Like many others, the idle of my AE86 was too high, even when fully warmed up. The engine would idle at slightly above 1000rpm. This wasn’t too bad, but I wanted to fix it. Some countries also test the idle Read More
4A-GE Engine Failure After 60km Due To Stuck Valve

After my Levin finally passed inspection, and the issue with the leaking clutch was fixed, a friend an I went on a drive to Yokosuka, to eat some American burritos and enjoy the seaside. The 86 ran well, and we Read More
How to Restore the AE86 Levin Zenki Headlights

The headlights on my Levin were in terrible condition. The adjustment screws didn’t work, the lights were not aligned, and the light yield was terrible. I decided to rebuild them. The headlight removed from the car, and superficially cleaned. My Read More
Replacement Gaskets for a Toyota AE86 Fujitsubo Legalis R Exhaust

Recently, I had to remove the Fujitsubo Legalis R catback exhaust from my AE86, and renew the gaskets. The original gaskets from Fujitsubo are hard to find, so I searched for suitable replacements. It took me some time to find Read More
My AE86 in Japan (3): A Long Way Home

I bought a rusty AE86 unseen of yahoo auctions. The car had been sitting for over eight years, has rust, faded paint, and an expired vehicle inspection. I plan to restore this car as my weekend car. My Japanese is Read More
Pictures of the GM EV1 and Impact

Last week, I visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. I am a huge fan of the GM EV1 electric car pioneer, and I wanted to see one of the few surviving examples. The Petersen Automotive Museum has both Read More
My AE86 in Japan (2): Desperately Needed Maintenance

I bought a rusty AE86 unseen of yahoo auctions. The car had been sitting for over eight years, has rust, faded paint, and an expired vehicle inspection. I plan to restore this car as my weekend car. My Japanese is Read More
My AE86 in Japan (1): Buying A Car Unseen of Yahoo Auctions

I bought an AE86 shitbox off Yahoo Auctions in Japan, and plan to bring it home.
How to Transfer Your Car Home in Japan Without Shaken (車検)

If you buy an old car in Japan (for example, on yahoo auctions), there’s a chance that the car doesn’t possess a valid car inspection (車検 – Shaken). Bringing such a car home is quite a hassle, as hauling companies Read More
How to Remove the BIOS Password from an IBM ThinkPad 240

I bought a second-hand classic ThinkPad in great condition, but it had a BIOS password (supervisor password) set. The ThinkPad was in very good condition and barely used, so I decided to un-brick it. To retrieve the BIOS password, you Read More
What goes wrong in the Battery Monitoring System (BMS) of the Honda Insight ZE1

When Honda built the first generation Insight, Automotive battery technology was in its infancy. When the Honda engineers were tasked of building the energy storage for the hybrid system of the Insight ZE1, the new Nickel-Metal-Hydride cell types were cutting Read More
Typical Rust Spots of a Nissan Skyline DR30 “Tekkamen”

I visited a DR30 Skyline and shot some pictures of the body, documenting the usual rust spots. I evaluated the Skyline mainly based on restoration effort: what needs to be welded, what are the typical rust spots, and what kind Read More
The Story of my Nissan Sunny B12 GTI #1

My Nissan Sunny B12 GTI was owned by a caring elderly couple for 16 years. It should have become a pristine classic car, but instead it went through the misery of being a beater car, being abused, and failing inspections due to lots of rust. It went through several hands before I took care of it and restored it. This is its story, part 1.
What is the “Vinegar Syndrome” and how to fix it?

My ThinkPad 240 from 1999 suffers from a warped and bubbled LCD panel surface, emitting a strong vinegar odor. In today’s blog post, I want to explain to you the chemical process behind this aging process called “Vinegar Syndrome”, and Read More
How to Refurbish a Sony Discman D-10/D-100

The Sony Discman D-10/D-100 portable CD player is a neat piece of retro audio equipment, but being introduced in 1986 means that they usually stopped working at some point. I bought a few off yahoo auctions and have a good Read More
The Parking Lot of the Tokyo Mobility Show 2023

In today’s blog post, I would like to share my experiences from the Tokyo Mobility Show 2023. However, it may be different to what you may expect: if you are looking for impressions of brand-new concept cars, new BEV-powered vehicles Read More
1979 Honda Civic Found Rotting on the Roadside in Malaysia

Honda built the second generation Honda Civic from summer 1979 till fall 1983. In 1980, it was upgraded with a more angular styling to be ready for the 80ies. I’ve found this rusty pre-facelift model on a vacation in Penang, Read More
Why I Love the Automotive Section in Japanese Bookstores

As a car guy, the Automotive section in Japanese bookstores is a great place to spend some time. Within the first few weeks after moving to Japan, I became a frequent visitor to Tokyo’s bookstores, buying reprint car magazines about Read More
Impressions From Japan’s Largest Classic Motor Show: Nostalgic 2days 2024

After seeing the poster for the Nostalgic 2days (“The largest classic motor show in Japan”) at a 7-11 in a busy Tokyo metro station, I immediately made a note in my calendar, and asked my friends if we want to Read More
My Secret Love for Malaysia’s National Car: The Proton Saga

When you visit a country for the first time, it usually doesn’t take long to get a sense of the local car culture. In Germany, you’ll find the occasional lowered BMW with custom exhaust sprinting well over 200km/h on the Read More
Skyline C211 Awaits Restoration in a Small Workshop in Chiba

In July 2022, I went to pluck strawberries in the Chiba prefecture, two hours from Tokyo, when I spotted today’s junkyard roadside find. Not much is left of the beautiful Skylines exterior, It took my quite a while to find Read More
A Snowy 1987 Nissan Sunny Coupe

This snow-covered low mileage 1987 Nissan Sunny B12 Coupe crossed my path on a cold winter day in November 2010. Parked on the roof of a second generation Ford Probe on a junkyard in Lustadt, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, these two Read More
Proton Saga Being Parted Out in Malaysia

Have you ever heard of the Proton Saga? No? I don’t blame you. Allow me to explain: Proton Holdings was founded in 1979 as a government project in Malaysia, with the goal of boosting the national automotive industry. Initially selling Read More
’89 Nissan Sunny Hatchback with rare German Pfeba Body Kit

In Germany, the Pulsar N13 is known as the Nissan Sunny: for the European market, Nissan decided to market the B12 sports coupe and the N13 both under the Sunny name, and both were quite successful on the European market. Read More
An Unmolested Toyota AE85 Survivor Hidden in Downtown Tokyo

If you lived in Japan for a while, chances are high that you have been infected by the foodie obsession: you are constantly looking for new tasty restaurants to try, and topic no. 1 among your friend network becomes food Read More
Visiting the Largest AE86 Festival 2023 in Japan

Shortly after I moved to Japan in late 2022, I learned about Japans most famous AE86 meetup in Japan: the AE86 festival, held annually at the Okayama circuit. I decided that I need to take advantage of the first possible Read More
The Ultimate Nissan Sunny B12 Rz-1 Wheel Guide

Over here, I listed an extensive list of popular wheels for the Nissan Sunny B12 Coupe. I listed wheels that are (1) period-correct (i.e. produced in the 80ies or early 90ies), and (2) are commonly seen as aftermarket options. The Read More
Mazda MX-5 NA “Hot Rod Flames” Edition

I encountered this exciting hot MX-5, resting at its final resting place on a junkyard in Hamburg, in November 2015. The day was cold, rainy and gray, well in contrast to the hot flames put on the side. In 2015, Read More
How does a Worthless Car turn into a Valuable Classic 15 Years later?

Browsing through the pictures of junkyards I took 15 years ago, it astonishes me what kind of cars were discarded back then, which I consider by now to be valuable classics. For example, look at the Golf GTI in the Read More
1987 Silver Nissan Sunny Coupe SLX

In Germany, when you are living on the countryside and turn 18, one of the most yearningly awaited rights is to be able to legally drive a car by yourself. When it was my turn to reach the magic date Read More
USDM Corolla GT-S AE92 Being Scrapped in Germany

The AE92 Corolla 2-door coupe was never officially sold in Germany, which – I assume – is due to its American styling, which would not appeal to continental European customers. In fact, I never heard about a sporty coupe variant Read More
Rare Sunny B11 Coupe Awaits the Crusher

The B11 generation of the Nissan Sunny Coupe is a car that has vanished from the roads and most people’s memories. While the older, rear-wheel drive Sunny generations possess motorsport pedigree and are preserved by a careful group of enthusiasts, Read More
This Flashy Opel Manta B CC Waits for the Crusher

In March 2012, during a regular visit to a junkyard in Lustadt, Germany, I found this bright green 1980 Opel Manta B CC awaiting the crusher claw. Back then, I was more interested in Japanese cars, so I only took Read More
Nissan Sunny with a big Peace Sign on the Bonnet

I found this ’90 Nissan Sunny B12 Coupe, resting on the roof of a Seat Marbella, on a junkyard in Landau/Pfalz, Germany, in October 2009. Featuring a big peace sign painted on the bonnet and several smileys painted over the Read More
A Complete Skyline R33 ends on a German Junkyard

This scrapped Skyline R33 was the most incredible finding during my junkyard visits over the years. It turned up on April 2010 on a small junkyard in rural Landau in der Pfalz, Germany. Even more surprising, it was not only Read More
In Japan, you can Buy This 1/8 Scale AE86 Model Car Kit

Update: follow my AE86 model car build on YouTube. During my weekly visits to the Japanese bookstores, I saw this huge AE86 model car being advertised in the store window. Scaled at 1/8, it measures more than 50cm in length. Read More
How to Use PayEasy in Japan

A few days ago, I had to request some tax certificates, which I have done online via the Japanese eTax website. The payment information is provided using three numbers: Some banks allow making the Payment online, but the usual foreigner-friendly Read More
How to Convert your 80ies Sony Discman D-10/100 to Li-ion Battery

In 2023, Japanese textbooks still come with Audio CDs. If you want to listen to them during your commute, you’ll have to go through the hassle to convert them to MP3 and store on your phone. Or, you could get Read More
How to Replace the Li-Ion Cells of a Classic IBM ThinkPad 240 Battery Pack

A while ago, I purchased a ThinkPad 240 online, and upon receiving it, my excitement grew as I discovered its almost pristine condition. The keyboard displayed only minimal signs of wear, and the Intel Celeron and Windows 98 stickers on Read More
Mein Honda Insight ZE1
Fakten: Baujahr 2000 Deutsches Modell Historie und Verbrauchswerte: https://www.spritmonitor.de/de/detailansicht/829879.html 410,000km TÜV bis 10-2023 Mängel: mangelhaft reparierter Frontschaden: Motorhaube und Stoßfänger sind krumm. Der Vorbesitzer ist an eine Ampel gefahren, und ich konnte keine Ersatzteile bekommen. Die Karosserie ist gerade, und Read More
Nissan Sunny Rz1 Digital Cluster Adapter Schematics and CAD

I would like to make the Nissan Sunny Rz1 Digital Cluster Adapter open-source and allow DIYers to build the project themselves. To build the adapter yourself, you will need to: Build the Adapter ECU First, you need to order the Read More
Original German Press Kit for the Honda Insight ZE1

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the original press kit released in Germany in the year 2000, when the first generation Honda Insight was released. I scanned all pictures and documents, and even digitalized the VHS tape. Read More
Digital Cluster Conversion Kit Launch

I am pleased to announce that for the Nissan Rz1 digital cluster conversion kit project, all development and testing steps are complete. The product will be launched in April 2021. To put it simply, this kit allows you to put Read More
My Honda Insight ZE1 Hybrid Car

After driving my Nissan Sunny B12 Coupés for many years, I felt I needed something more environment-friendly and a bit safer. Due to my work, I had the opportunity to drive a fourth-gen Toyota Prius as a test vehicle. Most Read More
How to Implement 3D Object Triangle Selection?

keywords: 3D geometry; triangle selection; vertex selection; When developing 3D software, you might want to allow the user to select specific polygons or vertices from your 3D model. Different parts of the geometry, such as corner points (vertices), triangles or Read More
Honda CRZ ZE2 CAN Bit Assignment Sheet

A while ago I hooked a CAN logger to a friends CRZ, and reverse-engineered the CAN bus on both thr vehicle CAN and the secondary IMA CAN bus. Hope it helps for your projects 😉 Vehicle CAN Message ID Bit Read More
How to fix “Can not find free FPB Comparator!” Error When Using OpenOCD in Eclipse
TL;DR: What is my Problem?You have too many breakpoints set. If you have no breakpoints set, look out for implicitly set breakpoints (e.g. main or exception handlers). In my scenario, I had multiple class member functions Class::main(), and the debugger Read More
Building a Digital Cluster Converter
Today I would like to share some exciting news for you, and make it official – I am building a converter to allow you to fit a digital cluster into your eighties oldschool vintage car! In the last few months, Read More
Nissan Sunny B12 Rz-1 Digital Speed Sensor

Today I finally managed to measure the signals on the digital speed sensor. I don’t own any of the Rz-1 digital cluster parts, but luckily, a friend borrowed me his sensor and allowed me to reverse-engineer it. The speed sensor Read More
Honda Insight ZE1 OBDII Smartphone App
I’ve been using Peters OBDII C&C for quite a while now, and while I like it’s features, it lacks the intuitiveness of a modern smartphone app. So I thought it’s about time to improve this! System Architecture Two MCUs are Read More