Gazelle RS has been driven carefully for 42 years since the new
The Nissan Gazelle was released as a sibling of the Silvia. Mr. Homma, who drives the ‘RS Extra’ model of the Gazelle made famous by the popular TV drama ‘Seibu Keisatsu’, has been driving it for a whopping 42 years since he bought it new. Let’s take a look at the Gazelle, which he says pays homage to rally machines.
The FJ20-engined car appeared at the end of its model life
Old cars gather at Okutama Lake in Tokyo early in the morning on the third Sunday of every month. We focus on one car of interest that we met in a parking lot in Okutama. This time, we will introduce the short-lived Nissan’s Gazelle RS.
The Gazelle debuted in 1979 as a sibling of the third-generation Silvia. Many people may recall the convertible car that appeared in the TV drama ‘Seibu Keisatsu’. The owner, Mr. Honma, bought this car when it was new. He has owned it for 42 years.
“Of course, at first I didn’t buy it to drive it all the time. I just didn’t find the next model appealing to me. In the meantime, the Gazelle model ran out. And so, here I am.”
Mr. Homma drives the 2000 DOHC RS Extra model, which was introduced in 1982 at the end of the model life. This model was equipped with the same DOHC FJ20E engine as the R30 Skyline, replacing the Z18/Z20 twin-plug SOHC units that had dominated the market up until then.
Homage to the S110-based rally machine 240RS
The exterior is said to be basically stock, but the only part that dares to be out of stock is the headlight area. The DATSUN emblem is attached to the grille and the headlight bezels around the factory headlights have been removed. When we asked Mr. Homma why this was the case, he replied.
“There used to be a rally machine called the 240RS, which was based on this S110 Silvia/Gazelle two-door hardtop, and it was active in rallies. This is a tribute to that.”
In addition, Bridgestone mesh wheels are fitted and NISMO 510 rally springs are used. This means that the ride height is slightly higher than stock, and the rear is set a little stiffer.
Parts collection is a challenge
Although a sibling to the Silvia, the S110 is a vintage car that is over 40 years old. It is said to be very difficult to maintain. Fortunately, this car has an FJ20E engine, so parts for the engine and transmission are still available, but body parts are hopeless. In addition, there is a shortage of brake-related parts for the suspension, so they are having a hard time securing parts.
Mr. Homma secured the bonnet, boot, and other parts from a parts collection vehicle and transplanted them. The “RS 4 VALVE DOHC” stripe on the body side is also said to be missing from the manufacturer, so the club reproduced it and put it on.
After all this hard work, Mr. Honma has maintained his car for 42 years.
translated by DeepL
