Attended a meeting at an EXA that he welcomed as his first car

The Nissan “EXA” was introduced in 1986 and was available in two body shapes: a rear hatch coupe and a wagon-type canopy. The Japanese version of the coupe and canopy had different shapes, so they were considered two different cars under the law, and were sold as two separate models. The rear roof section could be detached to enjoy the open-air environment. Mr. “Ryou” welcomed such a unique model as his first car. 

The Japanese version was sold as two models

On April 20, 2024, the “15th Jibiken Meeting” was held in the parking lot of Lake Sagami Resort Pleasure Forest, and Mr. “Ryou” participated with his first car, a 1988 Nissan “EXA”.

The EXA was a popular model at the time due to its unique styling, but it was short-lived. It was sold before the owner Mr. “Ryou” was born, so why did he decide to buy it?

“It was love at first sight when I saw the image on the Internet. I was also attracted by the concept of being able to change the clothes on it. My current car has the MT specifications I was looking for, and I found myself putting my stamp on it. It’s not that I’m not interested in modern cars, but I can rent a car and drive it as I please. Old cars like this are hard to come by, and if you don’t buy one at the right time, you may never be able to get one again.”

“The EXA has the appearance of a sports car, but it’s not a bad car to drive, and I enjoy driving it with the T-bar roof open. I enjoy driving with the T-bar roof open. When the rear roof is fully open, you get a lot of wind, and the stares from the people around you are quite intense.”

After a handful of modifications, it is now in good shape

The car was in full-stock condition when he bought it, but he replaced the steering wheel, seats, and suspension. At the time of inspection, the car was leaking engine and transmission oil, coolant, and power steering oil, but after the repairs, the car was trouble-free. In the future, he plans to address the ineffective air conditioner and change to coilovers, but customization is difficult due to the lack of parts in the first place.

The mileage at the time of purchase was 110,000km, and it is currently at 150,000km, he still intends to drive it, but when we asked him what type of car he would like to drive if he were to buy another car, he responded with this answer.

“There is a car that I definitely want! It’s a BMW Z1, the original of the Z series. I knew I wanted it the moment I saw the sliding-down doors.”