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Digidash was a standard feature on the early 3 door zenki AE86!

January 3, 2009 / banpei / 0 Comments

I did some research into the digital cluster on the AE86 since my blogposting about the Impulse AE86 rebuild. Lucky enough I have both catalogues for the Zenki AE86s: both the Sprinter Trueno and Corolla Levin (which are for sale actually!). ;)

If you’re not familiar with the digital gauge cluster of the AE86, this is what I’m referring to:
Zenki AE86 Sprinter Trueno digital cluster
The digital gauge cluster of the Zenki AE86 Sprinter Trueno

I looked into the options and standard features of both the Levin and Trueno:

The 3 door Zenki AE86 Sprinter Trueno GT Apex had a digital cluster as default option

The 3 door Zenki AE86 Corolla Levin GT Apex also had a digital cluster as default option

As you can see: both 3 door GT Apex AE86s have the digital gauge cluster as a standard feature. For 2 door GT Apex cars the digital dashboard was only available as an option. And for all other trims and variants it wasn’t even available!

Both catalogues are from S58 (1983) so that still doesn’t say anything about which years it did feature on the cars…

WTF: Nissan Skyline’s mini: Langley

January 1, 2009 / banpei / 1 Comment

I really had a WTF here: I saw this ad by the same poster as a Carina ad. It is about the Skyline’s Mini, also called the Langley:
Nissan Skyline’s mini ad on Youtube

Further investigation gave me this video:

Wikipedia redirected me upon Nissan Langley to the Nissan Pulsar page and there it was: The Nissan Langley, from 1980, was a more upmarket Pulsar.

Basically what Nissan did was give better looks to the FWD Pulsar, slap some round taillights on it and call it the Nissan Skyline’s mini to attract even more buyers! Sounds to me like the same if Toyota would have sold the 3 door Sprinter Trueno as the mini Celica XX in Japan.

Carina sightings: Puppy saving Carina reposted on Youtube

December 31, 2008 / banpei / 0 Comments

The puppy saving Carina GT-TR TA63 has been reposted on Youtube! Unfortunately the poster disabled embedding, so you can find the video under the link here:
Puppy saving Carina GT-TR TA63

Before I forget it: happy new year! :)

Retro: 1995 Lancer Evo III GSR

December 29, 2008 / banpei / 0 Comments

You probably think: another 1995 video? When will this end?? I came across this video of the Lancer Evo III on a different way than digging into the dungeons of Youtube. This video was made back in 1995 when the car was hot and new!

Just looking at the car makes me feel this is very 90s! The rideheight of the car is enormous compared to what we’re used to nowadays and the method of registration is more or less documentary like with the long shots and long interviews. Compare that to the modern style of Hot Version:

Ah well, it must be that we’re already 7 evos further, so in another 12 years we’ll laugh our asses off at the Hot Version videos. ;)

Digidash standard feature of the early zenki Sprinter Trueno AE86?

December 27, 2008 / banpei / 1 Comment

The Japanese cartuner Impulse is specialized in tuning and restoring Hachi Rokus (Toyota Corolla AE86). They are currently doing a terrific job on this 1983 Sprinter Trueno:
impulse 1983 Sprinter Trueno rebuild
1983 Sprinter Trueno rebuild

Zenki GT Apex wiring loom
When running Google Translate on the page I got this translation under the wiring loom:
APEX based on vehicle type 1 for the first half of digital meters installed by default.
If I read this information correct the first batch of Zenki (type 1) GT Apex trim of the AE86 featured the digital dash by default. That would mean almost all 1983 and early 1984 hachis featuring a GT Apex trim should feature the digital dash unless the owner actually ordered the car with analogue dash. I tried to double check that with Carland86 and Goo-net and so far I could only verify that most early zenki (should that be zenki-zenki?) JDM Sprinter Trueno AE86s feature the digidash. Most of the Corolla Levins were all featuring the analogue cluster, so would it be a Sprinter Trueno only default? And would this also implicate Bunta Fujiwara did order a Trueno without digidash or that it is a late 1984 or early 1985 model??

To get back to the rebuild, look at how immaculate this rear bench is:

An immaculate rear AE86 bench
Never seen anything like it!

Eventhough this Sprinter Trueno probably used to be red/black once (due to the brown interior) it looks stunning in white:

Stunning panda AE86 painting

Hilarious: Last Christmas covers

December 26, 2008 / banpei / 0 Comments

Since it’s Christmas the hilarious posting should be Christmas related as well. ;)

It all started out with the Christmas wishes from JNC blog:

Oh man! This is corny!! All the boyband stuff!! And the worse is that we all know what they are singing!

Then I clicked through on related items and found this:

Crazy Frog!! Aaargh! I can’t believe anyone still thinks he’s funny!!

So I clicked quickly to the next related item:

“yoyo… yes i did!” :D :D

And when I thought it couldn’t get any better I found this one:

@2:20: “Merry christmas HO HO HO!”
They girl can’t sing (see @2:50) and the guys are trying to immitate Snoop Dogg with a very bad Engrish accent. ;)

Merry Christmas!! :P

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