Ryno's R32... Over A Decade And Counting

[Ryno]

After following a few good build threads on here, I thought it I'd get around to documenting my ownership of a 1991 R32 Skyline. I figure given I've had this car for 13 1/2 years now, there's probably not many people on here that have had the same Skyline for longer than I have. Over that time I've modified almost every component on the car, with some components being modified several times over.

As my car is a daily drive, I've always wanted to improve the performance but not at a huge detriment to daily drive ability and comfort. So for instance - while the car has had the HICAS stripped out and carbon bonnet installed to save on weight, I've also added sound deadening, which will bring the weight back up a little.

... So here goes.

March 1999, my Honda Accord gets T-boned and I have $6500 of insurance money to spend on a replacement. As I was living in NZ at that stage, the options were many and varied, but as soon as I laid eyes on the Skyline, it was the only car I was interested in. So $8k NZD bought me my 1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GTS25, with a manual transmission (which at the time in NZ, was fairly difficult to find).

Here she is in all her splendor... Sorry about the quality of the photo, but back then digital wasn't quite on the cards

During the 15 months I owned it while in NZ the only modifications I made were to the Audio System (Headunit, Amp, Sub and Speakers) and to the exhaust. As catalytic converters were not a legal requirement back then, the cat was removed and a set of extractors fitted. In that form it made 94 rwkw, enough to have a little bit of fun, but it wasn't really going to blow your socks off. I did love the sound of the free revving N/A 6 though!

Even in that very stock state, performance wise it was better in every way than the old Honda, and much more of a drivers car.

Mid 2000 I joined the Australian Navy and shipped the car over to Australia. A good move considering the equivalent Skyline was selling for around $18k in Australia at the time.

For two years or so the car did not have any significant modifications, aside from the usual maintenance. Then around 2003 it started blowing a little smoke, and I started considering what to do with engine.

At first I was very keen to keep the engine N/A, as loved the sound and the drive ability (read: throttle response). So given the RB25DE head is perfect to mount to a RB30 block, I priced going down that path. But unfortunately at the end of the day it made much more sense to spend $5k on installing a RB25DET rather than staying N/A with a RB30DE.

Before I increased the power by a significant amount I first wanted to make sure it would put the power to the ground and also have a braking package that could handle the power. So I did a 5 stud hub (and brake) swap from a R32 GTSt and also installed a viscous LSD. A set of 17x8 mags were also fitted.

This is what she looked like with new wheels...

I sourced a RB25DET engine from a guy parting out a wrecked R33, and also pinched the R33 front brakes to do a further upgrade to the braking system. Around that time I also fitted a new front bar and side skirts. The engine was fairly stock (including the side mount intercooler), though a CES split dump pipe was mated to the existing 2 1/2" exhaust pipe. Power at this stage was 154 rwkw.

It probably stayed in that state for around 12 months, but this was also around the time I discovered SAU, so the modifications started to flow... Adding a Power FC, a R34 SMIC, a 3" exhaust, adjustable cam gears and a tune from hitman yielded 198 rwkw. It was great fun to drive like that, and even to this day I miss the throttle/boost response of that combination.

Around that time I also installed a Carbon bonnet...

Then LED Brake Lights...

Then GTR Interior...

Then East Bear Mirrors...

We're probably now up to around 2006, and it was then that I wanted to take the next step in performance. So a fair few things happened to the car around this time. A full Sydneykid Whiteline/Bilstein suspension package was installed, as per the group buy he was running. Also I chased the next level of engine performance, so a HKS GTRS turbo was added, along with splitfires, a front mount, front facing plenum and larger injectors.

The photo was taken a few years later after adding the custom coil pack cover but you get the idea...

Around 2007 I made my only appearance to an SAU event, being a dyno day up at unique auto sports...

I can remember the power it made on the day (probably somewhere between 220 and 230rwkw) but the drive home down Mount Ousley revealed a fair amount on smoke when getting back on the gas. The engine was later pulled down and 3 of the stock pistons were cracked. A set of CP pistons were installed in the re-build along with some Tomie Pon Cams.

Around 2008 one of my wheels cracked, so I installed a set of 17" Work XT7's...

I now had a fairly reliable package, with decent performance. Though the bug to modify was still nagging at me. So around 2009 (while bored doing a 9 month course with the Army at Oakey) I upgraded the diff (to the helical one out of an S15) and the brakes (N1 Master cylinder, 6 pot Wilwoods and R33 GTR rear brembos)...

This is how she looked at the time...

Around then I also installed an eBoost street...

And a fibreglass under tray...

And then I decided I wanted a different front bar...

Skip forward a couple of years and it now has a different front bar again, as a kangaroo destroyed the one above.

My latest mod has been to the engine bay where I've installed a set of RB26 Rocker covers...

There's probably a lot I've missed and glossed over, but that will do for an initial data dump. More (inevitably) to come!

[Ryno]

On the interior front... I recovered the GTR Seats front and rear in a grey two tone leather combination. But in 2010 (or so) I sold off the GTR Front seats and replaced them with a set of genuine Bride Ergo 2's:

I installed a 280kph Speedo in the dash around 8 years ago, and the gauges now have chrome bezels:

The Carbon even extends to the pedals which are a genuine Momo set:

[Ryno]

For the in-car entertainment I now have a Parrot Asteroid Head Unit (which is awesome by the way). It seamlessly connects to the iPhone, playing the media on the phone and adding Bluetooth calling among other features. I've got a Blaupunkt amp powering Infinity 6 1/2" Splits in the Front, with Focal 6 1/2" Speakers in the rear parcel tray.

I've got the Optima battery mounted in a Billet custom holder in the boot, as I was sick of the small battery in the engine bay. I had to get custom brackets made for the cusco strut brace, so that it would clear the battery.

[Humbla]

Hello i remember you,are you in nowra these days i still live there.

Awesome build thread.

[Ryno]

Yeah mate, I live just outside of Nowra. There aren't too many people down here with Skylines, so it's good to see another local with one!

[Humbla]

I've had my ol girl ten years now,love her to bits.

I'm an ol girl as well so were well suited to each other.

I live in town and there's quite a few imports getting around these days.

One in particular is a hot pink 33 owned by an idiot who drives like a loony.

[Ryno]

There's nothing 'Hot' about a Pink Skyline... I can't say I've had the displeasure of coming across that clown.

You're right about more imports these days, there's a couple of R34 GTR's on base that are nice cars. R32's are becoming rarer, which is cool.

[wedge_r34gtr]

This is great.

Its awesome to see someone has owned and maintained the same skyline for so long. And its pretty cool see the progression over the years.

excellent thread mate.

[Ryno]

Thanks for the positive comments...

Here is a picture of how it looks now (with the forth different front bar it's seen since I've owned it!). I'm now thinking of ditching this front bar and going for a GTR Front bar... So I've got one eye out for a good deal.

Here's the apprentice, "Helping" me wash the car...

My latest project has been to install some Audi bi-xenon projectors, replacing the stock Nissan projector. Driving at night is now a massive improvement. If you're interested to see how I did the mod, check out this thread:

http://www.skylinesa...2/page__st__180

Edited September 22, 2012 by Ryno

[DJRIFT]

nice clean car. top write up.

thoes bezles around the gauges make the 32 dash look very modern.

[Ryno]

Thanks Damo - It's cool to see your R32 is a GTS25 also...

I must say when I first saw your Suede dash I was very tempted to pull mine out and cover it with Alcantara suede. But I just can't push myself over the edge and ruin my dash with kwik grip, as it's still in mint condition. ...decisions

I also like the side pipes, but as my car is a daily there's no way I'd get them past the cops!

[DJRIFT]

Cool so you've had a good read of my build thread.

I was excited when I read the opening line of your thread. I'm very tempted to buy one as a daily but I think it's time to move to a later gen skyline.

The dash is ok but I'm about to redo it. Something a bit different. I think you mite like the new one better.

Side pipes are getting a re vamp at the end of the year also they may even go.

But back to your car how did you go about doing the dash

[Ryno]

But back to your car how did you go about doing the dash

As in the gauge bezels? They're a kit like these ones on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NISSAN-SKYLINE-R32-GTS-GTR-CHROME-GAUGE-RINGS-DIAL-BEZEL-KIT-SURROUNDS-x-6-SET-/300745280245?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4605d0caf5

Installation is reasonably straight forward, though you have to pull the cluster apart to fit the bezels.

[Ryno]

I had a weird thing happen when driving home last night. When almost at home and driving at 60 kph on a straight section of road, I heard a clunking sound. I pulled over and checked under the car for a dragging exhaust or a broken sway bar link etc, and couldn't find any thing. So I crawled the rest of the way home and jacked the back of the car up (as I'd isolated the sound to be coming from the back right corner). What I found was the top of my right rear Bilstein shock shaft had snapped.

I wanted my car fixed for Monday, so I drove up to Sydney this morning and picked up a replacement shock from Sydney Shock Absorbers (the Bilstein distributor). They tested my other rear shock and it was still within 2% of spec, so it didn't need replacing. I must say I pretty impressed that the other rear shock (that has seen over 100,000 kays in 7 years) doesn't need replacing. It's a testament to the quality of Bilstein.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Ryno

[Ryno]

I decided a few months ago that I'm going to go back to a long runner intake manifold, to maximise low/mid range torque. I chose to go with a top mount plenum made my MX performance. I'm also downsizing the throttle body to 72mm and mounting it to a set of chrome plated lower runners.

The internals of the plenum are bell-mouthed, so it should perform pretty well:

[Ryno]

I've also purchased a MX Performance exhaust manifold with 1" runners to maximise exhaust speed. The internal wastegate of my GT-RS turbo will be tac welded shut, as the manifold will run a 40mm Turbo smart external wastegate.

I'm looking forward to see how it transforms my current setup. My GT-RS is very responsive as it is, but with this inlet and exhaust modification, I'm hoping it will be more responsive than the stock turbo, but with 50% more power!

[34GeeTeeTee]

Nice, good build thread

I love my XT7's but you dont see many cars running them..... Top job mate!

[Ryno]

Thanks mate,

Yeah I'm a big fan of 7 spoke wheels, so when I first saw the XT7 design I was sold.

[34GeeTeeTee]

Thanks mate,

Yeah I'm a big fan of 7 spoke wheels, so when I first saw the XT7 design I was sold.

I liked mine in silver but LOVE them in black

[Crazy Xav]

Love the car mate, nice to see a well maintained R32 with the same owner for so long!

Should be very responsive with the latest parts too.

Keep up the good work, look forward to reading more.