I was offered Shs50m but my car is priceless

At close range,  Emmanuel Emodek’s Isuzu 117 Coupe will remind you of Vin Diesel’s 1970 Dodge Charger in the movie Fast and Furious. However, the two cars are of different brands and models. Emodek bought his 46-year old car two months ago from a friend.  

According to Emodek, Isuzu 117 Coupes were manufactured between 1969 and 1981. His is a 1975 model and was among the very few that found their way to Africa. 
“The first owner of this car, whose name I am still tracking, was a minister during Idi Amin’s regime.  It is one of the remaining few in the country or even on the continent,” Emodek says. 

Car features
The first visible feature about the Isuzu is that it has chameleon colours. They change according to the weather and the angle at which you look at it. Under the sun, it is purple, blue and green. 
Another interesting feature is that the car’s fuel tank is in the trunk. It has the rear, front and side indicators. 

It does not only have chrome plated front and rear bumpers but its bonnet has a flip front opening. When you forget to close it (bonnet), it is closed by wind as you drive. However, its original engine was changed and currently runs on 1600cc Twincam Toyota engine, with a maximum speed of 180km/hour, surprisingly on automatic transmission. 

Uniqueness of vintage cars
Emodek explains that what makes vintage cars such as the Isuzu Coupe historical is that very few were manufactured and meant for durability. 
 
“Buyers acquired them on the promise of driving them for years unlike latest models that break down easily. When an Isuzu Coupe breaks down, getting it to run again is an easy fix because it is not electronic,” Emodek explains. 

Spare parts 
Getting spare parts for the Isuzu, Emodek says is expensive and complicated. For example, one new side mirror costs $249 (about Shs881,000). He sources for spares online through E-bay and Amazon, with the help of his friends in Japan and Turkey. 

When he had just acquired the car, it did not have the radiator and wiper water tanks and a few other parts. The fact that it shares certain parts with the old model Isuzu brands, locally sourcing for these parts is easier. 

“It is a sports car that can go as fast as I wish. I just choose not to drive that fast. It can also be driven on any road because of its favourable ground clearance,” Emodek says. 

He says he cannot cost the restoration of the Isuzu Coupe because it is still an ongoing process. He has not only changed the suspension system but also reworked everything on the dashboard, including the speed gauge. The Isuzu 117 Coupe was also initially a four-seater single door that he is restoring to a two-seater. 

Car value 
Emodek says the car is currently valued at 10m Japanese Yen. In Uganda, selling has not crossed his mind, much as many car enthusiasts have expressed interest in buying it, including one who stopped him on the road and offered Shs50m, and another who met him at the garage and tabled Shs40m. He turned down both offers. Since it is one of the few remaining Isuzu 117 Coupes in Uganda, he says, it is worth holding onto.  

“One of the challenges we have is that many vintage cars have lost their identity because their initial number plates are being changed. With new plates, someone may think it was just imported yet it has been in the country for decades. It is priceless and worth preserving for future generations,” Emodek says.  The Isuzu is currently registered with UAB 333P plates but initially carried UXD number plate series.  

About the car
The wave of private car ownership arrived in 1968 in Japan when the production of passenger cars exceeded that of trucks. The year was also marked in history by the launch of the 117 Coupe designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Carrozzeria Ghia SpA, Italy. The fastback high-speed touring car equipped with a 120-horsepower DOHC engine was one of the representative high-end personal cars which combined elegant styling and sport-minded travelling performance.

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