The Courier, bringing of Happiness from Japan, thank you!

Cha-freakin-ching.  Ewan, you’re a legend.  Hayatonka.com :  USE IT PEOPLE!  Tell him I (Michael/kyteler from retro-classics.co.nz)  sent you.  He likes knowing, honest he does!

This box arrived today filled with the latest things to help me take the C110 to where I would like it aesthetically, as well as these few things another thing was added to the package from a separate YAJ auction.

Oh, it even has a heart on it! How 'Skyline' !

My love for the Skyline range is probably considered a little sad by most people.  However, it is what it is and when it is that which it is (yes, I know I used too many two letter words.) and you see something like this on auction, you put in a max bid and cross your fingers.    Thankfully in this instance, it worked; 

Skyline literature! (In Japanese, of course)

If your eyes are squinting to read the title.  It says the following;

SPIRIT OF SKYLINE

Symbol of 20 Years of Quality

(Since 1957)

Magic!  I already had scans of the book for the “25 Years of Quality” but scans and having the actual book are well… plainly and entirely different, I shall keep my eyes open for the later 25 year book on YAJ, this one though is more than awesome all on it’s own.  You see, not only is it a book of the basic history (mostly motorsport related) but it also contains an LP (that’s right, vinyl) with various “Sounds of Skyline” on it.  I’m itching to try it out but I’ll have to dig my player out so it’ll wait for another day.

Here’s a small taste of the kind of content that’s within the book;

Race Photos, lots of 'em.

Music Sheet and the LP

Still though, that’s a fairly large box to only have had a single book in it.  That can’t be right, can it?  No, no it can’t.  Here’s another small but important item that was also inside the box;

Why's that important?

I hear your questions…   1. What else is in there? and 2. Why is that ‘SKYLINE’ badge such a big deal?

Well!  We’ll start with 2. The ‘SKYLINE’ badge is from the rear panel, it’s NLA and when it comes up for sarlay, it is usually exorbitantly expensive.  Seemingly anything that could be placed on or near the rare KPGC110 (2000 GT-R) gets jacked in price.  Being the GT-R has this rear badge, that affect is usually witnessed.  They haven’t (to my knowledge) starting re-production of these yet, though it’s likely they will as they have seemingly done with the rear quarter “Skyline” badges.  Generally when you see this badge, it is still attached to the rear panel, as this one was!  (Thankfully Ewan @ Hayatonka was happy to separate it from the panel for me)  Export market cars in the C110/111 lineup did not get this “SKYLINE” badge, instead they received a “DATSUN” badge,  I know my car will always be a Datsun but the reality is that it’s an exported Skyline and I want it to say that.  Of course… you’d be silly to buy a rear panel for just the badge on it, right?  Right! Which brings me to 1.

The now trademark Skyline, Round Rear Lamps!

Oh yes!  Four red outers.  Why’s that such a big deal?  Well.. because the export market got a completely different lamp layout.  Like so;

Export vs. Domestic

On the export lenses, the inside set has a clear outer ring and the outside set outer (although it is red) is a raised lense, where the domestic is a flat red outer on both.  You can somewhat see, if you squint and bring your face closer to the screen, the little marks on my current rear panel where the previous owner bogged over the recess that the badge sits in.  The difference between how these lamps look inside the panel is quite dramatic, or at least I think it is;

Domestic (left) and Export (right)

I much prefer the look of the domestic market lamps, hence my purchase of them.

So, with these latest additions, I now only potentially require one more badge, though being I’m only likely to fit it at shows or some such, I’m not in any great rush to attain it.  Here’s a quick shot of what I have so far;

Domestic Items. Lovely.

The 2000GT-X badge is only still in the shot because I was too lazy to take it off that piece of grille mesh.  The observant of you will note that the missing badge is the rear panel “GT-R” badge.  The grille badge cost me a packet and my car won’t be your regular replica, hence only putting the badges on at shows.  Which should sufficiently confuse several people.  The other “badge” that’s not shown here that I do already have, is a little one that’s set into the dash on the passenger’s side just above the glovebox that says “SKYLINE” instead of “DATSUN” as the export cars have.

Another step closer!

Huge thanks to Ewan again, legend.

-Michael