R33 GT-R Update: Nismo 320km/h Speedometer Installed

 

Being an old car, the factory R33 GT-R speedometer needed replacing. There were certain tell-tale signs - some of the gauges weren't really all that accurate (the water temp needle for example) and the backlight wasn't as bright as it used to be or should be.

 Nismo to the rescue

Seeing as the car is now capable of reaching higher levels of speed (thanks to the newly rebuilt forged engine), it was time to install Nismo's version of the GT-R speedometer. The reasons being that the max speed limit on the Nismo unit is not stuck at a boring Japanese 180km/h and the rev counter goes all the way up to a whopping 11,000 rpms. Now I'm not sure if I'll abuse the car and push it to those limits, but at least the speed needle won't be bouncing off the 180km/h marker anymore.

And last but not least... When the sun goes down and your sitting in the dark - you turn the ignition key and flick on the headlight switch - at that very moment, you just can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and pride. It's almost like driving a brand new car, which is true to a certain extent.

Big shoutout to Miguel from NeweraParts.com for helping me with this upgrade.

Project Time Attack: Nissan S13 Coupe

 

In my previous blog post, I spoke of finding the right car to be turned into a time attack machine. After much deliberation and looking at several makes and models, I've narrowed the field down to one car and thats a 1990 Nissan S13 Silvia Coupe. 

My decision to go with a S-Chassis is primarily down to six factors, some of which were mentioned in the previous posting but will be further extrapolated here: 

• Good, affordable rear-wheel drive base to build up from

Front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) cars have a natural tendency to oversteer. Controlled oversteers can technically help you set faster track times but can be very difficult to control.This naturally happens as the rear wheels are used for acceleration, while the front wheels steer the car. Rear wheel drive (RWD) cars tend to balance towards 'oversteer' which sees the front of the car pulling to the inside of the corner (whilst the rear comes out). As some of you might well know from seeing drifters work their magic, some opposite lock, combined with acceleration, can help nip this problem in the butt. Therefore, if given sufficient grip, RWD is near perfect for track  - proof of this being that every major motorsport event in the world uses the FR layout. Even current most popular all-wheel drive (AWD) car in the world today, the Nissan R35 GT-R, has dropped its AWD system in favour of a FR setup, as Nissan seeks to dominate proceedings in the Super GT series. 

• Easy to get power out of the Nissan SR20DET engine

The SR20DET is a highly tuneable engine and its popularity is based on the motor's ability to produce power on the cheap. Also, the SR20's all alloy block, alloy heads, twincams, 16 valves and an intercooled T28 turbo, indicates that the engine possessed technology that was ahead of its time. This makes it a good engine to use in amateur motorsports.

• Option to retro-fit parts from other Nissan models

Something I've learned and come to appreciate after months of GT-R ownership is that, Nissan parts are highly interchangeable. Not only does this feature exist between cars that belong to the same family tree but also with other Nissan cars that were made on a different production line. This is also inter-generational feature - S13 can for example, make use of newer parts that were a standard feature on later model Silvias like the S14 and S15. 

• Massive amount of aftermarket parts

Testament to the popularity and longevity of the SR20DET, the engine enjoys tremendous aftermarket support and is fully backed by all major Japanese tuning houses. Even till present day, its easy to procure new aftermarket parts for an S13, as these items are still in production.

• Huge supply of halfcuts and spare parts that are already in Malaysia

This has to do with the fact that the SR20 was used to power many of Nissan's cars since the early 1990s. Hence, a large supply of halfcuts and parts have made their way onto Malaysian shores. Production numbers of the S13 alone, is staggering - some 251,410 units were built from 1989 to 1998.

• Proven track platform

Furthermore, the track capabilities of the S13 Coupe have been amply showcased at Sepang by Yoong (Ee Yoong Chern) and his HKS Garage R Hiper S13. The car lapped a best time of 2.26:5 at last year's Time to Attack Sepang and was ranked 4th overall. I got to know of Yoong through the Malaysian Skyline fraternity as he owns a R33 GT-R as well. You should see him drive it up Ulu Yam.

These following pics were taken prior to delivery of the car. I purchased the vehicle for a song and it came equipped with some goodies (widebody kit / S15 five lug conversion / R32 GT-R brakes / half cage though). The body is also very straight.

The S13 is currently undergoing a major make over - all of its consumables have been a changed, a JIC adjustable suspension installed, a new S14 gearbox bolted in, a Nismo GT LSD for the rear and lastly, 17" Work +5 offset rims with new tyres to help it steer better. I'm hoping it'll be ready for this weekend, so I could join a jaunt up Gohtong Jaya with the Italia Auto boys.

Ignore the drift, ricey bits. Those will be rectified in due time and a 2.2 stroker kit + Haltech ECU + cams + disco potato will be going into that SR20DET:

Spare Engine Rebuild Update: Tomei Poncams

The rebuild is going well and I've sent in my Tomei camshafts + Pulleys and a N1 Water Pump in for the final stage of the project. Looking forward to how the cams perform as not only will they improve response and overall performance but the poncams will also have a positive affect on the R33 GTR's exhaust sound.

And why Tomei? Tomei Poncam camshafts are designed as a "drop in application", so no dialling in required as the nock-pin has been pre-set. The Poncams are also designed to work with the standard valve springs and offer the best drop in performance gain for both street and track use.
 
Tomei Pon Camshafts + Pulley Set: Nissan BNR32/BCNR33 RB26DETT Duration IN 260, EX 252, Lift 9.15 (Pon Cam + Cam Pulley IN & EX) 143036 A Type + 153027 Cam Pulley.

Excerpt from nengun.com about the Tomei Poncams:

Tomei presents the popular poncams. Generally, engine tuning is to modify the torque characteristic of engine by changing cam duration timing and height of the cam lift, so as to gaining maximum torque and horse power. However, when tuning the engine strictly, it should be carried out with the idea of securing effective area of the valve not only by duration timing and height of the cam lift, but also by through improvement of its intake efficiency. High valve lift allows huge amount of air to flow in, yet it mechanically damages the system and gains friction loss. Also, wide cam duration will deriver great power at high RPM, but it gives rough engine character at low RPM too. Tomei have worked to get an ideal well-balanced profile of camshaft and succeeded to give it 1.3 to 1.5 times more effective area than regular camshafts.

The repainted RE30s are back on my R33 GT-R

Words escape me, so I'll let the pictures do the talking... ;)

The sight that greeted me as I arrived at Autodetailer earlier today (picture courtesy of Darren): 

Couldn't be happier! =)

Repainted my Volk Racing RE30s

I decided that the bronze look wasn't working out and called on the services of Darren from Autodetailer. My previous car, which was a manual track-spec 350Z, had been detailed by Darren in early 2010. Hence, I knew the car would be in good hands, if not the best in town. Since I was going to be out of the country for a bit, the R33 was and still is, at Darren's batcave in Jaya One.

I was initially stumped with trying to decide what pattern or colour to paint the rims. My first thought was to turn the rims glossy black and have the lips painted red, to look something like this:

But after sleeping on it, I decided that such a paint scheme was just too plain hectic and might be deemed untasteful among certain quarters. So it was back to the drawing board.

I eventually decided to play it safe and go for a tried & tested two-tone look. This paint scheme is actually carried by Volk Racing from the factory - heres an example:

I was pretty sure that this paint scheme would work out, especially after I saw the following pictures of a silver Porsche 997TT with matte black rims and chromed lips:

And so, before heading to the airport, I dropped the GT-R off at Darren's and was overseas for a couple of days. The trip was pretty tiring but all the aches & pains went away, after I received an e-mail last night. Attached to it was a picture.

This is the end result of Darren's work and I'm mighty pleased with how the project turned out. Can't wait to see them on the car and a big shout out to Autodetailer for making it happen!

Installed: Blitz Nur Spec R Exhaust

I've been looking around for a replacement exhaust in the lead up to my engine rebuild. My old exhaust system is a workshop amalgamation of a Kakimoto muffler and a custom straight pipe with numerous weld points. So it had to be factory crafted, loud and net a power gain. 

I was looking at titanium systems but not really sold on the sound - I prefer the more bassy note of stainless steel systems. Its also difficult to get a titanium exhaust repaired if anything were to break or crack, as we do not have a titanium welding facility here in Malaysia (or one thats accessible to the general public). Despite what some people say, you can't do a weld on titanium pieces unless its in a controlled environment, devoid of oxgyen i.e. a vacuum-controlled chamber!

So my search continued but time and time again, I came to the same conclusion. The Blitz Nur Spec R exhaust system came up tops among most Skyline owners in their forum discussions. The system also comes with a detachable silencer thats nests inside the muffler. So if there ever came a time to tone down the decibels (i.e. MOT tests), one can turn to this device (refer to the pic below - its the object next to the gasket and screws). The Nur Spec R is also one of the few exhaust systems thats completely made from 100% stainless steel - tip to tip.

So I ordered a brand new set from neweraparts a month ago and the exhaust arrived in Malaysia two weeks ago (80mm at the midpipe, 115mm at the exhaust tip). I also specified for a Zacetec Decat Pipe, which is required to replace the catalytic converter section of the system. This too came in the air freight box from Japan. Big up to Miguel from neweraparts for making all the items fit in a EMS shipment box - otherwise, I'd have to go with another Japanese air freight company and pay more. 

And so without further ado, here are pictures of the unwrapping and installation:

The package was long and huge!

Got a bit excited seeing the Blitz emblem

Factory packaging and bracing to ensure the exhaust is not damaged during transit

The Zacetec Decat Pipe

Getting ready to install the mid pipe

Wonder what lies beneath all that cardboard and plastic?

Isn't she a beauty?

I have to say that I chose well. The exhaust sounds amazing and loud enough to satisfy my inner boy racer fantasies. By removing the silencer, the exhaust is pushing out sounds above 100 decibels. And thanks to the small center cannister, there's absolutely no in-cabin droning, even at high speeds. Very satisfied with Blitz Nur Spec R and I hope to record the sound it makes, sometime this weekend - hopefully on a drive up to Ulu Yam with the boys.

Update: Series III R33 GT-R Front Bumper Installed

Per my previous entry, where I told the story of how I came across a R33 GT-R Series III bumper and set about restoring it ... well, heres the end result :).

 From this...

 ... to this! 

Loving the Nismo air ducts, the enlarged intercooler opening, the integrated fog light indicators and the bigger lower front air diffusers!

Found a Series III R33 GT-R Front Bumper

Now as I had disclosed in an earlier blog entry, my R33 GT-R is actually a Series II BCNR33. Hence, the bumper looks like this:

Its a very clean look and I like it, but I thought I should try getting a hold of a Series III bumper. The reason being that I had upgraded my Series II headlights to the xenons from the last model of the BCNR33 series. The Series III looks like this and yes, I just bought it today thanks to a tip off from some fellow Skyline owners (Jahax, Temujin and geber - thanks again boys!):

Just a bit of background on the car that this bumper came from. According to the rear bonnet section, the car was a late model V-Spec edition BCNR33. The tell tale paint chips of the front bumper indicate that the car was originally Awesome Blue or Aqua Blue and not Midnight Purple. However, it could just be that the previous owner had swapped in a new bumper that was originally painted blue (heck, it could have been painted in R34 Bayside Blue even). Whatever the case, one can't help but wonder what the car was like before its demise.

Notice the Nismo air ducts right in the middle? Another major difference between the Series II and Series III bumpers is that the intercooler airduct has a slightly larger opening.

First thing I did after purchasing the said item was to rush over to my painter and have him start work on restoring the bumper. It needs some minor restoration in the bottom skirt section as well as the sides. Once he has done doing that, the bumper will be colour coded to suit my car and we'll pop it on. Can't wait! Quite pleased with the purchase as the bumper came with the indicator lights, as you can see below.

Shinichiro Sakurai (1929 - 2011) : Father of the Nissan Skyline passes away

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Shinichiro Sakurai.

One of the disciples of this great man, Kozo Watanabe, was the Chief Designer of the R33 GT-R project. More importantly, Dr. Shinichiro was the inspiration behind the RB26DETT, as it was his idea to install a straight six engine into an elongated chassis, thus giving birth to the GTR legend that we know and love today.

Here is a great tribute by Japanese Nostalgic Car on the late Dr. Shinichiro, who will greatly be missed:

Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Ben

On January 17, 2011 in the quiet Tokyo suburb of Setagaya, Shinichiro Sakurai, the father of the Nissan Skyline, passed away due to heart failure at the age of 81. Every major newspaper and reporting agency in Japan ran a story about the man’s life. Otherwise gruff auto enthusiasts wept openly. This outpouring of emotion and respect for a simple engineer is proof that Sakurai’s creation not only had an immense impact on the motoring community, but the average Japanese citizen too.




A graduate of Yokohama National University, he went to work for Prince Motor Company in 1952 where he helped develop the Skyline. Sakurai is called “Father of the Skyline” for dropping a straight six into an elongated body, thus transforming a standard sedan into the GT race machine that we associate with the name today, one of the most lasting legacies in auto-dom.



After the tumultuous Prince and Nissan merger in 1966, Sakruai stayed on to develop the Skyline, a name revered enough that he was given carte blanche from the bosses at Nissan. Sakruai worked on the Skyline for 32 years, developing the legendary hakosuka, culture-defining kenmeri, patriotic Japan, all the way to the seventh generation R31.



In 1985 Sakurai became head of Autech Engineering, Nissan’s in-house tuning arm. Sakurai was also the honorary director of the Skyline Museum and was inducted in to the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame in 2005. In addition to the Skyline, Sakurai worked on the C31 Laurel and a number of purpose-built race machines such as the Prince R380 and R381, and later on, the Nissan R382 and R383.



It’s hard to imagine an engineer’s passing eliciting such a powerful response from the public, but that’s just how much the Skyline is part of Japan’s national identity. It came into being during an era when Japan was still finding its footing in the age of modernization. Sakurai’s Skyline became a symbol of a nation’s technological prowess and love for the open road. It’s been in continuous production for over half a century, and its enduring spirit has allowed word of its legend to spread the world over, transcending borders where the car wasn’t even available. Rest in peace, Sakurai-san.

New mods have arrived from Japan

Thanks to the folks at neweraparts, I've received some goodies that I ordered in late 2010. 

They are as follows:

• D-Speed Indicators - R33 Skyline GTR - Clear
• HKS Special Piping Kit for GTR
• HKS Racing Chamber Kit
• Tomei Oil Filler Cap
• Billion Super Solid Coolant Line
• Border Bumper Side Duct for R33 GTR
• Nismo Racing Radiator Cap

Since the items were delivered via airfreight, I had to collect the shipment at Pos Malaysia's Mail & Courier Centre, which is located next to our Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). I also had to pay tax but thats a story for another day ;).

The conveyor belt at the Pos Malaysia centre - this is where you physically receive your package - I wonder what goodies like beyond this particular portal ;)

The part that stands out from this particular shipment has to be the Border Racing Bumper Side Duct for BCNR33:

The BNR33 GTR Side Duct set from Border Racing is an elegant design that suits the OEM Bumper.
When oil coolers are installed in the front side of the bumper, more airflow is required. These Border Racing ducts can offer greater airflow capacity when oil coolers are set in the side vents of the front bumper. It uses the OEM front turn signal in the duct and looks great in place of the original mount.

 

All part of a grand plan to turn my car into something like this Australian beauty. Go Victorian BCNR33s!

It's Amazing What You Can Find In Half Cut Yards These Days

A Nissan R33 Skyline GTR Rear Half Cut (I purchased this by the way)

A Fiat Turbo 20V Coupe Rear Half Cut

 A Volkswagen Jetta Rear Half Cut

 An Alfa Romeo 155 Rear Half Cut

A Peugeot 206 CC Cabriolet Rear Half Cut

A BMW E46 Coupe Rear Half Cut (not sure what model but it's rear bumper might have housed quad exhaust tips ala M3)

 The E46 Rear Half Cut Had Aragosta Suspension Rear Shocks!