In 1969 Nissan gave birth to the legendary line of cars, known to the world as, the Skyline GT-R. This legendary status was cemented in 1971, when Nissan first produced the stunning two-door version (coupe) of the Skyline GT-R, which became known by the buying public in Japan as the Hakosuka: box (Hako) skyline (Suka).

After nearly five-decades this car is still highly sort after. One such admirer is Paul, who owns Custom and Classic Cars. A man who dedicates his life to restoring iconic and classic cars for a living, he knew he needed to own this piece of automotive history. But, unlike others, who choose to purchase cars for their modification capabilities, Paul knew that owning the Hakosuka would be different. He knew that owning this car would be about the feeling you get when you drove it and the unique sound it produces.

The Hakosuka’s stance and amazing lines immediately captivated him. So, Paul turned to his friend who had some good contacts in Japan and used to import cars. He sourced a Hakosuka that had only two owners. When it was time to get his car, Paul took the ultimate leap of faith and purchased the car from a guy in Japan based on his word and 100 photos. This would be the most stressful six months of this life.

He wondered if the car that was due to arrive would be the car he had purchased. Paul paid all the money upfront, and had often heard horror stories of people in similar situations being left with a car that does not resemble what they thought they had bought. All these thoughts were crossing his mind while he waited for his car to arrive.

When the car finally arrived, Paul examined it and was pleasantly surprised that it was in good overall condition… and it was the car he had purchased. It had the usual GT-R look-a-like bits attached to it and the engine was stroked and worked with a triple carb. Apart from that it was stock and had only done 37,000 km’s, that was back in mid-2014. Since then he has only done 6,500 km’s. Paul was aware that the car would need work done to it when it arrived, particularly to the suspension. This is because of the car sitting in the same spot for many years; cars like the Hakosuka need to be driven.

While the car was at his shop (Custom and Classic Cars) he put it on the hoist to check the damage… and to his surprise the car was in almost perfect condition. So close to brand new in fact, you could still see all the factory marks where they put the yellow paint on all the nuts and bolts. It was a thing of beauty.

Once Paul saw that the car was near flawless, he knew that all the car needed were some slight modifications to improve its drivability. The reason being he never wanted a car that was a pain to drive. He wanted a car that he could easily take out and and enjoy.

Paul replaced the gearbox with a unit from his 240z that had Hollinger close-gear ratios. He also installed a R180 long nose unit differential. This meant that the Hako was harder to get moving from a standstill, but awesome everywhere else because of the short shifter. Next came the necessary adjustments to the suspension. Owning a restoration shop helped Paul, as he did all the work himself. He fitted Maddat coilovers and camber plates in the front, good rear springs/shocks, bigger front rotors and MK63 period sumitomo front callipers.

The car had fibreglass front guards when it arrived, so Paul sourced new steel units and got them fitted and painted along with refinishing the flares in satin black. The Hakosuka came with a nice set of Watanabe’s, which Paul still uses every now and then, but the car is currently sitting on Work equip 15×8.5 and 15×10 wheels.

The process to get this stunning car to the standard you see today is a labour of love and takes a lot of patience. Patience not only from the person restoring the car, but from the people around them. Paul is thankful to his wife for putting up with all his car problems ,the team at Custom and Classic Cars, Jazmac Performance and MDR Motorsport for providing all the necessary support during the restoration process. As for the next stages of the build, Paul has said that he tends to swap cars every few years, so more than likely the car will be for sale soon. So, begin saving your coins and you can get your hands on one of the most iconic and legendary Japanese cars to have ever been produced.

MODS LIST

– 118rwkw (Jazmac Performance chassis dyno)

– L20 stroked to 2.8L
– Ported head
– OER inlet manifold
– JDM twin exhaust
– Electronic ignition

– 5 speed close ratio, Holinger rally gearset
– R180 diff

– Triple 45mm OER carbs

– MK63 4 piston callipers
– Aluminium finned drums

– Work Equip
– Front: 15x 8.5
– Rear: 15×10

– Custom silver
– Black flares

– Black factory GT-X trim
– Factory GT-X, Nissan period race wheel

– Mad Dat custom coil-overs
– Camber plates