1983 Nissan DR30 Skyline: Shakotan Boogie!
Featured today on Car Rave we have a piercingly perfect “Shakotan” style 1983 Nissan DR30 Skyline.
Some of you may or may not know this, but I am a bit of an 80’s Skyline tragic. Infact, stashed away in my garage is my very first car- a 1989 R31 Silhouette. Yes, an Aussie built box on wheels, often found being driven by one of two demographics- 80+ year old men in country towns, and P-Platers who can’t afford a Silvia. Anyway, enough embarrassing facts about me. Bottom line is I love the things.
So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this 1983 Nissan DR30 Skyline pop up on eBay. Not only is it the desirable “Iron Mask” variant (well, it has the front clip), but it has also had the full JDM “Shakotan” treatment, which roughly translated means “car with the body lowered”.
Shakotan is a sub-culture of the much larger “Kyusha” car culture found throughout Japan. Kyusha, which translates to “old car”, is a blanket term for a wide range of different car styles – from the more track focused “works” cars, through to wild flared out cars often associated with Bosozoku culture- better known as Kaido racers.
Generally, Shakotan cars are not as track focused as Works cars and are a lot more polished than those wild Kaido Racers. They are usually 70’s-80’s Nissan, Toyota and Mazda coupes and sedans, with flash paint, wide (rare) polished rims and stretched rubber. Throw in a razor sharp bodykit, clean engine bay and you have a Shakotan.
This particular DR30 falls somewhere in the middle of mild and wild. It has the critical low offset wheels (classic SSR MK1’s – not Centerlines you bogans), custom over-fenders, and a razor sharp rear spoiler. Throw in some wild Candy paint, Nardi wheel and a host of suspensions mods, and you’ve got yourself a very decent period spec (but not overcooked) Shakotan style DR30.
Look,lets be honest- I am pretty positive this DR30 is going to rub a few purists up the wrong way- but honestly, f**k ’em! This car is far more than a ruined classic, candy show car or drift pig. It’s an honest representation of one of Japan’s most iconic sub-cultures, and it’s brilliant and true and it’s right here in Australia.
If this early Japanese street machine rubs you up the right way, you can find it on eBay for $29,998- here.
1983 Nissan DR30 Skyline: In the owners own words
First registered owner in AustraliaIn storage for past 9 yearsVery tidy modified one of a kind example
Genuine 104,000km
No rust
Candy red respray in Japan
Custom flutes & flares
15×10 / 15×11 Ssr Mk1
Near new custom r30.co.jp coilovers
r30.co.jp strut braces
Bigger sway bars
SWM Caster rods
Bride Zeta 3 glitter fixed back driver seat on Bride rail
Nardi Personal suede wheel
Turbo back exhuast
HKS boost gauge
HKS boost controller
Does everything a classic skyline should…Runs, stops, looks badass, is comfortable, impractical
Inspiration
Here is a clip from the movie “Shakotan Boogie“, a 1987 japanese cult classic. You can read up about the film elsewhere, but I just want to include this amazing scene which is FILLED with Shakotans, Kaido Racers and plenty of other JDM goodness.