GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2008 'Press Day' event:

On 9th April I was honoured to be invited to this event by Nissan UK's press department, and was asked to bring along the 1971 KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to take part in demo runs up the Goodwood hillclimb course, and to display outside the house.

Nissan UK had arranged for a new ( French registered, but RHD ) R35 GT-R to be brought along by one of their motorsport partners, and it was nice to have a C10-series GT-R and the latest R35 GT-R together in the UK for the first time.

Well, what can I say? The weather was great, the other cars taking part were stunning, and the atmosphere was really friendly and relaxed. I haven't had such a good time in ages. It was a nice opportunity to run the KPGC10 on open - unsilenced - side-exit exhaust and newly-fitted slicks, and to show the car to many people who had never seen one before.

This year's Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place on the 11th, 12th & 13th of July, and is well worth visiting if you can make it.

Some pics from the Press Day ( my thanks to nissansportz.com for sending the photos to me, and allowing me to use them here ):

Alan T.

So what does the "PMC S" stand for on the rear quarter panel? I've seen it on a bunch of vintage cars and assumed it was the sanctioning body or something like that.

So what does the "PMC S" stand for on the rear quarter panel?

PMC.S = "Prince Motor(ist) Club. Sports"

The Prince Motor Company, like many of the Japanese car manufacturers in the late Sixties, made their race teams like little supporters clubs. PMC.S was formed as the Prince in-house race team, and fans could join the club and get extra benefits at race meetings and regular newsletters etc.

When Prince were merged with Nissan in 1966, PMC.S became a focus point for sporting Skyline fans in particular. The Skyline factions inside the Nissan organisation kept up the traditions of the club and still used the famous white on red PMC.S stickers on their cars.

The 'Works' C10-series Skyline GT-R race cars were entered into races under the PMC.S banner ( so that PMC.S was the 'entrant' rather than Nissan ) and the Works drivers were - technically - employed by PMC.S, whereas the Zs, Sunnies and Bluebirds for example were raced under the SCCN banner ( SCCN = Sports Car Club of Nissan ) which was Nissan's non-Prince faction equivalent.

PMC.S and SCCN still exist as clubs, and still organise events for their members.

Hope that helped to explain it a little.

Alan T.

I would be happy with the R35 too. But, your car is rarer and is more visceral. Plus, I can get a R35 this summer just by taking out a big fat loan.

An R35 over a KPGC10?

Not a hope in hell once they dropped the RB engine - after all, a GT-R is supposed to have a fire breathing straight six!.

Good to see the C10 where it belongs, Alan.

An R35 over a KPGC10?

Not a hope in hell once they dropped the RB engine - after all, a GT-R is supposed to have a fire breathing straight six!.

Good to see the C10 where it belongs, Alan.

Shyeah right. No I6, therefore not a real GTR. If it bothers you that much, then drop in an L28 and go nutz :stupid:

I'd gladly have one sitting in my driveway over any other $120k (ish) car, thank you very much.

Just like I'd rather drop a million bucks on a fleet of Porsches over a GTHO anyday.

Disclaimer - I love classic cars - be they Japanese, Australian or American (sorry, the british stuff doesn't do it for me). Just can't fathom people's biased views towards these antiques when modern cars are so much better in every way.

Just like I'd rather drop a million bucks on a fleet of Porsches over a GTHO anyday.

You don't need a fleet of Porsche's these days, one new GTR will do the job of all of them :cheeky:

Alan, how does your GTR brake when your driving it hard? I couldn't really see the booster in the pictures of the engine, but it looks like the really small one mine had that was shockingly bad for pulling up.

Alan, how does your GTR brake when your driving it hard? I couldn't really see the booster in the pictures of the engine, but it looks like the really small one mine had that was shockingly bad for pulling up.

Yes, It's got the tiny booster. Needs two feet on the middle pedal really!

The car is fitted with the Sports Option MK63-20S four-pot 'FIA' front calipers, and the vented front discs. Front pads are special 'ENDLESS' compound that need quite a lot of warming up before they will really bite. Rear brakes are the standard type drums but with the Sports Option linings. Whole driving philosophy of these cars in period ( for the tracks that they drove on ) was one of keeping up momentum. Later in the '72 season they fitted rear discs to the Works cars, which must have helped a great deal I reckon. They also deleted the booster and fitted a bigger M/C on the Works cars for better 'feel'. Must have been hard work to drive in the long races.

It could certainly do with more brakes, but I'd like to try and keep it as period-correct as possible. I'm aiming at mid-1971 type spec, which leaves me stuck with the current setup.

Disclaimer - I love classic cars - be they Japanese, Australian or American (sorry, the british stuff doesn't do it for me). Just can't fathom people's biased views towards these antiques when modern cars are so much better in every way.

Personally speaking, I like both old and new. Everything should be taken on a case-by-case basis. If I had unlimited funds I'd have a very varied and 'catholic' collection of both old and new, and of any market sector / purpose. I don't 'see' nationalities of manufacturers as any kind of excuse for complete dismissal or affection. I find it hard to relate to anybody who would say that they "love" classic cars, but then say that "British" cars "don't do it" for them. If you see something that you have never seen before, would you change your opinion of it once you found out what country it was made in? That seems quite obtuse to me.

I guess we won't be seeing you at the Goodwood Festival of Speed then? :cheeky:

You don't need a fleet of Porsche's these days, one new GTR will do the job of all of them :cheeky:

Dam Strait!! The fleet of porsches comment was referring to the dude who got offered 4 brand new Porsches in exchange for his mint GTHO.

Personally speaking, I like both old and new. Everything should be taken on a case-by-case basis. If I had unlimited funds I'd have a very varied and 'catholic' collection of both old and new, and of any market sector / purpose

Totally agree.

I don't 'see' nationalities of manufacturers as any kind of excuse for complete dismissal or affection

I don't completely dismiss anything based on nationality. I said that British cars don't do it for me. From my experience with old British cars (admittedly limited to MG's, old Jags, Minis and various Triumphs) I just don't get as excited about them. Not to say there aren't any desirable British classics out there - just that what I've experienced hasn't really excited me.

That's not to say I dismiss them completely, or would never own one. Probably a bad choice of words on my behalf. Apologies if this offended - that was not my intention.

That seems quite obtuse to me

Hehe I can be a little on the obtuse side at times.

I guess we won't be seeing you at the Goodwood Festival of Speed then?

Not while I'm on this continent. Perhaps if I were in the neighbourhood, I'd make more effort to come for a bo peep.

By the way - I love your C10

PMC.S = "Prince Motor(ist) Club. Sports"

The Prince Motor Company, like many of the Japanese car manufacturers in the late Sixties, made their race teams like little supporters clubs. PMC.S was formed as the Prince in-house race team, and fans could join the club and get extra benefits at race meetings and regular newsletters etc.

When Prince were merged with Nissan in 1966, PMC.S became a focus point for sporting Skyline fans in particular. The Skyline factions inside the Nissan organisation kept up the traditions of the club and still used the famous white on red PMC.S stickers on their cars.

The 'Works' C10-series Skyline GT-R race cars were entered into races under the PMC.S banner ( so that PMC.S was the 'entrant' rather than Nissan ) and the Works drivers were - technically - employed by PMC.S, whereas the Zs, Sunnies and Bluebirds for example were raced under the SCCN banner ( SCCN = Sports Car Club of Nissan ) which was Nissan's non-Prince faction equivalent.

PMC.S and SCCN still exist as clubs, and still organise events for their members.

Hope that helped to explain it a little.

Alan T.

I appreciate it.

From my experience with old British cars (admittedly limited to MG's, old Jags, Minis and various Triumphs) I just don't get as excited about them. Not to say there aren't any desirable British classics out there - just that what I've experienced hasn't really excited me.

440k I bet you couldn't look at an old Aston Martin DB6 and not get excited, or the Jensen with the 6.3lt V8 which correct me if I'm wrong was 4wd also.

I like anything that looks good and goes fast, from rotarys to V8's even the citroen DS special does it for me. cars from Korea are my most disliked though.

You should post more Alan, you know more than most about the old skylines and everyone jumps in on your threads. I'm glad to hear your keeping it original, the KPGC10 has nothing to prove to anyone, it's done it all before.

440k I bet you couldn't look at an old Aston Martin DB6 and not get excited, or the Jensen with the 6.3lt V8 which correct me if I'm wrong was 4wd also.

I think the 4x4 (and ABS!) Jensen Interceptor was only a very limited edition called Ferguson Formula, but I think the great, great majority of Interceptors are rwd.

Alan many thanks for the pics. Good job.

If I could just see your car in person. That would be a dream come true.

Dewayne