20 years of Isuzu design

"Nakazoto" (Nakazoto)
06/18/2018 at 18:54 • Filed to: None

1973 Isuzu Bellett: Designer unknown (by me at least)

1978 Isuzu 117 Coupe: Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro

1984 Isuzu Impulse: Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro

1992 Isuzu Gemini Irmscher R: Designer Shiro Nakamura

I wish the weather had been better, but at least it makes for a dramatic backdrop!

DISCUSSION (12)

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Nakazoto
06/18/2018 at 19:01

I love the Bellett, and the others aren’t half bad either :)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Nakazoto
06/18/2018 at 19:08

the one with the white wheels.... gib?

i rather like it

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nakazoto
06/18/2018 at 19:22

Love that pic! I’d say my favorites are the classics, of course (Bellett, then 117!), but that Gemini is growing on me....I’ve never been a HUGE fan of the Impulse. You’re selling it, aren’t you (or so I thought I’d read somewhere...?)

Wish I had the money to import and have one ‘weekend’ car, let along the zillion you are lucky enough to have! :D

Flavien Vidal > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/18/2018 at 19:24

Considering how long he’s been waiting for it, trust me he is NOT selling it :)

He also has to do the headgasket on it...

Meanwhile, this is how fun that thing is! Really an awesome car :)

EDIT, oh I thought you meant the Gemini, my bad... He is selling his Impulse :)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Flavien Vidal
06/18/2018 at 19:27

Will it be hard to find a gasket for? He said they had the car in the US, but not in the same guise. Was it the same engine?

Also, I meant selling the Impulse, not the Gemini Irmscher R! I thought I’d read somewhere he was planning on selling it!

Flavien Vidal > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/18/2018 at 19:32

Very easy to source, he already has everything for it. This engine was indeed sold in the US in a detuned version in the Impulse, Stylus and in the Lotus Elan so parts aren’t hard to find.

Nakazoto > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/18/2018 at 20:27

Thanks!

The 117 Coupe and Bellett are indeed my favorites as well. They’re just so pretty. The Impulse is for sale as Flavien said, but it’s mostly because I just don’t like it as much as the JDM version. The Japanese market version had solid headlights and skinnier bumpers and look better balanced overall. Someday I may hunt down a Japanese market one.

Also, as Flavien said, we did get the drivetrain here. The turbo engine was available in the Lotus Elan M100 and the second gen. Impulse RS. The RS also has the same AWD drivetrain, so I can still find parts for that part of it. The body is the same as the Stylus that we got here, so if I never need a windshield or something, I can still find those as well. So, this particular combination of drivetrain in the Gemini body was never sold here, but the pieces were all available in various other stuff.

I’m done importing for a while. One of the other reasons that the Impulse is up for sale is so we can hunt down an old IS300 Sportback (Altezza Gita) for the wife. She drives the Beat a lot, but it’s not the most practical car, haha.

Nakazoto > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
06/18/2018 at 20:28

Thanks! I’ve been driving the Bellett a lot lately, and man do I love that car. Even for a carb’d car, it’s dead reliable and just a blast to drive!

Nakazoto > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
06/18/2018 at 20:30

That would be the Isuzu Gemini Irmscher R, my most recent acquisition via Flavien. It’s got some gemlins that need sorting, but I’m pretty excited to make it my new daily driver!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Nakazoto
06/18/2018 at 20:32

lol dont blame you... that thing is all kindsa charming :)

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Nakazoto
06/18/2018 at 20:39

When I discovered they existed while browsing goo-net I immediately wanted one and have ever since. It’s quite the neat collection you’ve got there, and I’ll be interested in further impressions on the new one!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nakazoto
06/21/2018 at 15:26

Pffftt, just get a trailer for the Beat....that’ll increase it’s practicality, right? :P

An IS300 wagon is a good choice, just ask Zoidberg! :P