My Restoration

[Godzilla32]

Hey mate thanks for that i really appreciate it. Makes doing this thing all the more worth while! I appreciate any car in immaculate condition but i think its hard to find an immaculate import from that era so i wanted to have one of the best

[shyr33]

Hey man just read your thread on ur restoration and i know you've heard this so many times but thats a awesome job your doing in the legacy of the GTR. Its good to see people restoring their cars not just to make it go faster. Why couldnt you of stayed in melbourne so i could of had a look at it through its stages lol, anyways good luck with the final touches

[Godzilla32]

Thanks mate i appreciate all the replies! The GTR is a great car! Dont worry i'll be back to Melbourne with it in the next 2 or so years. Probably move back down there when my apprenticeship is finished or shortly after i'd say. Then we can all go for a drive!

Deren

[Godzilla32]

This weekend i fitted the front brakes after everything was finally ready for re-assembly. I bled the entire system including the ABS module and ended up with a great feeling pedal.

One thing im still a little concerned about is the rear bleeder on the ABS module still seemed to have tiny stream of very fine aeration in it. Im guessing that means there is a small air leak somewhere. Some of the other bleeders had this initially but later went away after i re-bled them. Anyway im sure i'll work it out with some help from the guys at work etc.

All the brakes look great and every seems to work well so far so i cant complain too much considering it was all in bits for quite some time.

During this week i plan to purchase Nolathane bushes for the steering rack and the front sway bar and fit them if i have time as im leaving for a few days in Melbourne on Friday coming. Adjustable front castor rods i ordered from Justjap should also finally arrive mid week, so i can fit them too. That leaves me with only aftermarket strut tops to buy so i can fit the front Apexi N1 Dampers.

Deren

[Topaz]

With respect to keeping it MOSTLY standard....

No aftermarket rotors or even a brake kit?

I thought most people would have been please to get rid of cross drilled rotors for slotted?!

[Godzilla32]

Haha, its actually going to be fairly modified all over just not so obvious in most places. As for the brakes, they are a decent package as standard. Dont get me wrong though i would love to go out and buy a set of 4 Brembos if i had the $$$'s. This car is costing me a fortune and im trying to save a few expenses for later (yay! ...not). Nah its all fun but its getting ridiculous how much its adding upto. I was lucky witht he cross drilled rotors in that i don't have any hair line cracking. I have machined all 4 rotor's to zero run-out. However they are getting close to minimum thickness so next pad change will most likely see me upgrading to a set of slotted DBA's or the like.

A keen eye may have picked up on my mistake of fitting the rotors on the wrong sides of the car, ie: left on the right side and right side on the left. They are rotational, if you like, as they are drilled in a pattern that matches the groove in the pads for the dust to escape. I later realised and swapped them over lol.

Deren

[eMsta]

im green with jealousy man...thats all i can say....its looking better and better every day

[Godzilla32]

Thanks mate. Shes my pride and joy. Unfortunately im finding it hard to come up with the money at the moment!

[arep3]

Thats getting better and better everytime i look Deren! it took me quite a while to read what everybody had said. ive been so busy lately with getting mine back on the road. cracked heads arnt much fun. looks like my rebuild will be finished in 2 weeks. i still haven't had time to fix that faulty fuel filler pipe i told ya about!

[Link]

Just read the whole thread

Such dedication - i must congratulate you

If i had the space id love to do this to myself

Keep up the great work mate

[Godzilla32]

Thats getting better and better everytime i look Deren! it took me quite a while to read what everybody had said. ive been so busy lately with getting mine back on the road. cracked heads arnt much fun. looks like my rebuild will be finished in 2 weeks. i still haven't had time to fix that faulty fuel filler pipe i told ya about!

Hey mate, thanks for the compliments. Good luck with gettng yours back into action asap

Just read the whole thread

Such dedication - i must congratulate you

If i had the space id love to do this to myself

Keep up the great work mate

Thanks for all the praise Link! As always i appreciate it all and can't wait to show everyone interested the finished product

PS: Just about to return from Melbourne after fitting up one of the just jap special intercooler kits to a mates silvia. No walk in the park. Very unhappy with the kits ability to fit with what supplied and no instructions present! Same deal with my other mates one that i have to look forward fitting back in QLD...Yay

Deren

[femno]

Deren,

I, like you am a 32 GTR restorer! Well, not to the same extent as you but close. When i was 17 i bought my GTR for 5k mostly complete, and as you would expect it was in shite condition. I stripped it down as much as you have and started from the ground up, like yourself.

In reading this thread it all seems so fimiliar, and something i can directly relate to.

After alot of wire wheeling on the angle grinder, I used the Wurth stoneguard, same as you, to do the whole underneath of the car, painted the front sub frame, but didnt touch the back...it was gonna be too much work. I did a full bare metal respray in midnight purple I, and also rebuilt the engine, balanced and forged pistons etc etc. Every piece on the engine was spotless, having a clean engine bay was my main focus. But due to lack of fundings, like yourself at times, i could only afford hi flows at the time.

All of the aluminium parts in the engine bay got bead blasted, and almost everything else blasted and then painted. I had the same dedication as what you have now, but i didnt pay as much attention to detail as you, although its still pretty good. It took me about 9months from start to finish, and its still not really finished, only a few bits to go.

I would have to say doing this to a car is the most rewarding thing you can ever do if youre into cars, you can be so proud and enjoy every thing about it, and say that you did it all.

Ive got over 500 photos now all up, i would imagine you have heaps as well.

Now im 19, i drive the car mostly on the weekends, and take it track when i can in between uni n stuff.

If you want, i can post up a few pics, i didnt want to steal your thread tho.

Who said restoration is for retired folk with nothing better to do??

BUILT NOT BOUGHT - thats for sure!

Good work, youre doing a fantastic job.

[Godzilla32]

Awesome work! I'd love to see it in the flesh and show you mine properly. Sounds like we share something in common Its true, it is a very satisfying/rewarding hobby to have. I have restored other cars but not to the same extent. Im very keen to get the GT-SS turbos but i have to see how the funds are looking and compare them again to the high flow option. Different people have different opinions on what is better as always. Just have to make up my own mind. I cant wait to get stuck into building this engine and show all the effort and parts im putting in there

Thanks for the reply Femno

Deren

[eMsta]

any more pics deren?

[Godzilla32]

Im fitting the adjustable castor rods this weekend so i'll get more pics then and let you know how it went.

I am really desperate for strut tops to suit my Apexi N1 front shocks....Anyone??

Deren

[Ad_N]

Deren. You probably get sick of people saying this but what you are doing is truly inspiring to say the least. Such dedication. I would absolutely love to see the car. I myself own a 32 GTR and like alot of other people here would love to go to the extent that you are. I know it is definately possible and to see what you are doing, and the posts you make of your progress in such detail only helps the cause. I would love to meet up with you one day and have a chat on what seems to be a truly rewarding experience.

[Godzilla32]

Sounds great Adam. I can't wait to get it finished at be able to go out with all the other guys on a cruise or something. Its been 2 years since i drove the car just about! I dont even remember what its like to drive, which doesnt really matter as it'll be a new car to drive now. Keep me posted on catching up.

This weekend i've fitted up the front sway bar with my new nolathane d-bushes. Fitted all but one P/S pipe after having them all completely pulled apart down to every last pipe clamp rubber insert, they were then cleaned, painted and reassembled. One of the new nolathane rack mount bushes was too small to fit the rack so im trying to get a larger one this week. Then i can refit it to the car and once again have steering! Still a few other little bits and pieces to hunt down but at the moment im really trying to save up for all the engine expenses.

Deren - 0402 829 091

PS: Added a couple of fotos but they dont really do it justice, bad quality.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Godzilla32

[eMsta]

hehe and i thought i get anal about my car being dirty every week...............wonder how much the car will be worth once its finished

[Godzilla32]

wonder how much the car will be worth once its finished

Probably not enough, but i got a decent insurance qoute from shannons comprehensive cover with an aggreed value of $30,000 It owes me double that but its better than nothing if i do choose to insure it comprehensively. It was a basic excess of $500. The premium was just under $1100.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Godzilla32

[derk]

Hi Deren,

wow, i guess theres alot of us out there that like really REALLY clean cars eh!

I've just recently completely a complete rebuild like the one you have done!

except mine is a 1991 180sx, like the other fellow said, it all sounds so familliar!!

at first i was just going to pull the motor and put a new metal headgasket in so i can up the boost in the SR20, and a set of hks coilovers for tighter handling... but, as you probably know how it goes, one thing leads to another and i started to find more and more things to change/ repaint/ replace with a newer part etc.

though, my rebuild was finished much quicker because i am a student still, im only 17, but i brought my car into our schools autoshop so i can work on it during class, as this was my final year in highschool and i decided to take it easy and drop all the other courses other than Automotive 12 and 12 advanced , the teacher was very kind as he let me come to class early and stay late, so basically i worked on my car everyday from 8am-6pm, having acess to every tool that you need and a hoist really helps i tell ya!! if you are wondering how a 17 year old can afford to pay for all this.. no it wasnt mommy and daddy haha, the market for JDM parts here is unbelieveable, HUUUGE demand and hardly anyone that brings parts in! so i import parts and sell em to people, seems to work pretty good! really helps out with being able to get parts for my car at a discount price too!

the problem with me is that for some reason i never clued in to take pictures of the progress of the rebuild process

oh well... the next time around ill be sure not to forget.

i guess all the hardwork and dedication i put into it pays off! as someone has just offered to buy the car for $25,000CAD

needless to say, i am now buying an R32 GTR and ill most definately be doing the same to the gtr as i have done to the 180sx!

but anyways, enough of my life story, your build is looking phenominal!

i would love to come check out your car and chat with you in person!

but thats kinda hard seeing as how im all the way in Canada haha.

Edited June 19, 2007 by derk