By Scott Ith
JDM Legends holds a meet once a month for classic Japanese cars. All sorts of sweet Japanese car geeks show up with cool Toyotas, Hondas, Subarus, and Datsuns. A separate post will follow detailing all that great variety, but this one is just for the Skylines.
Click through to get your Niss-on. (*self-congratulatory fist pump*)
Living in the U.S., a person could literally live a lifetime and never lay eyes on a classic Skyline. Seeing these cars up close is a real treat. Seeing a half-dozen of them is even better.
JDM Legends does restorations as well as direct importing of JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) vehicles for sale to customers. The owner mentioned that most of these cars, once imported, will fetch between $35,000 – $50,000 depending on condition and options.
They are certainly an attractive car. Their “forbidden fruit” quality makes them that much more desirable.
There is always something exciting about a work in progress, especially when the progress is so meticulous.
Fender mirrors for all!
Stay tuned for another post detailing some of the lesser other cars and trucks that showed up at this event.
Photos Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Scott Ith
Scott Ith is an Associate Editor with Hooniverse.com, but he also contributes to his own site NeedThatCar.com. Head over there for more hooniganism.
William Byrd 
Jeff Glucker
I always thought the whole fender mirror idea was cool. My '64 Grand Prix had one, just not as far out on the fender:
<img src="http://images.mecum.com/SC0508/SC0508-68166/images/SC0508-68166_2.jpg?lastmod=051608200300">
I think the idea is that you don't have to look off to the side to look through the side view mirror.
For many years, Japanese regs required the rearview mirrors to be viewable through the portion of the windshield cleared by the windshield wipers.
Fender mirrors mounted that far forward give you an itty-bitty view of what's behind you, which is why they were eventually done away with.
Aha. Learn something new every day. I never knew WHY Japanese mirrors were mounted so far forward on the fenders. At least there was some reasoning behind it. Flawed reasoning, but reasoning nonetheless.
That would make perfect sense if the mirrors required wipers too, not.
Even in the 90's Japanese commercials (estates, but known as vans in basic spec for company use) used these wing mirrors – so if you were buying an 'estate' from a Japanese car import dealer and it had these mirrors you knew it was the 'company' (basic) trim level you were buying.
That Skyline emblem in the first picture looks like it belongs on a '60s refrigerator.
I'M SO JEALOUS!!
I've been trying to get out to JDM Legends for at least two years now…
I like the four-door, since it's more of a sleeper.
Came for the Skyliner, left disappoint.
We can't have that. Here you go:
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8399678275_22eab01512.jpg" width="450">
mdharrell, isn't that a Sunliner?
No, the Sunliner is the convertible (cloth-top). The Mercury version of the Plexiglas-top is, however, the Sun Valley.
What's a Skyliner? Pretty sure you spelled that wrong, bro. Like a GT-R, right?
Just kidding; though that's probably how most people my age would react. Here's another, it's a…'59:
<img src="http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Ford/59_Ford_Galaxie_Skyliner-Rectrble_DV-09_MBC_01.jpg" width="500/">
Saw one just like this in person. The size and detail of the thing is impressive. Still not sure what the gunsights on the fenders are for, though.
The fender ornaments are purely decorative. On the Fairlane 500 and the Galaxie they have Thunderbird logos in them; this includes all of the '59 Skyliners. The '59 Custom 300 has slightly different ornaments with gold spheres instead, whereas the '59 Custom has no fender ornaments at all.
The central hood ornament on this car is a rarely-seen original option, although many people have added one during restoration. My '59 Skyliner doesn't have one, nor do I intend to add it (assuming I ever get the car bolted back together in the first place).
You own an American car newer than 1937? I suddenly feel faint….
Yeah, I've owned that one for over two decades now. I bought it as "project" that someone had disassembled about two decades before that. Some day….