• Jalopnik
  • spy-photos
  • jalopnik-reviews
  • Profile logout login

#malaise

Jalopnik

Share Cancel
   
Upload an image | Add an image URL
×

logging in
  • FAQ. Include # before tag:
  • #tips,
  • #spyphotos,
  • etc.

Detroit, 4:17 PM
Mon Nov 9
23 posts in the last 24 hours

Contact

Tip your editors:
tips@jalopnik.com

Editor-in-Chief:
Ray Wert | Email | AIM

Road Test Editor:
Wes Siler | Email

Weekend Editor:
Murilee Martin | Email

Associate Editor - Houston:
Matt Hardigree

Associate Editor - Detroit:
Ben Wojdyla

Editor-at-Large:
Mike Spinelli

Contributors:
Mark Arnold
John Krewson | Email
Andy Didorosi

Follow Jalopnik on:
Facebook
Twitter

SUBSCRIBE TO Jalopnik RSS

New: Breaking news and daily top stories via email
1753 Subscribers
Jalopnik
  • posts about #malaise more →

    First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!

    Very Much Unlike A Turtle With Bad Knees: 1977 Datsun 200-SX!

    1975 Datsun 710

    1977 Datsun King Cab: 11.3 Cubic Feet Of Cab Space!

    1979 International Harvester Scout II

    Deal Of The Year: Bustle-Back Ex-CIA Seville Limo For $350- Ran When Parked!

    A Tale Of Two Fiat 128 Hatchbacks: One Goes To Loving Home, One Gets Crushed

    I'm Not An EXP, Says Doomed Mercury LN7 To The Crusher

    1983 AMC Eagle: Too Far Ahead Of Its Time?

    1974 Ford Capri
  • Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.
    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Ford Tempo Fanatic Ford Tempo Fanatic
    11/08/09

    In reply to 1975 Datsun 710
    This is so much better then anything Nissan makes right now. #1975
     Reply
    Ford Tempo Fanatic was starred Ford Tempo Fanatic was unstarred
    Image of FTGDWolverineEdition'09 FTGDWolverineEdition'09
    11/08/09

    In reply to 1975 Datsun 710

    It does have racing pedigree. Sort of. #1975
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 was starred FTGDWolverineEdition'09 was unstarred
    Image of DrLemming DrLemming
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!
    The original Celica notchback was one of the cleanest Japanese cars of that era. I really liked its design restraint. Alas, with the fastback Toyota succumbed to typical Japanese cheesiness, e.g., the cheap-looking C-pillar "vents" and plastic-enshrouded taillights. The 5 mph bumpers just make things worse, particularly in front. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    DrLemming was starred DrLemming was unstarred
    Image of that ain't the way to have fun, son that ain't the way to have fun, son
    11/08/09

    In reply to Very Much Unlike A Turtle With Bad Knees: 1977 Datsun 200-SX!
    I liked, and still do like, the later version of this car with a four-headlight treatment.

    Gotta love a 2-door car with not only the requisite A- and B-pillars, but also C-, D-, E-, and possibly F- is you want to get picky.

    Always like the tail light treatment on the later ones, too. Everything was angular, but not in a CTS-sorta way. #1979
     Reply
    that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
    Image of that ain't the way to have fun, son that ain't the way to have fun, son
    11/08/09

    In reply to 1975 Datsun 710
    Wow, two model years, I think, before the 810, which was later the Maxima.

    Datsun's early-malaise "luxury" ride, this was.

    I was a Datsun freak around this time because I had the 1976 color brochure from when my mom bought a 2-door B210. Dark blue w/matching dark blue interior. The Z-car was the coolest set of pictures when I was a kid.

    I vividly remember my folks towing the '72 Vega with a cracked head, to near the dealership, then driving it like a block to trade it in. Clever...and now I see where installing a shift-kit in the V-8 Grand Cherokee, to hide a badly flaring 2-3 shift, trade-in idea originated.

    Sidebar: The GC did drive quite nicely afterward, and the salesman even commented on how nicely the transmission felt, even though I had a trailer hitch on it. My jaw almost hit the floor. The Suzuki Grand Vitara JLX+ I bought to replace it was just as big a heap-o-junk, but without the luxury or off-road prowess.

    Given what else was available in the marketplace, from US manufacturers, this car was pretty appealing. You had, in the same size category, Gremlin, Vega, Pinto, Maverick...kinda..., and Aspen...bad...just bad. #1975
     Reply
    that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
    Image of brandegee brandegee
    09:17 AM

    @I was drivin' that Model A: Wow, I am impressed with your parents. Nicely done.

    My grandparents went to Datsunfor a few years for the same reason. The American choices were terrible and their traditional choice, VW, was no longer cheap enough to put up with the quirks.

    They later went back to Ford after a nasty customer service fail by Nissan. #1975
     Reply
    brandegee was starred brandegee was unstarred
    Image of Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing
    11/08/09

    In reply to Very Much Unlike A Turtle With Bad Knees: 1977 Datsun 200-SX!

    They called it 200-SX so we Americans would think of sex...
    Had they kept it Silvia, we'd have pictured Sylvia Miles from "Midnight Cowboy"... #1979
     Reply
    Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing was starred Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing was unstarred
    Image of MushyHeirloom MushyHeirloom
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!
    I'll take "Hilarious C-Pillar Louvers" for $200, Alex.

    This is yet another car that I'd be glad to drive if they still existed here in New Hampshire. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    MushyHeirloom was starred MushyHeirloom was unstarred
    Image of MushyHeirloom MushyHeirloom
    11/08/09

    In reply to 1975 Datsun 710
    I need a cap for one of these, if anyone has a spare.

    On a serious note, it looks quite good until you get to that grille treatment... what's up with that? It makes my own Violet (that's the 244DL's name) look attractive, and that says something. #1975
     Reply
    MushyHeirloom was starred MushyHeirloom was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!

    I liked these early Celicas, though I have a slight preference for the notchback coupe version. Reasonably sporty, very well equipped, long-lived, and good value for the money. The one weak point was a fair liking for rust (but not as bad as Vegas or Mopars). The inspiration for the liftback styling is pretty obvious, though... #toyotacelica
     Reply
    tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of pauljones pauljones
    11/08/09

    @tonyola: Nice Mustang. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    pauljones was starred pauljones was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/08/09

    @pauljones: Yeah, I'm normally not a tape-stripe sort of guy, but the red-on-black scheme look pretty classy, doesn't it? No distracting tail spoiler either. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of DrLemming DrLemming
    11/08/09

    @tonyola: Yes, the 1969 Mustang fastback was gorgeous design. Toyota got the basic look down but didn't capture its class. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    DrLemming was starred DrLemming was unstarred
    Image of Murilee Martin Murilee Martin
    11/08/09


    @tonyola: Toyota ripped off the '68-69 Mercury Cyclone, not the fastback Mustang. Note the ornaments on the C pillar. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    Murilee Martin was starred Murilee Martin was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/08/09

    @Murilee Martin: Good point, but the duck-ass spoiler on the Celica hatch is definitely Mustang-influenced, as are the triple taillights. You can even see the painted filler pieces outboard and below the taillights, where a Mustang-like contoured bumper would fit. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/08/09


    @tonyola: Here's a liftback with a regular, non-impact bumper. Sorry, Murilee, but that's Mustang right there.
     Reply
    Edited by tonyola at 11/08/09 6:05 PM tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of Murilee Martin Murilee Martin
    11/08/09

    @tonyola: OK, so they ripped off the Mustang's taillights. I think the body lines and trim are more Cyclone/Torino-esque, though. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    Murilee Martin was starred Murilee Martin was unstarred
    Image of Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!
    I was going to ask about that striking white van in the background, but I see that Paul_Y identified already as being a Toyota HiAce. I've never seen on of those before. Of course, I do love the first gen Celica with their mock-Mustang styling cues (taillight lenses, c-pillar "vents", etc.) #toyotacelica
     Reply
    Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing was starred Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing was unstarred
    Image of DrLemming DrLemming
    11/08/09

    In reply to 1975 Datsun 710
    I vaguely remember a Datsun ad from this era with the tag line, "Datsun saves and sets you free." I've always wondered about the thinking behind "sets you free." A vague appeal to religious folks?

    The Datsun 710 deserves a special award for being the only car sold in the US (at least that I can think of) that has ever attempted a "sagging shoulder" character line.

    Hmmm. Perhaps it hasn't been tried before or since because it just doesn't look very good. #1975
     Reply
    DrLemming was starred DrLemming was unstarred
    Image of Old Grimey Old Grimey
    11/08/09

    @DrLemming: I remember those ads, and I have a mint-condition "Datsun Saves" license frame packed away in one of my storage units. #1975
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 promoted this comment Old Grimey was starred Old Grimey was unstarred
    Image of DrLemming DrLemming
    11/08/09

    In reply to Very Much Unlike A Turtle With Bad Knees: 1977 Datsun 200-SX!
    GM's legendary but rather old-school styling chief Bill Mitchell hated small cars. He once said that styling them was like tailoring a midget. The Japanese proved him wrong.

    Nissans and Toyotas of the 1970s were like shrunken American cars with an extra serving of whiz bang. The 200-SX is a good example, because it looks a whole lot like a 1968-72 mid-sized GM coupe but with exaggerated features such as an exceptionally sharp fender crease, extra-large stretch pants taillights, and a swept-back C-pillar with requisite "head wound" plastic vent.

    Sure, the 200-SX was awkward and overstyled, but it helped prove that small cars could be as baroque as big ones -- and that the Japanese could dish out cheesiness even better than the Americans. #1979
     Reply
    DrLemming was starred DrLemming was unstarred
    Image of skitter skitter
    11/08/09

    @DrLemming: But even in the seventies, did anyone find that kind of styling sexy, or did it really need the little extra -SX in the name? #1979
     Reply
    skitter was starred skitter was unstarred
    Image of Novaload Novaload
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!
    These were nice little cars. I've never been a fan of the big glass hatch/lift back, but I remember these guys and have driven a few--back then the small Japanese just-getting-mainstream cars were still a novelty. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred
    Image of Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!
    Too bad that the US market Celicas had the agricultural 20R engine rather than any of the nervier twin cams available elsewhere. Still a lovely find. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est was starred Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est was unstarred
    Image of Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
    11/08/09

    In reply to First-Gen Celica Still Going Strong In Nicaragua!
    Beautiful, and properly indestructible. These things have the survivability attributes of cockroaches. Back sat is a little tight, but otherwise rally nice.

    Good catch, Nick, and thanks for sharing. #toyotacelica
     Reply
    Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet was starred Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet was unstarred
    Earlier threads | All threads | Show hidden threads | Show featured threads only | Start a new discussion

Login

Enter your username and password.

Please enter a username.
Please enter your password.
logging in
Login via Facebook | Sign Up | Forgot Password?

Reset Password

Please enter your email address to have your password reset.

Please enter your email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
requesting password reset

Register

Registering will give you a user profile and the ability to add other users as friends. To become a commenter, however, you need to audition.

Want to know more? Consult the Comment FAQ and legal terms.

Please enter a username.
Please enter a password.
Please confirm your password.
Passwords are not identical.
Please enter a valid email address.
registration sent, waiting for reply

Submit Your Comment

You don't need to login to comment. Just enter your email address below.

See how your address will be displayed in the Comment FAQ.

Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
logging in

Login with your Facebook or Jalopnik account.

Sign up here.



  • Archives
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Legal
  • Help
  • Report a Bug
  • FAQ
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.