Munro

Hmmm. Well that was an interesting cruise. I suppose it is always hard to all stay together when there are so many cars!The wet roads certainly supplied plenty of drift action. Andrew(200SX) I was suprised that copper pulled you over! You couldn't have been going that fast surely?I hope they didn't nab you too bad. Anyway, it was a small taste of what group cruises will be like & it's good to see you guys out there going for it. Bring on warm summer nights. Maybe one day we could go for an afternoon cruise in the country? Victor or somewhere like that? Skylines rock. (& hot Toranas too):uh-huh:

Hey Nightcrawler, Hope you enjoyed your fish & chips! Yep, your car looks cool (especially sideways) You should get it dynoed while it's still standard Will make a good 'before' figure so when you get the bug later you can compare. Cruise on Friday should be good. My brother is bringing out his 'old school' SLR5000 to keep all us modern boys on our toes. Wait till you hear his exhaust system - it's a scream.He's got more autometer gauges than an areoplane! On a mixed GenIII/skyline cruise it will be a hard decision whether to bring out the ute or the Vspec.Since it was the utes turn last cruise I think the Vspec deserves a blast. Hmmm. Even if the gearbox wasn't busted, the R33 would not be a very pleasant cruiser, so it will have to wait for the next track day. Are we all still meeting at Glenelg? Maybe we could meet at the Kmart on Anzac Hwy where there is more room? Anyway see you on Friday, Munro(of the clan Munro) :lol:

My R33 is not a Vspec.There are some differences that have been well covered in the magazines.I think if you are going to leave it stock then the Vspec would be a bit better, but these cars are so receptive to modifications that a non Vspec would certainly be as good as the Vspec once changes are done.Its always nice to have the top model though.On the R34 there are some big differences & I think the Vspec is the one to have - but I am biased 'cause I have one!Its 1/3 the price of a Turbo porche,1/3 the price of a 360 Modena, and similar in price to a GTS monaro. For the money it is an extremely capable car and really turns heads.At the moment I believe it is the only R34 GTR in Adelaide, but I hope there will be more of them around soon. How often do you seen one cruising over there?Must be a few around in Melbourne.Mine is Blue.:uh-huh:

Mate, I'm glad you joined the club. I bought my R33 GTR in April 2000 as a complete stocky with 13000 kays.Over here Gorge Rd & chain of ponds is our hunting ground & the GTR just loves it. My R33 has gone a bit out of control these days(10.6@137) & its always off the road getting work done(I've only driven it 3 times this year!!!) I was getting withdrawl symptoms for the hills & the SS ute - while an excellent & comfortable crusier(did the Great Ocean Road in Jan)- just doesn't cut it when it gets twisty. Cue the R34 GTR Vspec. Man. This thing is sick! It is even more responsive than the R33. I have put the same Bilsteins & 18" Works wheels/yoko V102s that were on the R33 and it is truly amazing. The only problem is our roads over here are very bumpy & long drives or bad traffic takes a bit of the enjoyment out of it. On a nice Sunday morning though, up in the hills & open roads, for a good hard thrash I can not think of any car I would rather be in. GTRs Rule the streets. Yeah.

Trust sell a sump upgrade kit for the RB26.It contains a larger sump bottom which is welded to the sump after the original base has been cut off.It increases the capacity and also lowers the pickup so you have more oil to play with.There is a round baffle which the pickup goes into which stops the pickup from sucking air Adelaide Engine Developments modified mine & they have since come up with their own version which they said is even better. For the drags the oil cooler is not needed but for hard street use or at the track it is a must. Call Darren at AED on 0882618813 if interested.I daresay he would only look at modifying a sump if he was doing a complete engine build but it wont hurt to ask him.

Hey Guys, The tyres I am using at the moment are Toyo RA1s.They are a 255/40/17 DOT/CAMS approved tyre.It is hard to say what the problems are at this stage as there are so many variables. The 4WD system has been the worst bugbear at the last 2 outings but we will get it sorted. I use SA auto wholesalers's truck to get it out to the track($50) but at some stage I would like to drive the beast out there! The meeting on Sat was a private Test&Tune session organised by a group of about 20 racers who wanted to test their cars on a prepared track.The cost inc. track prep, lights, timing equip, & ambo/fire crew is about $3500 but split between 20 cars its a small price to pay for safe practice.There is only 1 lane open so there is no actual racing - just solo passes.If most of these cars hired out the track on their own( which costs around $90)they would crash because it is so slippery when not prepared due to the dust etc.It was a very good day & I'm sure there will be another one at some stage. I need to get the R34 retuned as it is missing since I drove it on Sat.I'm not sure if holding it flat out in 6th gear in the hills on Sat arvo had anything to do with this!!! Looking forward to another cruise so if fixed in time I'll be out & about looking for a race. John.

No. The dash is different in R32,R33,& R34. I am looking for a Nismo dash for the R34 - pity the R33 one wont fit.

Hi there, The ARC fuel surge tank is 230mm high & 100mm diameter Will suit 2 pumps with a return hose. Sell for $100. Do you need 2 pumps for a GTSt?

Hey Guys, How did the cruise go tonight? I went to the Test & Tune at the Drags today.The R33 went out on a truck & I drove the R34.Mark did a great job getting the car ready & fitting the new lightened doors.The weather was perfect & we were all looking forward to some fast times. 11.01am - 12.2 @ 130.52mph. Huge wheelspin problems due to the new torque split controller not set right - had to back off it. 11.42am - 10.6 @ 137.65mph. Better takeoff but still very slow 60ft time(1.757) 2nd&3rd was awesome(got 2 feet from the wall!) I was all fired up to go out and really give it heaps on the next run PB from drag combat was 10.7 @ 135mph so 10.6 running only 1.4bar was a good warmup. Unfortunately the Trust 6 speed did not want to come to the party and I blew up 3rd gear on the 3rd(& last!) run. Oh well - thats racing. With a couple of hours to go, & a prepared track beckoning, I could not resist trying to beat my PB of 12.5 with the R34. The only major change to the car since that last run was the Bilstein suspension & 18" works wheels with V102 yokohamas. I did 3 runs - 12.61, 12.42, & a new PB of 12.18 @ 114.88mph. Shows what a better set of tyres will do off the line. Crazy thing was the 60ft time of 1.738.While not an extremely good 60ft, it was slightly better than my earlier one in the R33. We sure do have a lot of work to do to get that car off the line cleanly.The R33 has twice the power of the R34 but if we can't hook it up off the line the extra power is wasted. I am disappointed about breaking the gearbox(again) but I did beat both my PBs and with drag racing it's just one step at a time. Overall a good days fun - I'll be back.

Keep your eye on High Performance Imports. Should be some articles on them soon. There is one photo of the R33 in the latest Speed issue.

280 km/hr in a HJ Holden Ute! (Years ago) Had 502ci Chev(8.2L), 5 spd Tremec, & 2.5:1 nine inch diff! Got busted on freeway doing 160 at exactly 2000rpm in 5th - so we worked out at 3500 it was doing roughly 280. Crazy thing is it would of pulled to 4000 rpm in 5th, but I doubt it would of stayed on the road at over 300 kays!!! 10.1 @ 133 mph in a HX Holden Ute! (also years ago) Had 350 chev, powerglide,5.11 diff, & 32x14 slicks.Ran methanol. Dinosaurs all gone now.(well almost-have commodore ute) R34 GTR - 12.5 @ 114mph. Std exept for Power FC & Nismo Exhaust. Need to get 320 Km speedo 'cause it maxs out the std 180 km speedo well before 7000 rpm in 4th & I've had it doing over that in 5th. Haven't really stretched it's legs in 6th yet! *have now - does 285km & 12.1 @ 115mph* R33 GTR - 10.7 @ 135mph (So far) at Drag Combat. Looking forward to breaking past the 140 mph barrier. It was doing around 8000 rpm in 4th over the line when it did 135mph (216 km/hr) so imagine 9000 rpm in 5th & 6th? Has trust 6 speed. Will have to finalise last will & testament before attempting this! ( In Northern Territory of course) *now 9.66 @ 148mph with Holinger 6 speed* *now 9.50 @ 153mph but didnt back off till 265km according to datalogging - pity the track isn't longer.*

HKS 2540 R would be sick! Had 2 2540s on the R33 & they were great. Hey Evan, Done any mods to your 34? What colour is it?

Yeah, Mine is Blue.:uh-huh:

GTR airbag steering wheel Blitz dual boost controller HKS torque split controller HKS drag adapter Nismo 320k/11000rpm gauges Alpine CD head unit & Amp Fuel surge tank(suit 2 pumps) If interested PM me or call Mark at Tilbrook Auto & Dyno.

Hey rpm, I've got std R33 gtr sus & std R34 vspec sus. You are welcome to borrow either. You wont leave the vspec sus in for long - it will shake your teeth out!

GTSt Skylines are wild cars for the price, but once you get to a certain power level it gets terribly expensive to get more. GTRs are SICK. The amount of extra power available with out even touching the original internals is amazing.My R33 made 345 rwkw on std internals @ ran 11.10 & 127mph! Of course it is a big investment to buy one in the first place, but when you add up the cost of heavily modifying a GTSt the GTR makes more sense. RWD is fun I agree, but its only a torque split controller away(or a fuse pull in the R32) and you are enjoying all the sideways action you want. I like driving real hard in the hills.Drifting out of a corner and being able to keep it nailed as the attessa 4wd system pulls you around and into line is awsome stuff.I thought the R33 was amazing but the R34 is something else.It says in the magazines that the R34 is more chuckable.I didnt realise they were talking about the effect it has on the passengers though! All Skylines are wicked - if you can afford one buy a GTR. You will never look back. :uh-huh:

Here is my clutch story - Had a std clutch in R33 which I killed in about 3000 kays. Then put in a single plate nismo one which lasted about the same. Then I had to replace the gearbox & fitted a twin plate OS Giken. I had trouble at the drags with this one slipping at the top end, so we fitted a triple plate OS Giken clutch. Then I blew up the gearbox (a Trust 6 speed!) doing burnouts in 2nd gear.The clutch still looked okay at this stage but one of the plates was starting to go blue more than the others. When I blew up the engine at the 4.6.&Rotary Nationals in Adelaide in Feb, we replaced the engine with a OS Giken 3 litre. The crank in this engine has 8 bolt holes for the flywheel(not 6) so I had to change the clutch again!! Now I have a Quad plate, Chrome moly, 8 bolt OS Giken clutch. I'm sure this one will last. Moral of the story - Get the right clutch for your application first up PS. At Drag Combat in May I completely smashed the std rear driveshafts in 2 places and have since replaced them with HKS shafts. When the gearbox came out for a checkover the clutches in the transfer case were fried 'cause I backed off the startline using Fwd only. I now have a fresh transfer case, a fresh gearbox, HKS shafts front & rear, & a hydraulic torque split controller so all 4 tyres better look out now!

For value for money,driving pleasure, & modification potential, the R33 GTSt is the best late model import around.(In my opinion) I owned a 94 GTSt for 2 years & I think they are great cars. All mine had was an exhaust & a GTR intercooler and it made 165 rwkw, was very smooth to drive under any conditions,and looked excellent. Of course GTRs are wild(I've got 2!) but the extra weight & the 4wd system can sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help - especially when you just want to go sideways off the lights.The non turbo R34 would be a nice cruiser, but if you like driving fast and you are looking to modify your car down the track, I think the R33 GTSt would be the best choice. Sure there are lots around, but how many commodores & subarus etc are out there too? Everyones advice to drive plenty of good examples of both models in question is good. Whatever you decide - you cant go wrong buying a Skyline. A word of warning though - if you want to heavily modify one, wait and find one with lots of stuff you want on it already.The beat value is in the original purchase.Once you start spending big wads of cash on these cars you will - 1) Get hooked and want more (Trust me) 2) Never get your hard earned cash back 3) Drive the car less & less 4) Void your insurance(if you can get it in the first place) 5)Look back at all the money you spent & wonder why you didnt wait and buy a sick GTR instead. 6)Get defected - my worst nightmare &7)Lose your licence - my other worst nightmare. But all this aside - go for it & have fun. 1)

Here is a list of some of the gear for sale.We have almost stripped the R33 so there are lots of bits over but here is the main stuff. GTR airbag steering wheel$500. GTR air con compressor $? GTR torque/oil/boost gauge set $? GTR thermo fans $? Non airbag steering boss $100 Brake booster brace $150 Alpine CD player & V12 amp $1000 Nismo 320km/11000rpm gauge cluster $900 Blitz dual boost controller $700 Bosch 044 fuel pump $400 ARC fuel surge tank & fittings $100 HKS electronic torque split controller & drag adapter $1200 Custom polished power steering reservoir $? Custom polished large fuel surge tank & dash fittings $? R34 GTR wheels with caps & original tyres $4000 ? If anyone is interested in any of this gear PM me and I will give you my phone number. John.

Well they cost over $500 new & this one has not had much use because the car has been off the road so much.I was hoping to get $400 for it! You should talk to Mark first about this 'cause it might be unnecessary for the set up you currently have. Do you have std reg & injectors? Maybe a std GTR pump would be heaps.I think they go for around $200 but dont quote me on that. When we took the R33 to Willowbank we were running 3 x 044 pumps!!! I also have a spare surge tank with fittings ($100) & a number of other goodies for sale. John.

G'day Matt, I dont know much about troubleshooting, but if you want to get hold of a good pump that wont let you down I have a spare bosch 044 motorsport pump(near new). It's probly overkill & it's not cheap but if you are going to look for more power down the track it will keep plenty of fuel up to the engine. Regards, John.

The Apexi power FC is the best modification you can do to a skyline by far. The difference it makes when tuned properly is awesome. To get the best out of it you really need to add a good exhaust & front pipe, slightly bigger injectors, & more boost, but even on it's own it will improve the power & torque delivery out of sight. When my R33 was stock(175rwkw) & we added FC, exhaust & bigger intercooler we made 227rwkw at 1bar on the stock turbos.We didn't need the bigger intercooler for this power level but it came into it's own down the track when the HKS 2540s were added. The standard GTR intercooler is fine up to around 400hp(engine) and makes an excellent upgrade for a GTSt. When I had a standard GTSt(110rwkw) & added a std GTR intercooler we made 165rwkw at 11psi.Any more boost than that and the std ECU kept cutting the fuel.I didn't get around to getting a Fuel Cut Defender before I sold the car(after having it for 2 years) but Mark Tilbrook told me that if we had fitted one and retuned the car it would easily have made close to 200rwkw! Anyone having trouble with fuel cuts or surging when accelerating should look into a FCD. While not as good as a Power FC, they are much cheaper and will give much smoother power delivery. The ultimate engine management system for any serious car is a MoTec M800, but the price of the ECU & all the sensors required will give you a heart attack. For the money, the Apexi power FC is a great investment and will be an asset to any modified import. The most important thing is how it's tuned & I would recommend Tilbrook Auto & Dyno with out any hesitation.

Hey Adam, Still want that 320 km speedo for your GTR? Mark pulled it out and all I have got is a Shiftlight and 3 warning lights! Raced the 34 today! Did a 12.5 @ 114mph. When are you & your brother coming out to race? Where are all the skylines???

Well it appears that the track wasn't too bad today. We could have run the R33, but my crew chief Mark Tilbrook has been crook as a dog & the few finishing touches that the car needed would have been detrimental to his health! When we ran the car at willowbank on 25th May the car was not sorted at all & we had problems with the transfer case & standard driveshafts breaking! It did do 5 full passes & the best was 10.7 @ 135 mph. Considering that it weighed over 3600 pounds, was only running RWD & 18psi, and that my only test drive was around the block at JMS, it wasn't a bad effort. The car has a lot of potential. Since that meeting we have pulled a lot of excess weight and unnecessary items from the car(Stereo etc) & changed the 4WD control over to hydraulic. If we can get the car out of the hole it will run a good number. All week I have been looking forward to racing & when we made the decision not to race the R33 this meeting I thought it would be rained out anyway. So, when I got up this morning and the meeting was on I thought I would take out my new R34 GTR & stretch it's legs! I just bought it during the week from another well known R33 GTR owner and was interested to see what it would do. Even with a full tank of juice, and hopeless tyres it ran a 12.51 @ 114 mph ! Not bad for an almost standard car. We will most likely hire out the track before the next meeting to test the new 4WD system on the R33.Martin can plug the laptop in and do some tuning on the way down the track as we can't seem to keep the thing on the dyno rollers!!! Ha Ha yeah right.