My First Car And First Build, R33 Gtst

[Cody33]

Hey there guys this is the first time I've posted something about my car on the forums

I got my licence when i just turned 17 and was stuck driving my parents Toyota Corolla for a while. It got the job done, however I had always had an obsession for cars, that started when i was very young.

I had been looking at what car to buy ever since I was 15, especially looking at impreza's and other cars (been given specific outlines of what i could buy (kms, year etc) by my parents). One thing lead to another and i somehow ended up looking at skylines to buy with the permission of the folks. The first one i properly looked at, i bought. To me at the time it was very quick (never having driven a turbo'd car) (The fastest car i'd driven by that time was an old 328i BMW E36). I was 17 at the time and didn't know too much about cars, just the basics.

I bought it with these specs at the time

R33 Gtst - Silver - 78xxx kms

Clean inside and out except for a small dent on the driver's door

Practically all stock except for a pod filter and a turbo timer

I didn't have too many plans at the beginning, just the general ideas;

Exhaust, soundsystem etc..

But as i got older, I realised I wanted a lot more haha.

Picture of the Car when i bought it

The owner before me had installed the pod wrong so they had to be fixed along with a new antenna and some other items.

I wanted to change the head unit so i picked up a JVC single din head unit and got that installed.

I was getting bored with the sound so i decided to buy a sub woofer. (wouldn't have done that now as one of my first mods)

Hardly any space haha

Again i began to get a bit bored of the car, and due to my limited funds decided to paint the stock rims black. Wasn't too bad for a while but i was always looking for new rims.

Black Rims

I was reluctant to buy anything on the car for a little bit, because of the lack of a job, however the car was too quite for me, so i decided to get an exhaust.

I got a second hand unknown brand of cat back exhaust. It is a 3.5" or 4" cat back with a 4.5" cannon.

Needless to say it filled my requirement for the noise haha.

New exhaust fitted (bending the rear bumper a bit)

Then on facebook, i saw a cheap set of rims that i wanted to buy (without tires) and decided to get them. At this time i had just got my job as a waiter haha, and used my first paycheck to get a new set of wheels for the rims i bought. They don't look too great but i didn't want the stock rims anymore. At present i am looking for new rims.

New rims fitted with new tires. I think the brand is SSA?

After my friend purchased his r33 gtst we went for a little shoot haha.

I had a lust for more power, and this is when the mod bug started properly for me. Even though they were small items, i started buying more and more haha.

Anyway at this point, I wanted a bit more power and took it to get a New HDI intercooler kit, and manual boost controller ( set to 10-11psi), a new turbo smart boost gauge and a high flow cat.

I loved the look of the inter cooler on the front.

After looking around on gumtree i saw a drift lip, and i jumped at the offer since i thought it was cheap and would only need a bit of work. I was very wrong haha. I shouldn't have bought it but i did. My friends helped my with a test fit and i loved the look already. It was primed at this time but the person before had drilled holes through to the top of the wing. So we went to fixing it up with bog and fibreglass. It took a few weeks as it stayed at my friends house. We eventually caught up and eventually got it painted. However after the painting, we could see that the wing needs a lot more work for it to be good. But at the moment it's sitting on my car. I'll post up some pics of what it looks like later.

Test fitting the drift lip

We put the stock wing back on the car until the drift lip was put on. However one day i took it off as i liked the look of it without the stock wing. In this photo though you can probably see that the bumper is cut around the exhaust. I new i had to get it fixed sometime as the exhaust was bending the bumper. I had been warned about it melting it, but because i only did short drives around Perth i didn't think about it as i didn't want to spend money. However i ended up taking it Down South, on a hour drive, which completely melted the bumper haha. I am a idiot. So i got it cut around the exhaust to make it look better.

I finally got to one of the mods that i had always wanted to do. I searched around and found a set of HSD coilovers for sale and picked them up. They made the car look so much better when it was lowered. I was going to take it to a shop to do until i got quoted the price, so i decided to install them my self, with the help of my friend and his dad. It took a while and i loved the look. It also handled a lot better (with less body role). However the ride is a bit bumpy and the back is a bit too low. Will eventually change that.

Bought the Coilovers

Installing them

Height before hand ( side shot can be seen in one of the earlier photos)

After

Love this shot

I then wanted more power again so i rethought what parts i needed to get to achieve my power goalof 350 - 400 hp.

First off i bought an Apexi Power FC (not installed)

Then came the new fuel pump (installed) - It's the Walbro GSS-342 - got it installed when the car started playing up slightly and i had to get some new spark plugs

Hicas Lock bar (not installed) hopefully will do myself soon

This is just a photo of my car with two of my mates r33's

Just after watching the new fast and furious movie haha. My car is now a little bit lower, but his is faster than mine at the moment

I then bought a drift button, and some blue led's for my dash cluster.

Photo of the inside

The Greddy Profec b spec 2 electronic boost controller

This is where im at, at this stage. The drift wing is on my car but the surface looks a bit like the moon haha. I have recently fractured my ankle in a few places playing basketball and can't work for at least another 4 weeks (already been off for 2 weeks). So i have no funds to carry on with the modding at the moment. I cant even really drive at the moment which really sucks haha.

At the moment I'm 18, just about to turn 19 and am still learning a lot about cars every day. I love to go watch the drift pracs and hope to get my car ready to drift by the end of summer

Just before i fractured the ankle i ended up getting my new z32 AFM.

I had also ordered my new turbo. I ended up choosing a Hypergear ATR43G3 and it should be on its way

Things to buy until i can start saving for the install:

Injectors, dump/front pipe and a new clutch.

I'll see if i can get some photo's up later of the turbo and the car etc

Cheers

[Cody33]

Just a small update. The turbo arrived this morning and i'm pleased with it. Hopefully i will be able to get it on by the end of summer.. Can't work at the moment so i can't get the rest of the parts i need.. Can't wait till i can get them though haha. Also thinking about it, i've decided on getting some arp head studs so the head gasket can handle the boost easier. Let me know what else you'd think i'd need? I just want it to run around 18 - 20 psi on its high boost level.

New turbo

Z32 AFM

The toys are starting to pile up a bit haha

[SkudR33]

Hey buddy,

Nice work - good to see your perusing on with your passion... Only comment I can make is on the head studs - my car was running 18psi for the 2 years I've had it on a standard head gasket and head bolts. Leave them be until they blow, then change over to mls head gasket and head studs!

[MrFijiGold]

Good choice of mods - good job mate!

[Cody33]

Thanks guys,

Yer i was only thinking of getting them as my friend was running a similar set up and his head gasket blew, and he was running 18psi Just didn't want that happening to me... haha After realising how much the head studs would cost to install i don't know what to do.. lol

[Landyy]

Nice thread dude,i'm going pretty slow with mine

no time $$ atm moment.car is looking nice tho

[75coupe]

that sort of boost level wont lift the head... Im running a hks turbo, 21psi 290rwkw std head studs...

there are other things that could make a head gasket blow...

dont aim for a boost (psi) level, let the tuner get a decent safe tune and see what the psi ends up being.

Edited October 12, 2013 by 75coupe

[Manuel Kasko]

I'm with the other guys here

Don't bother with the head studs.

I'm running a hypergear SS1PU and its been running about 250kw on 21psi for a long time now without and issues.

Awesome work with the car though, sounds like you know what your goal is any everything is slowly coming into place. Who's going to tune it?

[Cody33]

Cheers for the thoughts on the Head Studs guys. My ankle as finally healed up enough to go back to work, so i can hopefully afford some new stuff soon haha.

Since E85 is now close to my house as of two weeks ago, i've decided i wanted to go for E85 when i get the tune. I have a Walbro GSS 342 fuel pump but i don't know whether that can handle E85, so was wondering what peoples thoughts were on a good fuel pump for E85? Also looking at getting deatschwerks 1000cc side feed injectors. Would i need anything else for E85? like new fuel lines or something...?

I still don't know where to go for the tune in Perth.. I've been looking at Allstar garage. I just need someone who can tune the Hypergear turbo properly with E85.. Any thoughts would be appreciated! haha

I finally took my car to the track the other week for a cams come and try day down at Barbagallo. Chucked on the stockies and had some fun. I signed up for drifting, although there was only 1 or 2 people who were going to do it so they cancelled it. I ended up doing the speed event, motorkhana and hill climb.

I loved pushing the car to its limits. It ran well and nothing went wrong.

Here are some pics

Loved the Mini

[gtr0321994]

Nice build mate

[timmy_89]

Nice thread mate, good list of mods.

Got any drift events coming up that you will have a go at?

[AngryRB]

nice build mate, go for the Walbro 416L E85 compatible pump ( pretty cheap) and some new rubber fuel lines and new filter and she's all good..

[Cody33]

Nice thread mate, good list of mods.

Got any drift events coming up that you will have a go at?

I'm keen to try a drift event, however i wanted to get more power on the car first.

[xxxxx]

looking good, restore those headlights when you get a chance!

[DGTS-T]

Any updates coming soon on this? I'm looking at the same turbo and supporting mods and just wondering how it's all going for you

[Cody33]

Any updates coming soon on this? I'm looking at the same turbo and supporting mods and just wondering how it's all going for you

Trying to work as much as possible to get some money haha (don't have much after my ankle) -- recently bought a JJR 3 inch bellmouth dump/front pipe and getting that installed soon -- as for the other mods i still need to get them -- then the saving for the install starts haha ( thinking about installing the clutch myself) -- decided im getting rims next -- XXR 527's then the engine mods -- with these mods and a perth tuner -- on 98/100 fuel you're probably looking at around 330-350hp going off friends similar builds -- i don't know what it will do with e85 =]

[Cody33]

Haven't made a post in a while so i'd thought i'd give a small update. The car's going great so far. I did end up getting the dump/front pipe as said above although it still isn't on . As for other news i bought some new DTM rims for my car before my holiday throughout December. I recently just put them on the car and stretched them onto Achilles ATR tyres I reckon the cars looking much better now. They're 18x9.5 all round and the tyres are 225/40. Just before my holiday i ended up taking my car to the drags for the first time haha. I was nervous for some reason and because of some legalities i could only do one run. I ended up getting a 14.2 but with a 0.8 sec reaction time as i was shitting myself haha. Anyway that's it for now -- the other parts are still in my room because i haven't had enough cash to buy the rest of the stuff yet. Next I'm calling NPC to sort me out a clutch then injectors, fuel pump and fuel lines (first i will probably roll my guards though haha but that's a small thing...) . Then I'm either gonna install it all with my friends or get it done by a professional.

That's it for now. Hopefully sometime this year i can get my car done haha

The tape is holding the plastic guard above the wheel haha - happened at the drags - need to fix it lol

[gtr0321994]

Looking good mate

[Cody33]

Another little update haha. Things are really progressing slowly at the moment due to not getting enough shifts but i did however end up buying a new clutch I bought a heavy duty organic clutch with a lightweight flywheel from NPC rated at 300+ kw (got off gumtree, but was new ) This should be enough since i decided ill stick off of e85 just for now, until later haha. Which mean i only have to get injectors (probably nismo injectors like 740cc or 555cc) now until i can start saving for whatever mods i want the tuner to install. (i will probably install some myself, since i heard paying a mechanic/tuner to do it is soooo expensive ...) Going to get a quote to install the clutch but will probably end up doing it myself with my friend. About to take it to it's next service and will just get the dump pipe installed then. Can't wait to get the extra power on this car. May even start drifting before i do it (Y). I'm looking at allstar malaga to do the tuning although haven't talked to them since i don't have all the parts. Hopefully it'll get all done soon

[gtr jet]

Word of advise. Don't attempt to install the injectors yourself unless you plan on towing the car to the tuners as the car will not run on the factory tune with bigger injectors.