Kozo & Kyoko Yoshida GT-R. RESTORATION GARAGE YOSHIDA

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"We bought this 1,700 tsubo (about 5,600 square meters) of land, which was originally a lumber factory, complete with buildings, and moved our workshop here about five years ago. This area is known for Yoshino cedar. Nara’s Yoshino is deep in the mountains. Some people ask, 'Do customers really come all the way out here?' But I believe it's precisely because of this location that we find meaning in our work. It certainly takes time and effort for customers to visit us, but if they truly see the value in what we do, they will come. Nowadays, we have customers not just from Japan but from overseas as well. It's truly gratifying that they see that value in our location and especially in our work."

Garage Yoshida is well-known among second-generation Skyline GT-R enthusiasts. With a clear and simple concept of "restoring the original performance," it has established itself as a reliable entity that meticulously restores second-generation GT-Rs, steadily building a solid reputation.

"The desire to make the car run properly is at the core, so we never do restorations that just make the exterior look pretty. Our policy is to thoroughly address even the parts that are usually out of sight, to ensure that the car meets the performance standards that a GT-R should."

Kozo Yoshida, now 44, founded Garage Yoshida at the age of 23, after the production of second-generation GT-Rs had already ended. After high school, he worked at a gas station, then briefly at a Nissan dealership, but soon grew tired of the menial tasks disguised as "training" and returned to the gas station. At night, he worked on replacing and repairing engines for friends from the drifting scene, where he was also involved, earning a little money from this private garage setup. He married his childhood friend Kyoko at 23, set up a space at their newlywed home where he could work on about two cars at a time, and fully stepped into the restoration business that continues to this day.

"When we were dating, I’d think we were going out, but he’d take me to help with work instead. I was essentially an unpaid worker. But it wasn’t like I particularly disliked it, so I kept helping out, and here we are."

Kyoko, standing by Kozo’s side, speaks calmly. It's clear that the intelligent and petite Kyoko has significantly contributed to Garage Yoshida’s success. The couple's committed approach to their work is genuinely admirable.

"Our first body repairs were on a crashed R32. I tied a chain block to a cherry tree in front of our house to straighten the frame. It was a rough way to start working on cars and GT-Rs. We started getting more repair work for crashed cars, learned about industry sales, and began finding and buying cars through tuning magazine classifieds, fixing them up, and selling them on Yahoo Auctions. Our repair and restoration work increased, often through word of mouth, and we tackled the varying conditions of each car, learning as we went. For me, this was a time of learning. Even now, I always feel like I'm absorbing new things. But, it's crucial to keep working hands-on. No amount of reading books or browsing the web can match the experience of working on actual cars. Creating an environment where we could work with cars at a young age has led to where we are now."

"When we take on a restoration job, there’s one phrase we consider a no-go: 'Make it like new.' Because that's simply impossible. It’s not our goal either. Restoring to 'like new' condition, assembled on a production line with vast development costs and enormous equipment investments, is a fundamentally unrealistic request. Our concept of 'restoring original performance' doesn’t mean returning it to a brand-new state."

Currently, Garage Yoshida restores about 12 second-generation GT-Rs a year. They also receive maintenance requests from clients with already restored vehicles and are involved in the "BUILTBYLEGENDS" project, as featured in this magazine. They are constantly at full capacity.

"This generation of industrial products can’t be correctly restored by intuition alone. It's essential to measure the specific conditions of each car and align them with manufacturer’s data. That’s why we’ve continually invested in the latest equipment to accurately handle this generation of cars. Tools are crucial. I’ve even had to sell my own cars (BNR32 and BCNR34) to invest in better tools. We've always taken this seriously."

In Garage Yoshida’s main workshop, there’s a French-made jig frame straightening machine. It uses multiple correction holes specific to each car model to align bodies affected by aging or accidents to their original dimensions, including factory tolerances. Settings are in place for BNR32, BCNR33, and BNR34 models.

"Before starting work, we measure the body (monocoque) alignment with a 3D measuring device and compare it to the manufacturer’s data. All second-generation models are over 20 years old, and many have undergone multiple repairs. Accurately measuring their current state is crucial for precise restoration later.

I believe a car is only as good as its body. The structure needs to be correct for the car to perform properly. Additionally, it's not enough to just return them to their original state. There’s tuning and a new concept of 'restomodding' that brings these cars to a performance level on par with modern standards. We feel it's our mission to create content that aligns with these new times."

In reality, the exterior can always be deceiving, but the internal structure, critical to performance, cannot and must not be compromised. Yoshida emphasizes this point with increased intensity, explaining their substantial investments in state-of-the-art technology and equipment to achieve the ideal body restoration.

In terms of looking ahead, Garage Yoshida is working on a project that could become a beacon of hope for second-generation GT-R users.

"Given that OEM body panels have been discontinued one after another in recent years, we’ve been trying to stockpile necessary parts as much as possible. However, it's impossible to secure enough for a lifetime. So, we decided to use 3D scanners to precisely measure the stock panels and reproduce them using current automotive steel, proven for its strength. The first products are the strut tower kits and cowl top braces for BCNR33 and BNR34, which are prone to rust from the underside. We plan to expand our lineup of body panels, starting with these critical areas that affect performance. They’ve been coated with electro-deposition paint to resist rust."

It’s difficult to capture all of Garage Yoshida’s initiatives within these pages. The dedication of Kozo and Kyoko Yoshida to the second-generation GT-R is vast and profound. They are even planning a grand project using the expansive 1,700 tsubo site in Yoshino, Nara. The future developments are eagerly anticipated.

"After all, the Skyline GT-R is something Japan can proudly present to the world. As Japanese, we want to preserve it for the future in the best possible way."

Yoshida’s eyes reflect a firm belief as he smiles.

(Catchphrases)

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"I want to ensure the car runs properly. That’s the foundation of my work."

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"We cannot and must not compromise on the internal structure of the body."

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"After all, as Japanese, don’t we want to preserve it for the future in the best possible way?"

(Captions)

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Garage Yoshida's main workshop. Restoration work progresses with precise measurements using a French-made jig frame straightening machine and a 3D measuring device, aligning each body with the manufacturer's specifications. Trust is built through accurate work based on data, not intuition.

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The strut towers of BCNR33 and BNR34, which tend to rust from the underside. The upper part is sealed, but the lower part isn’t, allowing water to accumulate and cause corrosion over time, affecting performance. With OEM parts discontinued, Garage Yoshida has started manufacturing and selling these parts using the latest technology.

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Kozo & Kyoko Yoshida
The couple, who met in kindergarten, married at 23 and have built Garage Yoshida together. Their synchronized "disassembly work" is said to be impressive, stripping a second-generation GT-R down in just about five hours. Their eldest child is set to join as an apprentice soon. The family continues to evolve—a heartwarming story.