My Skyline finally arrived......

[kyteler]

Alan, that is bloody magical! I'm excited as hell for you!

Certainly a monumentus car to add to your fantastic collection! Well done on the purchase! Top work.

[HoTWire]

Good work there sir...!

Where can we see it out and about??

You going to race it?

[Cuong Nguyen]

Congratulations Alan, well done!

how many cars is that now!!??

[greenmonster80]

Alan, Let me add to the congratulations on the sfe arrival of the car. Excited to hear more about the only KPGC10 owned by a foreigner as far as I know. Excellent purchase...

[EricB]

very nice...

and there's perhaps still time to get it entered at the goodwood revival yet? no?

congrats as well...

-e

[HS30-H]

Sincere thanks to everybody for the kind words and positive reactions.

I'll try and answer some of the questions that have been asked, but first I have to clear up one large detail. A few people know about this already - so it won't be a surprise to them - but the truth is that I have been given this car as a gift. I have not paid anything except the transport to docks in Japan, Japanese de-registration and export formalities, the cost of the container shipping ( and all that goes with that ) and the import duties and taxes here in the UK............

I am hugely indebted to my good friend Dr Hiroshi Shimizu in Kyoto, who has passed ownership of the car to me. Dr Shimizu owned the car for over 25 years, and paid for its rebuild and restoration before giving it to me. That rebuild and restoration was undertaken by the other person that I owe a huge debt of thanks to; my good friend Mr Hideki Matsui of NP35 in Nagano - without whom none of this would have been possible. Neither Shimizu san or Matsui san visit this website and forum, but it would be hugely remiss of me not to mention them on this thread, and of course acknowledge their generosity. Can you imagine what it feels like to be given such a gift? Words fail me.

I didn't want to say too much about it until it was safely landed on UK soil. I'm not really superstitious, but until the container was opened at Southampton I really thought something might jinx the story at the last minute ( like the ship sinking or something ). Its still not in its new home yet - but its not long now. However, I have to say that I'm still struggling to call the car "mine", and keep calling it "Dr Shimizu's GT-R". I think I prefer it that way for now to be honest.

I watched this car take shape over several years in Matsui san's workshop, and I know just how much work went into it. It also has some very rare and sought-after period parts on it ( most of them under the skin and not immediately apparent ) which Shimizu san gathered many years ago. Matsui san also came up with rare parts from his own private collection, and put them on the car. It was not built as a 'replica' of the famous no.15 works car that clinched the GT-R's 50th race victory, but more a kind of nod in that general direction - and NISMO themselves had some input in the colouring and numbering decisions. More details on that and the car's spec in future posts.

The car did still have road registration in Japan, and this will enable me to road register it here in the UK on a period-related tax-free registration. Road-legalisation should be fairly straightforward ( mainly front lighting - which I am already working on ) as the regulations for a 1971/72 car are not so strict here ( we are very lucky in that respect ). However, I'm not in all that much of a hurry to drive it on UK roads as it is fairly hard work to sit in there for long periods. It is incredibly loud inside, there is no heating / screen demisting ( all removed ) and suspension is fairly harsh. It also has no fuel gauge. I'm also not going to start putting bumpers and trim etc back onto it, as it was built to be a track day / club race car and I feel obligated to keep it that way for the forseeable future. It is currently sitting on some non-period wheels and tyres ( the Watanabes it used at the NISMO Festival and NEKO Time Machine Festival were borrowed ) but I have a nice set of very wide Watanabes to put on it, and I am negotiating some period-type race tyres from Dunlop. It just does not look 'right' on the 16-inch Southern Ways mesh wheels it has been wearing since the mid 1980s.

I'm looking into what race series it might be eligible for - but since it is a model that was never officially imported to Europe this might be awkward. Track days and sprint events should be no problem, and the Goodwood Road Racing Club ( of which I am a member ) have a few of these that I can enter in the near future. I certainly don't want to bend it though.........

Nostalgic Hero magazine carried a four-page feature on the car in issue no.113 ( February 2006 ) and they say that they might come to the UK later this year to do a follow-up article. We shall see.

Anybody who finds themselves near me in north London is welcome to come and see the car in person. No street rides until it is fully road legal though.....

I'm attaching some photos that were taken for the Nostalgic Hero coverage by staff photographer Mr Isao Yatsui, near the NP35 workshop in Nagano - using Mount Asama as the backdrop.

If anybody has any more specific questions I'll do my best to try and answer them - but do bear in mind that I am somewhere around the bottom of a very steep learning curve with the C10-series Skylines myself.........

Cheers,

Alan T.

[HS30-H]

A few more:

[HS30-H]

Another couple:

[ChrisA]

One word is the only one that doesnt fail me right now......WOW!

Thanks for the pictures and I hope the car brings you much enjoyment.

Chris A.

[SER240Z]

Congrats Alan, awesome car.

Scott

[HoTWire]

I'm looking into what race series it might be eligible for - but since it is a model that was never officially imported to Europe this might be awkward. Track days and sprint events should be no problem, and the Goodwood Road Racing Club ( of which I am a member ) have a few of these that I can enter in the near future. I certainly don't want to bend it though.........

It might be worth speaking to Julius at Top Hat, it could well be eligible for the Top Hat series : http://www.tophatracing.co.uk/gb.html

However to avoid bending it you are probably best off with hillclimbs and sprints (no other cars to contact with ) ...

I would love to see it out and about for sure, it is a wonderful bit of kit, and would be great to see it used as nature intended

You taking it to Goodwood revival? I'm sure they will let you park it up in the special car park because the rule for that seems to be "pre-66 or interesting" rather than just pre-66 ... don't think they'll let me take my B310 in though ahhah

[HS30-H]

HoTWire,

Yes, I had thought about the Top Hat 'Groovy Baby' series for 70s saloons - but I don't think this car would be eligible because it has so many parts that were Group 4 homologations ( when the Groovy Baby series tries to keep to Group 1 and Group 2 ). And anyway, I don't think the GT-R would be evenly matched with the lighter 2 litre cars like some of the Alfas for example ( I used to own a 105-series and know how well they can go ). And don't forget it will be me behind the wheel ( ie slow ).

To be honest, I think its the fact that contact is seen as inevitable that puts me off racing these days. I think historic racing should be a non-contact sport.