6 Intriguing Japanese Classics That Need New Homes

This week in Market Finds, we’ve picked six classics from the Land of the Rising Sun that are appreciating in value, from Toyota FJ40 all the way to a beautiful “Hakosuka” GT-R. While finding parts is often difficult—sometimes importation, too—we think the extra effort is worth it: after all, do you think your neighbour will be getting a Toyota Sports 800 any time soon?

The car: 1970 Nissan Skyline GT-R 
Price: Inquire
Location: Japan
Seller’s Info: Click here

It’s going to be a pricey purchase, but owning an original “Hakosuka” GT-R must be at the top of many enthusiasts’ bucket lists. With a competition-derived inline-6 developed from the R380 race car, this example was recently restored to a high standard, with a few small detail items still to be addressed—like the Willans belts and non-factory Weber carburetor. 

The car: 1968 Toyota Sports 800
Price: $59,500
Location: Beverly Hills, CA
Seller’s Info: Click here

One of the rarest—and earliest—sports cars from Japan, the Sports 800 is a little jewel of a car that enjoys a small but loyal following. For an example said to be mechanically sound but looking a bit rough cosmetically, its price of $59,500 is in addition to any time you may be spending over the next few years building up a personal cache of spare parts for it—like the missing hubcaps. We suspect it’ll be worth it; here’s some inspiration.

The car: 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
Price: $84,500
Location: Philadelphia, CA
Seller’s Info: Click here

If you’re shopping for an FJ40, things have gotten much easier after the most mint examples started trading at more than $100,000. Now it seems as though every FJ40 in North America is for sale, or restored, or in the process of being restored… LBI Limited in Philadelphia, PA has this 1978 example for sale at $84,500—definitely at the upper end of the scale for these, but still less expensive than building a time machine to warp you back to 1978.

The car: 1990 Honda NSX
Price: Inquire
Location: Japan
Seller’s Info: Click here

We’re not sure what the asking price is on this two-owner, early Honda NSX, with just 40,000 kms (~25,000 miles) from new across two owners. What we are sure about, however, is that it looks every bit as nice as the one Honda had on display in its museum. It’s also eligible for import into the U.S., by the way…

The car: 1973 Toyota Corolla Levin TE-27
Price: Inquire
Location: Japan
Seller’s Info: Click here

Older brother to the much-loved AE86, the rare and sporty Corolla Levin TE-27 isn’t a collector car well-known in the U.S., but its rear-drive chassis and willing 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine was designed to provide maximum driving thrills, with speed comparable to small, sporty European cars of the period. Under the hood is a 2T-G twincam, with two double Mikuni carbs. With some massaging for racing, the normally-aspirated motor is capable of an impressive 200+ horsepower and a redline of about 9,000 rpm.

The car: 1988 Toyota Celica 165 TTE Works WRC Car
Price: Inquire
Location: Belgium
Seller’s Info: Click here

If road cars aren’t your thing, what about Kenneth Eriksson’s Celica rally car? With a best finish of 6th in 1988 and 2nd in 1989—but not likely in this exact car—this is the sort of ex-racer that is will get a workout in one of the many vintage rally events around the world…but a fast and fire-breaking WRC machine is probably a bit of an overkill for your local rallycross.

Petrolicious makes no claim as to the accuracy of the information contained in the car’s original listing, nor will it be held responsible for any errors in said information. If you’re interested in any of these cars, do your homework and research extensively before you buy.