We like pig butts and we cannot lie. Rocky Auto has long been the purveyors of nostalgic Nissans prepped for the Modern Age. And although the focus of their bionic creations are typically S30 Zs or hakosuka with RB26 motors in … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? Rocky Auto RB20DET C130 Nissan Laurel
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Events: Nos2Days 2011, Part 02
Nos2Days is a two-day event held by Geibunsha, publishers of the awesome Nostalgic Hero magazine. Cars on display can come from any number of places — individual owners, restoration shops, aftermarket tuners, specialty car dealers, and Nostalgic Hero covers, spanning … Continue reading
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EVENTS: 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon
Every year more and more vintage Japanese steel forges its way into the Tokyo Auto Salon. But as Japan’s equivalent of the SEMA show, the theme favors “custom” over “classic”. Rocky Auto, well-known for stuffing modern powerplants into vintage Nissans, … Continue reading
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VIDEO: Rocky Auto’s Lexus V8-powered Hakosuka
Many of you loved the cars in the last video we posted but found the music controversial. Prepare yourself for the opposite. It’s hard to take offense to a Temptaions-esque free use Motown groove, but the accompanying car is one … Continue reading
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SHOP LIFE: A visit to Rocky Auto, Nissan resto-modder extraordinare
Today’s guest writer is David Lovett of Classic Car Nagoya, who recently went on a little field trip to Rocky Auto. The famous tuning shop’s founder, Yoshiya Watanabe, will make a rare American appearance at Vintage Auto Salon this weekend so come … Continue reading
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EVENTS: Vintage Auto Salon, Part 01 – JDM Machines
Vintage Auto Salon is the third show of its kind held by Historic J, the team that’s quickly becoming the de facto force for nostalgics in the Bay Area. Though co-founders James Vorasane and Ivan Jarmillo are both Americans, their events … Continue reading
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EVENTS: Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show
Step into Mooneyes‘ Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to 1960s America. Every style you can imagine, from high-boys to lowriders, is represented, including ones actual Americans no longer care about. Raked … Continue reading
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QotW: What would you do with a Nissan IDx?
Now that a highly anticipated lightweight FR Nissan has been confirmed for production, the only question is: What would you do with a Nissan IDx? How about a replica of the Safari Rally winning 1970 Datsun 510 SSS? Extend the roof … Continue reading
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EVENTS: Pacifico
Pacifico is the first show in southern California by Historic J, who have put on events like the Bayline Gathering, Vintage Auto Salon, and Shokuji J-Tin in the San Francisco area. If the show’s name sounds familiar, you might be thinking of … Continue reading
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EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 03 – Tunertopia
When it comes right down to it, the Auto salon is all about tuning. Sometimes, that can be downright cringeworthy when it comes to the classics we know and love. Other times, the result is inspired. And sometimes it’s just about … Continue reading
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VIDEO: Rocky Auto’s 2JZ-powered Toyota 2000GT
One of the most talked about cars from the Tokyo Auto Salon was the Rocky 3000GT, a scratch-built replica of the iconic Toyota 2000GT, but powered by a 3.0-liter 2JZ inline-six. It was the creation of Okazaki-based tuner Rocky Auto, whose mad builds … Continue reading
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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 01
At this year’s Nostalgic 2 Days show, we were on assignment to meet a very specific person, a towering figure from the golden age of Japan’s automotive history. Before our appointment — which will be covered in the next installment — … Continue reading
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VIDEO: Hiroshi Hosoya test drives the Rocky Auto 3000GT
The Rocky Auto 3000GT is a work of modern art. A hand-crafted body draped over one of the finest drivetrains ever produced and screwed together by one of Japan’s top tuners, it’s an homage to a timeless blue chip Japanese classic. Recently, Rocky-san … Continue reading
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EVENTS: Houston Morningstar Meet
You might have heard there was a football game in Houston over the weekend. We were in town for the epic clash — something about classic Fords versus Jeep crossovers — but before the big game the local JNC community welcomed us to a Sunday morning meet. … Continue reading
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EVENTS: 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 03 — The Classics
The Tokyo Auto Salon has a reputation for churning out some truly bizarre automotive works, but these day some seriously classy classics can be found amidst the VIP vans and drift missiles. You’ve seen the examples modified for speed and show; here … Continue reading
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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2017, Part 02 — Skyline Central
When Nostalgic Hero lists their top Japanese classics of all time, the winner is not a Nissan Fairlady Z, Mazda Cosmo Sport, or even at Toyota 2000GT. It’s the KPGC10 Skyline GT-R. Whether you agree with the choice or not, there’s no denying … Continue reading
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VIDEO: Rocky Auto’s RB30-powered Kenmeri
You’ve seen photos of Rocky Auto‘s restomod Kenmeri Skyline. It’s got an tuned RB30 engine, a completely reworked multi-link suspension, Work Meisters over R34 brakes, and modern Recaro sport seats. Recently, Rocky-San took it to Fuji Speedway and made a … Continue reading
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VIDEO: No big deal, just a couple of 2JZ Toyota 2000GTs driving around
You know Rocky Auto, the famous Japanese tuner known for his radical takes on classic Nihon steel. When it came time to build his ultimate creation, a 2JZ-powered Toyota 2000GT, however, the originals were too rare and valuable to modify. So founder … Continue reading
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Tokyo Auto Salon: The awesome stuff we didn’t get to
In the past, the Tokyo Auto Salon has been pretty easy for us to cover. The show is still geared towards cars on the cutting edge of performance tech and style, so true chrome-bumpered classics were fairly thin on the ground. However, as time … Continue reading
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Tokyo Auto Salon: Japanese Restomods
Even after 27 years, The Tokyo Auto Salon is still the premier showcase of automotive fashion from a country that has no shortage of them. Many trends have come and gone over the decades, but TAS will probably always have … Continue reading
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