I knew when I typed it up, it would be a little confusing. No, the car is in the U.S. currently. I'm going off a timeline in the "story telling" part. But at the same time I'm currently "away" from home where the car is, due to military commitments.


Yes, I was there quite a bit. They were closest shop with the most parts and quality service.


Yes, I was hoping to rig a converter somehow to have the stock tach work with the MSD. I heard it can be done. But I haven't really decided yet. I am leaning towards picking up an AutoMeter.

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

So jealous!!! Yokota AB was the best assignment ever!!!

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

I know with Zeds you can't keep the stock tach after you swap to electronic ignition, but I get the feeling the Hakos are wired up a little differently and it might be made to work.

That said...an Autometer tach will wire up and work straight away

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Part 9.1: Road Trips and Photo Shoots

With my Hako-chan finally up to par (at least to me) I felt more confident to show her around for others to see her. Like most of you I'm sure many of you feel the way I do. Your car is a representation of who you are, how you approach things, and an extention of how you want things to be. My first outing to Daikoku-Futo was small but memorable. Paul's R33 LM GT-R, a Top Secret R34, and my KGC10. (She actually doesn't have the suspension in these pics yet.)







After this meeting there were many more trips to Daikoku…


















Odaiba...




…and more distant Autobacs, UpGarage, and Parts-Off shops.






One of the best trips was a Skyline convoy to Mine's, a high end tuner of extremely well balanced time attack inspired cars.

That story is pretty long so I'll save that for Part 9.2: The Mine's Trip...

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

I am running an MSD ignition in my hako now. I'm using the MSD 6920 tach adapter to be able to use the stock tach. It works great.

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1971 Nissan Skyline 2000-GTX, 1985 Renault 5 Turbo II, 1988 BMW M3 2.5L
2004 Subaru Forester XT, 2004 Volkswagen R32

Part 9.2: The Mine's Trip…

The Mine's trip was amazing! It involved Dave and his Top Secret R34, Dino Dalle Carbonare (you may have seen his pictures on Speedhunters.com) with his R34 a friend of his we were taking to pick up his R34 being prepped by them. Paul was riding shotgun with me to snap some pics:






Dino...


Dave…






Into one of the many tunnels…




Paul's Favorite pic in the tunnel…


We saw a S1 prepped R32 by Nismo this along the way…


My favorite pic!


I'm winning…NOT!!! This day was the fastest top speed I ever drove my car, it was work keeping up with them!!!



And then we arrive…






As is the norm in Japan parking is a at premium so it took us awhile to get situated...














And then we headed inside…








We were taken out back to see the car we came to pick up…


And to see what was done to it…










This was parked next to it…




He was very happy to be with his car again…








This later on led to my first real photo shoot compliments of Dino…

Until next time… Part 9.3: Photo shoot with DCD at Odaiba...

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

Good god, all of your posts have some sort of GTR galore. Subscribed!




+1 on the msd tach adapter, I'm using it for the s30 and it works great. Pretty basic wiring too.

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im loving this thread and im so jelious that you got be be next to that crazy hot chick and all those r-34's i would sell my soul and my left nut for an r-34 and that chick lol

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This is exactly what makes classic cars like ours so special. It's not that status or the history (which the Hako has in spades but I'm trying to be a little more encompassing of all JNCs) it's the stories that they create or are involved in.
A lot of people don't quite understand that

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MINE: 1977 Datsun 260Z 2+2 daily driver (read: rolling project)
HERS: 1975 Mitsubishi Galant A112H Hardtop coupe with 4G63 DOHC conversion now complete! Check out the build here!
THE OLD MAN'S Datsun 2000 Sports (SR311)

Part 9.3: Photo shoot with DCD at Odaiba…

Actually there was another small shoot before that, so I should go in order…I already messed up once the Mine's trip is actually after the Yokota AB show... my pic data base is all messed up...

Part 9.3: Yokota Air Base Car Show/mini photo shoot for Import Tuner
Before the shoot with Dino there was a car show on base and word got out that a photographer for Import Tuner would be there. He was taking shots to contribute to an article on U.S. Troops and the cars they drive. The show was actually recorded for a televised show in Japan. If I can find a copy I'll try to post it… Anyway here are some of my shots from back then:


Paul thought this would be funny...


…so i had to beef up security!




Can you believe I had Subs in this car once?! At least they matched the color of the car


Still had the old A/C and center console here, and I was trying out a wood steering wheel/shift knob combo wasn't really feeling it...






For size reference I'm only 5'7"…

There wasn't that much nostalgia there…click here for more...http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n265 ... r%20shoot/

So after the show the photographer asked us to hang around afterward for pics here's what he took of us…











Me…


Paul…


Dave…More on him later…


Josh…


Josh's old car…owed by new guy?


Justin's S13


and Thomas' Nissan Cefiro

After this was when I actually added the current steering wheel and started talking to Dino about a real photo shoot for just my car…So the next episode should be DCD at Odaiba… unless I find more pics buried in the compy somewhere for an earlier event until next time…

Part 9.4: ???? or DCD at Odaiba…

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

Part 9.4: Photo shoot with DCD at Odaiba…

Meeting Dino was an honor. I had no idea who he was. When Paul had introduced me to him, he was just another guy who liked Skylines and liked to take pictures. Cool, maybe he could take a few of mine and I could hang one on my wall. Even during the photo shoot I had no idea who he was in the photography world and what he was capable of. He is very genuine and an all around nice guy. After I got I few more details done to the car, changed center console, steering wheel, added the gas and dead pedals, and a few engine dress up pieces, I felt she was ready for her debut pictorial:


But first we had to deal with the cops...








At this point we are not in Odaiba yet. I don''t recall where this is in Tokyo, but after a few snaps we headed over the Rainbow Bridge into Odaiba…


In the background is Tokyo Big Sight, where they hold the Nostalgic Car Show...


Paul in the foreground tagging along...


I even got to help!


After the stills and detail shots, we were off to do some rolling and tunnel shots…





It was a great day and I was pretty happy, I had no idea how nice the first article would be…


...until it came out in the No. 90 Issue of High Performance Imports, published in the Australia/New Zealand region…so for all you Aussies and Kiwi's out there you might have seen it. I was lucky enough for Dino to send me a few hundred copies (not really, but he did get me enough so I could make a laminated board one day…

Again special thanks to Dino and Paul for all their support!!!

For my next installment I'll cover my trip when my little brother came to visit Japan and I let him drive the car to Fuji Speedway…

Part 9.5: Little brother drives to Fuji!

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

I have that issue They've since reprinted it a couple of times for various "Old School" and "Skylines Only" special editions.

It's popular



....of course I'm a big fan of the article on your car in JNC Magazine....

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Wow I had no idea!

…I'm a big fan of your March 2012 issue in Super Street here in the U.S.

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

such a cool story
keep us updated

Great great story - thanks for sharing!
Too bad we missed each other in Vegas...

Next time!

Love the purchase / pick up details... you couldn't script this stuff...

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1970 Nissan Skyline GT + 1973 Datsun 240Z + 1974 VW Karmann Ghia + 1998 Toyota LandCruiser + 2006 MINI Cooper S

Yeah I pretty much can't wait until I get to Yokota now.

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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*

It is amazing…If you have never been to Japan before, are going to LIVE there, and have always admired all things Japanese from a distance (JDM, JNC, VIP Style, Anime, Sushi, Fashion, etc, etc), you are not ready. I thought I was and I was over whelmed. I went back for vacation 2 years in a row after I left. I couldn't get it out of my system. I shouldn't hype it up so much but it really was an amazing experience.

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S47 (1972) Nissan Skyline HT 2000GT

"Keep the dream alive."

You mean MSD 8920??
never heard of the 6920. google didn't help on that either when i looked it up.

Yep, sorry - I meant the 8920.

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1971 Nissan Skyline 2000-GTX, 1985 Renault 5 Turbo II, 1988 BMW M3 2.5L
2004 Subaru Forester XT, 2004 Volkswagen R32

great story!

I can relate to your story on many levels, I went to japan in 2007 for a 3 month winter in Hokkaido, loved it so much I extended my visa bought a Subaru Legacy GT-B wagon ( a car I had dreamed of owning) thrashed it around the country side of the north island dreaming of shipping it home but found it too expensive.. I stayed for just over a year and a half and had the time of my life. I have been back almost every year since, was even in tokyo for the big earth quake last year

When I stumbled on your story and read this I found this stupid smile on my face and me saying "f#ck yes, I have a great one about the Tokyo motor show thats just like your black cars pull up chapter " crazy shit does happen its just sometimes stories just seem too long winded to tell when your back home havin a beer with friends that have never been to or really understand the massivness that is japan. Your right, no matter how JNC cool you think you are, when you get there you realise you were not ready for it..

Looking forward to more of the story and pics