jrm

My car is currently in the shop fixing rear-end damage - they're going to be re-spraying the entire car. I can't decide if I should take this as a sign to fit one of these ducts whilst the opportunity is there. I've googled around images for the 'real' NACA ducts on v-specs, and they seem to mount them from the top rather than the bottom (and then almost moulded into the carbon bonnet underneath from what I've seen). I can't decide if it would look better or worse to mount from the top of the bottom - have the edge around it on top or more like Terry's old car where it was done from underneath. I suspect there would be better airflow from the top method, but I'm worried it wouldnt sit flush enough or look 'right'. Gah! Reference images: The other thought I had was whether I should just replace the bonnet altogether with a GTR one (NACA duct in it..?), replace hinges, latch, upright, then try and find a bonnet mole to fit .. .. decisions, decisions .. Edit: And here's a link to the other thread: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/359775-could-r35-air-ducts-be-used-in-later-model-skylines/

The immaturity on this forum displayed by particular people is often simply staggering.

If you haven't already: 3" exhaust turbo-back exhaust a front-mount intercooler That with an ECU tune should see you around 200rwkw Hell, my R34 was doing 182.7rwkw with just a 3" exhaust, and an intercooler - still on factory boost solenoid (saw peaks out to 8psi). I've since fitted a 10psi R32 actuator; I would hope mine will do in-excess of 200rwkw once my ECU is tuned (I have an un-tuned nistune fitted) Unfortunately in your case with an R33, a nistune is a less straight forward exercise, but an ECU (R32/Z33-based nistune, PFC, etc) should be your next step assuming you already have an exhaust, FMIC. This will help get rid of the factory overly-rich AFRs. It might also be worth considering your fuel-pump if this hasn't been replaced already. They do tend to wear, and require replacement.

PM'd

I have a number of R34 parts for sale: R34 3-gauge cluster - perfect condition $70 R34 3-gauge surround - pretty good condition, minor wear to the R34 interior paint $70 R34 Orange Front Indicators - perfect condition $30 R34 Manual Gear Surround & Ashtray - as above with 3-gauge surround, some marks/wear to R34 interior paint $50 Happy to post - send me a message for me to contact postoffice and get a quote on postage. Pictures of items:

He thinks they're probably fibreglass, but he can't be sure. The dramas of the skirts being in Sydney! You're welcome to have a look or email / phone him - his email is [email protected] & mobile contact is 0415123004

I actually found the boost came on better with the 10psi actuator vs the factory one, came on strong and holds to red-line beautifully. Much better than the factory actuator. I'm keeping mine that way until I get my turbo high-flowed at some point. Personally I like the idea of an actuator change vs. a bleed valve because Regency can't tell the actuator has been changed. They (and police) will be able to see a boost controller or bleed valve, and will defect you for it. Really, you may blow your turbo at 10psi, but with proper maintenance, I think it's reasonably safe. I also seem to recall that manuals suggested we should be replacing our turbos at 100,000km anyway - as they are a wearing part. Most of our cars are going to be at that (or more) km, so really it all comes down to how it's been treated and how lucky you are.

R32 actuator is what I did in my R34 - good solid reliable, consistent boost everytime. I highly recommend it. You can typically pick up the actuators for anything from $40-80. Ruby fitted mine, so perhaps you can convince him with $, alcohol, etc to help out with yours Edit: Make sure you disconnect the factory 5/7.5psi boost solenoid when you do this, otherwise when the boost changes at 4500rpm you could find yourself running 1bar instead of the 10psi you were expecting - eep. (Fun for a few minutes, until the ECU gets annoyed and cuts power, and you worry about turbo life)

I would wager this depends entirely on the car and the workshop. If you go into a regular ultratune/Profix/whatever with a regular vehicle - probably you're right - a 'tune' in that context would likely mean a 'tune-up' in this context. If you took your skyline to a performance mechanic with onsite dyno facilities, with a reputation for building/modifying cars - then asking for a 'tune' would equate to asking to remap your ECU to achieve optimum air-fuel ratios and ultimately power. Personally, I wouldn't go into any workshop and use such vague terminology as 'can you service and tune my car', but I guess the layperson who isn't familiar with cars would - which is why in the context of a regular workshop, it's not an issue - it would mean a 'tune-up'. Really, it's horses for courses - the same words can mean different things in different contexts - this isn't a difficult concept to grasp. What's wrong with educating people about their modifications to ensure that they make the right decisions? An intercooler in situations of modifying your vehicle even at the most basic level is pretty much essential. Our cars suffer from severe heat soak in Australian conditions that these cars were never designed for. Australia's climate is far removed from Japans. Even in stock condition, the car suffers from heat-soak, increasing the boost is only going to exacerbate this condition. ... As mentioned earlier, I suspect the response to going into a workshop and saying 'Could I get a tune' is going to depend entirely on the workshop, and the vehicle you drive. Please note, here, that a 'tune' and a 'tune-up' are completely different things. A 'tune-up' would be closer to what you've been describing - essentially standard maintenance to the vehicle. You're welcome to offer your opinions and advice as much as anybody else on these forums. Unfortunately, you seem to be assuming others are trying to 'out smart' you or criticize your advice when in reality they're merely trying to offer some assistance to the OP. And yes, you're right - this is at the point of beating a dead horse. Best to leave this thread alone.

If I can manage changing plugs, fuel filters, oil filters, oil, etc - anyone can. Really, for basic servicing like this, not doing it yourself is just silly.

I was getting bad heat soak on factory boost with the the bigger R34 stock intercooler on warm days when I was pushing it even a little. I wouldn't really recommend increasing the boost unless you're not planning on driving it hard during the day (and then what's the point, really?) I also honestly didn't find any responsiveness difference between my Blitz returu-flow front-mount intercooler and the factory R34 intercooler. I honestly wouldnt recommend the factory intercooler, even on the R34, not alone the smaller R33 one. I suspect you'll find the OP saying 'flutter' was referring to 'dose' as it's colloquially known in modified car circles. This is different to your regular louder blow-off valve sounds you'll get with a more 'open' intake system like a pod-filter. Note you can also remove the sound dampening in the factory air-box to get a louder induction noise and louder blow-off valve noises. ... Yeah, no. Tuning in the context of these cars means modifying the fuel/timing for optimum air-fuel ratios - not simple stuff like setting your idle, setting spark-plugs gap and base timing - that's just basic car maintenance - not what I'd call 'tuning'. Sure you should have it 'right' but that's a prerequisite for the car running right anyway.

My HICAS stuffed up for a while, and I pulled the fuse for it to limp it by for a while. That 'while' turned into about 6 months. After 6-months I got my steering-angle sensor sorted, but the HICAS rack had had been uncontrolled from the fuse being pulled during that time that it had developed excessive free-play in the rack itself. I had to replace the rack with one without play to fix it once and for all. So yes, they can wear, and they can get free-play in the rack itself. I learnt about the 110kph turn-off in an interesting way. When my HICAS steering sensor was mis-aligned, the car would progressively steer my rear wheels sideways (causing the car to crab) and the steering wheel to 'turn over' to compensate from about 60kph onwards. The first time I got onto the highway and hit 110kph, the car & wheel snapped straight as the HICAS disengaged, nearly caused an accident (which is why I quickly pulled over, and pulled the fuse, as I was driving from Adelaide to Melbourne that day). I'm not sure how the HICAS system turns off at 110kph - I would assume it would have to lock the rear-tyres in the straight-ahead position. However if the rack has any wear & play in it - obviously this could cause handling issues.

A pair or a full set of four?

HICAS does not operate >110kph.

I didn't use the ambient sensor for intercoler temperature, as it made my air-conditioning unit play up (it has an ambient display temperature anyway). I have since purchased the sensor, but I haven't gotten around to fitting it mainly because there's no-where factory to put it and I need to talk to someone with the 'skillz' to figure out a place to put it. With regards the exhaust temperature sensor - I'd love to fit it - but at $300-400, it's a difficult thing to justify for me... Edit: Keep eyeing off this thread about NACA ducts in the bonnet like the R34 VS2 .. whilst the car is in the repair shop is definitely the right time to do it ..

Yeah, I'm probably going to have to raise mine since the 18" have gone on. The factory 17" it was sitting *just* on the lowest legal, with the LMGT4's it's down to 335/340 I seem to recall. I only had them on for a week before the car was in for repairs, and I haven't seen it since, though. Yup, I have an MFD in my GTT. Mine came with the TV button on it, yeah - I've never actually used it though, I have a 7" in-dash touchscreen for my car-pc, so it probably changes things..

Those are your parkers - T10 bulb. Probably just need to replace the bulbs.

Blown / removed bulb?

It's been covered in the defect thread before .. I have an old copy of the stats here - pretty sure it's still accurate for R34:

Did you replace the boost sensor as well? The upgrade is supposed to include a new boost sensor as well as the boards ..

You know you're pining for your car when you hop on RHDJapan and order some nismo wheel nuts & nismo lm gt4 centercaps ... .. especially for your car you haven't seen in well over 4 months because of an accident .. .. gotta keep tellin' ya self - it'll be back soon .. it'll be back soon .. Edit: can't decide if I added the nismo vinyl down the side if that would be going way too ricy or not ..

Your mods don't add up to big power. Unless your existing pump is on the way out - why bother? If you do need one, there are plenty of options out there - walbro, nismo etc. You'll probably be looking at $300+ including pump to get this fitted depending on the brand of pump. Your existing blow-off valve should be fine. Changing it to aftermarket will get you defected. As you've already said you're in SA - the cops will know what they're looking for, and you will be sent to Regency for a full inspection. If you have a GTT, your car should already have one. Un-necessary. If you do want one - go down to Autbarn, pick up a K&N - but make sure you follow the laws and get it securely attached to the body, or this will be considered a defect. Both of these are illegal under the ADRs as they allow the vehicle to run whilst it does not have keys in the ignition. With regards the turbo-timer, it's entirely not needed with today's turbos - if you've been driving hard, and you're concerned, take it easy for the last 5 minutes of the trip and ensure your oil temperatures have a chance to come down. You'll need to be careful what you purchase here. Many coilovers won't pass a Regency inspection (though you may be lucky). Typically those are able to be lowered more than legal ride height and haven't been engineered will score you a defect or not let you past a Regency inspection. Expect to pay $1500+ including fitting here. Both good plans here, but you'll also need to consider a full 3" turbo-back exhaust to get the most out of it. Ensure that it's of a legal exhaust noise or once again - it will get picked up by police, and it will not pass a Regency inspection. Expect to pay $1000-1200 for the exhaust, $700+ for the intercooler (+ more for fitting, depending what you get), nistune + dyno time will probably set you back another $1000 or so. As these are all 'go fast' modifications, I also suggest you look at ensuring the car handles and brakes better, amongst other things: A good quality alarm. Every coupla weeks we see cars getting stolen. Get something good, don't park it in dodgy areas. Also look at extra security items like kill switches and club locks. Upgrade your brake package - better pads, rotors, braided brake lines, etc. As you've listed coilovers above, any significant lowering will require camber kits if you don't want to wear your tyres out within 10,000km. At this point you'll probably want to also fit a castor kit, and maybe stiffer swaybars. A good quality set of tyres. This is your contact patch between your and the ground - most people underestimate how important a good set of tyres are to both handling and stopping. Good luck with your car.

Wow. http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=237444616297789&id=211412368901014

That's not very representative of the 'real world': a) There's no requirement to purchase the nistune software unless you're doing your own tuning. (-$200, total: $972) b) Depending on an owners power goals they may not need the Z32 AFM/plug (-$350, with no software, total: $625) c) Alternatively, many people (whether right or wrong) pick up these second hand (-$175, with no software, total: $797) iii) Many people pick up the donor Z32 ECUs much cheaper than $250, but we'll stick with that figure for now. Either way, I'm not convinced your comparison is accurate. It's attempting to put the Adaptronic in a better light than perhaps it is.

... and at that sort of money, you'd be better off just installing an alarm (which will include remote central locking)