It’s Sunday, let’s go for a stroll in the yard! I took these pictures a while ago when I was in Gunma prefecture, about 100 miles north of Tokyo. There are no proper junkyards in the capital, but when you leave it behind and start hitting rice paddies and mountains, they do start cropping up. Nearly everything in there was domestic, bar one sizable exception. Can you see it yet?
We’ll get to it soon enough. But first, let’s have a closer look at this once-glorious 1967-71 Nissan Gloria A30 Deluxe 6 wagon, which sat front and centre.
One day I’ll find one of these (in better nick, hopefully) sitting by a curb and do it justice. This was the last generation of Gloria that was truly different from the Cedric, as these were designed by Prince before the merger with Nissan. Elegant cars. And lots of room in the back, it seems.
A trio of rotting keis – actually, there were more behind, but they were overgrown by vegetation.
A junkyard is not a proper junkyard here if it doesn’t have the king of keis – the mighty Subaru 360.
What was the first four-wheeled vehicle Honda produced? This modest kei truck, the T360 (1963-67). Over 100,000 of these tiny mid-engined (356cc 4-cyl.) machines were made, all of them in this baby blue colour. Green Honda trucklets were powered by the S500 engine, but were much less popular.
The Life wagon represents the end of the 360cc era for Honda, being produced between 1971 and 1974. These are FWD and feature a parallel twin with optional Hondamatic transmission.
Just poking out of the weeds, a first generation (1962-70) Mazda Carol two-door saloon, likely the 360cc kei version (some got a 600cc, but they were extremely rare).
Over on the Suzuki side of the yard, a relatively well-preserved first generation Jimny – a later model with the 550cc engine – looming over an early ‘80s gen 1 Alto. But it wasn’t all kei cars in this boneyard…
Boom! A massive slab of classic Americana was also there, rusting away in peace.
Interesting metalwork on that hood. Almost artistic. Should be on exhibition at the Louvre (har har har. Sorry. I’ll get my coat.)
Situated right in front of the Chevy batmobile, as if about to be devoured by it, was a cute little trike, the aptly-named Daihatsu Midget MP (1959-72). These made do with a two-stroke 305cc 1-cyl., producing all of 12hp.
The final car – and the easiest to get to – of this Sunday outing will be a first generation (1969-72) Toyota Corona Mark II GSS hardtop coupé.
These were powered by a 1.9 litre DOHC engine good for 140hp – quite the sporty Toyo, and aside from the front end, a rather attractive design. That’s another one I hope to be able to catch out in the wild someday.
What’s your pick of the yard, then? I have a hankering for the Gloria wagon and the Toyota coupé, though a well-preserved ‘60s Honda pickup would also be high on the list. Of course, the ’59 Chevy gets a special mention – even in this condition (or perhaps because of it?), it remains an icon of weirdness and excess. As a piece of (overgrown) lawn art, it’s batwings and shoulders above the rest.
Wow that 59 chevy is a big block as the V flags on hood indicate also that Gloria wagon is very nice looking what a shame these 2 are rusting away !……..
That Toyota Corona Mark II hardtop coupé is not a GSS.
A GSS would have the shark gills on in front of the rear wheel arch.
I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw that ‘59 Chevy! So coo!l 😎
That Gloria station wagon puts out a really strong mid sixties Ford Fairlane vibe, especially at the tail end. (Although the lead picture made me think it was an AMC.) Imagine one of those at a car show here in the states. It would sure cause a lot of head scratching!
I also thought the Gloria was some sort of AMC product when I first saw the lead picture.
Serious ’65-’66 Ambassador vibes.
Totally! The stacked headlights harken to an AMC Amby of that era.
I was thinking of an “Ambassador wagon”.(or Classic)
Neat ;
I can’t wait to see what crops up next .
-Nate
Louvers at the Louvre! Can’t beat that! I do like that Checy and Gloria.
That 59 was like a cold slap in the face from wandering hands! One can’t help but wonder what it would be like at a different time and venue….
Well shot pics!
Some real old rarities there, never seen a Gloria wagon that model, there cant be many survivors out there, theres a few sedans here the engines were brittle so not many made it, I ulled a 2.2 Vauxhall engine and box from a stacked light Gloria in the 7os one of many that were repowered.
Geez I can’t believe someone hasn’t rescued that Chevy, what an amazing find in Japan!
The Daihatsu midget for me please! It can’t get more 1950s/1960s Japan than that little tri-wheeled truck. Besides that, it’s prominently featured in FLCL
Here’s that little Suzuki Jimny in open form.
Someone who lived in eastend Ottawa in the 1970s, would remember this. An off-white Volkswagen Type 3 Two Door Notchback sat abandoned for many years on private property, near the train station on Tremblay Road. The loneliness of the VW just sitting there, always caught my attention, when my dad drove by. Sad, when it finally disappeared.
I think I’ve seen maybe two of these in my lifetime.
The Volkswagen Type 3’s were not that rare in Toronto or Ottawa, when new. This notchback style, perhaps the least common. I never saw them in more rural surrounding settings.
The one that really puzzles me is why that 80 series Land Cruiser is sitting in the junkyard. Is it rusted out? Or been in a bad wreck on the other side where you cant see it?
Those are $20,000 trucks in decent condition here in the states. People pay stupid $$$ for really nice low mile ones. Huge demand for them, so its not like you would sit on one a long time trying to find the right buyer like a classic car. Also diesel ones from Japan are more desirable, we never got those new here in the USA.
Very different, this lot. One of this place is not like the rest of the place.
Seems the Japanese can do messy after all, in fact, why, it seems to me everything here needs a polish, and possibly more than that, even.
I’ve never seen or heard of that Gloria wagon, and now I want one. Capitalism, huh.