Looking forward to the rest of this story, congratulations on your purchase!

This is an awesome story, must've been the time of your life.

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1:115 exchange rate - wow - long time since we've seen those ratios. I've been thinking the Yen would have cratered by now, helping both Japan's exports, and making things less expensive for us. How bad must the dollar be for everything else to be so strong in comparison?

Looking forward to the next installment for sure.

I think the thing is, interest rates in Japan are extremely low already (and have been for some time). So the usual trick of dropping interest rates to devalue the Yen isn't an option.

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'oversize gold-rimmed Ray-Ban Aviators and dangling a menthol cigarette from the edge of his mouth'

awesome story!

Damn that is a lot of work. All I did was go on craigslist. Great story can't wait for more.

Really enjoying this.
Waiting for next installment.

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It was!!! Japan is amazing!


I know right?! Can't make this stuff up!

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Part 7: Repair, replace and modify

I know, I know, I know…my first order of business should've been repair. But modifying is so much fun!!! Its the first thing you see! (Man, I'm so superficial But I had to finish the GT-R "look". So once I got her home…

No garage, not even a car port! Pretty much the norm in Japan...


I assessed what I needed. The taillights were missing the elusive GT-R end caps for the chrome taillight bezels. Those things are pretty heavy btw, not the end caps (plastic) but the larger surround (steel). I totally get why they take them off on the race cars. If you purchase pick up a Hako try to get the seller to throw these in, I couldn't order them at the Nissan Parts Warehouse. Luckily I was able to pick them up used at the New Year Meeting in Odaiba. A little pricey though, maybe $80US? The other stuff I ordered at the Nissan Parts Warehouse, just a 10min drive from my house. (Pure luck )


Before:

After:

I'm just finishing up bolting them back in. You have to remove the bezel and attach the end cap with a couple of screws and then put the bezel back on.

Took some measurements and added the Rear GT-R emblem...

Man, she is aching to be lowered!!!

...added the Front GT-R emblem (check out the cloudy and spherical sealed beam headlights)...


...attached the Red "GT"emblems (I didn't swap out the "Skyline" emblems).
Before:

After:


But as for the the Red "2000GT" emblem for the center console…
Before:

After:

Also in this pic, I swapped the old shift boot for a new one, the Impul shift knob with a GC110 GT-R Shift Knob (more on that later), I got rid of the old Kenwood for the one in I had in my Silvia, added a Carmate Free Box, threw in the Bride Gias Carbon Kevlar and Sabelt harness also from the Silvia, and relocated a lot of the wiring.

…the letter "N" on the grill...
Before: see above
After:


...and that ridiculously expensive Rear Red "Skyline" Emblem...
Before: see above
After:


I won't lie, I cheated. I used a fine modeling paint brush and this:

Best $2 I ever spent!!!

Tune in next time for my next entry…Part 8: I don't know what I'm gonna call it yet...

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

I somehow wandered in here from the Mitsubishi forum and I just read your story. It made me smile the whole way. The older I get I find that truth is stranger than fiction and I beleive every bit of your hilarious and strange encounter with what I can only presume was the local Yakuza boss.

This is why I love our old Japanese cars. Over the past several years I've learned that one does not simply go out and buy a nostalgic Japanese car. It's an odyssey, a real life adventure and the people you meet and the things you experience along the way... that is the real reward

Can't wait to hear the rest of this story

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so this will be the "like a boss' picture:

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Japanseklassiekers!

1970 C30 Laurel
1972 240Z
1973 610 Wagon
1977 260Z
1995 Micra
1999 200SX

Dude this story was so legit! If you can keep it up keep it up man. I am always wanting more and more lol.

awesome thread mate cant wait for more

Part 8: More stuff...

As most of you know, working on your favorite car never seems to end, once your done with one thing either something brakes or it's "Hhhmmm, what can I do next?"
I really miss my Skyline, like an old friend… Don't worry, she's still mine sitting safely in her locked garage... on jack stands…. with gas stabilizer in the tank… and the original Japanese battery disconnected… under a car cover… padlocked to the concrete.

Sorry went on a tangent there…where was I… Oh yeah more stuff… So of course I took advantage of being in Japan to get more stuff:

Stickers:




Suspension pieces:


Interior bits:


And some stuff I just cleaned up:


But surprisingly I found myself buying stuff form the U.S. too! The Japanese are big fans of USDM stuff so to have a AutoMeter Tachometer or an MSD Ignition is "Kakoi neh ?!" (Cool huh?!"). A lot of the old timer shops and Kyusha-Nori guys I met out there really like this stuff or already had it on their cars. Some of you might find this sacrilege, but to me if the Japanese thought it was cool to get this stuff, I figured I could take another advantage that I had: regular U.S. postage shipping to Yokota Air Base from JEGS! Yeah, JEGS!

I installed a MSD AL6 Ignition (ran waaaaay smoother)...


...a set of MSD 8.5mm wires, Greddy Oil Catch Can (bought local)...


…and an earth grounding kit (local)...


...a gold powder coated valve cover (eBay) and some Earl's plumbing.


Here's and old engine pic:


...and I put the interior together…In this pic you can see the Victoria RR Steering Wheel, Broadway 270mm Mirror, Razo Pedals with Rubber Soul Dead Pedal, Carbon Kevlar Bride Gias with the Rubber Soul Rails and Sabelt Harness, a Japanese road flare (required for Japanese Compulsory Insurance), replaced the old A/C with a rotating mini fan I picked up at Autobacs, a new radio bezel I picked up from the NISMO Festival, and my most lucky piece a complete center console from another Skyline that a got for a trade for my bad one. He was a really good guy, he didn't want any cash, just the old one. (If you look really carefully to you can see period correct double bar wiper blades on the windshield. )


I threw on some 25mm spacers out back to push the wheels out (they were only 15x8.5j) and I finally felt she was somewhat road worthy to hang with my other Skyline buddies (HyRev and GTROC members) this led a few "opportunities"…

Part 9:Road Trips and Photo Shoots… Don't miss it!!! (Initial D)

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

so wait this car is sitting in japan waiting for you to bring it back?

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Such an awesome story, look forward to more!

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http://classiccolt.forumcircle.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/ColtSSR
'69 Honda C50
'79 Honda C50
'73 Honda ST90
Custom Honda Chaly
'85 RX7
'79 B1600

i was wondering the same thing

Awesome story.

I'm about to go to Yokota AB myself, but I think I might be taking an older Nissan with me rather than bringing one back. I'm going to be hunting for an early NSX and will probably end up doing $45-50K with the exchange rate.

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1970 Datsun 240Z white on blue int. Series 1 #7356
1975 Datsun S30ZT *sold*
1976 Datsun S30Z *sold*
1991 Acura NSX #2402 Berlina Black on Ivory int. #2402 *sold*

Wow...you were a good customer at Rubber Soul

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hey when you installed the MSD box did you lose the stock tach or did you just want to put in the us spec one to step up the ballerness?