Chris' R34 Skyline GTT Series 2

[hoodedreeper]

* Copied and pasted from the Skyline forum *

Time was drawing in closer for when i break my Supercharged MX5 ready to fund an R34 GTT. I wouldnt be a true car enthusiast if i wasn't already looking for cars on the interweb. My fingers were starting to hurt after refreshing various selling and auction sites here and Japan too often.

One car I kept being drawn back to was a white Series 2. It ticked all the boxes for what i was looking for, except it was the facelift front bumper that was preventing me from looking deeper into the details. So i messaged the seller and asked for a few more details and photos, very quick responses and the amount of photos asked on request was overwhelming.

Was it worth the 7hr round trip to go look at it, to potentially not like it? If it was as clean as it was in the photos, something major must have had been up with it if i was to walk away. Luckily this wasn't the case, infact the car was even better in person. After a test drive and a good poke around i really couldnt fault the car except for a knock on the driver side rear. So with an offer made he accepted and I drove away extremely happy! The 170ish mile drive home was faultless and i look forward to digging in and putting my own stamp on it.

It would have been rude to not get some photos, especially with the MX5

Nissan Skyline R34 GTT Series 2
RB25DET NEO 6
Manual Transmission

Imported in 2016 by IBE Cars in Huddersfield
Resprayed in original Pearl White in 2017

Its stock except for a custom turbo back exhaust, HKS mushroom filter and aftermarket stereo

 

[hoodedreeper]

 

[hoodedreeper]

Got the car back from H & S performance in Norwich who have done an amazing job on the Skyline

Oil Change
Spark Plugs
Fuel Filter
Japspeed Radiator
Thermostat
Drive Belts
Cambelt & Tensioners
Waterpump
Coolant change
Gearbox Oil change
Diff Oil change
Brake Fluid change

Meister R Zeta CRD Coilovers
Shorter front drop links
Wheel arches and suspension turrets undersealed

A-Tech 17" wheels back from powder coaters (done by SW Wheels) tyres swapped over and fitted along with new wheel nuts

Full alignment

Car drives completely different now and looks awesome!

 

[hoodedreeper]

Why buy aftermarket clear side repeaters when you can just remove the orange lense yourself for free!

With the purchase of the Blitz FMIC it was time to find an Altia bumper,this seemed abit more tricky than i first though. Luckily i found one only a couple of hours away, and it was en route on my holiday to Cornwall

While down in Cornwall we took a trip over to Devon and visited the guys and girls at Torque GT. They had the HKS SSQV Blow off Valve on offer, so would have been rude not to grab one while i was there. I also purchased a speedo converter too, which i'll get booked in with my local garage to get it fitted soon.

With the car now serviced and the cambelt changed, i wanted to record the date like they do over in Japan. So i contacted Rajikaru who supply period correct japanese stickers, and they kindly replicated the sticker for me and have now added it to their store! I also purchased some other stickers to go with it.

We also got both cars out for a drive Sunday evening

 

[hoodedreeper]

It was busy day for me and the fiance as we cracked on with doing little jobs on the car. Its those simply, low cost mods that make a little difference overall.

The engine cover got prepped and painted in silver. I was originally going to do it red, but thought it might have been too much, so kept with silver to keep it more factory looking. The text was painted red and i started to draw a black border with a sharpie but it decided to dry up, so that needs finishing at some point

The stock strut brace got a lick of paint too

I also gave the larger areas of the engine bay a quick de-grease along with the fitting of some red dress up bolts

We also gave the calipers a lick of paint, you may have noticed a colour scheme going on...

 

[hoodedreeper]

My second package from Japan had arrived, my replacement OEM steering wheel. This is fantastic condition compared to the one fitted to the car. The only problem was (and i didnt notice until i took the photos) was its actually from an Auto car, i didn't originally see the buttons in the advert on Yahoo Auctions,oops!

Before

After (before fitting)

Replaced the dash cluster bulbs to LED, photos don't do them justice. Just need to get a front interior light bulb to complete the interior

My fiance very kindly purchased some LED tail lights and also purchased a personalised number plate along with my parents (i knew about the plates as i found it lol) for my birthday

I had organised a photoshoot with some friends who have japanese cars, here are some of the solo photos i got of the GTT

 

[hoodedreeper]

Not much has been happening and i didn't want to just post single photos.

Finally got the Altia bumper painted and fitted, along with some clear indicator units and chrome bulbs. Its transformed the front end and looks alot better! I'm glad i decided to colour code the centre bar and not left it black.

The factory ceramic turbo doesn't like a bar of boost, most say around 11-12psi max is safe. After some research i decided to go for a Greddy Profec OLED boost controller to up the current boost a tad. Also hoping it'll come into boost smoother as its a little bit 'choppy'.

I didn't like the mount that's supplied so decided to make something. I started off with making a blank for the ash tray

I wanted a flush look and have it removable if there was ever a problem or i didn't like it. We recently had some new magnetic phone holders come in at work so I decided to use one for the mount. I cut the ball & socket mounting off and was left with just the magnetic pad.

And stuck the other half of the magnet on the back of the controller

With the hole drilled for the wiring it was ready to be 'test fitted'. I originally fitted a wiring grommet but I didn't take into consideration that it protruded above the surface, so scrapped that idea

To make it secure onto the trim i used two small screws in the top corners. Double sided tape would have made it look cleaner, but I didn't want it coming off while i'm driving.

With it refitted it doesn't look too out of place in the cabin, quite pleased with the result! I've also fitted and wired up the AEM gauges from the MX5. I just need to fit the oil sandwich plate and sensor along with getting a boss welded into the exhaust for the AFR gauge.

 

[hoodedreeper]

In August I ordered a new set of wheels, I wanted a set of these for the MX5 but they don't make them wide enough in a 15. So i'm very happy to be able to have a set on the Skyline

Choosing a wheel design was difficult enough, let alone deciding which fitment to get. I decided on 18x8.5 ET30 and 18x9.5 ET30, playing it safe due to the arches are original and mint, would be a shame to ruin them because of the offset being lower.

I believe Nismo recommend this fitment for the GTT, so that was some reassurance

Colour choice was also another challenge, the current bronze wheels look awesome against the pearl white and I had my head set on that. But then i saw the GT Silver was an option and well....you can see from the photos that i made the right decision (or did i?)

This is one of the rear wheels to help show the concave, the fronts are alot more straight spoked due to the width

I wont be getting tyres for a couple of months, show seaon is over here in the UK and the car won't be driven much when the salt starts to be spread in the coming months.

 

[hoodedreeper]

With the bodywork being in mint condition (except the difference in colour on some panels due to the pearl) my attention would be under the bonnet. I can't afford a full forge build,top mount turbo etc so went for a cheaper route. I've been collecting parts for a couple of months and now I'm at a stage where i can post about it.

Stock Turbo Stage 3 Hybrid (spec below) (Rebuilt by Universal Turbos)
Genuine Gasket Set
Apexi Power FC
Z32 MAF
R35 GTR 570cc Injectors
Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
Blitz FMIC
NGK BKR7E Plugs
Splitfire Coilpacks
Competition Clutch Stage 2 (supplied by Conceptua Tuning)
Lightened Flywheel
Braided Clutch line

Re-Profiled Compressor Cover
T38 Compressor Wheel
360 Degree Thrust Bearing
T3 Billet Backplate Modified
T3 Bearing Housing Modified
Hi-Temp Turbine End Piston Ring Seal
T38 Turbine Wheel
Re-Profiled Turbine Housing
Ported Wastegate and Larger Poppet Valve
1 Bar Actuator
Up-Rated Actuator Bracket

My aim is 400hp,would be over the moon if it was more

I also have a Tomei turbo elbow on order through Nengun Performance

 

[hoodedreeper]

Nothing happens for weeks and all of a sudden everything happens at once lol

The new tyres for the Work wheels arrived and i didn't waste any time getting them mounted and fitted to the car. The front ride height is left untouched from the 17s, the rears were raised 20mm (its still veeeery close to the arch lip)

I think playing it safe with the offset of 30 was a wise decision, it may not be the 'fitment' that kids nowadays wanna see, but i think its perfect

Not long after purchasing the car, i already had a vision of what i'd like the car to look lilke. My very first car/project was a red Nissan Micra K11, one of the things i loved about that was the Nismo livery. That car taught me alot of cars in general especially thinking outside the box when it came to modifying. I knew the livery would work well on the R34 so it had to be done.

A big thank you to Unique Signs & Graphics in Norwich for designing it all from scratch and for fitting it. These were also the guys who designed and fitted the HKS livery on my MX5

I also tried out some coloured smoke grenades, I'll be having another go at night at some point

 

[hoodedreeper]

No major updates just yet, only more photos

 

[hoodedreeper]

A small update to catch up over the past couple of weeks

Took some autumn photos

My Tomei Exhaust elbow arrived from Japan via Nengun. The quality and workmanship on this is incredible!

I found these on Yahoo Auctions and JDMParts Rupewrecht arranged the purchase and delivery. Originally they had a 2-3 week production time as they're made to order. But these were ready to be shipped within a week!

The quality is very good, the pieces are quite thick so not thin and flimsy like some carbon/FRP parts. They've certainly got some weight to them!

A friend of mine is currently cutting out the engine cover text aswell as the fuse box diagram to help keep them looking 'OEM'. Plus it breaks up all the carbon

 

[hoodedreeper]

Can an Admin/Mod delete the above post, i can't edit it

 

[hoodedreeper]

We headed over to Blickling Hall here in Norfolk, they had an arrangement of lights for the festive period which was a great photo opportunity

The LED lights had produced an intermittent fault. The first set, the outer tail light ring was missing half of the LEDs and the second set of lights had an issue with the brake light occasionally not working. Driftworks accepted a return and arranged the refund very quickly, I can't fault them for that. The OEM lights were refitted, i think i prefer them lol

Although the interior was clean looking and stock, I felt it needed a lil bit more. I had a Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel stored away from the MX5, Driftworks supplied a HKB boss kit and the Nardi was promptly fitted.

Upon fitting the boss kit and testing it, i noticed something on the floor mat. I had only gone and snapped the locating pin on the clock spring....****! I removed the hicas fuse to temporally disable it until i could sort it. I had a couple of options, replace the clock spring and potentially have it happen again or delete the hicas.....which brings me to my next update

Driftworks Hicas Delete

H&S Performance took care of fitting the kit and aligning the car, as always they've done a fantastic job!

Last photo of this update is one i took this evening as the sun was setting, no real reason just a random photo. Its also the first using my new photography watermark teaming up with

Modificata Culture

 

[hoodedreeper]

Small update

Fitted a tsurikawa and a hannya omamori to the 34

I've finally got fuse box diagram sticker fitted, it finishes off the carbon a treat

While the camera was out I couldnt help but take a few more photos

 

[Low Rider]

Those HKS SSQV's are pretty loud, I swapped mine out for a Turbosmart Vee Port Pro on the Micra at the risk of lacking in JDM authenticity.

Coming along nicely though, definitely deserves a filter upgrade along the way

 

[hoodedreeper]

I've got an Apexi cone filter with my Z32 Maf to fit when the engine upgrades (eventually) get fitted

 

[hoodedreeper]

After reading up on a Speedhunters article by Jordan about his RS4 audio upgrade, I was that impressed I decided to bite the bullet and treat myself to one too.

The DMX7017DAB is a double din mechless unit with a large touch screen display. The minimal buttons along the bottom edge gives it a more modern look without distracting you much.

It has the bells and whistles you expect to find on a modern aftermarket stereo like DAB, Bluetooth, rear USB, steering controls etc. What drew me to this was a couple of things. The first being the integrated dash cam.

With the dash cam plugging into the back of the unit, you can view the Camera aswell as play back recorded footage and photos. The camera has a built in shock sensor, a message promptly appears if the car has been hit in your absence, and you can review the footage straight away.

The second feature that I loved was the ability to mirror what my phone does. For Android an app called Android Auto is required. This allows you to mirror Google Maps/Waze onto the stereo, while still being able to listen to Spotify/Google Music and make/receive phone calls! Very handy for those road trips or convoys to car shows

Another feature the Kenwood unit has is a reverse camera. You can pick up a generic camera off eBay or Amazon for not a lot of money but I didn’t want the extra grief of splicing and hoping the built quality would last. So I went with Kenwoods unit and I’m glad I did. Direct plug and play and all I had to do was splice into the reverse light loom

I finished the install when darkness fell so I’m eager to see the quality in the daylight

The rear speakers have been crackling for awhile so this was one job that needed addressing more than anything. I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for until I was half way through it…

The rear seats, door cards and trim had to be removed before I could touch the parcel shelf. The parcel shelf area was covered in a black dust, thinking it was the parcel shelf material disintegrating, I was wrong.

As you can see, there wasn’t much left of the stock Clarion speakers, no wonder the sound quality was so poor! The new speakers dropped in a treat and I managed to reuse the original fixings. At the point I wished I had bought the wiring adapters but nevermind.

With the rear interior put back together it was time to tackle the front speakers. This was ALOT easier, a few trim clips and screws and access was easy. Luckily the front speakers already had the adapters (weirdly enough) so that was plain sailing.

I did buy some sound deadening pads to put on the inside but space is limited and daylight was becoming less and less. I’ll tackle this at a later date.

The last thing on the list was to install the slim subwoofer. I was hoping it would fit under the seat, but upon removing it I didn’t realise the centre is humped and tapers down. So I decided to put it behind the seat instead.

The wiring is a lot simpler, all of the wires go into a single plug, none of those nasty terminal screws we had ‘back in the day’. The hardest part was routing the live cable through the bulk head (wheel and arch liner off and it’s straight forward from there)

So there we have it, a full multimedia upgrade! I still need to play around with the equaliser, then I’ll get a video sorted

 

[Deleted member]

Sorry for asking such a pointless question
But your little charm hanging from ur rear view mirror
May I ask were I could get one

 

[hoodedreeper]

Sorry for asking such a pointless question
But your little charm hanging from ur rear view mirror
May I ask were I could get one

I got it from eBay (shipped from Japan)

 

[Deleted member]

I got it from eBay (shipped from Japan)

any links atall
or what to search ?

cheers

 

[hoodedreeper]

Japanese Omamori

 

[hoodedreeper]

Not long after I purchased the car I used the Turtle Wax headlight restoration kit. Unfortunately it didnt last long before the lights became cloudy again. I got recommended by a friend of a mobile company who do them for a very reasonable price. So I got the car booked in and well....the photos speak for themselves!

Since the Nismo addiction started I've been on the hunt for an S-Tune boot spoiler. As you can imagine these are rare as rocking horse **** and near on impossible to find. I found a company in Australia who makes a copy but its no longer available.

I did find one on Yahoo Auctions, but it came complete with the spoiler blade and the price landed was £800+

I happened to see a post on the Skyline Owners Forum facebook page about someone's own design for some spoiler legs. Messages were sent back and forth for a lil while and I made a purchase.

His friend was developing some covers but there would be a delay due to finishing the mould, getting orders etc. I went with the Carbon Fibre option, who doesn't like carbon?!

These took approx 4 months and they landed on my door today (12th April). The delay was due to the raw and painted versions being made and delivered first before the carbon versions got put into production.

Fitting was quite straight forward as its all been moulded to the underneath of the OEM spoiler,so it fits like a glove. The spoiler bases have adjustment so you can put it where you like (within reason)

 

[hoodedreeper]

Hanami is one of THE most beautiful things on this planet, and I'm extremely envious and jealous of the Japanese and this beautiful season. With my social media exploding with various images of this iconic scenery, I knew I had to try and replicate it as best as i could.

In the UK its a relatively small window when the blossom is in full bloom and how long it lasts for (also adding a lack of spare time to get such photos) makes a good challenge. I spent a couple of weeks driving round the city trying to find the perfect backdrop, this was harder than I thought.

I finally found somewhere good enough and I did my best with what I had

I've been going to a car show called Modified Nationals for the past 11 years. This year it moved date and location which ended up being scorching hot and a far better surrounding, win win!

Myself and a couple of others have started our own Cars & Coffee meets and today (28th April) was the first meet of the year. The weather just about stayed dry for the majority of the morning, I was met with a couple of more R34s

Seeing this V-Spec 2 Nur roll in made me go complete fan boy. You just dont get to see this car out in the 'wild' very often.

The full album can be seen here > https://www.flickr.com/photos/93923515@N07/albums/72157708154531655

 

[hoodedreeper]

I've been looking at replacement seats for a couple of months but have always been undecided on which ones. Last week we took a visit to GSM Performance to consult with the sales team on various seats and to try them.

Being a 'bigger build' comfort was top priority, and trying the seats out before commiting was a major advantage. It was a tough decision as there were so many nice seats,but in the end I went for the Recaro.

I managed to source some R34 GTR Bride rails that had been modified to fit the GTT. Upon ftting I noticed the Recaro seat mounts were alot wider than the rail. Several hours of swearing later, I had some brackets made up and everything bolted together.

I'm unsure if the GTR seat rail is different height wise, but the seats do slope down which has changed the driving position abit

One feature I really like is the reclining lever that's neatly camouflaged into the harness cut outs.

The suede centres make the seats pop alot more than the all leather equivalent

Its abit snug inside, the side bolster does currently touch the doorcard. I'm hoping I can modify the mounts I made to bring it over abit.

 

[hoodedreeper]

After 24hrs the seats had marked the doorcards quite badly, so I had to sort them out ASAP. I removed the doorcard to have a look, hoping I could modify and retrim the arm rest. But upon a closer look the whole door card would need re-doing and I didn't really fancy all that work. So I adapted the rail mounts instead.

I started with the driver side by drilling another hole next to the first one, the seat was still hard pushed against the doorcard. To explain it briefly it required alot more moving over than I first thought. The bracket on the rails was fouling the bottom of the seat so those had to be cut off. The belt buckles were too short to be bolted to the rear inner rail mounting hole so additional brackets had to be made. Then it was a headache trying to hold the seat up to get said bolts in while holding the seat up to line it all up while making sure the belt buckle didnt fall down.

*sigh*

But I finally got it all sorted and theres still room between the seat and the centre console.

With the seats in I have to admit it was abit of a struggle getting out without brushing against the steering wheel. I decided to go with a quick release steering wheel, but it had to be a slim version. A friend had a Vac Motorsport race quick release for sale which would do the job nicely. The centre of the quick release boss looked too small for a horn button, so he included some Fast and Furious-esque NOS buttons to use as horn buttons.

The Nardi deep corn wheel has served me well in pretty much all of my cars, but it was time for it to retire in favour of a smaller, more modern equivalent. I decided on the Sparco L360 in leather, mainly for its 330mm size and it's flat bottom.

Of course,this wasn't going to be an easy job, not with my current luck lol

I wanted to mount the horn bracket inbetween the HKB boss and the first half of the quick release. This was to make the wiring neater and hidden. The first half uses a Nardi bolt pattern (whats the problem with that you ask?)

Well...the horn button bracket uses a Momo bolt pattern. Even redrilling the bracket would make it lean over to one side and not be central. So the only way was to mount it between the second half and the steering wheel. Luckily theres a gap between the two brackets, the wires were heat shrunk and taped to neaten it all up.

Once it was all mounted together, I lined up the supplied horn button from Sparco and it fits :/ Just my luck lol

 

[hoodedreeper]

Today marks 1 year since I purchased the car, time flies when you're having fun 'ey! I've made some before and after photos

 

[hoodedreeper]

Some photos from the same mini shootshoot

 

[hoodedreeper]

In the future I plan on getting the interior trims skinned in Carbon Fibre. I've decided to paint them instead for the time being. I wanted something subtle but eye catching if seen in the right light.

White would have been too much and so would Red, so I decided to go Black, but which one? Working in a Motor Factors it was a bonus to have a rack full of aerosols, along with being able to mix paint if need be.

Ford Panther black has always been a favourite,so it was an easy decision

I really need to sort out the lower dash trim to get rid of all of the scratches from the stereo. I can get a brand new one from RHD Japan for £130 + shipping + import, but its not an urgency just yet

While I had everything out I replaced the cig lighter bulb for an amber version. This now matches my ignition barrel light (photo further up)

This was also the perfect opportunity to swap the bulbs in the climate control for a better quality LED. After several recommendations these were purchased from an eBay seller in Australia

 

[hoodedreeper]

June is Prom month for alot of students, I was thankful to be asked to do a couple (only have photos of the first one). It was great to help out fellow Skyline lovers, hopefully see them on here in a few more years time lol

Me and Lu took a drive out for a bite to eat, ended up doing a 100 mile coastal drive around Norfolk, oops! Managed to stop at a couple of places for a snap

Every year Myself and a group of friends organise a charity car meet raising money for The Big C Charity and East Anglia Air Ambulance. On the night we raised £1300 and we still have a raffle going for another week or so. Here's a photo from the night

 

[hoodedreeper]

I've been looking for a rear tow hook for awhile but couldn't find one I liked, so I made one

Using the original one as a template, I extended it so it would be visible underneath the bumper

The original is a 2 skin pressed piece with a bracket on the side. Mine is made from 6mm steel sheet, I understand its not as strong but I don't intend on using it for towing, its purely for aesthetics

We've recently had some thunderstorms (doesn't happen all that often) I was lucky enough to grab this photo while out at a car meet

Which kinda brings me onto my next update, this weekend just gone at Silverstone Classic. I went along with the GTR Drivers Club, it chucked it down with rain most of the weekend but it was still a great weekend. Nissan UK and Nissan JPN supplied the hospitality along with loaning us a 2020 Nismo Model along with their GT-R50 prototype. Seeing photos of this online I didn't like it, but its not quite as bad in person lol

Next stop.....JAE in 2 weeks time

 

[hoodedreeper]

Its been a busy month or so, I've been waiting to build up enough info/photos to make it worth while posting.

The first package to arrive was from Japan. I've been wanting to try it for awhile now so I bit the bullet and ordered some. Its an expensive way to drink coffee but oh so JDM

The next one original came from Japan but was shipped from within the UK. Garage Sweet Tooth stock some really cool authentic parts and clothing. I wanted some more accessories to go with the hannya omamori and the tsurikawa handle and this new-old stock coin holder caught my eye. Still waiting to get some coins before I fit it so i'll save that for another update

Next was an item I spotted in the Garage Sweet Tooth shop, but they didn't have the type I was looking for. I dropped Josh at Torque GT a message to see if they had any Electronic Toll Card Readers kicking about, luckily they did! A couple of days later it arrived and I didn't waste any time fitting it. I only wanted one because it talks haha. Videos are better than photos so heres a short clip



With my 30th birthday approaching my fiancée asked what I'd like, I suggested a 1/24 scale model kit of an R34 so I could make a replica, but it wasn't as straight forward.

Because mine is a 25GT with an Altia front bumper, this meant two kits had to be purchased and blended together. Luckily my friend Tom at Waltonstyle does custom Hot Wheels so he offered to lend a hand to sort it.

With the shell now complete it was ready for paint. Working in a motor factors I have access to mixing paint. Tom also makes custom water transfers and was able to make the Nismo graphics

Miniature Recaro Sportster CS seats came from Australia, some photos of the interior too

Some photos of the shell nearer completion. Tom even made the Pistonheads logo,Nismo badge and number plate for me, some nice attention to detail

And here's the finished model, complete with Work Emotion CR Kiwami

 

[hoodedreeper]

Got some good and bad news

The bad news is, the engine upgrades that I've been storing will be on hold for awhile longer

The good news is, I'm getting married! So I've now got a year to organise that which to be fair most is already sorted. Followed by a honey moon in Japan in 2021! (I think I'm more excited by that to be honest hehe)

The front bumper needed to be resprayed under warranty, which was the perfect opportunity to fit the Blitz FMIC

Gave the pipe work and chassis areas a coat of paint

The reinforcement bar had to be cut/modified to fit around the intercooler, which wasn't alot of work to be fair. I also replaced the blue silicone hoses for black ones along with mikalor clamps

The horns had to be relocated, so I swapped them for some new ones

Stainless fixings and bolts replaced the original rusty ones

The bumper went back on about 90% right. I think the intercooler is still fouling it ever so slightly so that'll need adjusting/trimming again

I also removed the window stickers

 

[hoodedreeper]

Time for an update!

The biggest announcement being I'm going to be a dad! Woohoo! Its due to arrive 6 weeks after the wedding which is gonna make our summer very busy!

Bought a new camera lens, a Canon 35mm f/1.4 so gave the car a clean to test it out

A few weeks ago we went for a B road blast, came into a small village where the already narrow road became alot narrower. I moved over to pass some cars and ended up hitting a hidden curb, not with one wheel....but both

Immediately took it to a local Wheel Refurb company to get a quote. They've done a tester and although they can do a shadow chrome finish, the front face will be darker than the factory finish. I've decided i'll get all 4 re-done so they all match. Not what I needed, but hey ho thats life

I've been wanting to head into London to take some night photos of the car, following a few photographers on Instagram certainly boosted the idea. With the ULEZ charge paid, it was time to travel 2.5hrs south west towards the concrete jungle. With the city being so busy I knew we had to get there late to help avoid heavy traffic.We arrived in central london at 10:30pm and started the tour of locations I had saved on my phone. The mirrored Google Maps on my CD player certainly made things easier rather than being glued to my phone.

Having never driven through London it was an all new experience but it wasn't too bad, I envy those who live or commute to the area. After a few wrong turns and driving around the block a couple of times I finally found one of the main locations I wanted to stop at.

Seeing super and hyper cars driving around as if they were your normal run of the mill cars was certainly a sight worth seeing. As we pulled over behind Harrods, a Mercedes G Wagon rolled past with the reg plate G 63, if that doesn't shout expensive I don't know what does lol The city was littered with AMGs of all varieties, lambos, ferrari's and bentleys. Not many other modified cars which was a shame.

Sloane Street was one of the main places to see those cars, although I think its quite over hyped after being there a little while.

The last location we wanted to stop by was The O2, this place is a common location (overused in some photographer's eyes) but I wasnt going home without stopping by. With Canary Wharf lit up behind it makes a fantastic background.

The other half captured this photo which was pretty cool

It was a loooong night, we didnt get home till 5:20am and I had a photoshoot booked in a few hours later, oops!

With London out of the way, it was time to search for some daily wheels. I went with some 18" 350Z Rays which really suit the car IMO. The supplied tyres were at the end of their life, a friend hooked me up with some Avon ZZ5s on the cheap

That concludes what's been happening as of late. Show season is round the corner so I'm looking forward to getting out and expanding my photography portfolio

 

[hoodedreeper]

Awhile back when the bumper got repaired due to a paint defect, I wanted to cut the bumper and open it up but the bodyshop wanted too much money (I thought they were painting the whole bumper under warranty, but they werent) So i decided to go ahead with it now. The bottom piece isn't completely flat, to do that it'd need spraying so it'll do for now. While the bumper was off it was a good opportunity to get the bumper to fit better, luckily the piece I cut out was what was causing the issue.

Purchased an intercooler stencil from eBay, looks pretty good IMO

We sell bumper mesh/grille at work, although its slightly smaller than the OEM mesh, its not far off

I also ordered a smaller number plate which looks sooo much better

I've been eyeing up the Nismo B pillar garnish for awhile, but couldn't bring myself to spending £150+ on some stick on carbon. It wouldnt be too bad if it was a whole replacement piece, its worth the money then. Again, my work came in handy as we sell 3D carbon wrap so gave vinyl wrapping a go. A friend cut the logos for me, fake it till you make it lol

I've also seen some GTTs with a spoiler garnish, it can be seen in the Nismo parts catalog too. I've only seen 1 set of brand new ones on Yahoo Auctions and they sold for £450 + shipping + import duty (thats approx $525) which is ALOT for some gel covers.

So the carbon vinyl wrap came out again and I made a template of the spoiler ends and transfered that to the vinyl. Its not perfect but can always be re-done at a later date

I ordered some Nismo clear indicators from RHDJapan, first time using them and it certainly wont be the last. They were dispatched from Osaka on the Friday and delivered to me on the Monday!

There's been some minor difficulties with shifting 2nd > 3rd and sometimes into 5th. The clutch doesn't slip but after a search on the forums people point to the shifter being at fault (mainly the Bush)
Alot of people have recommended an Australian company called Cube Speed. Coincidently Speedhunters recently had their contributor Ron post up with the same issue, and fitted the same kit.

I went with their Premium kit to allow adjustment on the return spring. Fitting was relatively straight forward with everything access able from the top. To fit the return springs you need the car in the air as they're a bastard to get to.

The feel of it now is incredible, it's transformed the drive of the car completely. It's alot more mechanical, albeit a slight notchy feel but that's probably down to the Shortened throw now. 2nd > 3rd is now effortless.

I've made a very basic video on my phone and uploaded it to YouTube



I have another update to post so expect that within the next week

 

[hoodedreeper]

Following on with the Nismo theme

JDM Parts Rupewrecht assisted again with bidding on an item on Yahoo Auctions, this time a set of sales brochures and part catalogs inc Nismo and Tommy Kaira

Trying to keep things period correct as much as possible, I was on the hunt for a mid logo gear shifter to company the new Cube Speed short shifter. I managed to find one under half the price of a new one someone had offered.

We sell a leather cleaner and restorer at work which should bring it back to life. After a scrub with hot water and washing liquid it was time to get messy with this stuff

The photos don't show much difference, but in person its made such a difference

Another Nismo part I've been wanting for a loooong time were the tail lights which got discontinued years ago, along with the Sun Line Racing equivalents. Alot of people suggested ZLED but I'm not 100% sure on the GTR Style lights, I much prefer the individual LED style.
I was browsing through Facebook and spotted a post on a Supra page by a company called Daniel Man's Custom Lights. I messaged Daniel with what I'd like and he was happy to give it a go. I sourced a spare pair of light units and got them sent straight to Daniel.
A week or so later and they arrived just before the country's lock down for the Covid-19 pandemic (please excuse the dirty car!)

A couple of front shots while I was there

 

[hoodedreeper]

With the Covid-19 lockdown,finding things to do has been quite tricky. I decided to give the engine bay a much needed tidy and spruce up. I saw some photos of a strut brace refurbished in a wrinkle type paint which got me thinking.

I thought of using truck bed liner paint and a quick google took me to a brand called Raptor made by U-Pol (my work is a U-Pol stockist, not that we'd be able to order anything at the moment). I dont have access to a spray booth or a unit so the 'proper' stuff was out of the window, but they do do an aerosol version though. I read and got told mixed reviews of the aerosol version so I looked at alternates.

I then found a stone effect paint by Rust-Oleum, but with this pandemic getting it shipped was tricky. All local stores either didnt have it in stock, or their delivery/click and collect services were unavailable. A company called Plasti-kote do a similar product in various colours so I was on the hunt for that. I managed to find the only can in the area, although it wasnt my first choice in colour, I was too eager to give it a go.

With the pipes removed and prepped it was time to see what it was like. The paint doesnt really give a colour, its more of the coloured texture that sits on the surface. The front Intercooler pipes were originally black, so these came out slightly darker. Compared to the throttle body J pipe and turbo inlet elbow. To be honest, unless you knew you probably wouldn't notice.

Here are some before and after photos

Accessable areas degreased and cleaned
Intercooler pipes and Turbo inlet elbow painted
Hoses replaced with red silicone inc new stainless clamps
TurboZentrum Silicone Turbo hose fitted
Turbo head shield repainted
Boost controller mounted correctly, new hoses fitted
Boost controller wiring tidied up along the bulk head
Passenger side turret wiring tidied
Amp power cable wrapped in loom tape to hide the yellow
Ground cable kit tided up and re-routed
Carbon Canister, purge valve, hardlines and pipes removed
Throttle cable adjusted (had quite alot of slack)

Its by far the cleanest or tidiest engine bays but its a start

 

[hoodedreeper]

Found some newly built industrial units around the corner from the fiancée's work. Would have been rude not to take some photos while I was there

 

[hoodedreeper]

I've always loved the look of the BNR34 V Spec II rear diffuser, unfortunately they're expensive second hand and even carbon fibre copies are £1k. So i decided to attempt to make my own using inspiration from it. I'm by no means a fabricator so please be easy on me lol

The first decision was material, I wanted the brackets to be strong, the main diffuser strong enough to be sturdy but doesn't weigh a tonne. I decided to use 2mm thick angle iron for the side and rear brackets and 1.5mm steel box section for the front bracket.

Looking at mounting points and there is a part of the chassis that sits lower than the bumper, this should be ideal

The diffuser and fins were going to be made out of 0.9mm sheet steel. I did think Aluminium as its easy to work with but its too soft IMO. I started off with a card board template, unfortunately the exhaust sits too low at an angle for the whole diffuser 'body' to be a single piece. I tried cutting a hole to try and clear it but it left minimal material at the bottom and it would eventually snap.

So i went with a 2 piece design instead

I started off with the passenger side as it was smaller and easier to mount. A slot was cut for the exhaust hanger with enough room for any movement. The rear is braced with a piece of 2mm flat bar which uses a bolt in the wheel arch to the right side of the shock absorber.

The box section bolts through the boot floor, this helped angle the diffuser down rather than having it flat. This was the first prototype for the box section, later on I made it longer so it covered the width.

You may remember me making a rear tow hook awhile back. I decided to incorporate it into the design by cutting a slot, again enough roof to not catch it when fitting/removing.

I seeked help from some friends as I don't have the skills/equipment to weld or fold sheet metal perfectly.

With the fins folded I could mock the ends up. These would be bolted on and use the same mounting points as the diffuser itself

The rear bracket was made and mocked up at the same time. I also marked the holes for the centre fins ready for drilling. At this point I decided to give the front of the diffuser a minor bend upwards rather than leaving it straight.

With everything fitted for one final time,checking clearances and everything was solid and not rattling/vibrating it was time to drop it off for powder coating. Originally I thought about having it done in black, but with the lower black trim just above it, I feared it may get lost and wouldnt be seen. Only other option was silver, the powder coater only had a satin silver so I bit the bullet and went with that.

I ordered stainless nuts, bolts, washers and rivets for the final fit

I've made flat under bumper splitters, canards and other little bits and pieces in the past but this was certainly my biggest challenge. I think its turned out very well

 

[hoodedreeper]

On Monday 27th July we welcomed our daughter Mia Rose into the world. Mum did an absolutely amazing job and active labour was just over 3hrs long. She's yet to go out in the R34 yet as we still need to sort out the car seat (isofix in the daily Mazda 6 is a god send)

After damaging the Work Emotions back in February, they were refurbished during the Covid-19 lockdown. From the factory in Japan the inside of the spokes are darker with a very bright outer face. The company were able to replicate it,but unfortunately the outer face is slightly darker. I had all 4 wheels done so they all match and they look just as good as before!

The car is filthy and is in a need of a deep clean but couldnt resist getting some photos

 

[Ucook55]

This is like seeing a flower bloom.

 

[hoodedreeper]

I can't believe the last update was in July!

In September I was lucky enough to attend the 2nd show of the year dodging the national lock downs, this was Modified Live Snetterton. Would have been rude not to as the circuit is only a 20min drive away.

On the drive home the car threw up the TCS,SLIP and EML lights on with no change in the drive of the car. I took it to work the following week and I experienced a very bad misfire on the way in.

Not having access to Nissan Consult I did the paperclip trick and code 21 appeared, which points at the coil packs.

I removed the coil packs to check the resistance to find 4 out of 6 had no resistance. I'm guessing they're fine on initial start up but break down when they get hot (driving for 10mins after start up the misfire reappears)

I also noticed 3 out of 6 cylinders had oil down the spark plug chambers and on top where the coil pack sits. So I started to strip it down while I wait for a replacement gasket and half moons to arrive from Conceptua Tuning.

This was the first time working on the engine especially an RB, and wow what a ball ache this was haha

With the gaskets and spark plugs changed it was a waiting game for the OEM coil packs to arrive from Auto Extreme

Refitting is very straight forward so it didn't take too long to put everything back together

With the car reassembled it was time for a test drive. What better way than a 100 mile trip around the Norfolk coast. The car didnt play up at all and ran like a dream. An added bonus Mia had slept for the whole time, winner!

I'm looking forward to the salt free roads so I can enjoy this again

 

[hoodedreeper]

I've been wanting to try a new photo look/technique for awhile but hadn't had the spare time.

The car had been neglected since the end of summer last year and I can't remember the last time it was washed. Unfortunately with winter and moving house it wasn't at the top of my priority list (plus living in a flat didn't help)

With the car washed, now was the time to go out and take photos. I'll let them do the talking

A big thank you to David Cox aka Shooting Dave for videos, it certainly helped. Just need more practice now

 

[hoodedreeper]

Sadly no updates with the car

Took the car to a couple of local meets

 

[hoodedreeper]

 

[hoodedreeper]

Its been a year since I last posted anything constructive (new coilpacks, rocker cover gasket etc)

The R34 had taken abit of a back burner due to the Micra K11 and Colt CZT but it's time to give it some well deserved attention

Back in 2020 when the UK went into its Covid lockdown, I repainted the intercooler pipes in a stone effect paint. While re-assembling I noticed the paint had started to come off, thinking it'd be fine. Fast forward a year or so and the paint didn't last as long as I had hoped.

With the car currently off the road for the winter, it was a good opportunity to sort this.

I went with a VHT wrinkle black paint, something subtle but not plain and boring. The wrinkle texture wasn't as pronounced as I remembered but its a big improvement from before

Heres a before photo

(Apologies for the phone photos)

Sorry its nothing exciting. Next up is a service and a good clean ready for spring to arrive.

The turrets are now showing signs of corrosion so I need to start saving for the work to be done. I knew it was coming and we all know its nevitable. I'll probably buy the replacement panels from SR Autobodies and save for the labour costs