Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early departure on a cold Tokyo day was made tolerable though as it provided us — and one snarling Skyline GT-B — with an unobstructed high-speed run out the Shuto-ko and over the Rainbow Bridge to Daiba.
Dropping down into the parking lot and flashing our member pass, we were nicely ushered into the Prince parking area just in time to see a Prince Gloria wagon cruise in under the early morning sky, its glowing taillights setting the scene for one of the best events I’ve attended in a long time.
As we slowly walked the car park looking at the cars that had already turned up, we marveled continuously at the diverse and interesting nature of each new arrival. Just as we were looking at a minty Hi-Ace in period company green, another pair of Skyline GT-B and a Prince Clipper truck arrived.
Following them, a Turbo Leopard and a Kenmeri took places side-by-side.
The next arrival, a New Zealand registered Gloria 6 coincidentally parked next to the previously Australian registered GT-B much to everyone’s amusement.
As further kyuusha were unloaded in the background, we went over in detail one of the rarest of kujira Crown – a last-of-the-series Coupe in dark green and wearing a highly appropriate set of the original grandpa-spec Enkei alloys, it had a tremendous presence.
As we were chatting with the amenable owner, an even rarer coupe from the same period gingerly reversed into the accompanying car spot — a 1971 Skyline GT-X HT four-cylinder. Short-nosed, unlike their bigger six-cylinder sisters, the unmolested rear surf-line making an obvious style statement, lost mostly these days to the wanna-be chop-it-up fake GT-R crowd. In Japan particularly though, more non-faked Skyline HT are appearing, and their values are going up, perhaps as their rarity is recognized. Certainly too, the last few un-hacked HTs we’ve seen have attracted a lot of attention. Plus, blue-tinted glass, air-conditioning, and electric windows are kakoii too these days. Especially if driven regularly.
We spent some time talking to the owner, initially about his super-rare mirrors (possibly worth as much as the car itself), but then about his private joke of carrying a surfboard for his surf-line.
Setting up a short distance away was a small team from Racing Service Watanabe, and their one highlighted car – an extremely tasty and very subtle Celica, wearing of course their recently released reproduction Toyota competition wheels.
Whereas the Celica could be described as discrete, another new machine, the recently named “S54R” Skyline certainly isn’t anything of the sort. Prince/Nissan never made either a coupe from the S54, nor an official R version, instead relying on their conventional passenger saloon four-doors, and the souped-up GT-A, then GT-Bs to take their brand racing.
One enterprising Prince fan though, in asking the “what-if” question built what Prince/Nissan did not at the time, taking a ratty GT-A and, keeping the existing wheelbase, lengthened the doors and moved the B-pillar rearward.
Equipped with an S30 rear-end, R200 LSD, full coil-over suspension, massive AP disk-brakes, and what looked like a big RB-series block running ITBs, in its newly applied silver paint it certainly looks the part.
Equally intriguing though, was a Toyopet work utility truck and accompanying cat-eared scooter.
Parked near-by a “New Silvia,” so identified because of its native badges saying “New Silvia.” This must have seemed so modern in 1975!
Of special interest, especially to the Prince aficionado in attendance, was the unloading of a Michelotti designed Skyline Sport convertible. Supposedly the original Tokyo Motor Show prototype from 1962, it featured a number of rare attributes on an already rare car. It was one of two Michelotti Skyline present on the day.
In what appeared to be the greatest number of single type on the day, the Datsun Cherry X-1. While others unloaded their period trucks and Hakosuka GT-R trunks of parts, the Cherry Club gathered like they were the only group there. It was great.
A military green Honda Vamos sported a matching green Motocompo scooter, and in another case of accessories perhaps worth more than the car, a Nissan Sunny wagon was wearing a set of re-finished Yayois.
Another two un-cut Skyline HTs sat with an early Land Cruiser and a G-nose Fairlady Z, and while an early Subaru Sambar looked purposeful and work-like, parked next to it was a forever-startled Mazda Porter Cab “Gachapin.”
Heading into the Mitsubishi section, we encountered a replica — albeit on a coupe — of the Safari Rally-winning great-great-grandfather of the modern Evo. This livery was immortalized on countless other rally machines, most notably on gladiators in Australia’s Southern Cross Rally.
Deeper into the territory of the Triple Diamond Clan was a particularly fetching Galant GTO GSR planted itself in a bulldog-like stance, ready to launch from gleaming SSR MkIs wrapped in an incredible set of NOS Dunlop CR88 race tires.
In the next row, a loose collective of esoteric Mitsubishi (aren’t they all, though?) gathered — a Colt 1100, Jupiter pickup and Galant FTO — the latter with a rare E70 Toyota Sprinter Trueno. Some of these I’ve never seen before, and never expect to see again.
That concludes Part 01 of our Old Car Heaven coverage. To be continued…
Skorj is co-founder of Filmwasters and you can find more of his work at Cars on Film and here on JNC.
Which Mitsubishi to choose, Galant or Colt ?? Awesome coverage Skorj !
Thanks, there’s more to come…
Ha, forever-startled Mazda Porter Cab! Well done, sir!
What an adventure, talk about a bucket list destination. It looks like the rarest vehicles there were the unmodified ones. There can’t be many original-spec vehicles left, as the author states; what a shame for a purist like myself. To find an original Datsun Cherry X-1 or Skyline would be like discovering a Yeti in Arizona.
Amazing gathering.
As a former S10 200SX owner, seeing a trio of S10 New Silvia’s is amazing. Over all, this parking lot is a collection of the things dreams are made of.
I’ve not seen a New Silvia lowered and on big wheels, but suggest they may look pretty neat. There was enough there, for one modded one…
Holy smokes!
The motherload of JNC goodness! I’ve never seen a Sunny Wagon before. Thanks for all the pics.
Is the Skyline you rode in shown in the pictures?
Yes, the blue GT-B ’39’ car. Coincidentally, more on ’39’ history to come too if we’re lucky.
that 2 door prince was tough as nails. so nice. AND ALL THE cherrys!!
How i wish we had days where it was possible to see such a diverse range of JNC.
I was a child when the kujira Crowns were new In Australia, and although a car-nut at a very young age I did not like or appreciate them. As I have grown older, wiser, and as my tastes have refined, they have really grown on me, and I now think them one of the great Japanese designs. That Coupe is just gorgeous. How I would love to own one; and Australia is one place where they might still be found. I look, often, but I am yet to see one for sale.
Great pictures!
That Celica on the Watanabe stand… ermagerhd!!
That color, and those wheels just seem perfect.
Looks like an amazing event, Skorj! Great writeup and photos, as always. I’ve always leaned towards the round-headlight Kujira, but that head-on shot is enough to sway me. Love all the Silvias and that Galant GTO is gorgeous.
Thanks! The round headlight though has the floating ring tail lights? Still my fave…
props skorj! this post will require a few passes to soak everything in. not sure how many people can absorb how packed with details and references it really is.
loving the leopard
where’s the colt coupe you refer to?
is that white car next to the fto a corolla sr5?
the engine next to the 2dr pmc is frankenstein of l-gata block + rb head. speciality of the resto/tuning shop that built that bizarre 2dr
I suspect the white Corolla you are referring to, is the Colt Coupe I am referring to! Someone with Google Images I am sure will sort…
Great article. I have a real soft spot for those trucks from the 60’s. I particularly like the dusty blue paint of that era. My neighbor in Kamakura had one of those big Mazda trikes. Can’t wait for your next installment.
JIS standard ‘Blue’ I think!
I’m going to be in Tokyo at the end of May-early June. Anyone know of any events during that time?
May 15 is the Street Car Nationals on the same site. Then there’s always Tatsumi, Tsutaya, and Daikoku as well…
Wow wonder how long that NZ car has been in Japan haha, super random.. every now and then those pop up for sale here
If I remember correctly, that New Zealand registered Prince Gloria 6 was for sale here about 8yrs ago. Ironically it is a Japanese assembled Gloria, spec’d for NZ and sold before NZ assembly began, and ends up back in Japan. Giveaway to Japanese assembly is the painted door window surrounds, NZ assembled Glorias had chrome window surrounds. One feature that seemed to be fitted to the Japanese assembled Glorias sold here (the 3 or 4 I have seen over the years) was a factory hand throttle…..60’s cruise control maybe.
Neat info! Thanks… Handle throttles are usually just for cold fast idle I think? Unless Prince thought otherwise? No idea, but early 356 had for fast idle…
Hand throttle? Wild haha never seen that before! There is a Prince up for sale at the moment too 1966 B200, looks like it needs some restore but solid base if you’re into that.
Post the link!
Sure, – http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/other/auction-1040963227.htm
Awesome coverage Skorj! I went to a Kyusha Tengoku meeting a few years ago and it was mind blowing how many cars there were!
Any more info on those floral fender mirrors would be greatly appreciated
They were an after market accessory and are very rare now. I’ve only seen one original set for sale, and they were over \300,000 or similar.
Unlike the mizu hana gear knobs, mizu mira are no longer made.