2000 R34 25gt Bodykit?

[Telcontar]

Wasn't sure where to put this thread exactly, but here I go:

I've recently driven this R34 25GT all the way from Japcar in Fawkner VIC, to Perth in WA. One question I kept coming up with as I went along was about the bodykit. The blokes at Japcar reckon the bodykit on it isn't anything crazy, just the standard kit. The conversation went on for a while over the phone on other aspects of the car, but I did hear the word Nismo thrown about a bit, although my research into what Nismo actually is kind of didn't get anywhere beyond knowing that they're Nissan Motorsport.

First question: If you look at the photo's of my 25GT in my garage screen, the front of the car appears to be slightly different; when/why did Nissan deviate away from that 'classic' R34 front nose with the two open spaces in the middle towards all those strange angles and curves.

Second question: The bonnet. I noticed that in all the '98 R34 skylines I saw for sale, all the photos showed that the bodykit met the edge of the bonnet the same way, yet with the '2000 R34 the bonnet actually curves down at the very end.

Third question: WTF is up with the little black splitter thing with the word 'skyline' stamped into it along the bottom of the front bumper? I don't consider it ugly or annoying or anything, I just have no idea why it was added.

All the other questions: Regardless of the first three questions: Is it at all possible to get an old set of front/rear/side stock bodykit components from a '98 R34 Skyline and install them on a '2000 model? If yes, what details are involved in finding out the compatibility between the two kits, does the car body itself or the kits need any adjusting/trimming, is it a practical mod or a bloody nightmare to get done? Should it get done professionally in a workshop or is it a mod I can do at home with simple tools?

To anyone else who has a 2000 R34 25GT with the same kit, I don't consider it a terrible look for the front, I'm just not sure why it was changed so much when Nissan has gone with the straight rectangles for the R34 and similar look for R33's and R32's.

Edited September 4, 2010 by SeanLewandowski

[SS8_Gohan]

it's not Nismo, it's an Altia front bar (got any other pics?)

Basically, before the R34 was released, Nissan gave the specs/designs etc to a company called 'Altia' and they developed 'sports' option kits for the R34 for release date. The front bar you have is made by Altia and is the option kit.

The Nismo kit looks different again and is very rare to see a genuine one.

The front bar you have is much better than the standard one IMO (and most peoples) The bonnet is completely fine and as-intended. I'm not sure what else you're referring, but that's a normal non GTR and series 2? bonnet.

The front bar (if genuine) is plastic as well, being a factory item - not cheap, so if you want to sell, don't give it away. You'll have no trouble selling if you really wanted to.

?? The front bumper is MORE in keeping with the straighter lines, sharper angles of the R34... i'm not sure why you think it's out of place? the standard front bumper is a lot tamer.

Pics of sides/rear will tell us what else you have.

[Telcontar]

Sides and rear pics below.

I wouldn't say that I dislike the kit itself, but now that you've explained the Altia bit, it does make more sense.

I was asking at the AutoPro in Canning Vale and without them coming out to look at the car, they speculated that it could be bolt-on which I guess in their terms means a simple enough mechanical design.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

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*Hope ImageShack is ok to use, as my uploads using the forum's interface isn't working right.

Edited September 6, 2010 by SeanLewandowski

[SS8_Gohan]

Altia front/side - normal rear bumper

there is no need for speculation. You have a very common 'sports' option kit which is most likely genuine (there are copies around)

I have no idea why the place you asked was specluating about 'bolt-on' it's a bumper for goodness sakes, they all 'bolt-on'.

This sort of stuff is R34 101 - if some workshop doesn't know about these kit variances they haven't been paying attention for the last 8-9 years they've been available here.

The skirts/front bumper will command a fairly decent sum if you decide to sell.

IMO, it's one of the best kit options (besides East Bear of course ) for the 34 - definitely keep it

[Telcontar]

What I enjoy is the fact that the styling of the R34 I've got has impressed my dad so much, when he wasn't familiar at all with Skylines let alone how they looked, that he's gone off his plan to buy a Mercedes Kompressor and he's now on the hunt for an R33 or R34 (he can't decide which one he likes better, as I've shown him photos of both).

The place I asked was just a typical auto-supply shop like Repco or SuperCheapAuto. However they did give me a card of a place that specialises in customising the style of the car. They're called In-Style Customs and in Bibra Lake. I think it's fairly obvious at this point, so I'll just up and confess: I know next to nothing about the technicalities of Skylines, other than the fact that my mom used to have a Pintara Executive Station Wagon, which I've since learned is somewhat of an old relative to the R31.

I think if I were going to do anything at all to the kit on my car, I'd try and see if it's possible to replace the little red 'S' badge on the front with a chrome one.

[SS8_Gohan]

tell your dad to buy my one, that way, you can 'upgrade' off him in a year or two or have a quick 34 to take out on the weekend

[.:: GimpS-R34 ::.]

tell your dad to buy my one, that way, you can 'upgrade' off him in a year or two or have a quick 34 to take out on the weekend

+1 do it..

[Telcontar]

Dude, I am so torn about that. I assume you're talking about the black R34 in your sig pic?

One half of me is saying "Fck yes, it'd be awesome if he bought that." He's a proper rev-head, but more of the Holden/Ford persuasion but he's amazed at how smooth my 25GT is running. But the other half is thinking "Err, he's spent the last few years driving a Holden Storm." There's nothing special about it, it's just a bog-standard Holden Storm with a nice big heavy and complicated-to-use boot-lid he bought later on. If he upgraded to a GT-T from his knackered old Storm which he struggles to park in our driveway as it's so bloody long, he won't be used to the handling+massive power. It'd end up wrapped around a tree or up the ass of a road-train.

He's the kind of person that likes to point and shout "DATSUN!" every time he sees a Nissan badge, yet he likes Hondas, convincing my mother to drive a fairly new Civic Hybrid.

On another note, that bear kit on your car: Are they hard to find? And what's the typical price range for the front/side/rear set?

Edited September 7, 2010 by SeanLewandowski

[.:: GimpS-R34 ::.]

LOL read his thread.. there is only 2 original kits like his in Aus.. Genuine kits usually cost your left nut sack and your first born..

Your dad is irresponsible? If so then no, buy him a prius.. If not then massive power isn't massive unless you put your boot down..And won't wrap it if he doesn't act a prat.. Handling on a skyline will be better than a Storm.. Especially with upgraded suspension..

[Telcontar]

Another idle question: Is the Altia kit just side skirts and front bar? If there is a rear bar, I'll be keen to track one down to complete the set. I phoned Instyle-Customs and they pointed me in the direction of another group called CarMate.com.au, but I couldn't find much kit options that I liked on their website.

On the driving habits of my dad; I wouldn't say irresponsible, just sloppy. The whole journey from VIC to WA, when he took his turn driving (we'd do 200-400km shifts each) he'd manage a straight line for about 3 minutes before the car started to stray slowly into the far-left or far-right of the lane. I'd be sitting in the passenger seat and constantly complaining, "Get out of the gutter!" or "Next road-train coming our way is going to collect the right wing-mirror."

That and he has a very silly equation regarding long road journeys and high-speed limit open country roads.

I'd be going, "Just because the sign says 110km/hr doesn't mean you can push it to 150."

His answer: "We want to get home on time."

My reply: "On time for what? This isn't mad max, there's nothing in front of us to overtake and the last time I checked there's no gang of yobs on motorbikes chasing us; why the fck are you still accelerating?"

His comeback as he slows down: "When there's nothing about, it's safe enough."

"NOT IN FCKING GREENMOUNT HILLS IT ISN'T!"

So I'd say yeah, there is a slight touch of irresponsibility, but with a very heavy mix of brash overconfidence and idiotic desire to beat the crap out of my accelerator pedal. He does this with anything that has a volume control knob on it as well. Speaker systems in the car and on computers are his favourites, he cranks the knob as high as it goes until the audio quality is completely trashed and blown out, then he sits there with the excuse of, "Oh, just testing it."

Yeah... really needed it.