When I started my original blog featuring my 1997 Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R, it seemed at that time (and still does sometimes) that all the focus was on the R32 GT-R (the original "Godzilla") and the last of the series, the R34 GT-R (the boxy, Gundam-robot looking one - famous for being prominently featured in the Fast & Furious movies and having an onboard G-force meter displayed in an LCD mounted in the center of dashboard).
To me, of the 2nd generation GT-Rs, the R33 has the best, ageless and elegant but aggressive coupe styling, and strikes a good balance between the 32 (as the 33 has a racing pedigree as well, although not to the extent of the 32) and the more modern 34 (the 34 adopted the 33's chassis - including brakes, suspension, active LSD, etc. which the 33 improved upon the 32).
The R33 was unpopular and so I figured for a lonely time...or so I thought - I soon discovered an incredible community of like minded R33 fans, but by that time my original blog was up and running, and being "lonely" was no longer about rooting for the underdog, but about my quest to improve my car - discovering parts that I didn't know existed, reading in the original Japanese all sorts of trivia, developing new parts or making bespoke parts, or finding the very best possible parts and installing them on my GT-R - all with an OCD level of detail and obssession. Being a pioneer can be lonely sometimes...
So when the inspiration to start a new blog for my ISF struck, naturally, I adopted the same title... of course the ISF is a much more popular car than the 33 (mainly because it was sold overseas and also doesn't get compared to its Lexus siblings - yet), but I intend to focus on modifying the car in a way that improves upon the intent of the designers. And with a level of OCD that will mean perfection, to the extent possible. I'd also like to try to do things that no one else has tried, and being located in Japan, with access to various Toyota specialists, I think it's only a matter of time before I find myself "lonely" again...
In any case, I look forward to this journey. I am confident that the ISF community is just as, if not more, passionate about their cars and hope to make some good friends along the way. I hope that "lonely" will only be my catch-copy phrase and not indicative of ISF ownership!
No comments:
Post a Comment