Re: So I drove around Japan looking for a Bluebird...
Posted: 29 Oct 2016 04:58
So I had my translator call on Monday and the car already had a cash offer on it. That same night the dealer called back and said it was again available and they would take a deposit to hold it until the weekend. I had the translator get the bank information and verify it was refundable. The whole process was basically me trusting people to help. I pulled out a bunch of yen to send to them. Immediately after that I lost my wallet! luckily the money was in my pocket and my wallet was turned back in with nothing missing; one of many reasons I LOVE Japan. The next day I went to a local bank and was unable to send the money because I can't read anything... thankfully a lady that worked there pushed all the buttons on the machine for me. A slot opened up in the top of it and I threw a fist full of money in. Out popped a receipt and a soda's worth of change. Even MORE thankfully, the money went where it was suppose to go.
So I bought plane tickets, hotel, and a rental car and flew up to look at it. So real talk, I'm a grown ass man but I was so excited I had a hard time sleeping the whole week. I struggled through the week and finally boarded my plane today. Picked up my rental and drove straight there. When I pulled up I could see the car sitting in the tiny glass dealership with a magazine on it's rear window. I parked and walked in where I was excitedly greated by the man who restored the car and was selling it to me. He pulled it out of the glass room and I went over it with a flashlight and my trusty bike spoke magnet that I used on the previous Bluebirds. I discovered the body wasn't perfect and had a little bit of work here and there, but really not enough that concerned me with the condition the car was in overall. It does have the optional faux vents on the hood though. It also came with factory fog lights (the knob is in the dash), but it does not have the grill or lights anymore. I believe this is why it has the SSS badge on the grill vs the 1800SSS badge. The interior is all original. I could see some threads sticking out a little near the ornaments in the center of the backrest, but overall it was CLEAN and in excellent condition.
I was stoked, I listened to it idle, revved it a little bit, and sat behind the steering wheel (racing style option?). At this point, honestly I wasn't even just considering it anymore; I could picture it as my car. We went for a quick jaunt around the block. I let him drive out of fear of something happening and creating legal problems. The engine sounded great. It idled smoothly with the sound of the solid lifters quietly ticking. The exhaust had a nice growl too it, not too loud. It was very understated; which is what I prefer. They are also throwing in an extra valve cover. I do not know which is the original. The only difference is one says Datsun and one says Nissan.
Here is a pooey video of the test ride. The camera seems to amplify ticking type sounds like the turn signals and such. The exhaust is a little louder in real life than the video leads you to believe, but not really a whole lot more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaL7W_bNT-o
I talked and joked a little with the restorer/seller as much as I could through Google Translate and through someone they had called that knew a little English. We worked our way through the paperwork, got the numbers to jive, and solidified the plan on shipping it to Okinawa. To let him know it was in good hands, I showed him pictures of a 65 Plymouth I had brought back to life. He seemed impressed and a little less worried overall. I think he's slightly apprehensive about seeing it go. As the sun set, they brought the car back inside and dried it off from a light sprinkle that had gone through. I took some pictures of it, walked around in disbelief I had finally found one, and then reluctantly left before I became a thorn in their side.
In the next 2-3 weeks, the car will be prettied up a little more, have it's Japanese inspection done, de-registered, and put on a boat to be delivered to me. I'll then pick it up at the port in Naha, install temp tags and start the process to get it changed over from a Japanese to a SOFA Status owned car. I have a good idea on the process and don't really foresee problems, but worry it may not be as straight forward as it may seem. We'll find out. At least for tonight, I'm still in disbelief it's mine. If it was at home, I'd keep walking to the garage to look at it. The next few weeks will drag by I'm sure.
Thanks for reading my insanely long story. Or if you didn't... here is what you came for; pictures. Hopefully all show up. I don't know if there is a limit.
So I bought plane tickets, hotel, and a rental car and flew up to look at it. So real talk, I'm a grown ass man but I was so excited I had a hard time sleeping the whole week. I struggled through the week and finally boarded my plane today. Picked up my rental and drove straight there. When I pulled up I could see the car sitting in the tiny glass dealership with a magazine on it's rear window. I parked and walked in where I was excitedly greated by the man who restored the car and was selling it to me. He pulled it out of the glass room and I went over it with a flashlight and my trusty bike spoke magnet that I used on the previous Bluebirds. I discovered the body wasn't perfect and had a little bit of work here and there, but really not enough that concerned me with the condition the car was in overall. It does have the optional faux vents on the hood though. It also came with factory fog lights (the knob is in the dash), but it does not have the grill or lights anymore. I believe this is why it has the SSS badge on the grill vs the 1800SSS badge. The interior is all original. I could see some threads sticking out a little near the ornaments in the center of the backrest, but overall it was CLEAN and in excellent condition.
I was stoked, I listened to it idle, revved it a little bit, and sat behind the steering wheel (racing style option?). At this point, honestly I wasn't even just considering it anymore; I could picture it as my car. We went for a quick jaunt around the block. I let him drive out of fear of something happening and creating legal problems. The engine sounded great. It idled smoothly with the sound of the solid lifters quietly ticking. The exhaust had a nice growl too it, not too loud. It was very understated; which is what I prefer. They are also throwing in an extra valve cover. I do not know which is the original. The only difference is one says Datsun and one says Nissan.
Here is a pooey video of the test ride. The camera seems to amplify ticking type sounds like the turn signals and such. The exhaust is a little louder in real life than the video leads you to believe, but not really a whole lot more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaL7W_bNT-o
I talked and joked a little with the restorer/seller as much as I could through Google Translate and through someone they had called that knew a little English. We worked our way through the paperwork, got the numbers to jive, and solidified the plan on shipping it to Okinawa. To let him know it was in good hands, I showed him pictures of a 65 Plymouth I had brought back to life. He seemed impressed and a little less worried overall. I think he's slightly apprehensive about seeing it go. As the sun set, they brought the car back inside and dried it off from a light sprinkle that had gone through. I took some pictures of it, walked around in disbelief I had finally found one, and then reluctantly left before I became a thorn in their side.
In the next 2-3 weeks, the car will be prettied up a little more, have it's Japanese inspection done, de-registered, and put on a boat to be delivered to me. I'll then pick it up at the port in Naha, install temp tags and start the process to get it changed over from a Japanese to a SOFA Status owned car. I have a good idea on the process and don't really foresee problems, but worry it may not be as straight forward as it may seem. We'll find out. At least for tonight, I'm still in disbelief it's mine. If it was at home, I'd keep walking to the garage to look at it. The next few weeks will drag by I'm sure.
Thanks for reading my insanely long story. Or if you didn't... here is what you came for; pictures. Hopefully all show up. I don't know if there is a limit.