Pics from secret Zama storage facility & Autech... many R390 pics

[Mettler]

Wicked link, mega thanks to the guy who took all those pics and shared them with the world, top effort!

Man I wish I could have some of these cars!

http://www.twinturbo.net/net/v...79707

[SSDwellah]

Holy crap! Great find! I used to have a link to a datsun 510 site that had (it's down now, sadly) some good race track photos of R390's, but this is is insane... and the prototypes... thanks for posting this link.

[SSDwellah]

I spoke too soon, it looks like its working again

http://www.datsun510.com/photo...age=5

[Mettler]

So from the looks of things, Nissan only ever built 5 R390s in total? 4 race cars and one road car? Does anybody have any information that suggests otherwise?

Does that mean they only made 5 VRH35L engines?

There must be a few more VRH35Z engines floating around, according to the group C listings on wiki, Nissan entered a ****load of cars into group C, but obviously they would have had a range of engines... probably some pretty hi-po VG30DETTs in the mix too I'd say.

We should track down a VRH engine (if possible) and put in a NICO group buy to get it, and someone can carefully disassemble it and photograph/measure/model every single component in it! (And then send it to NZ so I can slap it in my HR31)

[SSDwellah]

As far as I know, nissan had to make more than five in order to racethe R390 due to homologation rules. As far as I know, it was a limited run production car. Maybe they made 50? Remember there was the road going version and the race GT1 version. I've heard from some sources that they never sold their road going version and from others that they sold them in europe. In any event, here's some more info.

This one says road version was never soldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_R390_GT1

This one says only ONE road version was required to be sold, but does this mean one model or one unit or...http://www.ultimatecarpage.com....html

Others say it was very rare and expensive and only found in europe. I have no idea

[Mettler]

I'm skeptical of that because the guy who took all those photos even said it's the only road legal one in the world, and he was in fact being shown around by some official tour guide person. That combined with the significant lack of detailed media about the cars seems to me that they really didn't make stuffall of them...

Hmm, it's possible that two were made and one sold, because there's those pictures floating around on the net of one with an official numberplate "R390 NIS"... but that may just be the same car, plated for the photos?

I imagine if you owned such a rare and exclusive car (considerably more exclusive than the typically coveted enzo), that you wouldn't really want a lot of people knowing about it.

I wish the boys from Top Gear would do an article on this car. Anyone know how to contact them?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

I want one of these!

I would loveeeeee to go there someday.

[SSDwellah]

BTW awesome signature

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Thanks.

[amsoil]

So from the looks of things, Nissan only ever built 5 R390s in total? 4 race cars and one road car? Does anybody have any information that suggests otherwise?

Does that mean they only made 5 VRH35L engines?

There must be a few more VRH35Z engines floating around, according to the group C listings on wiki, Nissan entered a ****load of cars into group C, but obviously they would have had a range of engines... probably some pretty hi-po VG30DETTs in the mix too I'd say.

We should track down a VRH engine (if possible) and put in a NICO group buy to get it, and someone can carefully disassemble it and photograph/measure/model every single component in it! (And then send it to NZ so I can slap it in my HR31)

I think that you will find that there was 1 only road car that was painted red in 97 and then blue with updates in 98 and never sold (nor was it really intended to do so) Total production was more than 5. There where 4 or 5 race cars for the 97 le Mans (not saying that they all raced) and perhaps another 2 or 3 added for 98. I have built 1 new tub since then for the designer (yes please read again) and now that the tub of R5 has dropped into my lap I guess that I will have to have a very serious search for parts. Any ideas? body work to start with. Also need to get a cage.... the pic of the one in the 97 car looks like a work of art in its own right.

[SSDwellah]

I would tend to believe you because I have seen pictures of a red R390 before. I can't believe that the homologation rules were so lax that they only require you to build one extra and not even have to sell it to a consumer. That really defeats the purpose of homologation in my opinion.

[Mettler]

Oooooh that's right, cheers for reminding me, you're dead right!

Check out the difference in the tail on the 1997!

1997:

1998:

[mtcookson]

Woohoo, I'm back!

The 1997 model was, as you can tell, the "short tail" version and the blue 98 model the long tail. They lengthened the tail to get more down force. From what I can tell, the simply changed the tail section itself, it appears as though you could swap the short tail and long tail themselves.

I have a 1998 Road and Track magazine with the only R390 article I can find anywhere. The guy got to test drive it and... just reading it got my adrenaline pumping.

I'll get it scanned and posted on here asap. Its an awesome read.

I believe in that same article he said that Nissan would sell the R390 if you wanted one. You were to contact Nismo and they would get one built for you for $1 million, something along those lines.

[jdshift]

I am so jealous................gotta visit that garage someday before I die.

[Mettler]

I believe in that same article he said that Nissan would sell the R390 if you wanted one. You were to contact Nismo and they would get one built for you for $1 million, something along those lines.

I now have a new purpose in life.

[mtcookson]

I've actually been thinking about trying to build one myself. Instead of a carbon fiber monocoque just a tube chassis with fiberglass or similar body pieces and a VH45-TT with, most likely, a Corvette T56 transmission setup (its a regular 6-speed RWD type transmission with a differential bolted to it to make it a transaxle). They can be built up quite heavily too and I think the length of that setup would be closer to the Xtrac 6-speed used in the R390 (I have no measurements to confirm that though, just going by pictures its the closest thing I've thought of yet... next to actually finding an Xtrac 6-speed )

Most transaxles I've found, say like the very popular Porsche G50, have the outputs near the bell housing. Going by the pictures I've found of the R390, the output are closer to the rear of the transaxle. Here are all of the pictures I've been able to collect so far:

http://www.machzracing.com/R390

Be sure to check out the 1997 Technical folder... that's where a lot of the under body goodies are.

[Mettler]

Great collection man! I have an R390 folder myself, though it seems you've got a whole bunch of pics that I haven't even seen!

[mtcookson]

Yeah, I recently went on this weird R390 craze, finding anything and everything I could on them... even going as far as finding that 1998 Road and Track magazine with the R390 on eBay.

[Mettler]

Mean, please scan & post it! The R390 has been my favourite supercar ever since I found out about it :p

I mean, who needs a McLaren F1 when you can just turn up the boost in the R390 & make 1000HP The Mclaren just wishes it had a VRH35L :p

[amsoil]

But does anyone anywhere in the world have any body work for these cars? I can't believe that all the spare noses etc have just vanished, or that everything went into the skips at TWR and then stayed there!

Pics where great; now I know I have 3 of the rear wing frame jobbys in my loft upstairs! Guess they got mixed up with the XJR14 stuff.

[SSDwellah]

I was thinking about that too but alas I have not found any sort of hobbyist blueprints.

[amsoil]

I have all the info on CAD but it is still very much easier and cheaper to get original parts and make molds of them if at all possible. It will be a pain to print and then make a honeycomb former then get panels rolled in ally before getting tooling made just for my car.I take it that everybody realises that this car is a developement of Jaguars XJR15 with a different drivetrain!

[mtcookson]

Yeah, both the R390 and the XJR-15 were designed by the same guy at TWR. I'm curious, though, if that's where it ended... like suspension wise and such as the XJR-15 was considered probably the worst handling car in the world.

Here it is! Not the greatest quality but big enough to read the small stuff. http://www.machzracing.com/R39...k.pdf

[amsoil]

The XJR15 and the R390 are even closer in relation than that. The monoques where both made in the same mold! The R390 does have a different inside though allowing for more room (and I thnk its much sleeker too. ) The XJR's problems were all tied up with it being Le Mans car based. The suspension points where fixed and all the geometry was sorted for it having about 35mm of ground clearance. The lack of a rear anti roll bar also didn't help. When it 'went on the road' all that was done was to jack up the suspension a few inches which totally distroyed its handling charicteristics. The solid mounted engine and rose jointed suspension also transmitted everything to the chassis. OK for racing but OTT and noisy for anything else. We 'sorted one to handle a few years ago which enabled it to get a 4th overall against Group C Cars at Spa, so there was nothing inherantly wrong with it. (most of it was pure Jaguar Le mans suspension anyway) . TWR learned from this and the R390 had accessible suspension mounting points which allowed the car to be raised or lowered retaining the geometry. But hey there was only the one non race car which very few got hold of.

[gammer_ghn]

I don’t like this thread it made me jizz my pants too many times wow i have known about the R390 GT1 for 3 years now and i have been wanting to see one in person never researched it other than the pix and engine, suspension specs and now that i know only 1 street car was made i feel like that its the forbidden fruit of the Nismo family but damn the article drove me crazy its three fu ck ing am in Cali and im just wowing my self here Nico is the cause of my insomnia haha thanks alot for this one Mettler

[amsoil]

I have aquired front suspension and a new steering rack with mounts for the R390 + was given a pair of the rather large square section ducts that go along the side of the rad. I was chasing down a front crash box/ rad support structure but the tail has gone cold on this. mSo has anyone in the worldgot any more parts or know anyone how has?

[Mettler]

Are you slowly collecting enough parts to put one together? :o !!

[amsoil]

Yes I own the chassis of 'R5' which was damaged. I also have all the chassis molds (tooling) to allow me to make the repairs. Just letting people know and picking up the odd part as they come along. Nissan don't appear to be much help.

[S14-NEO]

JESUS TAP DANCIN'CHRIST!!!!....please i think i speak for everyone when i say we would love to see pics of your car that you are speakin about...(ON MY HANDS AND KNEES!!!!)

[amsoil]

Can't see/ work out how I attach a pic here I'm afraid