1989 R31 Skyline

[Bennis]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/373233-nsw-r31-skyline-5-speed-manual/

more inspirational pics here... its my old for sale thread. *NOTE ITS LONG SOLD*

[GXE23]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/373233-nsw-r31-skyline-5-speed-manual/

more inspirational pics here... its my old for sale thread. *NOTE ITS LONG SOLD*

Nice build thread dude. Kudos! Pity to hear she's long gone though.

To be completely honest, and no offence intended, but - I personally don't fancy either of the rims (before/after) pictured on your old R31.

IF I was to ever get rims (which as I've started for multiple reasons, I am far beyond/over) they would be very different to what you've had on your R31, as I'm very fussy/specific when it comes to rims.

There's a reason as to why I'm buying these. It's not to cut corners or try to 'tizzy' it up with ''rims''. I'm completely aware that Yes, these are hubcaps. Their cheap, their replaceable, they can be removed in seconds, and I don't have to break the bank to pay for low profile tyres etc

I am quite happy with paying $465 for a set of 4 14'' tyres, fitting & balanced.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but after having 7 vehicles, most fitted with rims that require low profile tyres, I am just over the hassle Police have given me over the years, and the amount of money I have to lash out for new tyres. Compared to the savings I could make with sticking with standard tyres, it's no competition for me, at this stage anyway. MAYBE, in years to come, I will change my mind and throw on a set of 17'' 5 Spokes. For now, My personal decision is to keep them ''Grandma Spec''.

[L33SH]

While we're sharing rim pics

[GXE23]

Usually don't fancy rims with more than 6 spokes at the maximum (just personal preference) but I must admit, I'm digging what you had on your 31 !#@L33SH
Also liking your clear side indicators, they compliment the car so well!

[L33SH]

thank you

[GXE23]

Just a few more pics as they never hurt. Today I just tackled simple things like freshening up my Stockies, replacing my Paper Air Filter with a Reusable K&N Panel filter, and just took some more snaps for the f**k of it.

Stock Paper Filter:

K&N Panel Air Filter:


Rear Garnish Daylight shot BEFORE debadging:

Doing the Stockies:

The end (dried) result after cleaning, sanding, spraying & clear coating. New Tyres in about a fortnight, then they'll look much than they already do.

(One thing I can appreciate about myself is having a creative mind to 'see' potential or in-vision ideas before having completed or sometimes even begun the task).
I don't know about you, but I can see her coming up quite nicely with new tyers and Yes, Hubcaps. I think the glossy black finish will compliment/do the hubcaps wonders.
Compared to the rusty, dirt ridden state they were in before.

[GXE23]

Just did some more cosmetic and electrical work to her today, Cannot wait for my clear indicator lenses to turn up! It's gonna be so subtle, yet such a radical change to how the front end looks, especially since being inspired by a few pictures I was looking at last night of Skylines with colour-coded (to the body) grilles. I went ahead and made mine white, but as you can see in the picture, the paint hasn't fully cured and therefore wasn't properly fitted yet. Will do it tomorrow when the paint has had time to cure. Mounted my kicker sub today and will be doing my stereo install later this week! Looking forward to it!

Kicker C12 "Competition 12 Inch'' Subwoofer, 300W

The Grille:

I personally think it makes a WORLD of difference!

[GXE23]

Was going to tackle the stereo on Thursday just gone, but I've learned that I have to rewire my car-door speaker wiring with new 14gauge cable. So that's a minor setback, and have to wait until next week, for speaker wiring to show up in the mail, THEN, I can finally have my stereo system properly installed & working. Until then, I'll be installing a catch-can with a filter I've made using stockings filled with stain-less steel, to aerate the oil as it flows through. I'm hoping this will cause the engine to run a little smoother, and hopefully a lot longer.
Other than that, just a few more cosmetic changes. About a week from now, I'll be paying for and getting 4 new Tyres & an alignment along with my cannon muffler being installed.
Until then, I'll just leave these here:

[GXE23]

Stoked on what I accomplished today, wasn't an AWFULLY hard job, but one that certainly needed doing.
Gave her an Oil change & replaced the Valvoline oil filter with a K&N Oil Filter. Installed my Catch-Can, which took a bit of fiddling and re-adjusting of other items, such as my Fuel Filter etc. Also upgraded my Spark-Plugs & Ignition Leads to my new 8.0mm Eagle Brand Leads:

[GXE23]

Since a seller on Ebay stuffed up, in sending me the wrong type of back-light globes for my Dash Cluster, I'm having to wait on the new ones to turn up, from there, I can put my cluster back in, with bright white LED lights. After that's done I can have my on/off neon switch properly installed/fitted, and then finally finish my stereo install. This week, I'm due to get 4 New tyres, balanced and a wheel-alignment. Whilst it's up on the hoists I'm getting the cannon muffler fitted as I have a hole in my current rear exhaust muffler, which would otherwise fail roadworthy. Have been quoted $465.00 not including the exhaust installation. So I'll post the total price I pay for that when it happens later in the week, and post photo's / videos of the muffler, compared to stock exhaust.
After that, I'm having O'Brien out to replace my cracked windscreen, for $232.00. Should be $282.00, But luckily for me, I was unaware, but for the month of June 2013, if you book anything online with O'Brien Glass, they slash $50.00 off the total cost of whatever work, You're wanting done.
Once that's done, I can run her into the Mechanic for a Roadworthy and see how she goes. I would like to think, and with hope, that there really shouldn't be much wrong with it, if anything at all. After doing a service today (Inclusive of K&N oil filter, Penrite HPR30 Oil, & Installing an In-line Catch Can) and getting underneath the car, the bushes and seals, and just about everything under there seems to be in top-notch condition.

Anywhom, just an update.
More to come soon!

[GXE23]

Thursday 24.06.13
4 New Tyres, "Duro" brand and the exhaust done.
Before/After video:

[GXE23]

Just purchased this little beauty for $75.00 and free postage. 320mm in diameter, compared to the more commonly found 350mm diameter, looks like it'll be a comfy wheel!


And snagged a Boss Kit for $35.00 + free postage:

[L33SH]

I have a 320mm sparco wheel; love it so much

[GXE23]

Wheel turned up, as well as the boss kit. Finally debadged the car, still got a little bit of 'gunk'/glue residue to remove when I can get my hands on some sepitone liquid. As soon as I do I'll throw pics up.
Didn't want to part with the badge as much so I threw it on the interior with what-ever left-over paint I had, from respraying my petrol tank.
I first sanded it back, especially the rust, and then went about rust-proofing it and respraying it Machinery Gray:

After looking at these properly now, and seeing it in certain light, Definitely gonna get under there with some degreaser and tar and grime remover and give it a blast with the pressure washer! Gah! That's filthy!

Also purchased a Black R31 Rear Louvre which I'm yet to go pick-up. Paid $49.00 on Ebay for it. It's black, but I plan to hit it, with a Matte White or potentially a Gloss Black, yet to decide, will obviously make a final decision when I have it 'in my hands'. The top two 'support brackets' are missing. But this is no issue, as I'm going to have to slightly modify it to fit snugly around my (aftermarket) roof-antenna. Bloody ripper bargain if I've ever had one!!

[GXE23]

I grew tired of the amber indicator lenses at the front of the car. So I went to Home Hardware and got a $5 30x30cm sheet of clear perspex, then got it cut to the size of the stock/existing lenses. I had to do a little filing and sanding on the corners to get them to properly fit. Then, I sanded both sides of them with 120grit Sandpaper to get a 'hazy' effect, until I was satisfied with it anyway.
I then masked them up excluding the tips where the screws go on either side (just to hide the screw holes behind the lenses on the vehicle itself & so it in ways, coincidences with my clear/black side indicators) and sprayed them a matte black. Also picked up 10 orange indicator globes on Ebay for $9.99 and free postage. Will be set for quite some time now!
Here's the end result:


More pictures on the way and info, just haven't had the time or weather lately to grab snaps/pictures.

[GXE23]

Here's my custom made clear front indicator lenses installed, before and after shots of the sides as well.
Also, my rear bumper very bottom lip, was showing proper signs of aging, and slight rust. So I rust-proofed it, and being unable to get an ''exact'' match for the gray that already exists, I just opted for matte-black. Here's the end result. A lot better than what it used to be.
*On that note, I must highly recommend "MOTOSPRAY" Automotive Paints. I have never come across a more exceptional Automotive paint (in a can form) in my entire life. More news and updates on the way soon.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

I personally think simple touches such as a coat of paint and clear/colour coded lights do a World of difference, and it's so subtle, those non-familiar with the R31 wouldn't have a clue, which to Me personally, just makes it that much better.

Also, I got under the car with some bug & tar remover, a can of heavy-duty degreaser & the karcher pressure washer and it too is a world of difference to what it was once before. Truth be told, it probably wouldn't hurt doing once again down the track. But for now (compared to the previous picture supplied when I posted about my Petrol Tank re-spray) it's a big difference.

[L33SH]

looking awesome Keagan

[GXE23]

I purchased a second rear garnish for $20.00 so now I have two, I've opted to paint the second one white, just for something different. I know there's many who'll find it distasteful, and had I not had another garnish, I too would have kept it black. Here is the end result, this too has LED number-plate lights set up in it for pure white illumination. I also reverted back to factory looking tail-lights by removing the VHT Nite Shades with Carburetor Choke & Throttle Body Cleaner. It makes AWFULLY easy work and if you have the tail lights removed **I strongly recommend doing so if possible** - As I spilled some on my paint work and some of the nite-shades dripped onto my rear bumper and stained it, and it took a good hour or so of multiple cleaning objects/products to bring it back to the way it was, a real flamin mongrel of a job!
So if you can remove your tail lights, do so & a can of this costs an odd $5 give or take, at your local hardware store, and removes the nite-shades without even needing to be rubbed, it just streaks off like wet paint. (I sprayed a rag and wiped it off with ease)

*Note the top Gloss Black garnish boot lip/strip that runs above/along the garnish and tail-lights is not installed*


**I have been up to plenty but just haven't had time to get on the forum and update as often as I'd like. Shall have a bit more to 'show' this week C=

Edited August 6, 2013 by GXE23

[GXE23]

looking awesome Keagan

Thanks Heaps Leesh, I appreciate all the positive remarks/comments. Kudos!

Have nearly ALL of the interior work finished and will have it all back together, I wont recognize the car with instuments/clusters hahaha!

[GXE23]

After some discussion and picture swapping - I decided to swap the positioning of my Parkers and my Indicators.
I opted for Bright LED White Parkers and already having plenty of orange indicator bulbs for clear lenses, putting them up on either side(s) of my head-lights wasn't an issue. In the image below you can see the 'swap' in progress. The new white LED parker (r.h.s) VS the incandescent/factory bulb (l.h.s).
The indicator on the left is it's original/factory spot & the right hand side shows where I'll be moving both to.

So now my parkers are down low and indicators are on the sides of my head-lamps:


Once again, something simple, but unique and subtle to those unfamiliar with the R31