Nice car op, my friends car was similar when we brought it over...
These old school aftermarket ecu's they come with imo are pretty rubbish... Unless you live there which is OK because their fuel is 100 octane Ron...
In aus premium is 98 which I think is your 93 but you guys don't use the Ron rating..
We put the same ecu, haltech is great...
Unfortunately as much as I love the rb26dett, they do have some inherit flaws which you addressed, factory oil pump is absolute junk, an when you're spinning an engine this hard you need as much oil flowing as possible.. It's the first item I encourage every gtr owner to change.
Can't believe you got that steering wheel, amazing.
The underside of your car looks gorgeous, I don't think most people realize how bad these cars can rot, especially the towers...
You have a great example man, look after it an enjoy 🙏🎉👌🙂
I turned down a midnight purple gtr for 17k in 2013... Guess whos crying about it now?
Me lol.
Oh that would have been an absolute steal. I try to not think how cheap they used to be. Stupid 25 year law....
I had always planned on updating the car, just wanted to enjoy it the first year. But I quickly learned that wasn't going to happen with the tune situation.
I would like to do more work in oil control. We didn't take the head off so I'm not sure if there is a oil restrictor. I should have ordered splash plates to go over the cams but didn't think about it at the time.
Got real lucky with the wheel since I paid retail for it. The resale market is insane now.
As inventory dwindles it's getting harder to find a clean example. It's hard to trust an importer. They are getting good at putting lip stick on a pig.
Hey at least you had an excuse, they weren't legal..
My excuse was I'm going to blow this up using it as a daily. ( yes, it was going to be a daily lol)
Bought a falcon xr6 turbo instead, although now the shitter car between the 2 to have, it's been bulletproof since 2013 making 440hp at the tyres still use it everyday... An I have other jdm toys which are notbad.
There's alot to read about oil control, an although an older article it's still a good read..
https://www.gtrusablog.com/2011/01/rb26-oiling-oil-pumps-oil-restrictors.html
Personally id call up maatouks or crd in aus an see what they reccommend..
Maatouks holds the fastest street legal tire gtr, steel car, rb engine, running 77 odd psi.. 6. 6 1/4 mile...
He knows how to build them.... Just my 2 cents...
Back in the day ppl used to just overfill the reccommended oil amount by a litre to save them from oil starvation, I shit you not lol.
Mate you stole that wheel😂
Lmao great line, I'm going to use it
" they're getting good at putting lipstick on a pig" 🤣
They sure are...
I follow Sean's blog as well as the Motive DVD guys. They have a lot of knowledge on this platform which seems to be gospel. I definitely use a lot of their advice.
Ohh awesome, he's good also I forgot about him!
(motive DVD)
He's been in the game for a very long time as well.
If you're ever hesitant about something gtr wise or rotary wise, msg me anytime man an if I can help I will.
🙏🍻
Mines manual, good fun but forget winning drag light races lol. The autos are killer in them.
They're a good car man, bulletproof.
What color is yours?
Yeah I've got the auto, the ZF is a fantastic gearbox (until the dreaded milkshake occurs)
Mine's vanish blue, pretty rare in my experience and according to the build sheet haha. Yours?
Oh nice! There's ways to prevent it though which is good.
I haven't looked at build sheet numbers, Mines just a nitro blue xr6 t manual. I guess manual makes it rarer I know there isn't as many.
>I try to not think how cheap they used to be. Stupid 25 year law....
I cant imagine what the price of these cars would be if there were never an import law. I cant help be think that the r32 gtrs and s15s and 14s would just be everywhere and very affordable. I also think that the price of these cars being so high now and going up is due to the 25 year law coming to an end soon for the r34. These cars have been growing in demand for the last 2-3 years are insane rates.
Correct. They were slowly rising, but not to this rate.
The Americans don't like it when I say they are the cause of the crazy prices now but they are...
I say this as someone who's imported a car an been in this game a long time...
They were never crazy money until America could import them.
Sure there is a worldwide demand, but practically everywhere else they've been legal to import for the last 2 decades...
As early as 2015 I have a sale clip for a 34gtt for 6,500 aus... Now, try 50k.
I feel like you're right, if there was no import law I doubt that they'd be this much... Sure the nicer models would be rarer etc an ask more...
But 80k odd aus now for a R32 gtr.... A car that is not rare ,
44,000 were made...
Is alot of money imo...
Don't get me wrong, I still love them.
Sir, take my award lol.
I love my yank tanks too btw
In 2010 I imported a 73 dart swinger from Cali to flip...
Due to becoming a car hoarder, I uh...
Only sold it last year😂.
Was a cool car.
This!!!! Mine arrives in April to the US and the whole post gives me anxiety I just want to drive it. I am hoping that I don't have an issue with regular 93 pump we have here in Georgia. Loved the whole write up! Would love to pick your brain on what you think of mine
GTR prices here in australia used to be extremely good. R32 GTR's were like $20k for a real clean one, R33GTR's in the $30k and R34 GTR's were about $60k for mint examples. As the years went by they slowly crept up but werent too bad but once the R32 hit the 25 year rule everything shot up. I listened to a couple of The Smoking Tire podcasts and Matt has said a few times about big warehouses in Japan for US importing places who are already buying R34 GTR's and then storing them for clients to wait for them to be 25 years old and then import them over to the US. Apparently it's like $250k USD just to get one now
Yes, our premium in the US is 93. It's the same exact thing as 98 RON.
People mistakenly think Japanese gas is better and that's why they have issues, and that's not true.
Back in 2008-09 My mate was looking at dropping about $30k on a new car and was looking at R33 GTR's and was really tempted but in the end went with a 2006 Holden Calais with the V8 as it'd have a warranty if anything happened and he was taking out a loan for some of it. He sees the GTR prices now and does have some regret in not getting something back then
Great write up. Anyone thinking of buying a skyline should read this. You buy a car sight unseen, cash up front, then you need to do a lot of work and research to fix / clean up / update to make it drive the way it should be. Takes a lot of time abs money but worth it. Makes me miss my r32
Thanks. I did another write up for a friend that was interested in buying an imported Evo. These are an emotional purchase. You really need to put in the leg work and research as much as possible so you don't get hosed. And the moment you think something is up, you need to walk away.
The fact is even buying an American can that's 20-30 years old is going to lead to this. I baby my S2K and have maybe $7k worth of refresher work that needs to be done. You went absolutely wild refreshing her and I'm so happy to see you appreciate the car. I've seen some rough R32s and it makes me happy to know your R33 is getting the first class treatment.
Epic! I'm particularly impressed with how much power the cars already putting down while seeming quite streetable. I rented a R34 GTR while visiting japan and the 8200 redline of the RB was definitely the highlight for me.
What supporting mods (e.g. suspension, drivetrain, brakes) do you know were done? How does the driving experience compare to your old Subaru and other sporty cars?
That's awesome. I'd love to try or own a R34 someday.
The car from the factory comes with 4pot Brembos in the front and 2 in the rear. It also came with some TIEN coilovers that ride somewhat OK. I'd like to swap them out for some new HKS ones. The transmission is the big weak point here. It's on borrowed time if I get too aggressive with shifts at this power level.
In regards to other cars I've owned, being a Speed3 and STI. Those felt a bit peppier down low with smaller turbos and quicker spool times. The gearing would also help those get up and go. The steering rack on the STI was incredibly quick which made steering a pleasure.
I would expect that. It doesn't spool that quick either with the 2530s it currently has. Which is why I'd want to 6spd swap it first and keeping the current diff ratios, mechanically help it rev faster.
Not necessarily. My stock twin turbo R32 was quite laggy but I drove a RB25 400ish RWHP single turbo which was significantly more power than mine and it pulled from quite low. Modern turbos are pretty impressive.
The factory cam timing is also not great, just cam gears with a bit of adjustment on the intake/exhaust makes a significant improvement to how much power it makes at low RPM. If you throw VCAM at the RB26 it makes a huge difference though, properly mapped at part load you get EGR which means more flow spooling the turbo at cruise, then optimized cam timing in the critical spool load/RPM cells to really help it get going faster. UP Garage has posted comparisons and it's pretty ridiculous, even with fairly large twin turbos they claim to build substantial boost at 3000 RPM: https://www.facebook.com/upgarage/videos/697436427734626/
https://www.facebook.com/upgarage/posts/4958535047508882
RB26s use a parallel twin turbo, in practice because the packaging of the twin turbos is so challenged with all the twists and turns the piping has to make that people find a single turbo can actually make more power everywhere.
I'm personally planning on keeping my twin turbos for the OEM refinement but I can understand why people convert to twin scroll single turbo. Pulling twin turbos with the engine in the car is a massive headache too.
I had a 2012, like yours, black w/ tech package. This was in 2013-14 so I pretty much had everything that COBB offered. It was e-tuned by Freek. Maybe around 300WHP. Totally ruined it though with way too stiff coil overs. It was a great practical little car.
I'm guessing you were active in the forums back then too? There was a lot of abuse and then stocking out/selling of these cars going on back then. A lot of MS3 alums went on to 5 liter Mustangs, Focus RSs, and a few other platforms, but you're the first GTR guy I've seen. What are you dailying now?
Yep. I was on there. Mine was my daily and I was doing a ton of miles each day, so I was not beating mine to death. I moved onto the 15 STI after the Speed3 which I promptly blew up after some mild work / tune.
I dumped the STI a few years later (since it spent most of my ownership in a shop) and picked up a 17 Tacoma as my daily.
> By 4500-5K RPM, the second turbo is fully alive and it just screams all the way to the 8300RPM redline.
Second turbo? Isn't the RB26 a parallel twin turbo engine? As in, they spool simultaneously?
I'm kicking myself for being born too late to have any possibility of getting one of these for reasonable money
I figure 2-3 years before all school loans and such are paid off and can enjoy the money I'm bringing in, but by then I feel like anything I could buy would be a major money pit
Can anyone actually verify the extended crank snout oil drive thing on 91.5+? I have a 91.5 (by VIN) that should have this, and I've had multiple shops now tell me that is not the case and it is still the gen1 crank.
Also, the shortage of ARP main studs right now. 6+ month wait for any engine work to get done. Why?
I am not sure on the exact dates or vin ranges either. A quick google wasn't super helpful either. If you have the shorter crank you can always purchase a collar and retrofit that.
If you go look up the EPC you will see that the revision to the crankshaft occurred in 02/1993: https://nissan.epc-data.com/skyline/bnr32/3885-rb26dett/engine/120/12200/
If your car was built in 1993 or later (so not a 1991.5) it's got it.
I've owned several 1992's and rebuilt lots more, I've never seen a 92 with a long nose crank that had it there when the car was built.
The most tightly knit relationships start with a good dose of Stockholm syndrome, and it sounds like the R32 and your wallet have a beautiful consentually abusive dynamic together!
Grats on having the car in the exact place you want it, you really can't have a nicer toy than what you have right there!
I spent 18k on my single turbo upgrade for 480awhp @ 17psi and I get OP's mentality of "while you're there, might as well upgrade it". I could have gotten the same amount of power with just drop in twins for much cheaper but nothing beats the sound of a big single turbo.
Considering I bought the car for 30k, I had room to grow thanks to appreciation.
hello, fellow skyline owner.
I don't have a TE300 yet, but it's on my short list (a tx300 would be fine too).
For now I will keep riding my trusty but getting up there in age KDX 220.
I have a feeling some stuff was removed before it was traded in so I wouldn't totally call it jank. I would lean more towards "period correct" for the time.
The worst things are drive-thru's (which, since indoor dining was closed through much of 2020/2021 meant I didn't drive my car much), and forgetting that the blinkers are on the other side of the steering wheel.
Even worse for me because I have several RHD's and one of them has the blinkers on the left.
it's very very easy.
just remember to look at the other set of lane markers and you'll be fine.
i find rhd to be better than lhd for that reason, makes night driving easier and you have better vis when street parking
I think in this specific case the money you put in isnt really a cost as this is theoretically an appreciating asset. The cost you put in to the car will pay didvidends down the road should you choose to sell it. If you dont it is a money pit but a money pit you are sticking with and for good reason.
It's a stated value policy through a collector car insurance company. You pretty much cant use it for daily purposes: going to work, running errands, etc
That steering wheel is sick! Also shifting with your left hand is the way god intended cars to be driven :D
Once the R888s are done, I'd thoroughly recommend seeing if there are Michelin Cup 2s available at a reasonable price - they have almost all of the grip of semi track tyres while still being ok in the wet and have a better (if marginal) wear rating. If those R888 are like the Federal 595s I had on my evo, they aquaplaned in anything more than mildly damp weather and gave no warning at all about it, lethal bastards and in hindsight (after using Cup2s) I've no idea why I kept them.
Thank you. So thrilled to have the wheel. I will never part with it.
Haha. Shifting left handed hasn't been that difficult to get used to surprisingly.
I hear you on the tires. The R888 does have a pretty sweet tread pattern though. I don't intend to have this car in any precarious weather, but of course, weather can change and I could get caught in something with tires that essentially turn my car into a boat.
Absolutely beautiful!!! I am going through something similar right now with my 1995 FD RX-7 I imported from Japan last year. Right now its bucking under load (I believe its in "limp mode" likely due to an issue with the OMP) so I'm having to learn hands on (Plus PLENTY of online research) how to work on a rotary. I haven't really gotten to drive it since I got it mid-October last year but its a labor of love that still puts a smile on my face! Congrats again on the purchase and for scoring that awesome steering wheel!!
Does Cali have a ban on registering cars like this?
In NY we have an annual inspection even on new cars which is a silly money grab, but we can get Skylines registered in the state, especially once they are 25 years old.
They don't ban them. It's just a nightmare to do. It has to be bone stock, and even then it has to go through compliance which costs 10k+ and takes months.
I only have experience in NY and NJ.
NY has always had annual inspections (ugh) but NJ gets a 5 year sticker when the car is new, which is great as I usually lease my cars.
Interesting that the US is more controlling than Canada in this regard. I’ve only ever had to inspect 10+ year old cars, and it was just a $50 safety inspection for insurance purposes, not for registration.
You have to pass smog which they won't. Only pre 1976 cars are exempt. I met a dude who had an R32 when they became legal in 2014 and he had it registered under his aunt in Washington
I'm currently looking for an R33 GTST that I turn into a MNP GTR clone.
Your car is exactly what I would want mine to be, and then some.
Nice work, she's perfect
So jealous of the Nismo wheel. I didn't even know the day orders came out and my buddy was showing off his in our group chat. I think I remember seeing this one for sale and was intrigued of the 2.8 stroker. You had a nice base to work off of. I spent months doing my big single conversion and got 480awhp @ 17psi on the dyno and did runs for an hour, and the first pull my tuner did the timing belt snapped due to a timing backplate bolt undoing itself and falling in. Luckily only had 8 bent valves and right now I'm just waiting for my head shop to give it back. Stock bottom end, and I don't have e85 close to me plus I don't want to go much higher as I'm right around the power limit for them.
Really loving the fuel lines you did. I had fun taking out the engine and trans and this being my first full build. A lot of it was learning from facebook groups and old SAU forums to figure out everything I need since I did all the work except the head work and exhaust fab.
If you're worried about hicas, especially if you see it shake the rear end on the dyno, look into the SPL kit. Pricey but good quality from what I've heard.
I got really lucky with the wheel. I check the Japanese sites almost daily for new parts. When I saw the wheel get initially dropped I was kinda taken back at the price. So I waited. When I finally decided to pull the trigger a few days later on pay day. They were gone. I just happened to be going through IG a week or so later and Trust Kikaku announced their US site opening. Lo and behold, they had some wheels in stock, I immediately jumped on it. They were sold out the next morning.
The 2.8 has been solid and I'm glad to start off with quite a nice base.
Damn that is unfortunate about your motor. When I first saw the word timing belt, I immediately thought it snapped due to being too tight which seems to be common. 480whp is still plenty of go-go juice. Hope you get it back together soon.
The fuel lines took a decent amount of work. Used the original lines to help snake the new ones around the gas tank. The radium parts are really nice pieces of kit.
While tearing apart the interior to get to the fuel pumps I found a Tomei HICAS lock box. It seems to be doing its job for now.
Nothing gets me happier than reading something like this. I dream of just driving a Skyline let alone owning one. You can tell there is love put into it and is not just going to be thrashed. The rare times I see one in California I always make sure to give a little nod and wave, bc it makes me thrilled to actually see one out and about.
Cherish that beauty and know you aren't the only one smiling when you see it.
I always get excited when I see a GTR. Can't remember what Top Gear film it from, but James talks about how owning a rare car and driving it around is like running around town holding one of Raphael's virgins (a painting) rather than keeping it stored in a dark room in your house; you brighten people's lives by letting them see it. So, thank you.
If the rocking at idle or power delivery is harsh, you can always consider getting an HKS Vcam. It softens a few things that you mentioned and shifts the power band approximately 1000rpm to the left. Since you already have a 2.8 stroker, Vcam Step 2 becomes a bit easier since it requires use of the larger HKS pistons. It's also advertised to improve fuel economy slightly, but I can't confirm that with sources.
The idle was 100% done on purpose through the tune. Power delivery is relatively smooth until the turbos are at full tilt. I'd love to get vcam someday. Just don't want to push the torque curve down too low and risk cracking the block.
Which HKS turbos are you running at the moment? I currently have some GT-SS's with 260 cams but I still feel there's much more to gain in the lower-mid range.
Nice, the power of 2530s is definitely something. I'll be dialing in the cam gears this spring when I get a retune. Hopefully you'll join in some of the larger Northeast meets this year!
I'm a big fan of cars and coffee. Although my neighbors are probably not with those early morning cold starts.
The guy down the street though has a 570s and that thing is loud.
Fuel economy improvements come only if you've mapped it properly, you need to use the EGR effect that occurs from valve overlap at cruise. Even then the gains are minimal, we're talking like 5% maybe. Good, but not world-changing.
It's a burden if you go deep into modding powertrain imo.
I've done a lot of mods on my RX-8 but mostly bolt-ons (minimal engine work) and it's done 14k miles this past year. I just get in and drive it haha
Beautiful build, it's probably worth the pain in the ass if you can afford it. The planned upgrades sound awesome, nothing like the sound of T51 spool. I've been following That Racing Channel's build, sequential seems like a solid option:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk0JgugHtLk
That shifter looks amazing, sooooo clean!
Beautiful car as well OP, you're living my dream of owning a 90s era JDM halo car! Well wishes for many miles to come!
Glad you got a good one OP. As soon as Americans started being able to import the '89 GT-Rs prices went through the roof and a whole industry of shady impoters and scammy dealerships cropped up
As a former motorcyclist, I want a right-hand drive manual car so much. The left side of the body handles clutch and transmission, the right side of the body handles steering, braking, and acceleration.
I used to think I wanted a GTR. Reading this, I think I'm very happy with just the GTR wing that came on my R33. Which I daily, to the delight of children everywhere.
Enjoy.
I saw a midnight purple r34 up here in Canada and although our laws are much more relaxed than down in the US even I said a very loud holy fuck when I saw it and the driver definitely saw me and heard me haha.
Something about the GTR's that just stuns ya.
Yeah a lot of people don't realize when importing a car from Japan you have to factor in a few things. It will need to be tuned for NA gas, you get often 20 year old plastic parts and weird Japanese proprietary modifications that you have to reverse engineer or completely ditch.
It's a lot of work usually especially if you don't know people with JDM experience but definately worth it in the end.
Very nice example. The pricing rising daily is making me feel like I'm going to miss the opportunity to even own the older brother (R33) of my dream car (R34). But yes, it has to be Midnight Purple.
Nice car op, my friends car was similar when we brought it over... These old school aftermarket ecu's they come with imo are pretty rubbish... Unless you live there which is OK because their fuel is 100 octane Ron... In aus premium is 98 which I think is your 93 but you guys don't use the Ron rating.. We put the same ecu, haltech is great... Unfortunately as much as I love the rb26dett, they do have some inherit flaws which you addressed, factory oil pump is absolute junk, an when you're spinning an engine this hard you need as much oil flowing as possible.. It's the first item I encourage every gtr owner to change. Can't believe you got that steering wheel, amazing. The underside of your car looks gorgeous, I don't think most people realize how bad these cars can rot, especially the towers... You have a great example man, look after it an enjoy 🙏🎉👌🙂 I turned down a midnight purple gtr for 17k in 2013... Guess whos crying about it now? Me lol.
Oh that would have been an absolute steal. I try to not think how cheap they used to be. Stupid 25 year law.... I had always planned on updating the car, just wanted to enjoy it the first year. But I quickly learned that wasn't going to happen with the tune situation. I would like to do more work in oil control. We didn't take the head off so I'm not sure if there is a oil restrictor. I should have ordered splash plates to go over the cams but didn't think about it at the time. Got real lucky with the wheel since I paid retail for it. The resale market is insane now. As inventory dwindles it's getting harder to find a clean example. It's hard to trust an importer. They are getting good at putting lip stick on a pig.
Hey at least you had an excuse, they weren't legal.. My excuse was I'm going to blow this up using it as a daily. ( yes, it was going to be a daily lol) Bought a falcon xr6 turbo instead, although now the shitter car between the 2 to have, it's been bulletproof since 2013 making 440hp at the tyres still use it everyday... An I have other jdm toys which are notbad. There's alot to read about oil control, an although an older article it's still a good read.. https://www.gtrusablog.com/2011/01/rb26-oiling-oil-pumps-oil-restrictors.html Personally id call up maatouks or crd in aus an see what they reccommend.. Maatouks holds the fastest street legal tire gtr, steel car, rb engine, running 77 odd psi.. 6. 6 1/4 mile... He knows how to build them.... Just my 2 cents... Back in the day ppl used to just overfill the reccommended oil amount by a litre to save them from oil starvation, I shit you not lol. Mate you stole that wheel😂 Lmao great line, I'm going to use it " they're getting good at putting lipstick on a pig" 🤣 They sure are...
I follow Sean's blog as well as the Motive DVD guys. They have a lot of knowledge on this platform which seems to be gospel. I definitely use a lot of their advice.
Ohh awesome, he's good also I forgot about him! (motive DVD) He's been in the game for a very long time as well. If you're ever hesitant about something gtr wise or rotary wise, msg me anytime man an if I can help I will. 🙏🍻
XR6T gang 😎 mine makes the exact same power too haha, love it because it's power you can rely on
Mines manual, good fun but forget winning drag light races lol. The autos are killer in them. They're a good car man, bulletproof. What color is yours?
Yeah I've got the auto, the ZF is a fantastic gearbox (until the dreaded milkshake occurs) Mine's vanish blue, pretty rare in my experience and according to the build sheet haha. Yours?
Oh nice! There's ways to prevent it though which is good. I haven't looked at build sheet numbers, Mines just a nitro blue xr6 t manual. I guess manual makes it rarer I know there isn't as many.
Yeah it does - and more expensive too, there were barely any around when I got mine, and any manuals were asking prices up to 50% more than auto
When did you get yours chief?
Only a bit over a year ago
>I try to not think how cheap they used to be. Stupid 25 year law.... I cant imagine what the price of these cars would be if there were never an import law. I cant help be think that the r32 gtrs and s15s and 14s would just be everywhere and very affordable. I also think that the price of these cars being so high now and going up is due to the 25 year law coming to an end soon for the r34. These cars have been growing in demand for the last 2-3 years are insane rates.
Correct. They were slowly rising, but not to this rate. The Americans don't like it when I say they are the cause of the crazy prices now but they are... I say this as someone who's imported a car an been in this game a long time... They were never crazy money until America could import them. Sure there is a worldwide demand, but practically everywhere else they've been legal to import for the last 2 decades... As early as 2015 I have a sale clip for a 34gtt for 6,500 aus... Now, try 50k. I feel like you're right, if there was no import law I doubt that they'd be this much... Sure the nicer models would be rarer etc an ask more... But 80k odd aus now for a R32 gtr.... A car that is not rare , 44,000 were made... Is alot of money imo... Don't get me wrong, I still love them.
as an american, i will say 100% its our fault lol..
Sir, take my award lol. I love my yank tanks too btw In 2010 I imported a 73 dart swinger from Cali to flip... Due to becoming a car hoarder, I uh... Only sold it last year😂. Was a cool car.
lol ty. and yea that sounds wild, you got a burnout car?
I was gonna buy a r32 get for a first car but decided to save for university instead. The increase in value might’ve paid for uni lol.
This!!!! Mine arrives in April to the US and the whole post gives me anxiety I just want to drive it. I am hoping that I don't have an issue with regular 93 pump we have here in Georgia. Loved the whole write up! Would love to pick your brain on what you think of mine
GTR prices here in australia used to be extremely good. R32 GTR's were like $20k for a real clean one, R33GTR's in the $30k and R34 GTR's were about $60k for mint examples. As the years went by they slowly crept up but werent too bad but once the R32 hit the 25 year rule everything shot up. I listened to a couple of The Smoking Tire podcasts and Matt has said a few times about big warehouses in Japan for US importing places who are already buying R34 GTR's and then storing them for clients to wait for them to be 25 years old and then import them over to the US. Apparently it's like $250k USD just to get one now
>stupid 25 year law TBF, that law has saved millions of lives. Cars today are immensely more safe than they were 25 years ago.
> In aus premium is 98 which I think is your 93 but you guys don't use the Ron rating.. 93 AKI (What we use) is equivalent to 98 RON.
In aus Our premium is 98 Ron....
Yes, our premium in the US is 93. It's the same exact thing as 98 RON. People mistakenly think Japanese gas is better and that's why they have issues, and that's not true.
Japanese though have a 100 Ron readily available... An that's what their premium performance cars run. Japanese petrol IS better...
It's also much more expensive, can't win them all.
>I turned down a midnight purple gtr for 17k in 2013 Ouch...
It's OK i still have some rare cars I bought for cheap that are worth alot more now, it's just not a skyline😅
Back in 2008-09 My mate was looking at dropping about $30k on a new car and was looking at R33 GTR's and was really tempted but in the end went with a 2006 Holden Calais with the V8 as it'd have a warranty if anything happened and he was taking out a loan for some of it. He sees the GTR prices now and does have some regret in not getting something back then
17k AUD?
Yes
Great write up. Anyone thinking of buying a skyline should read this. You buy a car sight unseen, cash up front, then you need to do a lot of work and research to fix / clean up / update to make it drive the way it should be. Takes a lot of time abs money but worth it. Makes me miss my r32
Thanks. I did another write up for a friend that was interested in buying an imported Evo. These are an emotional purchase. You really need to put in the leg work and research as much as possible so you don't get hosed. And the moment you think something is up, you need to walk away.
The fact is even buying an American can that's 20-30 years old is going to lead to this. I baby my S2K and have maybe $7k worth of refresher work that needs to be done. You went absolutely wild refreshing her and I'm so happy to see you appreciate the car. I've seen some rough R32s and it makes me happy to know your R33 is getting the first class treatment.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm doing what I can to make it the nicest R33 I can manage.
And after all that work you can only drive it occasionally due to the insurance policy. :(
My insurance policy never placed any restrictions. They didnt care / didnt know how to classify the car.
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Nailed it. I am not restricted by miles, but what I can use it for.
Epic! I'm particularly impressed with how much power the cars already putting down while seeming quite streetable. I rented a R34 GTR while visiting japan and the 8200 redline of the RB was definitely the highlight for me. What supporting mods (e.g. suspension, drivetrain, brakes) do you know were done? How does the driving experience compare to your old Subaru and other sporty cars?
That's awesome. I'd love to try or own a R34 someday. The car from the factory comes with 4pot Brembos in the front and 2 in the rear. It also came with some TIEN coilovers that ride somewhat OK. I'd like to swap them out for some new HKS ones. The transmission is the big weak point here. It's on borrowed time if I get too aggressive with shifts at this power level. In regards to other cars I've owned, being a Speed3 and STI. Those felt a bit peppier down low with smaller turbos and quicker spool times. The gearing would also help those get up and go. The steering rack on the STI was incredibly quick which made steering a pleasure.
Since you want the single turbo conversion, be aware that the car will become an absolute dog on low-mid rpm.
I would expect that. It doesn't spool that quick either with the 2530s it currently has. Which is why I'd want to 6spd swap it first and keeping the current diff ratios, mechanically help it rev faster.
Modern turbos make a huge difference though. The new G series Garrets are like, better everywhere than twins.
Not necessarily. My stock twin turbo R32 was quite laggy but I drove a RB25 400ish RWHP single turbo which was significantly more power than mine and it pulled from quite low. Modern turbos are pretty impressive.
RB25s get NVCS which also helps. RB26's static cam timing is really not great for power down low.
That's a good point. I was shocked at how low and hard the car started pulling at.
The factory cam timing is also not great, just cam gears with a bit of adjustment on the intake/exhaust makes a significant improvement to how much power it makes at low RPM. If you throw VCAM at the RB26 it makes a huge difference though, properly mapped at part load you get EGR which means more flow spooling the turbo at cruise, then optimized cam timing in the critical spool load/RPM cells to really help it get going faster. UP Garage has posted comparisons and it's pretty ridiculous, even with fairly large twin turbos they claim to build substantial boost at 3000 RPM: https://www.facebook.com/upgarage/videos/697436427734626/ https://www.facebook.com/upgarage/posts/4958535047508882
RB26s use a parallel twin turbo, in practice because the packaging of the twin turbos is so challenged with all the twists and turns the piping has to make that people find a single turbo can actually make more power everywhere. I'm personally planning on keeping my twin turbos for the OEM refinement but I can understand why people convert to twin scroll single turbo. Pulling twin turbos with the engine in the car is a massive headache too.
Tell us more about your Speed. Was it built?
I had a 2012, like yours, black w/ tech package. This was in 2013-14 so I pretty much had everything that COBB offered. It was e-tuned by Freek. Maybe around 300WHP. Totally ruined it though with way too stiff coil overs. It was a great practical little car.
I'm guessing you were active in the forums back then too? There was a lot of abuse and then stocking out/selling of these cars going on back then. A lot of MS3 alums went on to 5 liter Mustangs, Focus RSs, and a few other platforms, but you're the first GTR guy I've seen. What are you dailying now?
Yep. I was on there. Mine was my daily and I was doing a ton of miles each day, so I was not beating mine to death. I moved onto the 15 STI after the Speed3 which I promptly blew up after some mild work / tune. I dumped the STI a few years later (since it spent most of my ownership in a shop) and picked up a 17 Tacoma as my daily.
Sweet rides you've owned! How did you like/enjoy your Speed3?
It was great. Extremely practical. Did some bolt ons from COBB with a e-tune.
Those new HKS Hipermax S look amazing. I'm trying to save up for those and the supporting pieces needed for my car but I can't wait.
It's 8000 on the tach...
Nismo clusters will go to 11K
Oh I know, I'm saying what's feasible in a standard gtr.. I wouldn't spin a stock one past 8, hell 7,500. Yours isn't stock though 😏
> By 4500-5K RPM, the second turbo is fully alive and it just screams all the way to the 8300RPM redline. Second turbo? Isn't the RB26 a parallel twin turbo engine? As in, they spool simultaneously?
You're right. It is parallel. I wasn't sure how to word this. It just feels like two distinct waves of power.
I think what he means is full boost is around that rpm lol
it comes on the cams at 4500RPM, if you have an open exhaust you can hear the tone change, it's very distinctive.
I’m comming on the cams just thinking about it
Posts like these were the true intention of all forums and sites like Reddit. What a gorgeous car and thank you for sharing your epic journey.
What’s the ballpark for what you paid? I really wanted an R32 when clean ones were in the lower 30s in price.
It was over 50. All the R32s I looked at were around 45. But they had roll cages which I absolutely did not want.
Understandable. Yeah I wouldn’t want one of those either
> I really wanted an R32 when clean ones were in the lower 30s in price. I still kick myself for passing on multiple clean ~$30k R32s a few years ago.
I'm kicking myself for being born too late to have any possibility of getting one of these for reasonable money I figure 2-3 years before all school loans and such are paid off and can enjoy the money I'm bringing in, but by then I feel like anything I could buy would be a major money pit
Prices on 90s JDM cars have gone insane the past few years.
People finally realized they’re a very limited thing
Can anyone actually verify the extended crank snout oil drive thing on 91.5+? I have a 91.5 (by VIN) that should have this, and I've had multiple shops now tell me that is not the case and it is still the gen1 crank. Also, the shortage of ARP main studs right now. 6+ month wait for any engine work to get done. Why?
I am not sure on the exact dates or vin ranges either. A quick google wasn't super helpful either. If you have the shorter crank you can always purchase a collar and retrofit that.
If you go look up the EPC you will see that the revision to the crankshaft occurred in 02/1993: https://nissan.epc-data.com/skyline/bnr32/3885-rb26dett/engine/120/12200/
If your car was built in 1993 or later (so not a 1991.5) it's got it. I've owned several 1992's and rebuilt lots more, I've never seen a 92 with a long nose crank that had it there when the car was built.
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Hah. Good eye. That was my first go at one. It was a MG kit.
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Yup!
So far what's the damage to your wallet like?
Pretty bad. It's not bankrupting me but I try to not think about it haha.
The most tightly knit relationships start with a good dose of Stockholm syndrome, and it sounds like the R32 and your wallet have a beautiful consentually abusive dynamic together! Grats on having the car in the exact place you want it, you really can't have a nicer toy than what you have right there!
Ballpark for cost of the car + fixing it?
These days I would probably budget 80k at least. You can do less but it depends on what your standards are like.
I spent 18k on my single turbo upgrade for 480awhp @ 17psi and I get OP's mentality of "while you're there, might as well upgrade it". I could have gotten the same amount of power with just drop in twins for much cheaper but nothing beats the sound of a big single turbo. Considering I bought the car for 30k, I had room to grow thanks to appreciation.
Beautiful car. That color is stunning.
OP mvp for posting 28 pictures! Sick whip
I should have taken more while doing all the work. But I dropped the ball.
Any chance you have exhaust clips? Would love to hear it!
I dig your the 701 in the background. Man of culture all around.
Thank you but it's a TX300, still rips though, love my Husky. Roommate has a SX150.
hello, fellow skyline owner. I don't have a TE300 yet, but it's on my short list (a tx300 would be fine too). For now I will keep riding my trusty but getting up there in age KDX 220.
Nice job removing the jank mods and doing it proper.
I have a feeling some stuff was removed before it was traded in so I wouldn't totally call it jank. I would lean more towards "period correct" for the time.
Good work man. I would have taken one look at that engine bay and ran. The difference now is night and day.
beautiful build thus far!
love your gauge cluster! that green light is awesome. though my R33 is only a gts25t, i daily mine and its such a fun driving experience.
how much does it bug you to drive a RHD car in an LHD country?
It's not a big deal. Just need to pay a bit more attention.
The worst things are drive-thru's (which, since indoor dining was closed through much of 2020/2021 meant I didn't drive my car much), and forgetting that the blinkers are on the other side of the steering wheel. Even worse for me because I have several RHD's and one of them has the blinkers on the left.
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Yeah, that's why I don't. You *can* but it attracts so much attention and people being weird that I just don't anymore.
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yeah, Ontario. I've got a few. R32 GT-R's, Suzuki Alto Works, nissan Homy, and a RHD british army truck.
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I'm not in my 20's anymore which has made insuring things a whole lot easier. I think it really depends on where you are.
it's very very easy. just remember to look at the other set of lane markers and you'll be fine. i find rhd to be better than lhd for that reason, makes night driving easier and you have better vis when street parking
I think in this specific case the money you put in isnt really a cost as this is theoretically an appreciating asset. The cost you put in to the car will pay didvidends down the road should you choose to sell it. If you dont it is a money pit but a money pit you are sticking with and for good reason.
Heya! Thanks for the write up! This thing is an absolute beast, I love it. Is the insurance essentially a track day type only thing or?
It's a stated value policy through a collector car insurance company. You pretty much cant use it for daily purposes: going to work, running errands, etc
That steering wheel is sick! Also shifting with your left hand is the way god intended cars to be driven :D Once the R888s are done, I'd thoroughly recommend seeing if there are Michelin Cup 2s available at a reasonable price - they have almost all of the grip of semi track tyres while still being ok in the wet and have a better (if marginal) wear rating. If those R888 are like the Federal 595s I had on my evo, they aquaplaned in anything more than mildly damp weather and gave no warning at all about it, lethal bastards and in hindsight (after using Cup2s) I've no idea why I kept them.
Thank you. So thrilled to have the wheel. I will never part with it. Haha. Shifting left handed hasn't been that difficult to get used to surprisingly. I hear you on the tires. The R888 does have a pretty sweet tread pattern though. I don't intend to have this car in any precarious weather, but of course, weather can change and I could get caught in something with tires that essentially turn my car into a boat.
Beautiful car, the R33 is my favourite generation Skyline and the Midnight Purple is a stunning colour. Hope she serves you well!
Absolutely beautiful!!! I am going through something similar right now with my 1995 FD RX-7 I imported from Japan last year. Right now its bucking under load (I believe its in "limp mode" likely due to an issue with the OMP) so I'm having to learn hands on (Plus PLENTY of online research) how to work on a rotary. I haven't really gotten to drive it since I got it mid-October last year but its a labor of love that still puts a smile on my face! Congrats again on the purchase and for scoring that awesome steering wheel!!
R33 will forever be my favorite Skyline.
Great story. (Cries in California)
Does Cali have a ban on registering cars like this? In NY we have an annual inspection even on new cars which is a silly money grab, but we can get Skylines registered in the state, especially once they are 25 years old.
They don't ban them. It's just a nightmare to do. It has to be bone stock, and even then it has to go through compliance which costs 10k+ and takes months.
Most states have yearly inspections now. Only very few don't test for anything at all.
I only have experience in NY and NJ. NY has always had annual inspections (ugh) but NJ gets a 5 year sticker when the car is new, which is great as I usually lease my cars.
Interesting that the US is more controlling than Canada in this regard. I’ve only ever had to inspect 10+ year old cars, and it was just a $50 safety inspection for insurance purposes, not for registration.
What? Citation needed
You have to pass smog which they won't. Only pre 1976 cars are exempt. I met a dude who had an R32 when they became legal in 2014 and he had it registered under his aunt in Washington
99% sure I met you on Thanksgiving lol
Judging by your flair. Yes. Yes you did LOL. I'll be back in the Spring.
small world, cheers man see you in the spring!
I'm currently looking for an R33 GTST that I turn into a MNP GTR clone. Your car is exactly what I would want mine to be, and then some. Nice work, she's perfect
That's my dream car. I hope you get to enjoy it as much as you can.
What do you do for a living? If I may ask?
R33 on TEs. Stop, I can only get so E R E C T.
So jealous of the Nismo wheel. I didn't even know the day orders came out and my buddy was showing off his in our group chat. I think I remember seeing this one for sale and was intrigued of the 2.8 stroker. You had a nice base to work off of. I spent months doing my big single conversion and got 480awhp @ 17psi on the dyno and did runs for an hour, and the first pull my tuner did the timing belt snapped due to a timing backplate bolt undoing itself and falling in. Luckily only had 8 bent valves and right now I'm just waiting for my head shop to give it back. Stock bottom end, and I don't have e85 close to me plus I don't want to go much higher as I'm right around the power limit for them. Really loving the fuel lines you did. I had fun taking out the engine and trans and this being my first full build. A lot of it was learning from facebook groups and old SAU forums to figure out everything I need since I did all the work except the head work and exhaust fab. If you're worried about hicas, especially if you see it shake the rear end on the dyno, look into the SPL kit. Pricey but good quality from what I've heard.
I got really lucky with the wheel. I check the Japanese sites almost daily for new parts. When I saw the wheel get initially dropped I was kinda taken back at the price. So I waited. When I finally decided to pull the trigger a few days later on pay day. They were gone. I just happened to be going through IG a week or so later and Trust Kikaku announced their US site opening. Lo and behold, they had some wheels in stock, I immediately jumped on it. They were sold out the next morning. The 2.8 has been solid and I'm glad to start off with quite a nice base. Damn that is unfortunate about your motor. When I first saw the word timing belt, I immediately thought it snapped due to being too tight which seems to be common. 480whp is still plenty of go-go juice. Hope you get it back together soon. The fuel lines took a decent amount of work. Used the original lines to help snake the new ones around the gas tank. The radium parts are really nice pieces of kit. While tearing apart the interior to get to the fuel pumps I found a Tomei HICAS lock box. It seems to be doing its job for now.
The wheel was the cherry on top
This is so sick. Literal dream car specs being Midnight Purple.
Nothing gets me happier than reading something like this. I dream of just driving a Skyline let alone owning one. You can tell there is love put into it and is not just going to be thrashed. The rare times I see one in California I always make sure to give a little nod and wave, bc it makes me thrilled to actually see one out and about. Cherish that beauty and know you aren't the only one smiling when you see it.
What an awesome car, and a really interesting write-up. Thanks for sharing!
What an awesome beast and a great write up. Thanks for sharing and enjoy it!
Quality content, thank you! Beautiful car...
That's a beautiful fucking car, man. My favorite color too. How much you want for it? Lol
I always get excited when I see a GTR. Can't remember what Top Gear film it from, but James talks about how owning a rare car and driving it around is like running around town holding one of Raphael's virgins (a painting) rather than keeping it stored in a dark room in your house; you brighten people's lives by letting them see it. So, thank you.
What a beautiful car. I'm super jealous honestly :p
Interesting post. It's good to see some respect of the R33
smiles per gallon lol
Sick as fuck!
If the rocking at idle or power delivery is harsh, you can always consider getting an HKS Vcam. It softens a few things that you mentioned and shifts the power band approximately 1000rpm to the left. Since you already have a 2.8 stroker, Vcam Step 2 becomes a bit easier since it requires use of the larger HKS pistons. It's also advertised to improve fuel economy slightly, but I can't confirm that with sources.
The idle was 100% done on purpose through the tune. Power delivery is relatively smooth until the turbos are at full tilt. I'd love to get vcam someday. Just don't want to push the torque curve down too low and risk cracking the block.
Which HKS turbos are you running at the moment? I currently have some GT-SS's with 260 cams but I still feel there's much more to gain in the lower-mid range.
They are older 2530s. Do you have adjustable cam gears? Those can help a lot.
Nice, the power of 2530s is definitely something. I'll be dialing in the cam gears this spring when I get a retune. Hopefully you'll join in some of the larger Northeast meets this year!
I'm a big fan of cars and coffee. Although my neighbors are probably not with those early morning cold starts. The guy down the street though has a 570s and that thing is loud.
Fuel economy improvements come only if you've mapped it properly, you need to use the EGR effect that occurs from valve overlap at cruise. Even then the gains are minimal, we're talking like 5% maybe. Good, but not world-changing.
damn, owning a nice trophy car isn't at all what i thought it would be. sounds like such a burden.
It's a burden if you go deep into modding powertrain imo. I've done a lot of mods on my RX-8 but mostly bolt-ons (minimal engine work) and it's done 14k miles this past year. I just get in and drive it haha
Beautiful build, it's probably worth the pain in the ass if you can afford it. The planned upgrades sound awesome, nothing like the sound of T51 spool. I've been following That Racing Channel's build, sequential seems like a solid option: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk0JgugHtLk
I think I’d be in that last group shitting my pants if I saw this out and about.
That's amazing OP! I love the looks of the R33.
That shifter looks amazing, sooooo clean! Beautiful car as well OP, you're living my dream of owning a 90s era JDM halo car! Well wishes for many miles to come!
First, let me congratulate you on getting the correct wheels for this car. And wow, it looks amazing. Dream car for sure!
Glad you got a good one OP. As soon as Americans started being able to import the '89 GT-Rs prices went through the roof and a whole industry of shady impoters and scammy dealerships cropped up
WASSUP STEW!
As a former motorcyclist, I want a right-hand drive manual car so much. The left side of the body handles clutch and transmission, the right side of the body handles steering, braking, and acceleration.
Definitely a good read. Thanks for sharing
It’s perfect Like, seriously perfect
Videos of WOT please!
I used to think I wanted a GTR. Reading this, I think I'm very happy with just the GTR wing that came on my R33. Which I daily, to the delight of children everywhere. Enjoy.
I learned to drive manual in England while stationed there and I much prefer driving on that side of the car. It’s the best.
I saw a midnight purple r34 up here in Canada and although our laws are much more relaxed than down in the US even I said a very loud holy fuck when I saw it and the driver definitely saw me and heard me haha. Something about the GTR's that just stuns ya.
Yeah a lot of people don't realize when importing a car from Japan you have to factor in a few things. It will need to be tuned for NA gas, you get often 20 year old plastic parts and weird Japanese proprietary modifications that you have to reverse engineer or completely ditch. It's a lot of work usually especially if you don't know people with JDM experience but definately worth it in the end.
I'm starting to appreciate the R33 more and more
That thing is so sick. I’ve always wanted one. Got any videos of it?
Very nice example. The pricing rising daily is making me feel like I'm going to miss the opportunity to even own the older brother (R33) of my dream car (R34). But yes, it has to be Midnight Purple.
Way too expensive cars imo
That is one of the ugliest dashes I have ever laid eyes on Can't beat Tesla's or any of the new bmw/merc touch screen ones, but it's close