So, you found NICO and the Skyline forum

A forum for owners and fans of the legendary Nissan Skyline and Nissan GTR.
Kobe91
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:44 am
Car: 1991 GTR

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Hey Folks,

I live in Japan and am just getting started in the GTR game. Same beginnings as most of the rest, Gran Turismo opened my world to some of the greatest cars the US market never saw. Just purchased a 1991 in dark silver and am waiting for delivery, hopefully mid week. Curious about some of the more reputable shops and parts houses in the Tokyo area or Western Kanagawa Prefecture, as I'm sure I'll have some stuff to replace. Especially places for used wheels (Volk te37 bronze...) and interior bits. Will try to keep it mostly stock, but I think we all know what that means.

Cheers


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Mcguire
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 5:13 am
Car: 1991 R32 GT-R

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Dad has been into JDM cars as long as I can remember, he spent time with BF Goodrich's 12 hour race team, worked at Mercedes in Germany back in the 60's and built race cars for a while, he always had a Mazda obsession as long as I have known him, he loves rotary toys. I found the skyline reading a magazine article when I was maybe 14, and it just caught me, I love AWD cars and have had a Subaru or two. Last year my wife, active Air Force (I am former Marine Corps) got orders to Japan, so as soon as we got here, I started looking, found my R32 beauty sitting at an auction. I plan to spruce her up, make her feel like a real lady, and bring her home when we PCS back.
ImageImage

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kabob
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:26 pm
Car: 1990 Skyline GTR R32
Location: Dallas, TX

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Bumping an old thread to tell my own story :o Funnily enough, I never played the early Gran Turismo games but I did get into Initial D around 1999 or 2000 and saw the black R32 GTR (Nakazato's) early on that first introduced me to Skylines. Didn't think too much of it at the time but Initial D did spark an automotive obsession in me. I first saw a KH2 R32 GTR back in 2001 at a DSM Shootout meet of all places but again didn't think much of it due to the cost Motorex was charging to import and Federalize them (that car was the first and only Motorex R32 in Texas at the time.) At the time I had a brand new Eclipse GT V6 and thought it was the s***. Come to find out, it was just plain ol' s*** and after wasting $9k ricing it out with neon, a body kit, custom stereo setup, etc., I traded it in 14 months later at a huge loss. BUT... I traded it in for one of my dream cars at the time, a 2000 Integra Type R.

Eclipse ownership had cured me of rice-itis and the ITR only saw a cold-air intake, header-back exhaust, good pads and sticky tires for mods. I took her AutoX'ing on the regular and my only regret is that I never went road racing in it :( Had her for a little over 2 years before the cascade of bad financial (and minor criminal) decisions I'd made had caught up to me and I had to sell the ITR to pay off the last of some major debt. Drove junk that need not be mentioned here for a few years, then had a Miata that I also AutoX'ed, a Lexus IS300 'cause I thought I was an upscale goober, a Triumph motorcycle that I was always fixing, and finally just sold it all. I'd managed another setback due to kidney disease leading to dialysis and was too sick to maintain my auto hobby.

Fast forward to 2009 and I missed having a fun vehicle so much that about a year before my transplant, I ran across a cheap (relatively) 2005 Lotus Elise track edition that some podunk dealership in a podunk small town was trying to get rid of. God, I loved that Elise like I used to love weed and cocaine. To this day, I regret trading her in but it had to be done as I rarely drove it and my daily got totaled in a hail storm in '11. Bought a brand new 2011 VW GTI and loved that car like I used to love cocaine and finding out that good weed got great. After over three years of ownership, I decided I wanted something new and after searching through BMW classifieds, decided those cars were too much work and money to get track prepped. And then I started hearing about R32s finally being legal. Long story a little less long, I started researching GTRs and the RB26DETT heavily, sold the GTI (boo ;_: ) bought a beater Ford Escape (double boo ;_;) and bought, a KH2 R32 GTR from Dave Warrener of the The GTR Shop. The irony didn't escape me that thirteen years after that very first Skyline I ever saw had failed to impress me, I bought one just like it. Mine gets here in a little under 2 months in March :D

WhiteOnRice25
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:01 pm
Car: 2012 VW Jetta

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Just got my orders to be stationed in Kadena, Japan. As a car guy, naturally my first thought was getting a GTR. I'm more familiar with Volkswagen/Audi, but I want to change it up a bit. I've owned a 1988 VW Cabrio, 1993 VW GTI VRT which made close to 400whp, 2001 Audi A4, 2003 VW GTI, 2010 VW GTI, and currently a 2012 VW Jetta.

I'm currently searching for a R32 GTR in any color, but gray. Nothing wrong with gray, but it's just so common. I've done some research on what to look for when buying one, ownership, maintenance, and mods. I'm still confused on how to buy one though. I've seen a lot more for sale in other places, but Okinawa. What website would you guys recommend in searching for one, how do I ship it to Okinawa, how financing works overseas, and is anyone at Kadena willing to help me out? Haha, I promise I won't kidnap you and put you in my trunk. :dblthumb:

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AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
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Sounds like a job for TMS - I'll send him in here to help.

Welcome aboard, BRB!

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themadscientist
Posts: 29308
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 3:30 pm
Car: R32 GTR, DR30 RS Turbo, BRZ, Lunchbox, NSR50 Sportster 883 Iron
Location: Staring down at you with disdain from the spooky mountaintop castle.

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I'm on the rock. If you are on island long enough, avoid the 89-90 ones and look for a 94 to avoid the fast and the furious tax. Avoid cars on island, they are almost always nightmares. Get one from mainland. Out of gate one Kadena is a car shop called US Auto sales. It's run by a Bulgarian wild man named Shiko who can scour the auctions for you and make sure you don't get one that's smacked up. ;)

WhiteOnRice25
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:01 pm
Car: 2012 VW Jetta

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themadscientist wrote:I'm on the rock. If you are on island long enough, avoid the 89-90 ones and look for a 94 to avoid the fast and the furious tax. Avoid cars on island, they are almost always nightmares. Get one from mainland. Out of gate one Kadena is a car shop called US Auto sales. It's run by a Bulgarian wild man named Shiko who can scour the auctions for you and make sure you don't get one that's smacked up. ;)
What's the fast and the furious tax? How do I get in contact with US Auto Sales? Thanks for the help, I appreciate that. And this might be a stupid question but what does it mean to be "on the rock"?

WhiteOnRice25
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:01 pm
Car: 2012 VW Jetta

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AZhitman wrote:Sounds like a job for TMS - I'll send him in here to help.

Welcome aboard, BRB!
Thank you. :dblthumb:

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themadscientist
Posts: 29308
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 3:30 pm
Car: R32 GTR, DR30 RS Turbo, BRZ, Lunchbox, NSR50 Sportster 883 Iron
Location: Staring down at you with disdain from the spooky mountaintop castle.

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WhiteOnRice25 wrote:What's the fast and the furious tax?
When a rustbucket 89' R gets suddenly expensive because it is 25 years old and some guy who saw the fast and the furious allows himself to get raped on the price of a POS when the 24 year old R next to it is $6k cheaper. :facepalm:

If you are looking to bring the car back, figure out when your EAS is and get one that will be 25 about three months before your EAS date. That should get you ahead of the F&FT. People are buying cars that have already reached the milestone and paying more than they should for crappy cars.
WhiteOnRice25 wrote:How do I get in contact with US Auto Sales? Thanks for the help, I appreciate that.


http://www.us-autosales.com/
WhiteOnRice25 wrote:And this might be a stupid question but what does it mean to be "on the rock"?
Okinawa is often called "the rock."

WhiteOnRice25
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:01 pm
Car: 2012 VW Jetta

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themadscientist wrote:
WhiteOnRice25 wrote:What's the fast and the furious tax?
When a rustbucket 89' R gets suddenly expensive because it is 25 years old and some guy who saw the fast and the furious allows himself to get raped on the price of a POS when the 24 year old R next to it is $6k cheaper. :facepalm:

If you are looking to bring the car back, figure out when your EAS is and get one that will be 25 about three months before your EAS date. That should get you ahead of the F&FT. People are buying cars that have already reached the milestone and paying more than they should for crappy cars.
WhiteOnRice25 wrote:How do I get in contact with US Auto Sales? Thanks for the help, I appreciate that.


http://www.us-autosales.com/
WhiteOnRice25 wrote:And this might be a stupid question but what does it mean to be "on the rock"?
Okinawa is often called "the rock."

Thanks for all the info. I'm definitely gonna look into US Auto Sales. I'll be in Japan for 2 years so I'll be looking for a '92

MECHA870
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:22 am
Car: '01 EJ20G'd Impreza RS
'01 Impreza L Wagon

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Allow myself to introduce... myself.

Name's Brett. I'm from the Peoples' Republic of Illinois. I like 80's/90's Japanese sports cars, especially AWD ones. I fell in love with them playing Gran Turismo almost 20 years ago.

I come from the Subaru community. My first love was the JDM WRX. I currently own two Scrubarus: a 2001 Impreza 2.5RS which has a v1 WRX engine swap, as well as lots of other JDM goodies and I also own a 2001 Impreza L wagon which is my daily driver. I love Subarus, but dislike the community.

I don't know all that much about Skylines, but I've definitely taken a strong liking to the R32's and R33's. I've got a lot of reading to do still.

I've set a long term goal for myself, which is to own an R32 GTR in the next 3 - 5 years.

Cheers!

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kabob
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:26 pm
Car: 1990 Skyline GTR R32
Location: Dallas, TX

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They're not that expensive to wait that long. You could always just sell one of those Scoobies :yesnod

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M35Squirrel
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:35 am
Car: 1990 GT-R, 2011 M37
Location: Houston, TX

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MECHA870 wrote:I love Subarus, but dislike the community.
+1
Not sure why people feel obligated to talk to me about how much they love their Outback/Legacy when they see me rolling in a Forester.

R32's prices range really wide, from a $8k GTS-t to the $30k Omori GTR just listed by GTRGarage. I am sure you don't have to wait for that long.

MECHA870
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:22 am
Car: '01 EJ20G'd Impreza RS
'01 Impreza L Wagon

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kabob wrote:They're not that expensive to wait that long. You could always just sell one of those Scoobies :yesnod
You're right, and that's the plan :biggrin:
M35Squirrel wrote:
MECHA870 wrote:I love Subarus, but dislike the community.
+1
Not sure why people feel obligated to talk to me about how much they love their Outback/Legacy when they see me rolling in a Forester.

R32's prices range really wide, from a $8k GTS-t to the $30k Omori GTR just listed by GTRGarage. I am sure you don't have to wait for that long.
The Subaru owners around here are mainly "dudebros" and I don't want to be associated with them. I've gone to a few meets and they just act childish. It's embarrassing.

The more I look into this, it may be financially possible to do this next year. I'll be looking at GTR's in the $16k-$18k range.

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M35Squirrel
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:35 am
Car: 1990 GT-R, 2011 M37
Location: Houston, TX

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MECHA870 wrote:The more I look into this, it may be financially possible to do this next year. I'll be looking at GTR's in the $16k-$18k range.
One thing to keep in mind when you shop and compare, unlike other importers Rivsu's price already includes 6% Florida vehicle sales tax.

GSX-R35
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:42 pm
Car: 2010 Black Obsidian TSM Pro Eight R35
1999 Midnight Purple 2 R34 V-spec
1990 Gun Metal Grey Nismo R32

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Just picked up a Nismo R32 in addition to my R35 so I thought I'd add my own post to this thread.

I inherited my love of cars from my dad who owned an eclectic series of vehicles while I was growing up in the Philippines. My brother and I both grew up as gearheads, and when we were old enough to drive Nissan vehicles had become our family's brand of choice. My first car was a 1997 Sentra Super Saloon and I have owned at least one Nissan or Infiniti vehicle since. In my college years I got hooked on Gran Turismo and that's when I first learned of the mighty Skyline GT-Rs. I lusted after the R34s and have always wanted to own one.

After emigrating to the States I thought I'd have my chance with Motorex coming on the scene but my hopes were dashed when they went belly up before I had the money to get a Skyline from them. I was really happy with my 2005 G35 6MT coupe however - that is until the R35 GT-R came out. After much internal debate over the price I made up my mind one day and traded in my G35 for a Black Obsidian 2010 R35 that is now my pride and joy. I still yearn to own an R34 but the R35 has now taken its place as my favorite Skyline.

Over the years I've thrown a ton of money at my R35 until it's now an 800+whp beast with titanium and carbon fiber goodness scattered all about. Recently I happened to find a 1990 Nismo R32 that ticked off all the right boxes for an addition to my car collection and will hopefully hold me over until the R34 is legal (by which time I may have picked up an R36 too lol).

This week she arrived and now I'm wading through the rigamarole that is MVD registration and titling for a JDM car. Wish me luck lol.

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BooCocky
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 1:27 am
Car: Skyline R34 V Spec II,
GTR R35
Location: US
Contact:

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For me it all started back in 1998. I was 18 at the time and I owned a 1992 Honda Accord but the R34 was a dream car for me back then. It was so much of a dream car that in 2000 i purchased a set of R34 Headlights and Taillights from EBAY and I actually had a body shop custom fabricate and install them onto the car. That was how much I wanted one back then. Price was way out of range even If i could get one over here at that time. Had to stick to my Hondas through the years. Had a few EM1 and EK9 but always said one day I would own an R34. Was always my unicorn growing up through the years even before the FNF movies...

Now, Fast forward 17 years later I finally found my Unicorn lol. Took some time but its here :) MX BNR34
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TaraFirma
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:15 am

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First post here.
I learned about the Skyline like many my age. Through GT2. It was the car to have. Coming to Korea for a second time, I figured it would be a great oppurtunity to buy one from Japan before it was legal in the states, and ship it here to Korea so I can drive it while I'm here. By the time I go back, It will be legal. Ive never been an import fan, but I always respected the what the GTR is and was. I'm a huge mustang fanatic and my business revolves around the Ford Mustang, but I love all horsepower, and I am a car junkie at heart no matter what it is.
I found a nice 91 GTR in Silver and had it shipped here to Korea for the year I'm here. Below are some HDR pics taken a couple weeks ago after a thourough wash and wax.

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AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

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Welcome aboard - Great pics!

GearGrind
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:23 pm
Car: Subie

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When i was a little kid, i think 4 years old (89-90), i remember always seeing a pair of R32 park (the 4 circular tail lights) at a restaurant near my dad's work place, that is where i started noticing GTRs.

equatorial
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 10:34 pm
Car: 1993 BNR32
Location: Japan

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I'm an American recently moved to Japan. I'm into cars, doing my own mechanical and body work in high school. Until recently, though, I didn't know a whole lot about Japanese cars. I asked a friend who does, and he told me to go for a GT-R. So I did. It took a couple months of research, bouncing from auction sites to used car dealerships and trying to puzzle my way through the language barrier, but I finally got one. It's not perfect - no used car is - but I'm looking forward to spending some time with it.

I figured this was a good place for my first post on NICOclub.

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usafdarkhorse
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:48 pm
Car: 1990 Honda NSX #382
1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R #2317
1972 Datsun 240Z
Location: Knoxville, TN / Akishima-shi, Japan

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Welcome to the forum equatorial. I'm a servicemember near Tokyo at Yokota AB. Are you local?

equatorial
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 10:34 pm
Car: 1993 BNR32
Location: Japan

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usafdarkhorse wrote:Are you local?
I'd PM you, but I'm too new here and my account isn't yet authorized.

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usafdarkhorse
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:48 pm
Car: 1990 Honda NSX #382
1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R #2317
1972 Datsun 240Z
Location: Knoxville, TN / Akishima-shi, Japan

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No problem. I'm on a few different forums, same name.

Plentytwenty32
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:24 am
Car: 1993 BNR32 GT-R with HCR32 drivetrain
Location: St. Lucia, West Indies

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I'm 29 so it started for me with 1 Sony Playstation & 1 copy of Gran Turismo. Couldn't careless about cars still until one day an RX-7 passed me and i was like whoa we have these cars in real life. I was hooked. Throughout the next few few years the R34 was my dream car until at a local event the island's first BNR32 GT-R showed its face. Goosebumps filled my body and immediately the R34 went out the window and i've been sold on a 32 since.

Took delivery of my 4th car in 2013, which happened to finally be an BNR32 chassis with a catch. Previous owner had a 4 door HCR32 GTST which he sold the shell and kep the engine and gearbox. Soon after he purchased a GTR rolling shell missing only engine and gearbox. The rest is history and the two became one and now i own it. "GTRST" as many have dubbed it. So here's breakdown of it and what i've done:

Engine: Got it with the RB20DET with a steel wheel OEM RB25/VG30 turbo, modified RB26DETT intake plenum, HKS SSQV BOV, JDM sport FMIC and piping, some 3 inch exhaust, Walbro 255lph pump, Z32 maf and a Moates Ostrich 2.0 eprom. After a tuning session the car made 207whp @ about 8/9psi.
Subsequenty i have added a ACL race connecting rod & main bearings, Q45 throttle body, Deatschwerks 750cc injectors, HKS EVC 4 electronic boost controller, HKS GT2540 turbocharger and outlet pipe, Manzo 3 inch downpipe, AEM EMS V1 and 3.5 MAP sensor and final tuning session netted 314whp @ 20psi.

Transmission: Got a deal on a full ORC 559 twin plate clutch kit (twin clutches, lightweight flywheel and pressure plate. Had my OEM VLSD (kept fromt the GTR) reshimmed.

Suspension: Tein adjustables in the front and Tokico shocks with some lowering springs when i got the car were change out for 24 way adjustable Fortune Auto FA500 coilovers. Front upper control arms changed out for adjustable ones as well.

Interior: Inside i added Autometer boost, oil pressure, oil temperature & water temperature gauges. AEM UEGO wideband and Razo shift knob.

Exterior: OEM bumper got damaged and got another (OEM fixed and used as a spare) with N1 ducts this time. Nismo hood lip is there as well. Car was sprayed OEM WV2 (Sparkling Silver off the R34 & S15) by the previous owner but after 3 years of it i decided to go with my colour of choice and painted it OEM 326 (Crystal White off the R32).

Wheels: In the 3 years i've owned it i have passed many wheels under the car. I got it with 17x9 +18 Desmond Regamaster Marquis Promadas (which i still own), then got a pair of Varrstoen ES2 for the back and ES3 for the front, both 17x9 +22 (these have been sold). Then i put on a set of Square Wheels USA Model G6 in 18x9.5 +12 (these have been sold recently) and the car now sits on Nismo LMGT1 18x9.5 +14. (i have a wheel fetish and more to come).

jrod824
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:43 pm
Car: R33 4-door GTS / Auto... Soon to be RB30DE / manual

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Ok...

Ive been a skyline fan since about 1996.. A good mate of mine, his father had an R33 GTR v-spec.. was pushing out about 380hp atw.. That was the first " proper skyline" I had ever seen.. Love that engine note, and ever since then, I'm (still) longing to own an R33 GTR haha..

I've probably had more experience with say the RB20DE/DET though.. I had an A31 cefiro a few years back, and ended up doing the infamous RB20DE/Auto - RB20DET/Manual conversion which was alot of fun, and I learnt heaps aswell.. I had coilovers out of an S13 in it, and a few other bits and pieces..

And 8 years after I last owned a car, here I am with an R33 4 door GTS (the "bottom of the barrel" model RB20e lol), but I have plans to go RB30 later on but we'll see how that goes.

thanks

dgravenor
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 9:07 am
Car: 1991 Nissan Skyline GT-R

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My name is Daniel and I'm from Canada. I've had more of an obsession with Subarus - over the past 3 years I've owned a JDM 1998 Subaru Forester s/tb (EJ20G), a JDM 1999 Subaru Forester S/tb type A (EJ205), a JDM 2000 Subaru Impreza WRX STi wagon (GF8 / EJ207) and now back to a 2001 Subaru Forester STI-2 (EJ205).

I've driven one GTR, and it's the current one I own. I picked it up from a friend as he needed the cash. It needs some work, but its a 1991 and could now be of use to someone in the USA, so I thought I'd join and see if someone was interested in it.


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