, 町田 – Fly Rat, Machida

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Thought I’d break up some coverage of JCCS with a little look at the Fly Rat used car & part shop in Machida, Tokyo.  This is literally right next door to the Up Garage in Machida, so it was  a no-brainer to go check it out.  Fly Rat is part of the やまや山口株式会社, or the Yamayayamaguchi Group in Japan.  The parent company of both Fly Rat, and Jon Flat; both used and new car dealerships and parts dealers.  This location had a few cool looking rides, especially this pristine R32 rocking over-fenders on both the front and rear.

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Automotive by Sean

Event: 6th Annual JCCS, Long Beach V.2

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On to round 2 of the JCCS coverage.  Like I mentioned in the previous post, engine swaps are all to common at this show;  and this coupe is no exception.  This is Steve’s car.  Steve drove 2,000 miles from Alberta, Canada to show at Long Beach.  This is the way I like to see cars; put to use!  As if that wasn’t special enough, Steve had something out of the ordinary at the disposal of his right foot.  How does 260 ft/lb.’s of torque sound?  Yup, a 4.0 liter, V8 taken from a LS400 sits in place of the stock engine.  I got to talk to Steve for a little bit, and to my surprise, he said that the first generation UZ engine fit rather easily in the bay.

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Automotive by Sean

Event: 6th Annual JCCS, Long Beach V.1


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The warm sun, the cool ocean breeze blowing through the trees;  Downtown Long Beach makes the perfect venue for just about any get together – and the 6th annual holding of the Japanese Classic Car Show is no exception.  Without a doubt JCCS is the show to go to to see the best in classic Japanese cars.  Datsuns, Toyotas, and Mazdas from the 70’s and 80’s are littered throughout the grounds and parking lot.  Some are daily driven, and some have been restored to show quality; there is definitely something for everyone.  Take this Corolla for example; old school parts, executed with modern drift styling.  It took me about 2 hours to walk through the show, and I tried to get a little of everything.  Some photos will have a more retro look (i.e. warm temperatures, desaturated);  I did this as a throw back to the era of the cars.  Hope you enjoy!

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Automotive by Sean

Encounter: Katsuradai R34

. This pristine R34 is always parked out front of a Junior High School in the quiet neighborhood of  かつらだい (Katsuradai); where my friend’s in-laws live.  I’m guessing the owner is a teacher, or administrator […]

Automotive by Sean

Encounter: Lonely MM:21 R32

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I stumbled upon this lonely Skyline during a walk one morning.  The hotel we had been staying out was very close to Sakuragicho Station, which is in the みなとみらい21 (Minato Mirai) area;  a large urban development by the water.  This place is famous for many things, including Japan’s former largest building the Landmark Tower.  This morning we were walking along the Red Brick Warehouse and saw this guy sitting all by itself in a parking lot.

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