The car exhibited by Nissan Automobile Technical College at the 2023 Osaka Auto Messe had a “Fairlady” theme
The base car for the “Neo Fairlady” concept car was a nostalgic Nissan K11 March Cabriolet. The car was built by 13 students from Nissan Automobile Technical College Kyoto’s customize course.
The base vehicle is K11 March Cabriolet
The Neo Fairlady has an impressive shape that looks just like the “SR311 Fairlady” on the front end, and the car’s design incorporates the retro feel that is trending among Generation Z, and was created to recreate a famous car from the last century while incorporating modern elements. The result is an open sports car with a resort-like atmosphere that is also fun to drive and more interesting than its exterior.
Since the base car was an automatic transmission, we started by replacing the transmission with a manual one. Then, for the body modeling, we happened to find FRP body parts for the SR311 Fairlady on the Internet. Having the original parts, which are no longer available, paved the way for the conversion of the K11 March into an SR311 Fairlady.
FRP body parts such as front fenders, hood, rear fenders, and trunk were also available.
The exterior parts required some modification before they could be installed on the K11 March. Fortunately, FRP parts are easy to work with, so they worked on the mounting positions and set them up while keeping the balance in mind. To make the car look like an old car, a chin spoiler from an old Skyline GT-R was added.
As for the headlights, since the original ones were overpriced due to the old car boom, they found similar-sized bulb-type round lights and installed them. For the turn signals, we got the original ones from US Nissan.
Parts from the Nissan Pao were redirected to the front hinge
The front of the car was modified to have a hood that hinges in the front and opens in the back. Since the hood was made for the SR311 Fairlady, the installation was tricky, but the problem was solved when it turned out that the hinge from the Nissan Pao could be used.
The rear of the car was fitted with FRP body parts from the SR311 Fairlady. The rear lights were sourced and fitted with original parts.
The fuel tank was also moved to the rear. The retro-style fuel cap was taken from a carry can.
The body color is light sky blue, an original color mix to emphasize the stylish open-body design. This color was chosen by a female student on the team who thought it would be pleasant to drive the car along the beach.
The white wheels, which look great against the fresh body color, are 14-inch RAYS TE37V wheels, which are famous as a reissue model. A Largus Height Adjustable Kit was installed for the suspension in pursuit of optimal shape along with a nimble ride. The C-west GT wing, Recaro bucket seats, and Fujitsubo mufflers also enhance the car’s driving image.
The Neo Fairlady was created as a concept model under the name “Neo-Historic”. The fusion of authentic old car parts used here and there brought out a retro feel not found in modern cars, creating a car with an atmosphere that is irresistible to oldtimers.
