Virgin Skyline Owner

[white'line]

hi everyone

i recently bought a 1987 turbo manual skyline (2 door) for 6000. is in excellent condition with new paint (white) and has an r32 turbo on it.

i'm completely new to the whole jap car turbo thing...my previous cars have all been classic aussie v8s and though i still love them i just cant afford to fix things like rust and hunt down non-existent parts anymore, so i decided to go the quicker, cheaper option!

so yeah, as i said, i dont know much about these cars, just what i have read on the net about there build, date basic engine specs etc.

the main questions i have are regarding exhaust systems, engine and turbo upgrades, and weak spots in the cars.

exhaust systems. Does the car need the huge cannon on the back for power and/or stable axhaust flow or can i remove it and put something more conservative and quiet on it without losing too much power? if so, how much power am i looking at losing?

engine upgrades. how much will it cost roundabouts for an engine reconditioning. is it worth it or should i just get a new engine? can i put a turbo engine from a later model in it? how much would an engine from an r32 be? i think my car is only a single cam? how do i confirm this?

turbo upgrades. as i said, the car has a turbo from an r32 on it and although the guy said you dont have to do any mods, is there anything i need to be aware of? are they as compatible as he states or will i need a bigger radiator, intercooler, adjust anything...? how much is a new turbo/bigger turbo and what modifications will i need to make to the engine/driveline so that it doesnt blow up?

lastly, weak spots. do the r31s have any trouble spots, leaks, rust etc or malfunctioning parts that i should know about?

thanks

Daniel.

[Bluprint]

www.r31skylineclub.com

I don't think cannons look good on anything, just get a proper flowing 3" mandrel bent exhaust and high flow cat and that should do you for your exhaust needs.

I have just that with twin 2.5" tips at the end and I reckon it sounds better than if it had a fart can on the end.

Engine rebuilds start at about 3 grand for an RB20 I think, though I'm not 100% on that. Depends on what you're after. If you want a stock standard rebuild then it's probably worth putting something better in there. RB20DET Silvertop engines from R32s are cheap and a good upgrade, they just lack torque.

I have an RB25DET in mine, I rekcon they're the best all round upgrade for a 31.

The swap to any other RB series engine is relatively easy, it's usually a matter of bolting it straight in onto the standard crossmember using standard engine mount, custom gearbox crossmember depending on what box you're using, and a custom tailshaft, again depending on if you're using a different gearbox. Wiring looms need a little bit of playing with as well. There's a few other little bits & pieces depending on which engine you're putting in. Try searching for engine conversions on this forum or the R31 forum and you'll get more information than you can read in a lifetime.

A popular upgrade for RB20s is the R33 or R34 RB25 turbocharger.

If you've got the single cam engine that you seem to think you have, then I wouldn't really bother putting any work into it and instead put something twin cam into it.

They're prone to rust in the A pillars because of the water channel design, like a lot of cars are.