Remembering Japanese cars from the past

Tag: hardtop coupe (Page 2 of 3)

JCS2011: Super rare Carina hardtop coupe TA17!


This posting had a high Sonny Chiba feeling: this restored Carina hardtop coupe TA17 is exactly the same model as Sonny Chiba used in the famous commercial!
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011

The owner and his buddies came all the way from Finland to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and inbetween they stopped by at the JCS2011!

Just look at how beautiful those tail lights are sunken deeply into the bodywork!
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011

Also imagine what potential watertrap that could be!

Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011

The Carina TA17 hardtop coupe has been imported from Japan and it, as the owner described it, is his dreamcar and he simply had to. He does own another 10 Toyotas from which 3 are Carina TA14s.

Last but not least: this is how great fender mirrors are:
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011
Toyota Carina hardtop coupe TA17 @ JCS2011

A very high coolness factor but a limited angle of view…

JAF2011: Finally some celluloid photos!


It has taken about a month for me to finally post up some of the celluloid photographs I took with my Zenit-E and a “new” Industar 61 lens at the Japans Autosport Festival 2011 at Zandvoort. As we Dutch say: “It takes a while but then you have something!” but that probably hits like a plier to a pig! :P

First reason it took so long was that the pictures got lost between the processing company and the photostore. Second reason was that I was too lazy to scan them. Third reason was that I was too lazy to upload them. So here they finally are!

I’ll start with my Carina parked next to this Datsun 240Z:
Datsun S30 240Z @ JAF2011
Datsun S30 240Z @ JAF2011

I made the decision that the Carina would be a better off parked next to a classic 70s JDM sportscar than one of those “modern” cars in the background. ;)

When chatting with the owner of the Corolla AE86 with 3S-GE swap this yellow 240Z stopped by. The owner turned out to be an AE86 owner as well. What is the chance that I parked my Carina next to his 240Z? One out of 10000?

Next up is this first generation green Mazda 626 hardtop coupe:
Mazda 616 coupe @ JAF2011
Mazda 616 coupe @ JAF2011

When I was waiting for someone in my Carina near the exit the owner (plus three his friends cramped) into this coupe made a small detour to yell at me that I had a cool car. :D
Gave them a big thumbs up and yelled back the same!

BTW: There are only 3 of these 626 coupes known to exist in the Netherlands. By chance I also met the owner of another one

Then I spotted one of the most extraordinary AE86s in the Netherlands:
Corolla AE86 with BEAMS 3S-GE @ JAF2011
Corolla AE86 with BEAMS 3S-GE @ JAF2011

A Toyota Corolla AE86 with a 3S-GE BEAMS blacktop swap (SE86) with a W58 and a Carina SA60 bellhousing.
I met the owner a few times before (I bought the Celica Supra rims from him three years ago) and had a long chat about this swap. Amazing it actually fits!

Tight fitted BEAMS 3S-GE @ JAF2011
Tight fitted BEAMS 3S-GE @ JAF2011

As you can see the BEAMS is a very tight fit. One of the support beams of the hood had to be cut out and a few things had to be moved in order to make it fit.

Corolla AE86 on Work Meisters @ JAF2011
Corolla AE86 on Work Meisters @ JAF2011

The Work Meister rims were bought from The Doctor who previously had them under his JDM Toyota Chaser GX71. Some people like them and some people don’t. Personally I think they are an excellent fit!

Then I also spotted this bosozoku styled Suzuki Alto SS40:
Bosozoku style Suzuki Alto SS40 @ JAF2011
Bosozoku style Suzuki Alto SS40 @ JAF2011

I did spot it at the Japan Classic Sunday 2010. Since then a few modifications have been done.

In case you are wondering: the writing on the hood says “STUK” which is Dutch for “broken”
Bosozoku style Suzuki Alto SS40 @ JAF2011
Bosozoku style Suzuki Alto SS40 @ JAF2011

So apparently it broke down during the trip to Zandvoort and was towed to its place.

That’s it for the first part. More pictures will be posted in the next coverage!

Carina Sightings: Rob GTZs old red Carina GT-R


I wanted to post these two pictures of Rob GTZ’s old beautiful red Carina GT-R for a while now:
Rob GTZs red Carina GT-R AA63
Rob GTZs red Carina GT-R AA63

He put his GT-R for sale two years ago and back then I already found it a beauty! He sold the car and the new owner freshened up the car and shared the pictures with him! Marvelous job done!

Even though I love Work Equipe wheels I do think these new rims look much better on the Carina:
Rob GTZs red Carina GT-R AA63
Rob GTZs red Carina GT-R AA63

Makes me jealous I’m not living in New Zealand where all the great Japanese cars end up when they reach the Japanese retirement age…

DOTS: 1980 Mazda 626 Hardtop Coupe


Imagine when you go visit a friends party and you spot this Mazda 626 hardtop coupe parked on the parkinglot near the house:
1980 Mazda 626 Hardtop Coupe
1980 Mazda 626 Hardtop Coupe

Of course I immediately took a picture (with my phonecam, hence the crappy quality).

And another one up close:
1980 Mazda 626 Hardtop Coupe
1980 Mazda 626 Hardtop Coupe

A really nice preserved example! :)

So we went inside and enjoyed the party. Only after two hours my wife found out the Mazda was actually owned by one of the people at the party!
The owner inherited the 626 hardtop coupe from his mother, drives it ever since and even became a member of the Dutch 626 club this year. He doesn’t need the car as a daily driver and the car is parked safely in a parking under the building he lives in. He even took it the car all the way to Hammerfest in Norway! Nice to meet someone liking the old Japanese cars as well!

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