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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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