A Four-Car Garage Of JDM Dreams

Desire makes people do crazy things. Wanting a piece of something special is human nature, but when there’s suddenly a shortage of something that everyone wants, things start to get a bit silly.

All of a sudden people want old Honda Civics in any configuration and are willing to pay crazy money for something that originally sold in hundreds of thousands of units. I think you all know what happens when people start lusting over something of which only 1,945 units were built…

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All around the world, used car prices are skyrocketing and people who can are buying up collectible vehicles from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and early-’00s like there’s no tomorrow. There is a tomorrow of course, but it’s likely to be all-electric. That means, as these cars get squirrelled away by those with the financial means to do so, the rest of us are left to fight over base model cars, which in turn have their prices grossly distorted.

When I was in Osaka last year, I stopped by Sho-san’s garage to check out his collection of modified kyusha. With only 45 minutes to get back to the airport for my return flight, this really was a fleeting visit.

Considering their value, most of Sho-san’s classics rarely see the road, but luckily for me his restomodded Rocket Bunny-kitted S30 Fairlady Z was ready for a run. With the engine warmed up, we set off for a very quick lap around the block.

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Personally, I love this Z’s cold slate grey paintwork offset by the 18-inch Slybucks Forged wheels (made by Barramundi Design) with the splash of yellow.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t have time to photograph the details, so my sincere apologies for that. I’ll paint a picture for you though: a plush red leather retrim (with perforations and chrome rivets for the seats), air suspension, and an L-series engine on ITBs. It was mesmerising to see and hear it out on the street for the few minutes we had to shoot.

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Cars of this era are very special indeed. They resonate across multiple generations, the older for nostalgia and the younger because these cars are Instagramably cool.

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All four cars in Sho-san’s garage are worth a closer look, and the next time I’m down in Osaka I’ll try to do just that with some proper features. But which one would you most like to see more of? And on top of that, which one would you daily drive, and which one would you keep as an investment and not drive?

Personally, I would just drive them all. But then, I’ve never really been good with money.

Toby Thyer
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