NZ Performance Car: Hi, James. You’ve owned and imported a lot of cars through your business. What drew you to the Hakosuka as a personal car?
James: Hey, NZ Performance Car. My dream car has always been the Hako. I’ve owned and driven a lot of stuff since I started importing cars four years ago, but had never got my hands on a Hako. I had been trying to get my hands on one, then this popped up one day and I snapped it up.
Sweet choice, too. What kind of state was it in when it got here?
It looked like it was in quite bad shape, to be honest, so I had expected the worst, but, once it arrived in New Zealand, it wasn’t actually that bad at all. It was a one-owner car in Japan and had only done 41,000kms — it just needed some love.
Do people trip out when they see it out and about?
Yeah, the looks you get from both young and old are pretty funny. The look on some people’s faces is a mix of confusion and wonder, as we never got these here. When we were doing the photo shoot in town, there were people stopping and checking it out in droves.
We don’t blame them. How does she drive for her age?
Surprisingly, for her age, it’s pretty nice to drive. The motor is fairly crisp once you’ve warmed her up properly, and it cruises along nicely. It makes for an awesome weekend cruiser.
You also have a four-door — which one do you prefer?
That’s a tough one … before the coupe’s restoration, I was more interested in the four-door, but now that the coupe is finished, it definitely takes the cake and sees a bit more driving.
And are there any plans for it in the future?
No major plans — just to hold on to it for now. The motor and body are all matching, so I have no interest in doing a motor swap or anything like that and feel that would probably devalue it.
Good call on that front. Thanks for sharing her with us, James.
James Wilkinson
Age: 37
Location: Nelson
Occupation: Importer at WS Imports
1972 Nissan Skyline (C10)
Engine: Numbers matching Prince G15, 1483cc, four-cylinder
Drivetrain: Four-speed manual
Interior: Factory, working air con
Exterior: Resprayed in factory silver by Rapid Refinishers, bolt-on arch flares, rear spoiler, chin lip
Wheels/tyres: (F) 15×8.5-inch Work CR01, 195/50R15 Evergreen; (R) 15×9-inch Work CR01, 205/50R15 Evergreen
Suspension: Lowered
This article originally appeared in NZ Performance Car issue No.249 — to get your grubby mitts on a print copy, click the cover below
