Agreed Such an awesome car I’m looking at ANY MY Y31 Cedric now with this spec There’s a few on some sites Good price Good nick Seen an identical one to this that was a 2007 MY for ¥672,800
This car has such a nice character and vibe I would suggest to keep it stock. On another note... I’m loving your show and the setup. It’s like talking with a friend on a nice subject, but without actually talking 😅
I’m not anti restomodding at all, but if it were me I’d keep this absolutely stock. The only real mod I’d make is to get the original stereo retrofitted with modern DAB and Bluetooth by that chap who specialises in those conversions. Apart from that, and the seat rails, it’s perfect as it is.
My late grandad had the 2.4 Nissan lorral He bought it new in 1986 £13 455 .. it was always garaged and always serviced regardless of cist. Yep he had that car up until he passed away. It was immaculate and always remembered how comfortable it was.
That Taximeter looks just like the one that was in my Cab, it was made in Japan around the late 70's, one of the first electronic ones as opposed to the old clunky mechanical ones that scared the passengers as they clicked up noisily.
1:35 (white on blue front fender) Oota = Oota ward in Tokyo (black on white) = Tanaka Taxi. He or She was probably the personal owner of the taxi referred to by next sticker. Tanaka is a family name. 1:39 (white) kojin = private / personal The driver doesn't belong to a company. (orange) Personal taxi traffic insurance association sticker. 6:20 (yellow) mamore! = obey! watch your speed and distance between cars. 6:25 (white on blue) chotto sokomade - hai douzo = Just over there please - my pleasure . This indicates to people that it is ok to request short trips, some people hesitate with most taxis requesting short journeys. 6:43 (yellow on silver) takushii kodomo 110 ban = /direct translation failure/ Taxi Child 110 phone number (police). Basically if a child is in trouble/danger on the street they, or someone close by, can stop the taxi for help. Similar stickers can be found on convenience stores. 11:05 (green) JR (Japan Rail) East Japan 11:08 (red on window) = First 2 kilometres costs 710yen.
No huge mods, please! Sort out the bumpers, the seat rails, maybe convert the radio, so it picks up more stations and that's it. If you feel fancy, maybe source a smaller, more interesting jdm steering wheel from the same era, so you have more room for your legs. ps. My favourite feature is the rear door opening! :D
Clearly the audience of this channel is more sophisticated, in other channels I'm sure there would be a lot of people saying to put a RB or JZ with more than 500hp and manual swap it, but here apparently most people want to preserve it what I I think it's the right one, although I would love to see such a taxi at a race track or drift event, but this is not the right car for that, I'm sure there must be a lot of these destroyed for sale for almost nothing in Japan.
The sticker at the back roughly translates to "Keep your following distance". Yeah, keep this as stock. Since there won't be much improvement even if your modified it.
I totally understand the fascination with working vehicles. My daily driver is a 2006 Peugeot Expert Eurobus that used to be a taxi. I use it for work to visit customer sites all over Lincolnshire, this week it passed 418,500 miles. Every component is worn down to a nub, it's on its fourth engine and second gearbox, and in a crosswind it's all over the road, but I love it to bits and it makes me laugh every time I look at the odometer.
Luckily I speak Japanese, I can tell you the text is flipped on the offside of the car - it's in the right orientation on the nearside. It says "Tanaka Taxi" below the blue strip, presumably the name of the company. Above that in the blue strip it says "kojin" meaning "private; individual." (I'll do the rest later!) Edit: the rest! The one on the boot (守れ!-) says "protect! (Watch out) speed and distance between cars. Private car association. Mutual assistance in traffic. The one with the cartoon animal seems to be an alert for children: "Taxi SOS! Children call 110" (presumably if the driver is being shifty), underneath it says "Tokyo private taxi association, metropolitan police department. Tokyo City." The red button under the dash is a security or alert button. "Caution! Please don't pull this. Crime prevention equipment." Quite vague, so could release an oil slick or shurikens out of the back if you're really lucky. Above the passenger door handle it says "we aim to be a reliable / trustworthy private taxi service, and operate in a proper manner... If you notice anything in this car... (Call the number)." And below that, in red, it just says "pull towards you to open." How very Japanese and descriptive. And the red sticker in the window (初乗２キロ¥７１０) means "base fare, 2km, 710 yen."
The mystery red "Crime Prevention Equipment" button should be linked to the remote door opener. If your passenger pulls a gun, you open the door and pull the red button and they are ejected out the side...
Jonny, download the Google Translate app on your phone. Open the app and select camera and point it at your Japanese stickers. Be prepared to be amazed..
It works ok, but it fails pretty hard at idiomatic expressions and technical terminology. Sometimes a completely literal translation is just as opaque as unfamiliar characters. An actual person from Japan may be able to not only provide a translation of the words, but perhaps more importantly, cultural references that put those words into context.
Oh man I love the Japanese taxi's. I've been in them twice, no need to be in them a whole lot more with their sophisticated public transport. But the two times I've been in one I loved the experience. The first time we took a cab because we couldn't find out our airbnb location and the driver just took us there nearly instantly. He got one street wrong, stopped the meter for us and checked if he was at the right place. He then came back to the car, left the meter off and drove us straight to where we needed to be. He was so friendly with us. The second time I was drunk as hell in Kyoto and just needed a ride home from the station, even though my airbnb was pretty much around the corner lol. These cars are perfect!
Gotta love a car called "Cedric" from the factory. I wish more cars had actual names instead of model names, we could have the "Ford Steve" or the "Vauxhall Warren".
You should check out the Nissan cedric or Gloria, y34. You'll be surprised the cars Nissan actually made, compared to the shit ones we got in the UK. Had the in dash built screen with dvd, nav, reverse camera, etc and that in the late 90s when other cars didn't
If it were mine? Hmm, fit Citroen's hydraulic suspension to maintain that magic carpet feel, change out the wheels to Turbofans, running gear, what about an RB, but supercharged instead of turbo & mated to a more modern transmission? I'd leave the bodywork as is, those bumps & scrapes are it's life story. Keep up the amazing work Mr Smith, the world needs people like you, especially now, thank you.
I’m always intrigued by people who thumb down videos. Why would you do that to this? What is the motivation behind that? Nice job Johnny. Great video and such a unique car to see here.
I remember getting ferried from the airport to the hotel in a slightly older iteration of the Cedric (430 model according to wiki), in Taiwan in the late 90s (maybe Taiwan built under licence?). It was a company vehicle, jet back, with flags on the wings. I used to love the mock stitching embossed into the vinyl, the tiny chromed buttons, the green LED displays everywhere, privacy curtains and the lace covers on the head rests. It handled like an oil tanker, but the ride was smooth, and it was quiet.
From a bloke who lives for building and driving/racing performance based cars for road and track, please, please, keep it totally stock! Anything else would just be heresy! 😉
Jonny this video made me so happy. I don’t care too much for the JDM taxi if I’m honest. But it’s just how you talk about it, that I find I do actually care, and you could be talking about anything. I had to go open the door for my sad cat who was stuck in the rain. And caught myself smiling while walking back. That’s only down to your videos. I think you have smashed it out the park with The Late brake Show!!
Factory LPG, well then stock is the way to go. As you most likely be unable to replace it in its current condition be a shame to change it as it has bags of personality.
My Dad loved his big Japanese cruisers. We have several as family cars. Usually 2.0l but he did get one of these Cedric's. It was a 2.8 straight 6 auto. He loved it, it was so big we called it the ballroom...very rare round rural Scotland....Great motor. I would say keeping stock too..
Use Google Translate app to work out what the stickers say ? It’ll translate using your camera . Not sure how accurate but it may give you a rough idea.
Johny, love the content and style delivered, nice and laid back, your podcast Sniff and Smith makes a boring drive easy. Sounds a little bit like paid feedback lol, Cheers
Great piece, Johnny. My only suggestion is to upgrade the stereo to play Tsunekichi Suzuki on repeat whilst driving around Peterborough From midnight to seven am. Lovely car, keep it special.
Love love love Jonny....JDM is awesome, please keep it as standard as possible, lowered would look sweet. When we are back to normality bring it to Caffeine and Machine Diakoku Nights....
I imported a 1988 Toyota Crown, which were also used as taxis in Japan. Difference was they had the twin cam motor same as the Supra. Air suspension, and so many electronic additions that are still not fitted to modern cars. Everything worked. The doily car seat covers brought back memories. Even the steering wheel moved up and came back once seated. One of the cars I regret selling. Strangely it looked the same as the Nissan. Also twin air conditioning with refrigerator in rear parcel shelf.
Jonny, that red button below the steering column is a panic button. You depress it to declare a crime (usually when you're being robbed) or some kind of emergency. That paper tag says "Caution. Anti crime function". Keep that tag! =) PS: I'd leave it as stock as possible. Cabs in Japan are moving to newer models. It'd be a classic with it's original colour scheme in no time!
I'd leave it as is, other than the seat alteration. If you must do something to the engine, I would stick an RB25det in there haha! They did make the Rb25det's with automatic gearbox's on the GTS-T Skylines, so I guess you could stick it in with an auto box to retain the chilled nature, and leave it as the stock 250bhp power. In stock form, they're quiet and smooth as silk. It's only when you mod them, they get noisy. Alternatively get the Rb20det from the R32, but not as good or common as the Rb25.
Peterborough! I haven’t been back home for years but I thought that looked very familiar and then Queensgate popped into view. Nice looking ride. I’d leave as is.
Keep it stock! These are icons of Japan and in fact much of Asia as some live on second hand . The LPG conversion was to reduce pollution in 80s cities. The red switch is the panic button which alerts the police and turns on exterior lights. Some of the stickers are to authorise use of taxi ranks at main stations - usually only fleets can do this. I think you will find that the 'chrome' is actually plastic. Note how some of the signs read right to left on the drivers side and left to right on the other. Keep it stock!
Cosmetically you should absolutely keep it as stock as possible. That's 100% of the charm. Might be fun to see what can be done to liven up the engine a bit without doing a full conversion or swap though.
Needs one of our air ride conversions! 😉 Other than that, I don’t think I’d change too much unless you really want to make it quick. The engine in it won’t win many races, but it’s interesting and different in its own way
It's such a unique car not only due to its rarity, character and quirkiness but also gives its immaculate condition that I suggest leaving it absolutely original. Give it a really top class full detailing and make a video out of that! You haven't explored this aspect of the petrolhead culture (detailing, I mean) in your videos and that would bring some interesting variety to your channel. Love your work! Thanks for creating the channel.
Great find Jonny Cab, anyone who appreciates cars and the function for which they were designed would wish you to leave the car stock. Yes try and incorporate the rear fog light a little better and of course repair the scuffs on the bumpers but otherwise its perfect.
I'd love a video about importing from Japan! There seem to be so many options but knowing who to trust and the whole money process behind it (how much tax, shipping etc) would be really useful
I got into the automotive industry back in around 1970 at a Datsun dealer. We used to service a Cedric. If memory doesn't fail me, it had a 2600 in-line six like the 240Z, but de-tuned. Another car we serviced was from the Japanese embassy. It was a Nissan President. I believe it had a V8.
Keep it stock and just give it some TLC. I used to have a Toyota Crown 2600 and used it to tow my hillclimb car. Needless to say the car in front generated far more interest. It was the Birmingham motorshow stand car and my grandfather was the first owner. I had to sell it long ago as I no longer had room for it.
Keep the original motor, if you want to continue loving it for years to come don’t change anything in it. Good luck I have imported a 1978 Brougham too to UAE and it was called 280C. So I have removed the Cedric logo names on it and replaced it with a 280C .
I think I'd leave it too. I'd love to see a video on Japanese imports, desperately want a S660! FYI some basics, although I'm just learning 人 = Person タクシー = Taxi 田中 = Tanaka 車 = Car Looks like it's from a company called Tanaka Taxis. Although I am slightly baffled to why it's backwards on the drivers side.
I remember my mum a couple of years ago brought a Mk5 VW Jetta and it was a lovely car great engine really comfy seats and barely a dent on it only problem was it had been a taxi for most it’s life with little or no servicing and after a year or so it developed what we coined “The washing machine” drive it for 15 minutes it was fine and then after about 30 mins it shudder your spine out of your soul we chucked Genuine part after genuine part at it and unfortunately we couldn’t fix it and it went to the scrapie. I absolutely loved that car and was crushed to see it go And I’m still gutted no one brought it to do a restoration on it but.. alas it’s last miles we’re on the M25 coasting into the hard shoulder as the engine cut out last mile count was somewhere around 153,705 miles. R.I.P The MK5 Jetta aka “Jumbo” the war horse that tried to cling on to life after mile after gruelling mile…
Been in these many times. Always impeccably driven, always smooth and immaculately clean, the word to describe the experience was serene. I was taking one of these from the station to my hotel in Atsugi (the town where MacArthur first landed at the end of WWII). My ultra-respectful drive wound his way down the very narrow provincial streets, just about one car wide with no pavements and buildings hard against the road's edge. Another taxi driver had parked to the right against the entrance to what I guess was a small hotel where the higgledy piggledy arrangement of the close buildings left just enough room for us to pass. At that precise moment as we came alongside, the other driver pulled the door lever on their car and bang we hit then took it off. A glance, a wave of the hand and my driver didn't even stop! Though the two cabs were from different companies, it was clear that both drivers understood that getting me to my destination was the priority. I received a respectful apology from my respectful driver and we respectfully drove on to my hotel. SERENE!
Leave it stock and maybe introduce an interview series called ‘Johnny's Cab Conversations’, where you utilise the cab as the setting for the interview, pick up the interviewee and drive somewhere relevant and interesting while doing the interview. Much like ‘Comedians in cars getting coffee’ ;-). Thank you for the brilliant content. Love your channel.
Personally I would say leave it original and just tidy it up. This would make such an amazing wedding car for those looking for something different. Great content yet again Jonny. Thankyou.
Looks like a fun project Jonny. For replacing the fog light you could rewire one reversing light with a red LED bulb. That’s what a lot of old 911 owners do so they don’t need the bolt on fog light hanging under the bumper. 👍
You can buy a device called a frequency expander that allows you to tune into local radio frequency ranges using the factory stereo.. might be worth a look to keep the factory look. Love this car. I'm a JDM fanboy so I'm loving this episode
I’d go standard, looks a great car as it is. This video brought back some memories, I spent far to many years living in quite a few countries in the the Middle East and Nissan Cedric’s were everywhere, Orange and White usually, great cars.
I’ve worked in the Melbourne taxi industry for the last 7 years. Even if you don’t mean to you do get a bit enamoured by taxis when you travel the world. All meters are different, even the cars are different, but they all havecc BC a story. The Japanese taxis are beautiful, the drivers are very professional. As for what to do with the car? I think it would be a shame to do anything to this car, it’s a beauty. In Australia I wish they were driven straight to the tip, most are that bad. Im sure you’ll do something fun. I’d be keen to see a video on importing cars from Japan.
Another great film. Love the variety. I put a red LED bulb in the offside reversing light of my Eunos and tweaked the wiring. Looks original but job done
It is lovely thing as is....but you did ask so. -Alter/ lower the seat runners - as many have said single rear fog into the stock clusters alter the wiring. Use a clear red LED module to keep the oem look. - Steering wheel how about a leather 350z item (not huge) but with the silver button sections blanked and trimmed in brown was it? Leather to match the existing knob. - Engine/ drivetrain as others have said Rb25det with an auto is a great shout. If you could get a company involved to engineer a 48v or similar starter/ generator mild hybrid system that would be interesting. - suspension yes bags for sure would look cool. But is there a UK firm you could make use of that could offer a passive setup with some kind of adaptive dampers? - Finally a bit of Uber action post mods and watch their faces when you open the door for them! Keep up the good work Jonny!😎
This is in my top ten favorite TH-camr cars, I love it.
I'd also leave it as is. Someone has maintained it really well and it almost feels like it should be preserved. It's really cool.
Agree 100%, it's in such complete and good condition it'd be a shame to change it.
Agreed
Such an awesome car
I’m looking at ANY MY Y31 Cedric now with this spec
There’s a few on some sites
Good price
Good nick
Seen an identical one to this that was a 2007 MY for ¥672,800
This car has such a nice character and vibe I would suggest to keep it stock.
On another note... I’m loving your show and the setup. It’s like talking with a friend on a nice subject, but without actually talking 😅
It needs the RB20 Turbo setup to wake it up
@@Flying_GC gearbox would not take it.
I’m not anti restomodding at all, but if it were me I’d keep this absolutely stock. The only real mod I’d make is to get the original stereo retrofitted with modern DAB and Bluetooth by that chap who specialises in those conversions. Apart from that, and the seat rails, it’s perfect as it is.
Surely that makes zero sense from a business point as he can't really make content
@@baileywestby Where is the FUN in doing everything based on what makes good business sense?
@@patreekotime4578 this whole channel is a business to make MONEY
@@patreekotime4578 also where is the fun in buying a car and doing absolutely nothing to it and it just sitting there
@@baileywestby Or you could just drive it, since it's a car
I love the knob that opens and closes the back door, perfect for dispatching the mother-in-law on the motorway.
Personally I would leave it as it is. Shes just perfect.
Boring
Wouldn't be a very smart business idea to just leave
My late grandad had the 2.4 Nissan lorral He bought it new in 1986 £13 455 .. it was always garaged and always serviced regardless of cist. Yep he had that car up until he passed away. It was immaculate and always remembered how comfortable it was.
Stock - she's unique.Just fix the seat runners, and maybe the meters
That Taximeter looks just like the one that was in my Cab, it was made in Japan around the late 70's, one of the first electronic ones as opposed to the old clunky mechanical ones that scared the passengers as they clicked up noisily.
Jonny is type person that deserves all his success hes just a true gentleman doing what he loves 👌
I'd leave it totally stock. It's special in UK as it is.
Lowered but not slammed on coilovers! With mooneyes wheels covers! Epic
I would leave it as it’s, it’s iconic as is and it would be a shame to mess with it.
1:35 (white on blue front fender) Oota = Oota ward in Tokyo
(black on white) = Tanaka Taxi. He or She was probably the personal owner of the taxi referred to by next sticker. Tanaka is a family name.
1:39 (white) kojin = private / personal The driver doesn't belong to a company. (orange) Personal taxi traffic insurance association sticker.
6:20 (yellow) mamore! = obey! watch your speed and distance between cars.
6:25 (white on blue) chotto sokomade - hai douzo = Just over there please - my pleasure . This indicates to people that it is ok to request short trips, some people hesitate with most taxis requesting short journeys.
6:43 (yellow on silver) takushii kodomo 110 ban = /direct translation failure/ Taxi Child 110 phone number (police). Basically if a child is in trouble/danger on the street they, or someone close by, can stop the taxi for help. Similar stickers can be found on convenience stores.
11:05 (green) JR (Japan Rail) East Japan
11:08 (red on window) = First 2 kilometres costs 710yen.
No huge mods, please! Sort out the bumpers, the seat rails, maybe convert the radio, so it picks up more stations and that's it. If you feel fancy, maybe source a smaller, more interesting jdm steering wheel from the same era, so you have more room for your legs. ps. My favourite feature is the rear door opening! :D
Clearly the audience of this channel is more sophisticated, in other channels I'm sure there would be a lot of people saying to put a RB or JZ with more than 500hp and manual swap it, but here apparently most people want to preserve it what I I think it's the right one, although I would love to see such a taxi at a race track or drift event, but this is not the right car for that, I'm sure there must be a lot of these destroyed for sale for almost nothing in Japan.
The sticker at the back roughly translates to "Keep your following distance". Yeah, keep this as stock. Since there won't be much improvement even if your modified it.
I totally understand the fascination with working vehicles. My daily driver is a 2006 Peugeot Expert Eurobus that used to be a taxi. I use it for work to visit customer sites all over Lincolnshire, this week it passed 418,500 miles. Every component is worn down to a nub, it's on its fourth engine and second gearbox, and in a crosswind it's all over the road, but I love it to bits and it makes me laugh every time I look at the odometer.
Bloody hell Alex, that is some serious mileage.
Luckily I speak Japanese, I can tell you the text is flipped on the offside of the car - it's in the right orientation on the nearside. It says "Tanaka Taxi" below the blue strip, presumably the name of the company. Above that in the blue strip it says "kojin" meaning "private; individual." (I'll do the rest later!)
Edit: the rest! The one on the boot (守れ!-) says "protect! (Watch out) speed and distance between cars. Private car association. Mutual assistance in traffic. The one with the cartoon animal seems to be an alert for children: "Taxi SOS! Children call 110" (presumably if the driver is being shifty), underneath it says "Tokyo private taxi association, metropolitan police department. Tokyo City." The red button under the dash is a security or alert button. "Caution! Please don't pull this. Crime prevention equipment." Quite vague, so could release an oil slick or shurikens out of the back if you're really lucky. Above the passenger door handle it says "we aim to be a reliable / trustworthy private taxi service, and operate in a proper manner... If you notice anything in this car... (Call the number)." And below that, in red, it just says "pull towards you to open." How very Japanese and descriptive. And the red sticker in the window (初乗２キロ¥７１０) means "base fare, 2km, 710 yen."
Thank you Max, really helpful.
The sticker on boot says Keep To the speed limit and keep a safe distance
@@davidB997 you're right there. Just had a sit down and translated it all properly finally! All very procedural and Japanese lol
The mystery red "Crime Prevention Equipment" button should be linked to the remote door opener. If your passenger pulls a gun, you open the door and pull the red button and they are ejected out the side...
Adjust the seat runners and tidy up the scuffs on the bumpers but THAT'S IT. It's originality is why you bought it and why we love it
I’d also leave it as it is. It’s so original.
Jonny, download the Google Translate app on your phone. Open the app and select camera and point it at your Japanese stickers. Be prepared to be amazed..
That really blew my mind, when I discovered it, trying to translate an Old Eunos brochure. Just incredible.
Well I didn't know it did it with Pictures specially of Japanese I'm going to have to try that out on my old logbook from my JDM import😂👍
That was so useful when I was on holiday in Japan! Scary clever tech.
It works ok, but it fails pretty hard at idiomatic expressions and technical terminology. Sometimes a completely literal translation is just as opaque as unfamiliar characters. An actual person from Japan may be able to not only provide a translation of the words, but perhaps more importantly, cultural references that put those words into context.
@@patreekotime4578 That doesn't surprise me I'm using Google speech to text in English and it's still makes errors or stops😪
We had these in hk . Mostly Crown Comforts here though-another bullet proof LPG Japanese icon! Leave this one as is
I'd say keep it stock my man, but you know best!
I am so glad that you are keeping the classic taxi JDM look on this car Johnny. It has so much character and I love the originality of it.
Leave it as it is. Its perfect 👌. Pluss its LPG. Everyone's a winner!
Oh man I love the Japanese taxi's. I've been in them twice, no need to be in them a whole lot more with their sophisticated public transport. But the two times I've been in one I loved the experience. The first time we took a cab because we couldn't find out our airbnb location and the driver just took us there nearly instantly. He got one street wrong, stopped the meter for us and checked if he was at the right place. He then came back to the car, left the meter off and drove us straight to where we needed to be. He was so friendly with us.
The second time I was drunk as hell in Kyoto and just needed a ride home from the station, even though my airbnb was pretty much around the corner lol. These cars are perfect!
Gotta love a car called "Cedric" from the factory.
I wish more cars had actual names instead of model names, we could have the "Ford Steve" or the "Vauxhall Warren".
they did the Gloria which is basically the same body but minimal difference
"Isuzu Baldrick". I like the sound of that.
"Boom, boom, boom" goes the exhaust.
I would definitely have a Vauxhall Warren or a Volvo Ian 🤡
You should check out the Nissan cedric or Gloria, y34. You'll be surprised the cars Nissan actually made, compared to the shit ones we got in the UK. Had the in dash built screen with dvd, nav, reverse camera, etc and that in the late 90s when other cars didn't
Vauxhall did it years ago with the V I C T O R
If it were mine? Hmm, fit Citroen's hydraulic suspension to maintain that magic carpet feel, change out the wheels to Turbofans, running gear, what about an RB, but supercharged instead of turbo & mated to a more modern transmission? I'd leave the bodywork as is, those bumps & scrapes are it's life story. Keep up the amazing work Mr Smith, the world needs people like you, especially now, thank you.
Wedding Car for some private dosh at the weekends....Doing a J Turn , Door open ...onto the next job.
@@HIOP0 Sometimes Needs must, Jonny Boy's got that extension to pay for.
@@HIOP0 Username checks out
I’m always intrigued by people who thumb down videos. Why would you do that to this? What is the motivation behind that? Nice job Johnny. Great video and such a unique car to see here.
Jonny - legend mate, to give that chap a lift to help him with an interview is class - well done to you and your wife - ace!
Jonny.... This car needs to be one of the first Lowrider Taxis out there! Hydraulic suspension.... Yesss 👍👍👍
Leave it as it is! Even the dings and scratches. They're part of the car's history.
I remember getting ferried from the airport to the hotel in a slightly older iteration of the Cedric (430 model according to wiki), in Taiwan in the late 90s (maybe Taiwan built under licence?). It was a company vehicle, jet back, with flags on the wings. I used to love the mock stitching embossed into the vinyl, the tiny chromed buttons, the green LED displays everywhere, privacy curtains and the lace covers on the head rests. It handled like an oil tanker, but the ride was smooth, and it was quiet.
From a bloke who lives for building and driving/racing performance based cars for road and track, please, please, keep it totally stock! Anything else would just be heresy! 😉
Massive turbo.side exit exhausts.airbag suspension.but stock looks.killer sleeper.that seat trim is epic btw
Change engine to a skyline gtr unit
I’d be interested in a ‘how to’ video for importing cars from Japan. The states video was great.
Jonny this video made me so happy. I don’t care too much for the JDM taxi if I’m honest. But it’s just how you talk about it, that I find I do actually care, and you could be talking about anything. I had to go open the door for my sad cat who was stuck in the rain. And caught myself smiling while walking back. That’s only down to your videos. I think you have smashed it out the park with The Late brake Show!!
Factory LPG, well then stock is the way to go. As you most likely be unable to replace it in its current condition be a shame to change it as it has bags of personality.
My Dad loved his big Japanese cruisers. We have several as family cars. Usually 2.0l but he did get one of these Cedric's. It was a 2.8 straight 6 auto. He loved it, it was so big we called it the ballroom...very rare round rural Scotland....Great motor. I would say keeping stock too..
Use Google Translate app to work out what the stickers say ? It’ll translate using your camera . Not sure how accurate but it may give you a rough idea.
This !
Yeah, this is 2021, Jonny 😁
I haven't got anything Japanese to hand but it does do Japanese translation.
Accurate enough. Has worked out pretty much everything on my Japanese import Toyota Mark X
Used this to translate a fusebox lid on my old Skyline. Awesome app!!
Love the total recall shout out!!
Johny, love the content and style delivered, nice and laid back, your podcast Sniff and Smith makes a boring drive easy. Sounds a little bit like paid feedback lol, Cheers
@@HIOP0 yeh. Wrong
Great piece, Johnny. My only suggestion is to upgrade the stereo to play Tsunekichi Suzuki on repeat whilst driving around Peterborough From midnight to seven am. Lovely car, keep it special.
How about using it as a UK Cars and Coffee interview conveyance for the interviewees ?
Love love love Jonny....JDM is awesome, please keep it as standard as possible, lowered would look sweet. When we are back to normality bring it to Caffeine and Machine Diakoku Nights....
It needs an RB26 or RB25! Love the content! Only show like it on TH-cam!
I imported a 1988 Toyota Crown, which were also used as taxis in Japan. Difference was they had the twin cam motor same as the Supra. Air suspension, and so many electronic additions that are still not fitted to modern cars. Everything worked. The doily car seat covers brought back memories. Even the steering wheel moved up and came back once seated. One of the cars I regret selling. Strangely it looked the same as the Nissan. Also twin air conditioning with refrigerator in rear parcel shelf.
Jonny, that red button below the steering column is a panic button. You depress it to declare a crime (usually when you're being robbed) or some kind of emergency. That paper tag says "Caution. Anti crime function". Keep that tag! =)
PS: I'd leave it as stock as possible. Cabs in Japan are moving to newer models. It'd be a classic with it's original colour scheme in no time!
I’m all about keeping it stock but this is your baby and I will enjoy watching what you do with it regardless! It’s lovely.
I'd leave it as is, other than the seat alteration. If you must do something to the engine, I would stick an RB25det in there haha! They did make the Rb25det's with automatic gearbox's on the GTS-T Skylines, so I guess you could stick it in with an auto box to retain the chilled nature, and leave it as the stock 250bhp power. In stock form, they're quiet and smooth as silk. It's only when you mod them, they get noisy. Alternatively get the Rb20det from the R32, but not as good or common as the Rb25.
Peterborough! I haven’t been back home for years but I thought that looked very familiar and then Queensgate popped into view.
Nice looking ride. I’d leave as is.
Keep it stock! These are icons of Japan and in fact much of Asia as some live on second hand . The LPG conversion was to reduce pollution in 80s cities. The red switch is the panic button which alerts the police and turns on exterior lights. Some of the stickers are to authorise use of taxi ranks at main stations - usually only fleets can do this. I think you will find that the 'chrome' is actually plastic. Note how some of the signs read right to left on the drivers side and left to right on the other. Keep it stock!
I’d just upgrade the suspension and leave it looking as it does now! Brilliant
I would leave it stock, because it's a very exclusive car.
"The temptation to open and close the passenger door for no apparent reason" this made me cry laughing
By all means move the seat back but apart from that please keep her stock.
Cosmetically you should absolutely keep it as stock as possible. That's 100% of the charm.
Might be fun to see what can be done to liven up the engine a bit without doing a full conversion or swap though.
Needs one of our air ride conversions! 😉 Other than that, I don’t think I’d change too much unless you really want to make it quick. The engine in it won’t win many races, but it’s interesting and different in its own way
I'm a taxi driver, love these, went around in them when visiting Hong Kong.
Don’t change anything. It is what it is. Revel in that.
It's such a unique car not only due to its rarity, character and quirkiness but also gives its immaculate condition that I suggest leaving it absolutely original. Give it a really top class full detailing and make a video out of that! You haven't explored this aspect of the petrolhead culture (detailing, I mean) in your videos and that would bring some interesting variety to your channel. Love your work! Thanks for creating the channel.
Great find Jonny Cab, anyone who appreciates cars and the function for which they were designed would wish you to leave the car stock. Yes try and incorporate the rear fog light a little better and of course repair the scuffs on the bumpers but otherwise its perfect.
Enjoyed this video on a novel vehicle. Best to simply refresh it and maintain the character as is. Importing feature sounds good. Thank you.
I'd love a video about importing from Japan! There seem to be so many options but knowing who to trust and the whole money process behind it (how much tax, shipping etc) would be really useful
I got into the automotive industry back in around 1970 at a Datsun dealer. We used to service a Cedric. If memory doesn't fail me, it had a 2600 in-line six like the 240Z, but de-tuned. Another car we serviced was from the Japanese embassy. It was a Nissan President. I believe it had a V8.
Re: rear fog light, could you convert one of the reversing light to a fog light? Keeping the rear clean and original.
Best video sponsprship/deal I have come across on youtube so far!
Many thanks, we happen to think so too. Remember your discount code when ordering from Haynes.com
For the first 10 seconds I thought I was watching “Carry On... cabbing” 😂 (Apologies to anyone under 25 for the reference)
That’s rather lovely, I wouldn’t change much.
I'd love to see it as an EV - an almost cyberpunk mod
Keep it stock and just give it some TLC. I used to have a Toyota Crown 2600 and used it to tow my hillclimb car. Needless to say the car in front generated far more interest. It was the Birmingham motorshow stand car and my grandfather was the first owner. I had to sell it long ago as I no longer had room for it.
Keep the original motor, if you want to continue loving it for years to come don’t change anything in it. Good luck I have imported a 1978 Brougham too to UAE and it was called 280C. So I have removed the Cedric logo names on it and replaced it with a 280C .
Always enjoy your vlogs Jonny thank you so much cheers
I think I'd leave it too. I'd love to see a video on Japanese imports, desperately want a S660!
FYI some basics, although I'm just learning
人 = Person
タクシー = Taxi
田中 = Tanaka
車 = Car
Looks like it's from a company called Tanaka Taxis. Although I am slightly baffled to why it's backwards on the drivers side.
I remember my mum a couple of years ago brought a Mk5 VW Jetta and it was a lovely car great engine really comfy seats and barely a dent on it only problem was it had been a taxi for most it’s life with little or no servicing and after a year or so it developed what we coined “The washing machine” drive it for 15 minutes it was fine and then after about 30 mins it shudder your spine out of your soul we chucked Genuine part after genuine part at it and unfortunately we couldn’t fix it and it went to the scrapie. I absolutely loved that car and was crushed to see it go And I’m still gutted no one brought it to do a restoration on it but.. alas it’s last miles we’re on the M25 coasting into the hard shoulder as the engine cut out last mile count was somewhere around 153,705 miles. R.I.P The MK5 Jetta aka “Jumbo” the war horse that tried to cling on to life after mile after gruelling mile…
I also vote for leaving it stock. In 20 years you won't be able to find one like that.
The Late Brake Show brightens up our lockdown days. Keep them coming. Love this taxi project.
If you get the Google translate app you can point your phone at the labels and it’ll show you what they say!
After being in many Japanese taxis new and old they are exceptionally comfortable. So smooth.
I'd leave it's appearance stock but make it crazy fast ! 😎
Either skyline turbo engine or electric 👍
Been in these many times. Always impeccably driven, always smooth and immaculately clean, the word to describe the experience was serene. I was taking one of these from the station to my hotel in Atsugi (the town where MacArthur first landed at the end of WWII). My ultra-respectful drive wound his way down the very narrow provincial streets, just about one car wide with no pavements and buildings hard against the road's edge. Another taxi driver had parked to the right against the entrance to what I guess was a small hotel where the higgledy piggledy arrangement of the close buildings left just enough room for us to pass. At that precise moment as we came alongside, the other driver pulled the door lever on their car and bang we hit then took it off. A glance, a wave of the hand and my driver didn't even stop! Though the two cabs were from different companies, it was clear that both drivers understood that getting me to my destination was the priority. I received a respectful apology from my respectful driver and we respectfully drove on to my hotel. SERENE!
Leave it alone , it's why you bought it on the first place . It's Japan on wheels !
Leave it stock and maybe introduce an interview series called ‘Johnny's Cab Conversations’, where you utilise the cab as the setting for the interview, pick up the interviewee and drive somewhere relevant and interesting while doing the interview. Much like ‘Comedians in cars getting coffee’ ;-). Thank you for the brilliant content. Love your channel.
Could you for sure do an import from Japan. The States one was great. Thanks
Personally I would say leave it original and just tidy it up. This would make such an amazing wedding car for those looking for something different. Great content yet again Jonny. Thankyou.
Stock instead of the usual 'jdm big turbo conversion'
Looks like a fun project Jonny. For replacing the fog light you could rewire one reversing light with a red LED bulb. That’s what a lot of old 911 owners do so they don’t need the bolt on fog light hanging under the bumper. 👍
Hehe, "Johnny Cab"... A clear reference to Total Recall (1990)
You can buy a device called a frequency expander that allows you to tune into local radio frequency ranges using the factory stereo.. might be worth a look to keep the factory look. Love this car. I'm a JDM fanboy so I'm loving this episode
Subtle stealth performance upgrades
Ultimate sleeper
I’d go standard, looks a great car as it is. This video brought back some memories, I spent far to many years living in quite a few countries in the the Middle East and Nissan Cedric’s were everywhere, Orange and White usually, great cars.
Also make up a little ID card of yourself to put on the dashboard like what Japanese taxi drivers have
That's a cool idea.
I’ve worked in the Melbourne taxi industry for the last 7 years. Even if you don’t mean to you do get a bit enamoured by taxis when you travel the world. All meters are different, even the cars are different, but they all havecc BC a story. The Japanese taxis are beautiful, the drivers are very professional. As for what to do with the car? I think it would be a shame to do anything to this car, it’s a beauty. In Australia I wish they were driven straight to the tip, most are that bad. Im sure you’ll do something fun.
I’d be keen to see a video on importing cars from Japan.
Twin turbos. Make it a fast cab :)
Another great film. Love the variety.
I put a red LED bulb in the offside reversing light of my Eunos and tweaked the wiring. Looks original but job done
Convert it to a Tokyo drift taxi
It is lovely thing as is....but you did ask so.
-Alter/ lower the seat runners
- as many have said single rear fog into the stock clusters alter the wiring. Use a clear red LED module to keep the oem look.
- Steering wheel how about a leather 350z item (not huge) but with the silver button sections blanked and trimmed in brown was it? Leather to match the existing knob.
- Engine/ drivetrain as others have said Rb25det with an auto is a great shout. If you could get a company involved to engineer a 48v or similar starter/ generator mild hybrid system that would be interesting.
- suspension yes bags for sure would look cool. But is there a UK firm you could make use of that could offer a passive setup with some kind of adaptive dampers?
- Finally a bit of Uber action post mods and watch their faces when you open the door for them!
Keep up the good work Jonny!😎
Leave it’s stock and do you interviews in there rather than the brown chairs
I think that’s a bloody good idea!
What a fantastic project car! Ev power train and underseal, keep all the stickers and taxi gear, espicially those lace seat covers!