Featured Car: Arnel’s C10 GT-R Replica

It might be safe to say that Arnel Ilog has something of an obsession with classic Japanese steel. When most of us determine that it’s time to buy a new classic, we’re forced to sit down and decide for how much to sell the one that’s already in the driveway. Poor Arnel had to make the same decision, but with one difference: He had three to begin with!

Already sitting in Arnel’s drive were a TE27 and two RX-3s. Luckily having two examples of the same car made things a little easier, and finally after a teary video diary entry spent complaining about the other cars, one of the RX-3s was voted off the island (alright, so maybe it didn’t happen quite like that).

Arnel, thanks for joining us again! I’ve been wanting to feature this car for a long time now, but you asked me to wait until you’d gotten your new rims. Well, you’ve got them now, so let’s get the hako rollin’! Introduce us.

Haha yeah, it had 14″ Wats on it before, and I really wanted it to be wearing some bigger stock before you featured it. Anyway, it’s a 1971 KGC10 Skyline running the L28 motor.

How did you come to own it?

I’ve had it for about a year, and I actually first saw this car at Rocky Auto’s website when I was just randomly browsing. Little did I know this same car would be in my garage just months later, thanks to the fellow that purchased my RX-3SP that “wasn’t for sale”.

This guy hounded me for months—he was so determined to buy my car—I was getting a constant barrage of emails from him. But his determination finally paid off when he showed up last year and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, so I took the offer. I figure one Rx3 in the garage is enough!

A nice RX-3 as the single solitary classic JDM in my driveway would be good enough, let alone two of them and a TE27! What sort of mods have you got here?

Not too many, actually. Right now it has the L28 with triple 44mm Solex, Header and exhaust system, Cusco Strut tower bar and a Camber plates.

So what’s planned for the future? Are you stopping there, or will you lavish some more attention on the mods?

I like the idea of old meets new, so possibly an RB swap will be the way to go. On the other hand a stroker L28 would be great too! I guess we’ll see what happens—it’ll be a while before I get started on the motor anyway. For now I’ll have to just work on the suspension and brakes.

I once wanted an RB-powered classic Nissan too, but for whatever reason I’ve become addicted to the L28 these days!

What’s happening inside the cabin?

First thing I did was take out the stereo and CD player it came with. After all, it can only pick up Japanese radio stations (just kidding)! I quickly installed a single player CD stereo, but I did keep the old school box speaker that it came with—I kind a like the old school look. A more comfortable Recaro seat replaced the stock seat. And of course, you’ve gotta have the Nardi steering wheel.

Nardi tillers should be standard government issue with any classic car! Externally it’s a great GT-R replica, did you source all the bits and pieces yourself?

Actually I got kinda lucky with this car, as it came with all the badges and emblems including the wing, front air dam and the over the fender flares.

Ah, the complete package! Our Lachy went through hell sourcing all the pieces for his C110 GT-R replica, so I’d agree; you’re lucky!

You mentioned that you originally had 14″ Watanabes on there, and you’ve since replaced them with larger examples.

Yeah, I wanted to make the car more aggressive looking, so I purchased a set of Watanabes in 16×8.5 for the front and 16×9.5 for the back, wrapped with Toyo T1R proxes tires. Thanks to Takumi Project for test fitting the right wheel size and offset before we ordered the wheels.

How often do you drive it? You’ve got three units of classic JDM, after all! Do you race it at all?

As much as I can, especially on the weekend after all this car is meant to be driven. I take it out at least twice a week. I don’t race it; I’m too afraid to! I have the other car for that, haha.

Wise move, I doubt I’d race it either. They’re rare enough even as replicas, let alone as genuine GT-Rs! Do you show it at many events? I’m sure I’ve seen it in plenty of photos around the web, haha.

Haha, I’m sure you have! Yeah, I’ve taken it to many events and local meets here in SoCal, and I also showed it at JCCS in Long Beach just recently.

Funniest memory of this car? Saddest?

I got pulled over one time, and the officer said I was driving on the wrong side of the street. Well, not really, I was driving on the right side of the street. The lady officer just wanted to get a closer look at the car; she said she didn’t know “Skylark” came in a right hand drive. I told her they didn’t, and that this is a Nissan “Skyline”. She said “oh well have a nice day and drive safe”. Wow, a Buick Skylark. It doesn’t even look any thing like it!

No sad memories, it’s been great!

Oh man, what’s Japanese for “Skylark”? Haha. Readers, someone look it up!

Well, all the other questions I’d usually ask have already been answered in the feature of your TE27, so I guess we’ll leave it there! Thanks again for letting us feature your Hako, Arnel! Anything you’d like to add?

Sure man, thanks for featuring it. I’d like to thank my wonderful wife and kids for putting up with me and my cars. I promise honey; one more car and that’s it, then I’ll build the deck!

Thanks to Koji and Terry @ Katy’s Nest for helping me get the car. You guys rock!

And thanks to my brother Nixon.

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