Chris' R34 GTT
Discussion
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.
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
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*
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
5harp3y said:
S100HP said:
Lovely car, good thread and some nice upgrades but f
k me, what is going on with that awful sticker on the windscreen?
rear window and windscreen stickers are a step too far for me k me, what is going on with that awful sticker on the windscreen? nice car apart from that
hoodedreeper said:
I've been looking for a rear tow hook for awhile but couldn't find one I liked, so I made one
... 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
This made me chuckle. ... 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
I'm not really about modifying cars just so they attract attention, but it's clear you've put a lot of effort into this.
All credit to you for managing this on the wage of someone working at a motor factors!
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFzzkqWi3UI
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
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFzzkqWi3UI
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
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
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
I understand theres no parts selling so i'll just mention it
I'm selling my power upgrade parts as I'm no longer able to go ahead with it
New Hybrid Turbo (rated to 420hp) stock OE unit rebuilt by Universal Turbos
New Tomei Turbo Elbow
New Genuine Turbo Gaskets
Used Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
Used Apexi Power FC w/ commander
Used Z32 MAF with Apexi Filter
New Competition Clutch Stage 2 Clutch Kit & Lightened Flywheel
New Braided Clutch Line
New Splitfire Coilpacks
Turbo Specs are
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
I'm selling my power upgrade parts as I'm no longer able to go ahead with it
New Hybrid Turbo (rated to 420hp) stock OE unit rebuilt by Universal Turbos
New Tomei Turbo Elbow
New Genuine Turbo Gaskets
Used Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
Used Apexi Power FC w/ commander
Used Z32 MAF with Apexi Filter
New Competition Clutch Stage 2 Clutch Kit & Lightened Flywheel
New Braided Clutch Line
New Splitfire Coilpacks
Turbo Specs are
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
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a happy new year
Not much of an update I'm afraid
Myself and some friends took a drive over to a Paul Walker memorial meet, managed to snap some phone photos
Heres a photo from one of the last Cars & Coffee (events I help organise. I've just finished finalising the 2020 dates and info so next year is shaping up to be awesome
The car has been in use since the last update, dodging the grit trucks this time of year and only taking it out when the roads have been clear for a few days. Took a drive out to get some last minute photos with some local christmas lights.
Probably the main reason why the Skyline has took a breather is because I've upgraded the daily. The 2.2D Gen 2 Mazda 6 has been changed for a 2.0 Petrol Sport Gen 3 Mazda 6. As you can imagine, I couldn't resist modifying it hehe
The RX8 R3 Alloys are definately my favourite change
Not much of an update I'm afraid
Myself and some friends took a drive over to a Paul Walker memorial meet, managed to snap some phone photos
Heres a photo from one of the last Cars & Coffee (events I help organise. I've just finished finalising the 2020 dates and info so next year is shaping up to be awesome
The car has been in use since the last update, dodging the grit trucks this time of year and only taking it out when the roads have been clear for a few days. Took a drive out to get some last minute photos with some local christmas lights.
Probably the main reason why the Skyline has took a breather is because I've upgraded the daily. The 2.2D Gen 2 Mazda 6 has been changed for a 2.0 Petrol Sport Gen 3 Mazda 6. As you can imagine, I couldn't resist modifying it hehe
The RX8 R3 Alloys are definately my favourite change
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
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
Edited by hoodedreeper on Wednesday 4th March 19:19
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff