R32 Owner from SoCal

[GMTGTR]

Hi all,

I've been reading up on your forums for a while now and figured it's time to make an account. Pretty awesome there's decades worth of (English) consolidated information on the R chassis, simplifying the ownership for newer American owners. I've had my R32 GT-R for about 3 years/7k KM now, and it's currently California emissions complaint(PITA). It's pretty much my weekend therapy cruiser.

Before the car was reverted to a CA legalized state, there was several aftermarket parts removed but, quite frankly, unknown parts may still be on the car. Before I bought the car, I was able to drive it once in it's modified/tuned state. Based off the powerband (~4.5k RPM peak boost), installed F-Con/EVC/HKS actuators/Sard 800cc Injectors, and spiked factory boost gauge, I think the turbos may be aftermarket. Butt dyno felt like 375-400whp. More on that later. Here's the configuration when I bought it: https://www.importavehicle.com/vehicles/363/1992-nissan 

So, the true joy of Skyline ownership is beginning with some gearbox noise independent of RPM. I'm assuming throw out/thrust bearing over input shaft since it's a relatively consistent cadence and noise level. Either way, the box is coming out and I'm going to the drawing boards for a minor refresh project since "I'm already in there". I'm 99% going with a Nismo Twin non-competition model. There's a small chance I have a twin disk in it right now based on the floating disk chatter, quite forgiving engagement though.

Aside from addressing the clutch/gearbox, I'll be inspecting or considering upgrades for the following areas:

1. Inspect turbos while front pipe/transmission removed. Hoping a quick inspection of the exhaust wheels show they aren't ceramic, or I'll look for serials/codes.

2. Reinstall turbo back system. Already have the original RSR equal length (2x70mm to 80mm I think) the car came with. Will be buying a high flow cat (76mm) and likely a Fujitsubo exhaust (76mm). Not only do we have emissions issues here, we also have sound ordinances in some cities. I prefer a quiet-ish exhaust and not going for big power, so all good.

3. Replace coilovers. They ride like crap because of age and spring rates. A lot of the recommended brands you guys use aren't available here, like MCA, so I'll probably open a new thread to get some guidance.

4. Upgrade/refresh suspension components/bushings.

5. Basic engine health check. Compression, leakdown, leaks (if any), belts/hoses, etc.

6. Fluid flush, brakes, other misc. services.

6. Reinstall or buy injectors/buy new ecu and get tuned. No true power goals, just want it safe and flex fuel wouldn't hurt (it's $3.19/gallon for E85 vs $6/gallon for 91oct/95ron).

I have my work cut out for me. It'll be a lot of parts gathering and planning before I start working on it. Look forward to researching for my upcoming project.

Thanks for reading

 

[Duncan]

Welcome to SAU, it looks pretty tidy!

[GMTGTR]

4 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Welcome to SAU, it looks pretty tidy!

Thanks. It's not quite nice enough for a museum and not quite rough enough for a lawn ornament. She may get comfortable on jack stands for a while though. lol

[PranK]

Welcome to  ! 

Car looks tidy, well done! 

[GTSBoy]

5 hours ago, GMTGTR said:

Replace coilovers. They ride like crap because of age and spring rates. A lot of the recommended brands you guys use aren't available here, like MCA, so I'll probably open a new thread to get some guidance.

Just contact MCA. Paying in proper dollars should reduce the pain.

[GMTGTR]

3 hours ago, GTSBoy said:

Just contact MCA. Paying in proper dollars should reduce the pain.

I'm not terribly worried about the buying from them, but I was more concerned about post-purchase aspects like servicing and support without sending them back to Australia. Their dealer page doesn't have any North America listings. I was planning on working with a shock builder to assemble/valve to my use case, but I'll send them an email to see if they have servicing partners in the States.

[GTSBoy]

4 hours ago, GMTGTR said:

I'm not terribly worried about the buying from them, but I was more concerned about post-purchase aspects like servicing and support without sending them back to Australia.

I wouldn't worry about that. There would have to be clever suspension shops in the US that could disassemble and service the dampers (with internal parts from MCA if required) if required. But I would put money on the concept of you not needing any such service. Even assuming a generous 10000km/yr mileage, you wouldn't wear them out before the heat death of the universe (read that as petrol costs going to $10/litre).

[joshuaho96]

On 9/18/2023 at 3:18 AM, GMTGTR said:

Hi all,

I've been reading up on your forums for a while now and figured it's time to make an account. Pretty awesome there's decades worth of (English) consolidated information on the R chassis, simplifying the ownership for newer American owners. I've had my R32 GT-R for about 3 years/7k KM now, and it's currently California emissions complaint(PITA). It's pretty much my weekend therapy cruiser.

Before the car was reverted to a CA legalized state, there was several aftermarket parts removed but, quite frankly, unknown parts may still be on the car. Before I bought the car, I was able to drive it once in it's modified/tuned state. Based off the powerband (~4.5k RPM peak boost), installed F-Con/EVC/HKS actuators/Sard 800cc Injectors, and spiked factory boost gauge, I think the turbos may be aftermarket. Butt dyno felt like 375-400whp. More on that later. Here's the configuration when I bought it: https://www.importavehicle.com/vehicles/363/1992-nissan 

So, the true joy of Skyline ownership is beginning with some gearbox noise independent of RPM. I'm assuming throw out/thrust bearing over input shaft since it's a relatively consistent cadence and noise level. Either way, the box is coming out and I'm going to the drawing boards for a minor refresh project since "I'm already in there". I'm 99% going with a Nismo Twin non-competition model. There's a small chance I have a twin disk in it right now based on the floating disk chatter, quite forgiving engagement though.

Aside from addressing the clutch/gearbox, I'll be inspecting or considering upgrades for the following areas:

1. Inspect turbos while front pipe/transmission removed. Hoping a quick inspection of the exhaust wheels show they aren't ceramic, or I'll look for serials/codes.

2. Reinstall turbo back system. Already have the original RSR equal length (2x70mm to 80mm I think) the car came with. Will be buying a high flow cat (76mm) and likely a Fujitsubo exhaust (76mm). Not only do we have emissions issues here, we also have sound ordinances in some cities. I prefer a quiet-ish exhaust and not going for big power, so all good.

3. Replace coilovers. They ride like crap because of age and spring rates. A lot of the recommended brands you guys use aren't available here, like MCA, so I'll probably open a new thread to get some guidance.

4. Upgrade/refresh suspension components/bushings.

5. Basic engine health check. Compression, leakdown, leaks (if any), belts/hoses, etc.

6. Fluid flush, brakes, other misc. services.

6. Reinstall or buy injectors/buy new ecu and get tuned. No true power goals, just want it safe and flex fuel wouldn't hurt (it's $3.19/gallon for E85 vs $6/gallon for 91oct/95ron).

I have my work cut out for me. It'll be a lot of parts gathering and planning before I start working on it. Look forward to researching for my upcoming project.

Thanks for reading

 

The center section somewhere should have a part number/tag if it's a Garrett/OEM turbo, the compressor housing is another common spot for turbo specs if it's aftermarket. If you look carefully you should be able to spot it without any disassembly. Easy way to tell whether your stock turbos have had steel turbines installed is look at the exhaust turbine retaining nut. A ceramic turbine will have many sides/splines, aftermarket is usually a standard hex or something similar. I just helped a guy identify his turbos after he blew his motor. Seller claimed it was "Garrett GT2860RS" which should've been a red flag considering those are not direct fit for RB26s. Pulled off the engine it was clear it was R33 ceramics with a metal turbine rebuild kit.

[GMTGTR]

On 9/18/2023 at 2:58 PM, GTSBoy said:

I wouldn't worry about that. There would have to be clever suspension shops in the US that could disassemble and service the dampers (with internal parts from MCA if required) if required. But I would put money on the concept of you not needing any such service. Even assuming a generous 10000km/yr mileage, you wouldn't wear them out before the heat death of the universe (read that as petrol costs going to $10/litre).

I got a response back from MCA. Between the international warranty policies, shipping costs and import duties, it washes the exchange rate advantage of my Freedom/Reserve Currency compared to US company pricing. If they need to be sent back for any reason, I would be uncomfortably close to my preferred choice (such as MCS 1WNR ~$6k AUD). You serious about floating me some money if things go sideways🤣? 

We do have countless boutique suspension shops for service on pretty much every premier brand which is great. Several being less than an hour from me. It's not a 100% no for MCA just yet, but I'll be inquiring with several other companies before making a decision. I may take a 2 phase approach to coilovers and buy a "holdover" set ($2.5k AUD) so I can allocate/reserve more funds toward other harder to replace items (turbos, bushings/mounts, etc.). I also wouldn't mind a cheap second set so I don't have downtime when rebuilding the primary set.

3 hours ago, joshuaho96 said:

The center section somewhere should have a part number/tag if it's a Garrett/OEM turbo, the compressor housing is another common spot for turbo specs if it's aftermarket. If you look carefully you should be able to spot it without any disassembly. Easy way to tell whether your stock turbos have had steel turbines installed is look at the exhaust turbine retaining nut. A ceramic turbine will have many sides/splines, aftermarket is usually a standard hex or something similar. I just helped a guy identify his turbos after he blew his motor. Seller claimed it was "Garrett GT2860RS" which should've been a red flag considering those are not direct fit for RB26s. Pulled off the engine it was clear it was R33 ceramics with a metal turbine rebuild kit.

Thanks for the heads up. I have read about the exhaust turbine retaining nut identification before, so I figured since I'll be way down there for the transmission drop, it'll be a 5 minute borescope colonoscopy. If that proves inconclusive, I'll definitely look at the compressor side. I'll be honest, while I'd love if the car magically has a set of garrett -7 or -9 on it, I'll be plenty happy with any non-ceramic set.

That sucks about the seller pulling a fast one. Assuming it was tuned properly, the power delivery would have been a red flag, no? At least he can sell them to someone who needs a stop-gap for ceramics and he can recoup some cost towards his desired upgrade.

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by GMTGTR

[hattori hanzo]

may as well rip the band aid off and order a 3.2l stoker and 6870 with a holinger  

 

Car looks neats, good luck with it! 

 

 

[GMTGTR]

10 hours ago, hattori hanzo said:

may as well rip the band aid off and order a 3.2l stoker and 6870 with a holinger  

 

Car looks neats, good luck with it! 

 

 

LOL one financial death at a time. Thanks, I appreciate it.

I actually just paid for a carvx report and found out more about the hidden parts installed on the car. Probably should have done this earlier.

1. HKS GT-SS turbos (same as Garrett -9s): I'll visually verify, but very happy about this.

2. HKS cams: Doesn't say profile, I'll open up the covers to verify what I can

3. HKS fuel pump (280L): Will I max this out with E85 on GT-SS/-9s? I've seen mixed on this through other threads.

4. OS Giken clutch: I can't read the model; the writing is messy after "OS Clutch". I might hold off on the Nismo twin if the OS Giken is a twin and current model for rebuilding. I found the clutch very easy to drive in traffic and on hills.

[joshuaho96]

15 hours ago, GMTGTR said:

I got a response back from MCA. Between the international warranty policies, shipping costs and import duties, it washes the exchange rate advantage of my Freedom/Reserve Currency compared to US company pricing. If they need to be sent back for any reason, I would be uncomfortably close to my preferred choice (such as MCS 1WNR ~$6k AUD). You serious about floating me some money if things go sideways🤣? 

We do have countless boutique suspension shops for service on pretty much every premier brand which is great. Several being less than an hour from me. It's not a 100% no for MCA just yet, but I'll be inquiring with several other companies before making a decision. I may take a 2 phase approach to coilovers and buy a "holdover" set ($2.5k AUD) so I can allocate/reserve more funds toward other harder to replace items (turbos, bushings/mounts, etc.). I also wouldn't mind a cheap second set so I don't have downtime when rebuilding the primary set.

Thanks for the heads up. I have read about the exhaust turbine retaining nut identification before, so I figured since I'll be way down there for the transmission drop, it'll be a 5 minute borescope colonoscopy. If that proves inconclusive, I'll definitely look at the compressor side. I'll be honest, while I'd love if the car magically has a set of garrett -7 or -9 on it, I'll be plenty happy with any non-ceramic set.

That sucks about the seller pulling a fast one. Assuming it was tuned properly, the power delivery would have been a red flag, no? At least he can sell them to someone who needs a stop-gap for ceramics and he can recoup some cost towards his desired upgrade.

 

It was not tuned properly, the turbos also blew up. So he just has some possibly rebuildable cores basically. For some reason there was RTV on the compressor housing instead of the correct OEM gasket. Details like that are the reason why I told him he needed to tear down the whole engine and do a nut and bolt rebuild the right way. He never showed me the center section gaskets but anyone willing to cut corners like that probably also put RTV on those gaskets or just used RTV which is probably why his turbos blew up to begin with followed by his bottom-end.

I recommend no matter what the provenance of a car to always be skeptical and when you do have a chance verify things were done the right way. Someone willing to cut corners almost never stops at the small things.

[GMTGTR]

6 minutes ago, joshuaho96 said:

It was not tuned properly, the turbos also blew up. So he just has some possibly rebuildable cores basically. For some reason there was RTV on the compressor housing instead of the correct OEM gasket. Details like that are the reason why I told him he needed to tear down the whole engine and do a nut and bolt rebuild the right way. He never showed me the center section gaskets but anyone willing to cut corners like that probably also put RTV on those gaskets or just used RTV which is probably why his turbos blew up to begin with followed by his bottom-end.

I recommend no matter what the provenance of a car to always be skeptical and when you do have a chance verify things were done the right way. Someone willing to cut corners almost never stops at the small things.

Wow, damn. If I saw clues like RTV in places it shouldn't be, on top of disclaimed turbos, that's definitely the prudent approach. There's a good chance that even if my engine comp/leakdown is clean, I'll probably still borescope the cylinders to see how it looks in there. No leaks in my garage and dipstick reads perfect between 5k KM oil changes. With how expensive everything on these platforms has become, why not add a bit of insurance when possible. 

[hattori hanzo]

1 hour ago, GMTGTR said:

LOL one financial death at a time. Thanks, I appreciate it.

I actually just paid for a carvx report and found out more about the hidden parts installed on the car. Probably should have done this earlier.

1. HKS GT-SS turbos (same as Garrett -9s): I'll visually verify, but very happy about this.

2. HKS cams: Doesn't say profile, I'll open up the covers to verify what I can

3. HKS fuel pump (280L): Will I max this out with E85 on GT-SS/-9s? I've seen mixed on this through other threads.

4. OS Giken clutch: I can't read the model; the writing is messy after "OS Clutch". I might hold off on the Nismo twin if the OS Giken is a twin and current model for rebuilding. I found the clutch very easy to drive in traffic and on hills.

I would skip the HKS fuel pump and go for an integrated system of pump, lines and injectors to switch over to E85 

 

https://frenchysperformancegarage.com/collections/nissan-skyline-r32gt-r/products/fpg-new-nissan-skyline-r32-gt-r-bnr32-in-tank-surge-tank-kit-track-edition-te-fits-c34-stagea-v3-fpg-085

 

or aftermarket industries do great affordable products with the hardwork done 

[GMTGTR]

On 9/20/2023 at 2:34 PM, hattori hanzo said:

I would skip the HKS fuel pump and go for an integrated system of pump, lines and injectors to switch over to E85 

 

https://frenchysperformancegarage.com/collections/nissan-skyline-r32gt-r/products/fpg-new-nissan-skyline-r32-gt-r-bnr32-in-tank-surge-tank-kit-track-edition-te-fits-c34-stagea-v3-fpg-085

 

or aftermarket industries do great affordable products with the hardwork done 

Wow, didn't think I would need something that extensive for my power level, but looks really nice. I wouldn't mind a setup that I could grow into if I go down the path in the future. I think at this point I should start a build thread to gather all my thoughts in one spot for feedback. 

[hattori hanzo]

So essentially you have a 30 year old car, that has had all sorts running through the fuel tank and into the lines and filters

 

E85 will clean the gunk off all those surfaces and send it straight to your injectors.

 

So a E85 fuel pump, lines, fuel tank clean and ensuring your injectors are up to the task is essential for happy motoring on E85.