Bought a battered Hakosuka for love at first sight
Mr. Fujinami fell in love at first sight with a Nissan 3rd-generation C10 Skyline (a.k.a. Hakosuka) that was on the verge of being dismantled and took the plunge to purchase it. We asked the owner to tell us more about his conversion from a wrecked sedan to a van.
A bold change from a sedan to a van.
Mr. Fujinami saw a Hakosuka sitting by his house and fell in love at first sight. However, although he has always loved old cars, he was afraid of trouble and thought it would be a hassle …… because he didn’t know much about carburetor settings and so on.
At that time, I happened to find a battered Hakoska on the verge of being dismantled. While looking at it, I thought about various things, and while restoring it, I imagined that if I changed the engine from an L-type carb to an injection-spec RB engine, I might be able to make a car that was easy to drive and fun to drive. He started building it to achieve the new style he had in mind.
The theme was to combine nostalgia with speed and usability. However, the base was even more battered than I had expected, and the rear was on the verge of decay. So he started by restoring the body, but then it occurred to us that if he was going to build it up anyway, it might be more convenient and easier to use than a sedan if he made it into a slightly unusual Hacos van version. So, he boldly proceeded to convert the sedan into a van, and completed the Hakosuka van by adding significant modifications to the empty body.
The parts installed along with the conversion to a van are a set of genuine parts gathered from various suppliers. Rather than daring to use aftermarket parts, the appearance of the van was produced in a genuine style as much as possible.
The most difficult parts were all in the parts that could not be seen. A particularly maniacal point is the side sills, which are usually visible on old cars, but in the case of this Hakosuka van, the side sills are not visible because they were modified and joined together from the F50 Cima genuine parts. Perhaps even fellow Hakosuka riders may not notice this, but Mr. Fujinami explained, “Actually, there are a lot of details like this in this car.
Installed with a GT-R engine
Also, he had decided to install an RB unit as the engine, but he thought that if he was going to install one, it should not be an RB20/25, but an RB26DETT with a GT-R.
Because it is an older car, installing a more powerful engine would place a greater burden on the car, but he decided to install a turbocharged engine from the highest peak of the RB series. For this reason, the engine and transmission are from the GT-R, and the other parts for the drive and powertrain have been strengthened with enough margin to withstand these specifications.
The engine itself remains the same as the 2.6-liter, but the turbine has been replaced with an IHI RX turbine. With the stock twin-turbo to big single-turbo specification, the injectors were also changed to high-capacity types, and of course, aftermarket strengthening parts were used, including the fuel pump, and the engine management was controlled by HKS F-CON V Pro. The power has never been accurately measured, but it is calculated to be over 450 hp.
Suspension diverted from an Impreza
Also, with the increase in power, the stock suspension is unstable when it comes to driving, so this was also upgraded to modern specifications. It is interesting to note that the suspension kit is not standard, but an external suspension kit for the Impreza that has been modified and fitted. This is a combination that is not often heard of, so it was probably designed specifically for this car.
Other than that, the car was built as a hobby car, so the floor was carpeted in the same way as the factory, and the dashboard was repaired and set up in the same way as the factory. The front and rear seats have also been reupholstered using BRIDE fabric.
Future plans include installing air conditioning so that the car can be ridden normally in the summer. Also, since there are concerns about the brakes in relation to the power, they plan to strengthen the calipers and rotors.
The Hakosuka Sedan van with the RB26DETT engine is a remarkable vehicle, even if you are not a fan of old cars.
The owner’s passion can be strongly felt in the beautifully restored Hakosuka van with its beautifully crafted exterior. We asked Mr. Fujinami how he usually uses the vehicle.
He answered, “I originally built it for everyday use, so I also drive it around town, but sometimes I load it with camping gear and take it on trips.” Outdoor life with a Hakosuka van! That is also a stylish and cool lifestyle.
translated by DeepL