Exciting Evolution of my JDM Legend: R32 Skyline GTR
Let’s take it back to 1998. I was a kid playing Gran Turismo for the first time, and like many of you from that era, I was captivated early on by the performance, mystery, and unobtainability of the Nissan Skyline GT-R.
Now, let’s fast forward a few decades to 2019.
Finding my Skyline GTR
As I was walking out of the airport with my friend Mike, nearly all 100 humid degrees slapped me in the face at once, but I was quickly greeted by the sweet assault of a straight-piped, titanium Tomei exhaust strapped behind a beautiful white R32 Skyline GTR pulling up to the arrivals queue, when all of my problems went away.
Armed with only a cashier’s check and a one-way ticket, we had made the first flight out we could, preparing to do a quick inspection, followed by a 12+ hour drive home, hopefully in the forgotten classic from my childhood that I had found on the other side of the country, freshly imported, and at a price that the seller and I would eventually agree on.
What I had purchased was a low-mile, Series 2 1992 R32 Nissan Skyline GTR in 326 White with no known crash history. It looked great from about 20 feet, but like most JDM imports from the early 90s, there was a lot of work to be done.
Getting Home
Driving my first Skyline GTR (and my first right-hand drive car) across the country, through the Rocky Mountains, was a bit of a pucker moment for me at first, especially at night with the 90s headlight outputs being equivalent to holding a lantern, but Mike and I made it home at nearly midnight that day with no hiccups noticed on the long drive; later we found how lucky we actually were.
My goal with this car was a sort of simple streetcar restoration, quick and easy. I wanted to restore the factory performance, retaining the look and feel of the car in an OEM style with it slightly lowered and maybe some basic bolt-on parts. The car came to me with quite a few aftermarket parts that I did not like, and some parts were in a condition that was not suitable to keep; replacing everything with a quality aftermarket or OEM replacement along the way became the target.
That was the plan at least…
So the GTR Project Begins
When I purchase a new-to-me used car, my first order of business is to reset the service intervals on the basic maintenance items so I know they’ve been done and when. In this case, that would mean all fluids, plugs, wires, filters, worn belts, worn brakes, worn hoses, etc. They all would get replaced.
Next, I then start what I call “back to baseline” by removing anything aftermarket that I would not keep or the installation needs properly redone. As many of you with JDM cars know, this quickly turns into a wiring nightmare with the multitude of alarms, toll road accessories, turbo timers, gauges, etc. There were quite a few parts that needed to be removed, but I had to wait until replacements came. We covered the aftermarket wiring being one of the most common culprits for issues with your car here.
Unfortunately, but also as you might expect, my old Skyline had a vote in how this goes too, as we did all the checks and maintenance items; we quickly discovered that it would overheat in normal traffic, getting so hot I would have to pull over to let it cool off to protect the engine; there was no obvious cause, however. Fortunately, the highway speeds on the long drive and cool night air once back in town did not cause any issues that would’ve stranded us in the middle of nowhere.
But something was obviously not right!
The Project Becomes a Problem
We checked the fans, I checked the coolant, and I checked the sensors—no smoking gun to be found.
UNTIL it happened…
I had one of the 25-year-old coolant hoses rupture under the intake manifold, dumping coolant all over the engine bay and the ground. Fortunately, I was near the house and limped it to the garage after letting it cool.
I knew then I had to pull the manifold, the throttles, and more.
If you are anything like me, we suffer massively from “while-I’m-in-there-itis,” and thus the intake manifold came off, with its 6 separate ports, 3 throttle bodies, and various linkages; the plan evolved into a bigger build as the season was almost over and cool weather quickly approached. I went ahead and put the car on jack stands and prepared for a long off-season.
The GTR Build
The RB26 was thoroughly gone through, compression tested, and leak-down tested; as expected, there were quite a few gremlins discovered during this more thorough inspection, so we may as well keep digging.
Teardown
The turbos had play, the hoses were worn, and everything just generally looked and felt old, brittle, and needed to be refreshed. So I tore down the turbo piping, removed the turbos, both exhaust manifolds, and all of the intake side; this quick hose change ultimately turned into me removing the engine.
With the engine out, I may as well repaint the engine bay. So we prepped and pulled remaining parts to get to all of the surfaces. Any corrosion was addressed; the metal was prepped with epoxy primer where bare before a filler primer was laid and sanded back. Nissan 326 white was sprayed throughout, and unlike the factory engine bay, I sprayed clear coat as well before putting everything back in; the gloss finish really helped clean the bay up!
Of course, everything removed was cleaned thoroughly and either prepped and repainted, powder coated, or replaced. The engine got refreshed with a new head gasket, ARP head studs, oil/water pumps, and a timing belt before going back in. Top Speed baffles and V-Spec II Nur champagne powder-coated valve covers went back on with the refreshed engine. The wiring harness was torn apart, and any brittle or worn wires were replaced, and the whole loom was rewrapped to look new again.
Restoration and Upgrades
As the build (and my budget) spiraled out of control, my build theme of modernizing performance and removing failure points to improve reliability was in full effect. A large intake plenum with a single throttle body and coolant manifold was installed to replace the 12 potential leak points of the factory system. Additionally, the twin turbos and their myriad of vacuum, coolant, and oil lines were all replaced with a single modern (at the time) ball bearing Garrett GT3582R, paired with a Tial external wastegate and the custom downpipe and dump pipe to go with it.
The fuel system needed upgrading to match the performance, so ID1200 injectors went in as well as a Walbro 450LPH fuel pump, hardwired in the trunk. A flex fuel sensor was installed in the new 6AN lines in preparation for a flex fuel tune. A Haltech standalone ECU was installed to be the brains of the operation, with all of the sensors. I wanted the car to start, idle, and cruise, as well as handle full throttle duties.
MSpek Performance ended up tuning this car, and with a reliable conservative tune at around 500 whp on E-85, this was the power and drivability I was looking for. As this was a street car, and where I live, needed to pass emissions, I installed an Apexi high-flow catalytic converter that, when paired with E-85, made emissions a straightforward pass for me later on. It also helped keep the noise and the smell down, great for a street car in my mind!
Chassis and Suspension Overhauled
Of course the engine was not the only thing that needed revision. These 25+ year old JDM cars had some funky chassis systems, such as the HICAS rear steering system that actually works great when they are in good condition, but they often aren’t. For performance and reliability, however, a HICAS delete is a common mod and was quickly installed here as well to tighten up the drivability.
Whiteline sway bars were put into service with all new bushings throughout to remove the aging body roll, with all of the arms either replaced or refurbished before going back on with new bushings. HKS HiperMax coilovers were adjusted to nail the height and performance. A thick Kansai strut tower bar topped off the engine bay with some further body rigidity; its not bad to look at either!
Restoring Nismo Dreams
With the power and the handling sorted, the R33 GTR Brembo brakes that were on the car were up for the task, sure—but if you have read many of the articles here, you know that I am a brake enthusiast. The prospect of taking the car to the next level was presented in an opportunity to jump on a set of used R35 GTR 6/4 piston Brembo calipers locally; they need some refurbishing, but the price was good.
These calipers are often used at Nismo Omori on their Clubsport R and S packages. Needless to say, I jumped on these and started the rebuild with Supertec rotor hats for the R32 E-brake to function, along with Paragon Rotors rings and Hawk Pads. Stainless and new hard lines were made and installed along with a new OEM R34 GTR master cylinder that was added for reliability and performance.
The drivetrain wasn’t the only thing that I turned my wrench on over the winter. The body needed some love too, inside and out. I ended up removing the factory seats and thinking through how to restore the interior; surprisingly, a few of the panels were still available new for a decent price, so what I could replace, I did. The rear seats were thoroughly cleaned and prepped, and then fabric paint was used to reverse that sun-faded blue hue these black seats get from the sun.
The front seats were replaced with Recaro Speed reclining seats on BRIDE rails with Takata harnesses, Nismo mats, a Nismo short shifter with a Nismo knob, and trim throughout was all installed. The interior was steam cleaned and detailed. Along with a double DIN touch screen, the JDM Defi gauges that came with the car, and the Momo steering wheel. The interior looked and smelled new with so many new parts and had that classic JDM vibe I was going for.
The exterior was deep cleaned, polished, and detailed. I was able to find a hood already 326 white with the N1 hood cladding to go with the OEM N1 bumper vents, lip, and various trims. The car came with a carbon fiber Fujimura rear gurney flap on the factory wing, one of the few aftermarket pieces I wanted to keep as an homage to its origin. An Abflug carbon front splitter was installed with the factory front lip for that OEM+ aggressive look to pair with the carbon gurney flap in the rear. The rest of the car was left in a clean/refreshed OEM condition.
To top off the exterior and to frame the massive R35 GTR brakes, a set of Omori Spec (18×9.5 +12) Nismo LMGT4 wheels were sourced from Up Garage in Japan and shipped here, surprisingly fast too! This further matched with the OEM+ plus theme the car had evolved into.
It’s The Friends You Meet Along The Way
This R32 Skyline GTR had taken on its own build plan, and I was just along for the ride. What I ended up with was so far beyond what I ever expected it to become, and I couldn’t have done it on my own. The build ethos remained, however, modern performance in braking, handling, and power, with modern reliability and drivability, all with AC and heat, power windows, and Bluetooth audio.
For me, this Skyline GTR was the ultimate streetcar. It debuted at a few of the local skyline meets, larger car shows, and track events, and helped make some of the best car friends I have ever had. To all of those that helped make this build a reality, I cannot thank you enough!
I owe a lot to this GTR and look forward to my next GTR!
Mod List
Exterior:
- Original 326 white paint and all original glass
- OEM N1 hood lip
- OEM N1 bumper vents
- OEM front lip
- Carbon Fiber front diffuser splitter
- Fujimura Carbon Fiber gurney flap on OEM spoiler
- Complete Rear Wiper, nozzle, pump and hose delete
- Takagi Original solid-mounted tow hook Front/Rear
- Modified OEM Headlights: black shrouds, bi-xenon Morimoto H7 projectors with Morimoto relayed bi-xenon HID kit and harness.
- New OEM amber side markers
- Carbon Fiber cooling shroud
- Gas hood struts
- New OEM door gasket seals
- New OEM outer door/window trim (and pads)
- New OEM rain guards
Interior:
- Recaro Speed seats
- Bride MO seat mounts/rails and 4pt harness bar
- Takata Harnesses using Sabelt mounting points
- Rear seats re-dyed as OEM black
- OEM Nismo floor mats
- Double Din Pioneer Stereo with bluetooth and speakers
- Working heat and AC!!! (Complete R12 synthetic replacement conversion, seals, oil and conversion refrigerant)
- Momo Japan steering wheel
- Vertical tilt adapter with lock
- Impul 300kph cluster with Imperial (MPH/PSI/F) conversion
- Defi gauge Hub with Oil temp, water temp, and Boost
- AEM Wideband AFR
- Center console dual cup holders
- Fire extinguisher and driver’s seat mount
- New OEM rear upper C-pillar panels
- New OEM shift boot and trim
- New OEM Nismo shift knob
- New OEM Nismo shift pattern badge
- New OEM door catches
Wheels & Tires:
- Omori Factory, Engraved Nismo LMGT4 in 18×9.5 +12 square
- Yokohama Advan Apex tires, 265/35/18 all four
- Extended OEM Nismo lug nuts
Brakes:
- R35 GTR CBA Brake Calipers
- Supertec Billet adapters front and rear
- Paragon 380mm rotors/OE R35 hats up front, with new two-piece rotor hardware
- R35 GTR OE rear rotors with Supertec hats (for R32 GTR e-brake) rotor hardware
- Hawk Street pads front and rear
- New OEM BM57 Brake Master Cylinder
- ABS deleted
- Stainless braided brake lines
- Cusco Brake master cylinder brace
Steering & Suspension:
- Driftworks HICAS eliminator kit
- All HICAS valves and lines removed, and the rear pump removed
- Tomei HICAS electronic lock
- SuperPro steering rack bushings
- ISR solid steering rack coupler disc
- Chase bays power steering braided kit with baffled reservoir
- Custom front-mounted power steering cooler with braided lines
- Driftworks rear control arm bushings in factory arm
- GKTech rear upper camber arm
- GKTech rear lateral arm
- Whiteline sway bars Front/Rear
- Whiteline end links Front/Rear
- Silk Road adjustable front upper camber arms
- Kansai Thick front strut tower bar
- Cusco rear strut tower bar
- HKS Hipermax IV coilovers
- Performance Street alignment
Powertrain and Peripherals:
- Series 2 long nose crank in O5U block
- ARP headstuds
- Recent (15k KM) timing belt kit with OE water pump and OE oil pump
- R34 Nur champagne powder-coated engine covers with R34 GTR badge
- Tomei Adjustable cam gears
- OS Giken twin disc clutch
- Hot side
- Garrett Gen 2 dual ball bearing GT3582R Turbo
- Compressor housing T51R mod machined
- Stainless braided oil and water lines with AN fittings and turbo oil filter
- T4 single manifold, single external wastegate with dump pipe
- Tial V60 60mm wastegate
- ARP manifold studs
- Tomei metal gaskets throughout
- Custom 3.5” Downpipe
- Apexi high-flow catalytic converter (installed)
- Tomei Japan Titanium catback exhaust
- Custom intercooler piping
- 4” intake with K&N filter
- Cold side
- Trust Japan front mount intercooler
- Custom intercooler piping
- Tial QR vented BOV
- Zerofab Aluminum intake plenum (decked) setup with PCV/IACV/AAC retained
- 80mm throttle body
- Tomei metal gaskets
Fuel System
- Continental flex fuel sensor for Ethanol
- Zerofab fuel rail dual entry, single outlet, 6an braided line
- Tomei Japan adjustable fuel pressure regulator
- Injector Dynamic ID1050cc 14mm E85 injectors
- 525lph Walbro E85 fuel pump
- Hardwired fuel pump relay kit
- Fuel-it bluetooth ethanol content analyzer
Cooling System
- Koyo aluminum radiator
- ALL coolant lines replaced (under the manifold & behind head)
- New OEM fan clutch
- New OEM R34 GTR fan
- New OEM fan shroud
- New OEM Nismo low temp Thermostat (70°C)
- Chasebays coolant reservoir
Oil System
- Trust Japan Oil cooler
- GREX oil filter relocation kit with oil thermostat
- Sealed R34 GTR aluminum oil catch can (with washer reservoir)
- Hi-Octane E85-capable Rocker Cover oil baffles with foam
Electrical System
- CWC LS1 alternator conversion
- 2004 GTO alternator
- Wiring harness cleaned up and extended for new injectors and manifold
- Wiring specialties ignition harness
- Splitfire Ignition Coil packs
- NGK BCPR7EIX spark plugs
- Battery relocated to the trunk, with Ballistic fabrication battery mount, Optima yellow top Battery, circuit breaker, and relay/fuse box in trunk for expansion
Engine Management System
- Haltech Platinum Pro
- Haltech I/O wideband controller
- Haltech Wideband o2 sensor
- GM 3-bar MAP sensor
- Fast response Hella IAT sensor
- E85 Flex fuel tune between 91 octane and E85 by MSpek performance
Stefan Rodriguez shot many of the professional images shown in this article; please visit his portfolio here.
