Author Archive

Thanks go out to Ewan (www.hayatonka.com) for many, many things.  This time though it’s for taking a good whack of photos whilst he’s out and about at various events or otherwise.  In this instance he took the recently acquired KHR31 GTS-X that he attained on behalf of Shaun (Mettler) after this atrocity to the Nagoya Classic Car Show, the results as you will see momentarily are beyond awesome.  As you’ll see from the small share of photos this time around, the focus is on the larger Japanese sedans that were present.

Mitsubishi Debonair - Pure Class

Nissan Gloria (A30) - Stacklamp Wonderment

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Whilst researching the possibility of another job, I have been spending some time looking up vans on YAJ (Yahoo! Auctions Japan) simply because the price in Japan, transport, bought and landed via Ewan @ HayaTonka.com is a lot cheaper than attempting to buy one locally from the car yards.  Another thing I’ve noticed during the search is that Toyota Hiaces command quite the premium and a newer, lower mileage Nissan Caravan can be had for sometimes half the price.  However, that’s enough modern jibber-jabber.  It’s safe to say that if the courier companies allowed the use of older vehicles (2005 is the cut-off) then I would most definitely roll one of these instead;

Nissan Caravan

Nissan HOMY

Toyota Hiace

Toyota Hiace

Sadly, this is not a viable option.  That being said, with the purchase price and initial setup cost of the Courier venture, it’s likely to be outside my reach at the moment regardless, so no options are viable.  I guess I’ll keep looking and dreaming.  One day…

-Michael

With the latest addition I mentioned the other day, my new rear spoiler, I am left with only a replica 110GT-R grille to get.  My modified standard grille makes do for the time being but as with the previous rear spoiler, the differences between the actual look and something “close” are quite large.   Given I have all these bits (aside from the grille) I figured on the weekend just been that I would move the crap around in the garage and take a photo or two of my YAJ acquired parts coupled with the 14″ XR4′s and see what the overall look was, this was the heart warming result;

Body Part Accumulation, 90% Complete

Just getting to this point would have been impossible without the help of a few people so now is as good of a time as any to just say a quick thanks to my friend Richard, for his help in retrieving the Longchamps after I bought them from the other end of New Zealand via trademe.co.nz as well as constant support in the matter, Ewan (www.hayatonka.com) who was instrumental in the purchase of most of the Japanese Market parts I have for my C110, everyone else who has offered support and assistance.  I’ll try to not let you down with the end result when I can finally get around to it.  Then I guess I’ll have to do the same with the S21!

Never-ending.

-Michael

So, I finally got around to getting the replacement boot/ducktail spoiler for my C110 from Yahoo! Auctions Japan (cheers Ewan! (http://www.hayatonka.com/)), not long before finding out that I need to get a new job.   Probably for the better in that who the hell knows when I would have been able to afford it if I didn’t dive right in when the Yen was at horrific 60 to a single NZD woes.

Here’s a quick preview of it on it’s own, taped in place for the time being.

Quack, Quack Quack.

The difference between the appropriate spoiler and the GMH Torana GTR-XU1 version that was on there, is IMMENSE.  You’d not think it would be all that bad having a slightly different one on there but having now sat the proper one on, I can safely be disgusted by myself for keeping the other on there for so long.

More pictures in the coming days, including one or two of the rest of the FRP taped in place and the SSR Longchamp XR4′s on as well.  It gives a decent glimpse of what will be the temporary “end” result (until the appropriate wheels are found and bought, not to mention the oodles of rust repair that still need done).  Still, it’s nice to see things somewhat taking shape, provides good motivation to continue along the replica 110GT-R route.

Again, huge thanks goes out to Ewan @ Hayatonka for all his assistance in attaining these bits and bobs for me.  Now, if I can get myself another job to be able to pay for the rust and engine work, I’ll finally be living with the copious amounts of awesome that a 110GT-R replica provides.

-Michael

You might recall a post I made a little while ago about the Crazy Octopus and it’s progression from FC -> S30, where I left it, there was still some work to do and the iconic octopus itself had not yet made it onto the car.  This has now changed, not only is the Octopus now on the S30Z the suspension is well on the way to being finalised, if not being there already.   So without further delay, I present to you…

THE OCTOPUS (he is crazy)

You can see more shots of the Octopus on the car on Zach’s flickr account “here“, where you will also see such things as his installation of plexiglass in the doors as well as other sweet things like sorting out the ride height; (more…)