Beasts Of The East: 10 Asian Cars Which Deserve A Restomod
Restomodding is typically an American pursuit, taking classic American autos and making them even better. I’ve always wondered what would happen if this idea was to spread further. I don’t mean necessarily geographically, but in car variety. I want to see cars from other continents given the same treatment; weird Frankenstein’s monsters created, and, most importantly, a wider range of choice. In an earlier post, I showed you 10 of my favourite restomods which use European cars as their base. This time, it’s the turn of Asian cars. What if they weren’t hoarded by a thousand wannabe drifters and bedecked in the kind of ugly modifications you can only buy at Walmart? These are the models that I want to see restomodded properly by smart folks with good taste, because that’s what they deserve.
Acura NSX
Years produced: 1990-2005
The Acura NSX was a car that many people seem to look back on today with a kind of retroactive mediocrity. It has its fans, make no mistake, but a lot of people just forget it happened. If you’d not guessed, I’m not one of those people. The NSX is a car I’ve always had a soft spot for: the first mass-produced all-aluminum car, it was brilliant. Although not as aggressive or outright violent as something like a throaty Mustang or a Ferrari, it had an allure. It looked superb, with the classic 90s stylings that you’d want on a racer. The headlights popped up! A minor detail, I know, but it really felt like a Japanese Lotus.
They were fast too, whatever naysayers today may try to say. Later models could get to 60 in under five seconds, and they handled dreamily. There’s also that famous Japanese reliability, which means that even models with fairly high mileage should run well. If you want one, they’re pretty cheap for an exotic, around $50,000. As for modifications which you may want to make? The cabin can look a little dated these days, in that plasticky 90s way. I’d resurface the dash etc, at the least, as well as replace the panels. You may also fancy changing the engine, maybe bringing in a more modern Japanese V6, or fitting a turbo to the existing one.
Toyota MR2
Years produced: 1984-2007
The Toyota MR2 may not seem an obvious choice for a restomod, but I’ve got solid reasoning for this. Firstly, they’re dirt cheap: you can pick one up for under $5000 without much trouble. Secondly, they’re small racers that have big ideas. Built around supercar design, meticulous attention has been put into making sure that everything is as good as can be. The cars are mid-engined, while the fuel tank has been deliberately placed to ensure the car has the best center of gravity possible. It handles superbly as a result, with corners made without breaking a single sweat. The only well-known issue with the MR2 is how airy the steering can become above 100 mph, but that’s fairly minor, all things considered.
It’s built like the proverbial brick outhouse. The fittings are incredible, the standard equipment (for the time) was revolutionary, and its performance brilliant for such a low price. If you want acceleration, you’ll find it here, with a 0-60 time of around eight seconds. It may not be a record breaker, but if you fancied it, you could change that. Take one of these and do an engine swap, putting in something like the V6 from a Camry, and you’ll have a genuine speed demon. Match this with new transmission and some custom suspension, and you’re going to have more fun than you ever thought possible without a consenting partner. Extremely customisable and cheap, it’s a huge surprise that you don’t see more of these being restomodded into near-supercars.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
Years produced: 2003-2005
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII is a car that has a huge cult following in some countries such as the UK. It’s not hard to see why. The only true rival to the Subaru Imprezza WRX, the Evo VIII does so many things extremely well. It’s that rarest of things, a jack of all trades who’s mastered them. If you want to actually tear down some dirt trails at high speed, you can do that. If you want to do a drag race, you can do that. If you want to corner? You can do that. It’s impeccably balanced. Although the 2-liter engine may seem small by US standards, it still manages to kick out around 300 horsepower in a small car. The results are the kind of dramatic speed you’d expect from maybe a sports bike. Even given this, the economy is acceptable, and it’s far more practical for day to day life than you may think.
Which changes should be made to the Evo VIII, in my opinion? Most importantly, do something about the awful interior. Stepping inside you’re presented with layer upon layer of cheap looking plastic. The switches and knobs look like they could have come from a Dodge Neon. I’m not exaggerating, it’s horrendous. Rip it all out, and replace it with some good-looking vinyl or leather, as well as new and more solid switches. I like the exterior personally, but if you’re not a fan, consider dropping it lower and making it more of a speedster than a rally star. As for the engine? It’s very solid, as I said earlier, but if you want more? Maybe throw a V6, or even a V8 (it has been done) to add even more power.
Mazda RX-7
Years produced: 1978-2002
Now, I want to preclude this by saying that I fully understand that making a restomod RX-7 would be a colossal pain. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. The RX-7, particularly early models, is a car that I’ve had a soft spot for for a long time now. Partly, it’s because of the ambition that went into it. It’s driven by a Wankel Rotary Engine, part of Mazda’s attempt to make such an idea practical. Sadly, it wasn’t, but it’s still a fascinating historical curio. The small engines which powered the RX-7, as minute as 1.2 liters, were ferocious. That’s the reasoning behind a Wankel: small displacement, big performance. These could hit 60 in anywhere from 4.5 to 8.9 seconds, depending on the model.
Aside from the strangeness of the engine choice, they also looked wonderful. I challenge anyone who cares about sports cars to look at an early-model RX7 and not feel something. The problem is the maintenance. Wankel engines are rare, and that means so are parts. You can get them, but be prepared to pay a fortune. The work required to repair one is specialised too. Even if you’ve been working on engines since you were tall enough to reach, they’re built very differently. If you’re not a sentimental person (read: not me), you’d be well-advised to do a Mazda and remove the Wankel. Just put a V6 or a V8 in there (being mindful of weight distribution,) and take that gorgeous car to new heights.
Datsun 2000 Roadster
Years produced: 1967-1970
The Datsun Roadster is an amazing-looking roadster that’s not talked about all that much. Pipping its closest rival, the MG MGB, to release in 1960, it was cheap, fast, and fun. The 2000, released in 1967, stroked out a 1600 engine to 2-liters, producing 135 horsepower. On a small car in 1967? This was no joke. Several were bought by F1 and Le Mans racer Bob Bondurant for use in training, that’s how good these were.
The interior is pretty respectable too, and by no means cramped, an achievement for a small car of this era. For fans of the classic Datsun look who want to be different and avoid the 240Z, the Roadster is just the ticket. It’s a fair bit more pricey these days, but still affordable. The main problems you’ll encounter on a Datsun Roadster when building your restomod, are the result of their cheap price. Due to this, many people bought them and drove them nearly into the ground, meaning you’re going to have to carry out quite a lot of repairs during the restoration phase. Space under the hood is tight meaning an engine swap, while possible, will be a fairly irritating job. If you upgrade it though, even to something like the 2-liter engine from an Evo VIII? You’re going to be in for some wonderful drives.
Toyota Supra
Years produced: 1978-2002
The Toyota Supra is another car, like the Evo, which has a big cult following. Once again, it deserves that, and, if I’m honest, more attention. The 1993 Supra’s engine, the catchily named 2JZ-GTE, is still relatively small at 3 liters, but this one is a straight-six. The engine could produce 320 horsepower in stock form, but it was also tuneable to bonkers levels. Some owners have taken their Supras to over 1000 horsepower, more than a Bugatti Veyron. These super Supras have hit 195 mph in quarter miles, and have 0-60s of around two seconds. It’s plain ridiculous, to be honest, and I love it.
On the downside, the body looks pretty weary these days, and the interior is plain dull. That being said, my eyes are still being inexorably drawn to the stats I just typed. I can’t get away from them, and in most cars, you can’t get away from a tuned Supra. A used Supra will lighten your pockets by somewhere around $30,000-50,000. You really don’t want to throw that engine out, so put some time into tuning it and develop your own crazed Japanese sports/dragrace hybrid. Where does restomodding come into this? Well, changing the transmission, suspension etc, would be an excellent idea, as would ripping out the hoary old exterior.
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Years produced: 1989-2011
The modern Mitsubishi Eclipse is pretty damn tame, but the first-generation was a young man’s racer. They output 195 horsepower and came with a turbo which kicked in at 3000 rpm, pushing the small engine even further. Many were lost to the whims of tuners who didn’t really know what they were doing, meaning finding one can be a huge irritation. If you can however, you can rip out the old smaller engine, which is far less mad than an Evo’s, and replace it with a V engine or one from the Evo.
I know some may love the Eclipse’s original looks, especially if you used to own one, but I really don’t. I’d restomod the body with some more modern looking panels, and strip out its once again dreadful 90s interior. Replace it with something that actually suits a sports coupe, rather than looking like it came from a family sedan. It may seem that I really don’t like this car, so why is it on the list? Well, because restomods can really capitalize on nostalgia. This car would have been special to many people, now it’s time for them to take it back and make it better.
Datsun 510
Years produced: 1967-1973
It’s a car that’s often unfairly called a poor man’s BMW. I get why, it looks shockingly like a BMW 2002, but it has a full range of its own charms. Like the Lancer or Impreza of its day, the 510 performed superbly in rally championships. It may not be the fastest car around (okay, it definitely isn’t), but it’s very well-designed. Inside, there’s plenty of room for passengers, and it also handles wonderfully. The cars are often highly modified already, because of the aforementioned lack of power, meaning finding a base model which you can build on from the ground up will be nigh-on impossible.
They’re collectors’ items these days, so expect to spend more than you might assume, probably somewhere around $7500. There’s quite a bit of room for an engine swap, if you want to improve the power. I’d recommend taking inspiration from the vast amount of upgrades which various customers have performed to BMW 2002s over the years. Even though they’re not directly applicable, there are numerous comparable upgrades which you can do to turn your Datsun 510, once again, into a BMW killer.
Datsun 280Z
Years produced: 1975-1978
Everyone knows the Datsun 240Z, but precious few people talk about the 280Z, its successor. Released in 1975, the 280Z is, for my money, just as beautiful, if not more beautiful than the 240Z. Coming with the looks of a Toyota 2000GT but for a tiny fraction of the cost, there’s something jawdropping about the 280Z. It’s also fairly reliable for a classic, and decently speedy thanks to a 2.8-liter straight-six. It also handles like a dream, and can be worked on easily.
However, all things are relative, and while it’s still decently speedy, I’d absolutely understand if you wanted to make it more so. The joyous thing is these cars can even accept a V8 if you so fancy, which would turn it from a beauty with solid performance to one that’s just all-around incredible. If you’re thinking of a Datsun, maybe skip the 240Z and head straight to the 280Z. It needs more love.
Nissan Skyline GTR R33
Years produced: 1995-1998
I know that as recently as two weeks ago, I brought up the Nissan Skyline GTR R33, but do bear with me. It would be extremely remiss of me to not include it on this list. I firmly believe that this is one of the finest cars ever to come out of Japan for a number of reasons. One is how it blends the necessities of everyday life: practicality and economy, with speed seamlessly. This is a car that genuinely can take your passengers and their luggage, while still maintaining a high speed. The top speed was 155 mph, and it could crack 60 in five seconds.
They’re not too expensive considering all this either, with the price of a decent one hovering around $25,000-30,000. Be prepared to fix some minor dings; these are cars which were often driven extremely hard. If you’re not interested in keeping the original engine, you could fit a small-block V8 under the hood. Now that’s something I want to see.
