jcars.bsky.social
@jcars.bsky.social
Automotive oddball obsessive. Old Japanese car fondler. Hardcore Datsun nerd. Reluctant old house restorer. Sought refuge in Lincolnshire over 2 decades ago and never looked back. Married. Two vexatious felines.
I was given a big box of cassettes a while ago. I've listened to a few and the contents are varied to say the least. Various albums but nothing exciting, and radio recording of all sorts, mostly from around 90-93 it seems. From Gardeners Question Time to One in the Jungle on Radio 1. Here's some...
December 8, 2025 at 11:35 AM
I was given a big box of cassettes a while ago. I've listened to a few and the contents are varied to say the least. Various albums but nothing exciting, and radio recording of all sorts, mostly from around 90-93 it seems. From Gardeners Question Time to One in the Jungle on Radio 1. Here's some...
There used to be a fella near me that owned this beauty. He died a few years ago and the reg no longer comes up on the DVLA, so no idea what happened to it....
December 7, 2025 at 12:50 PM
There used to be a fella near me that owned this beauty. He died a few years ago and the reg no longer comes up on the DVLA, so no idea what happened to it....
I had an '83 Datsun Patrol with the big old 3.3 straight six diesel. It was a heap, very pedestrian and just like driving a lorry. It could tow anything though, albeit slowly. Wish I still had it now.
I did look into getting one from Spain but found lots there had a 4 pot Perkins with 69hp. Eww.
I did look into getting one from Spain but found lots there had a 4 pot Perkins with 69hp. Eww.
December 7, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I had an '83 Datsun Patrol with the big old 3.3 straight six diesel. It was a heap, very pedestrian and just like driving a lorry. It could tow anything though, albeit slowly. Wish I still had it now.
I did look into getting one from Spain but found lots there had a 4 pot Perkins with 69hp. Eww.
I did look into getting one from Spain but found lots there had a 4 pot Perkins with 69hp. Eww.
Yeah this is the Stanza wagon, but I believe the recall was for the "Nissan Van", which was a US version of the C22 Vanette/Largo. The larger 2.4L engine in the US ones use to get so hot the vans would catch fire. Nissan did a buy back on those.
December 6, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Yeah this is the Stanza wagon, but I believe the recall was for the "Nissan Van", which was a US version of the C22 Vanette/Largo. The larger 2.4L engine in the US ones use to get so hot the vans would catch fire. Nissan did a buy back on those.
Surprising, crash safety wasn't really the main issue. The structural B post is actually built into the leading and trailing door edges, which latch top and bottom, so it's side impact protect was quite good, but torsional body strength was poor, so much so that Nissan changed the design after '86.
December 6, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Surprising, crash safety wasn't really the main issue. The structural B post is actually built into the leading and trailing door edges, which latch top and bottom, so it's side impact protect was quite good, but torsional body strength was poor, so much so that Nissan changed the design after '86.
That Arna is a lucky survivor, and thankfully ended up having a really first rate restoration by Ian Jephcott. It looked like this when I rescued it in 2017. It had been sat outside in the weeds for ten years at that point. Sadly, the 1.3 Arna next to it had pretty much dissolved during that period.
November 27, 2025 at 10:40 AM
That Arna is a lucky survivor, and thankfully ended up having a really first rate restoration by Ian Jephcott. It looked like this when I rescued it in 2017. It had been sat outside in the weeds for ten years at that point. Sadly, the 1.3 Arna next to it had pretty much dissolved during that period.
I like the idea far more than the actual execution. I'm not that keen on the brutalist, retro-futuristic design.
3 Metres is remarkably tiny. My Daihatsu Fellow Max is 2995mm long and look how miniscule that looks compared to a regular small car, in this case a Twingo...
3 Metres is remarkably tiny. My Daihatsu Fellow Max is 2995mm long and look how miniscule that looks compared to a regular small car, in this case a Twingo...
October 6, 2025 at 10:02 AM
I like the idea far more than the actual execution. I'm not that keen on the brutalist, retro-futuristic design.
3 Metres is remarkably tiny. My Daihatsu Fellow Max is 2995mm long and look how miniscule that looks compared to a regular small car, in this case a Twingo...
3 Metres is remarkably tiny. My Daihatsu Fellow Max is 2995mm long and look how miniscule that looks compared to a regular small car, in this case a Twingo...
That's a post facelift Micra. As well as the smaller tail lights, early K10s also have smaller bumpers and rubbing strips, a different tailgate and amber front indicators. There's loads of other minor differences too. Here's an early one from FOTU in 2017...
October 1, 2025 at 10:40 AM
That's a post facelift Micra. As well as the smaller tail lights, early K10s also have smaller bumpers and rubbing strips, a different tailgate and amber front indicators. There's loads of other minor differences too. Here's an early one from FOTU in 2017...
Ewww. My Daihatsu Domino was fairly grim under the windscreen and around the scuttle area. I ended up removing the scuttle and upper bulkhead section to repair it all. A fairly time consuming job!
September 10, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Ewww. My Daihatsu Domino was fairly grim under the windscreen and around the scuttle area. I ended up removing the scuttle and upper bulkhead section to repair it all. A fairly time consuming job!
It was off the road for two years as I couldn't face dealing with all of its grot, but I finally did a couple of weeks of welding back in June to get it back on the road. Glad I did as I love driving it. It probably still needs that much welding again on the roof and tailgate!
September 1, 2025 at 6:03 AM
It was off the road for two years as I couldn't face dealing with all of its grot, but I finally did a couple of weeks of welding back in June to get it back on the road. Glad I did as I love driving it. It probably still needs that much welding again on the roof and tailgate!
This beautiful '59 Borgward Isabella Combi lives locally to me, so I thought I'd snap some pics so you can all admire it as well. The owner also has a Lancia Fulvia and a Jeans Beetle, too.
June 5, 2025 at 2:12 PM
This beautiful '59 Borgward Isabella Combi lives locally to me, so I thought I'd snap some pics so you can all admire it as well. The owner also has a Lancia Fulvia and a Jeans Beetle, too.
Amazingly, the parts I needed for the Max just arrived. They were posted in Japan 2 days ago!
June 5, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Amazingly, the parts I needed for the Max just arrived. They were posted in Japan 2 days ago!
Sad to see my old 411 Datsun Bluebird on eBay. Given its condition and that it only sold for £600, I suspect it'll shortly be taking a trip round the banger track. Hope I'm wrong, but it'll take someone dedicated to save it. It looked somewhat nicer when I owned it, but it was over 20 years ago...
June 5, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Sad to see my old 411 Datsun Bluebird on eBay. Given its condition and that it only sold for £600, I suspect it'll shortly be taking a trip round the banger track. Hope I'm wrong, but it'll take someone dedicated to save it. It looked somewhat nicer when I owned it, but it was over 20 years ago...
Next up for some TLC is the Nissan Caravan. It needs quite a lot of welder action, but it's about time I got on with it. It's been over 2 years since its last MOT expired! This is going to take over daily duties from the Prairie until next winter.
June 5, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Next up for some TLC is the Nissan Caravan. It needs quite a lot of welder action, but it's about time I got on with it. It's been over 2 years since its last MOT expired! This is going to take over daily duties from the Prairie until next winter.
I also fixed the leaky oil pump on the Fellow Max. Modern synthetic 2T oil killed the seals. No parts available, so it took a bit of sleuthing to find a solution. It now has Kawasaki bike parts in there. Leak fixed, but now the rotor arm has fallen to bits, so I still await parts from Japan.
June 5, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I also fixed the leaky oil pump on the Fellow Max. Modern synthetic 2T oil killed the seals. No parts available, so it took a bit of sleuthing to find a solution. It now has Kawasaki bike parts in there. Leak fixed, but now the rotor arm has fallen to bits, so I still await parts from Japan.
I haven't posted in a while, mainly due to being busy and partially because I couldn't be bothered, as I had no decent automotive nonsense to post about. But I have finally had time for car fixing, so first up was sorting the brakes and fuel pump on my old Bluebird. Good to have it back on the road.
June 5, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I haven't posted in a while, mainly due to being busy and partially because I couldn't be bothered, as I had no decent automotive nonsense to post about. But I have finally had time for car fixing, so first up was sorting the brakes and fuel pump on my old Bluebird. Good to have it back on the road.
The only UK one which I definitely know still exist is this one. Currently being repaired after getting heavily rear-ended a few years ago...
June 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The only UK one which I definitely know still exist is this one. Currently being repaired after getting heavily rear-ended a few years ago...
I think the Mazda 360s and Carol, Honda Z360 as well as the Subaru 360 are all well into icon territory now. Midgets are too, but commercials don't seem to be as pricy. I'd love a late LC10 Fronte like this. Really lovely design...
April 7, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I think the Mazda 360s and Carol, Honda Z360 as well as the Subaru 360 are all well into icon territory now. Midgets are too, but commercials don't seem to be as pricy. I'd love a late LC10 Fronte like this. Really lovely design...
Finally, it's April, and my Datsun Prairie Annversary has finally hit tax exemption. So the time has arrived to fix the exhaust, fit new tyres, service the brakes, and tickle it with the welder to get it roadworthy. 😎
April 5, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Finally, it's April, and my Datsun Prairie Annversary has finally hit tax exemption. So the time has arrived to fix the exhaust, fit new tyres, service the brakes, and tickle it with the welder to get it roadworthy. 😎
Have you got a Tomica Y32 Nissan Cedric taxi?
April 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Have you got a Tomica Y32 Nissan Cedric taxi?
Rather good supermarket toy car score today...
March 30, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Rather good supermarket toy car score today...
Excellent vehicular taste on display just now at Tescos in Grimsby...
March 30, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Excellent vehicular taste on display just now at Tescos in Grimsby...
I even took some pics. I forgot they also had an F&F, which must be 20+ years old now...
March 28, 2025 at 1:20 PM
I even took some pics. I forgot they also had an F&F, which must be 20+ years old now...