Brian serves as the Information Technology Manager for Sports Car Market magazine. As a fourth-generation automotive enthusiast, he has a particular passion for Japanese cars spanning the 1970s to the 2000s and is actively involved in the North American kaido racer community.
1986 Honda Prelude 2.0Si # 78294. S/N JHMBB5234GC012562. 30k miles. “Fuel-injected 2.0-L inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission, red paint, gray cloth upholstery, power-operated sunroof, pop-up headlights, rear spoiler, alloy 13-inch wheels.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $42,090. Bring a Trailer, 7/10/22. We have seen the third-gen Prelude market climb in the past couple of years. Now it’s the second generation’s turn. This car comes from the time where Honda was moving its lineup away from the boxy cars of the ’70s but had yet to develop the platforms that would spawn its classic designs of the late ’80s and ’90s. These transitional cars […]
1986 Honda Prelude 2.0Si
# 78294. S/N JHMBB5234GC012562. 30k miles. “Fuel-injected 2.0-L inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission, red paint, gray cloth upholstery, power-operated sunroof, pop-up headlights, rear spoiler, alloy 13-inch wheels.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $42,090. Bring a Trailer, 7/10/22.
We have seen the third-gen Prelude market climb in the past couple of years. Now it’s the second generation’s turn. This car comes from the time where Honda was moving its lineup away from the boxy cars of the ’70s but had yet to develop the platforms that would spawn its classic designs of the late ’80s and ’90s. These transitional cars aren’t the most desirable Hondas, but the 2G Prelude did get a more aerodynamic front end with pop-up headlights like its more popular descendant. Midway through the production cycle, Honda added fuel injection on the Si models. This series also saw the introduction of new “A.L.B.” anti-lock brakes. Bidders continue to chase low-mileage cars in excellent condition, and the nostalgia factor certainly helped here. Well sold.
1982 Datsun 810 Maxima
# 78535. S/N JN1HU01S8CX903714. 60k miles. “2.4-L inline-6, 5-speed manual transmission, Thunder Black paint, gray cloth upholstery, power equipment, sunroof, air conditioning.” Condition: 3. SOLD AT $5,756. Bring a Trailer, 7/13/22.
In the early 1980s, Japanese manufacturers wanted to expand their offerings in the U.S. This led to more upmarket models from Japan’s domestic market being exported here, such as the second-generation Toyota Cressida and Nissan Maxima. Except with the Maxima, our U.S. model wasn’t actually available in Japan. We got what was essentially a Nissan Bluebird 910, but with the front end lengthened to fit the 2.4-L L24 inline-6, an engine similar to the one used in the Datsun 240Z. (The U.S. also got a 2.8-L diesel version, which later ended up being a popular base to build a high-horsepower stroker Z motor.) This Maxima was rear-wheel drive, with an independent rear suspension, and came with a 5-speed manual. Despite all this, there just isn’t much of a following around these cars, which is why bidding was soft on this nice example. Well bought.
1991 Toyota Land Cruiser VX Limited
S/N KK33115236. 245,800 kilometers (152,800 miles). “4.2-liter turbodiesel inline-6, right-hand drive, 4-speed automatic transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, locking-center differential, headlight washers, power sunroof, cloth upholstery, overhead compass and altimeter, center console ice box.” SOLD AT $22,467. Cars & Bids, 7/12/22.
Toyota Land Cruiser 80-series are on the rise right now. American-market cars are ranging from $15k to $60k, with a few outlier sales over $130k. Japanese imports have been in the $20k–$35k range for a while. The JDM models offer more high-end options, such as headlight washers, center console ice maker, compass and altimeter. Japan also had a diesel option, which is desirable for many. But these come with a big disadvantage: The 100,000 km (62k miles) maintenance includes a timing belt, tensioner, big-end rod bearings, along with the bolts for the bearings. Add this to the standard 80-series front-end knuckle rebuild, and it’s a lot of preventative maintenance‚ which may or may not have been done by the previous owner. One other thing to look out for on these imported Land Cruisers is a fresh undercoating, possibly hiding rust. This example looks to have been recently sprayed, which may be why it sold for cheaper than some we have seen come to market recently. Well bought if the rust was taken care of correctly; well sold otherwise. ♦
