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GT-R BNR32

To all members of JPC Trade.com

From this month, we are sending you a special mail magazine focusing on individual cars. I would like to give you some information on popular cars in Japan & worldwide, much talked-about new models and information hard to get if you do not live in Japan.

In this first issue, it is on “Nissan Skyline GT-R BNR32”. Being on the market from August, 1989 and until October, 1994 when the second model BNR33 was introduced, the total number of 43,934 of the original ones were produced. This first GT-R is still a very popular model even after 15 years.


What sort of car Skyline GT-R is?

It is a racing car Nissan had designed, developed and manufactured to win the “Group A” touring car race of the time. Answering the purpose, it won every single race in Japan (29 races & 29 wins) at that time and there is a “legend” that it lapped a Porsche overseas. Of course, cars for races are different from standard passenger vehicles with lots of money and lots of modifications are added. However, even if it is not for car races, its “performance” has reached a comparable level with other sport cars in the world.

SPECS for GT-R BNR32

[Price & general information]
Standard price of the car: JPY 4,450,000 (new in Tokyo)
Drive layout: FULL4WD
Transmission: 5 speed floor shift + OD
Exterior length, width & height: 4545×1755×1340mm (178.9×69.1×52.8in)
Interior length, width & height: 1805×1400×1090mm (71.1×55.1×42.9in)
Wheelbase: 2615mm (103in)
Front track: 1480mm (58.3in)
Rear track: 1480mm (58.3in)
Ground clearance: 135mm (5.3in)
Weight: 1430kg (3149.8lbs)
Seating capacity: 4
Numbers of door: 2

[Engine]
Engine Type: water-cooled inline 6 cylinder DOHC24 valve IC twin turbo
Engine code: RB26DETT
Forced induction: IC equipped twin turbo
Engine size: 2568cc (2.6 litres)
Fuel tank capacity: 72 litres

[Performance]
Max power: 280ps/6800rpm
Max torque: 36.0kg, m/4400rpm


Used GT-R in Japan
We see them quite often on the street but it is very hard to find one in original condition. Usually the owners change something which includes engine, clutch, transmission, exhaust system, cooling system, ICT system, suspension system, dials, etc. Basically, “boy racers” in Japan (who compete on motorways and twisty mountain roads) make alterations to win a race on the circuit. Because the ones in normal condition are rare, the conditions of used cars vary greatly. Some are sold very cheap because of their poor condition and some are sold as new because they were kept in a garage with low mileage and high maintenance.

Here is a story of a R32, Mr Suzuki, a Japanese man owned. He bought his dream car from a used car dealer in 2004. He is an amateur car racer who enters car races in various locations several times a year. He told me what sort of troubles and what parts he needed to change since he bought it.

Mr.Suzuki's GT-R

Troubles I experienced
Not so long after I bought my car, I felt something “catching” when I turned the steering wheel a bit and the steering was wobbly while driving on a motorway at high speed. When I turned it slightly harder, I felt the “catching”, then it all of sudden moved with a jerk: it was not smooth at all. I took it to a Nissan dealer a few times but they could not find the cause. Eventually I had to change the steering gear box. The wobbliness of the steering wheel was fixed with a tyre pressure check and wheel alignment. It was fine after that.

I replaced the new air flow

I also had trouble while idling and at a dealer, I replaced the airflow metre. However, it did not improve the situation. The engine stopped a few times at intersections so I took it back to the dealer. They cleaned and adjusted the ACC valve and changed the air regulators in vain. In the end they changed the whole throttle valve to make it acceptable. As I was annoyed by this trouble for such a long time, I was very happy when it was finally fixed. But in winter time, the idling can still be unstable.

R 32 is a car whose air conditioning system breaks down easily. My air conditioner sometimes worked and sometimes did not. Checked by the dealer, the compressor was working fine but a small gas leakage was found. Since then I have to check and fill it regularly.

I cannot talk about all the other minor trou bles because there are so many…

Consumables which need to be replaced very often
I do racing, so I replace parts as below quite often:
・brake pads ・brake rotor ・engine oil ・oil element ・transmission oil
・differential oil ・tyres ・shock absorber ・spark plug ・air filter

As you can guess, I use brake parts and oils more than average because I use the car on a race circuit. I tried other manufacturer’s brake pads and think NISMO’s is quite good. As for brake rotor, I recommend the ones for N1 although they do not last much longer as for the shock absorbers, I changed to a Bilstein one when I felt the normal one was a bit “worn out”. The normal springs and the Bilstein part were a good combination. For a car used on a race circuit, I think there are a few more possible combinations but I felt I can “go for it” with this combination.

I changed the clutch at 70,000km and the transmission when it wore out some time ago because of the synchronized movement of 4WD. I replaced the upperlink at 90,000km. There are the parts that easily wear out on the R32, so I recommend an earlier change. When it got to nearly 100,000km, I changed the timing belt. Only straight after the change, I did not feel the same power or speed I used to have at 5000rpm+.

History of using parts of other manufacturers
I was using other manufacturers products only for consumables at first. As the first thing, I put a master cylinder stopper. This obviously improved the brake performance but might not have been good on hoses or other parts, I am not sure.
I wanted to improve its “looks” and wanted to lower the height off the ground by 3cm. I replaced the springs with a NISMO D-Type and the shock absorber with an Ohlins one. There was not much of a difference in the spring rates. Although it cost a lot, it did not improve my time on the race circuit and I did not feel it made the car “go faster” or “run smoothly”. It could be because of the way I put them in, but I want to try a suspension system with deeper stroke which might be more suitable for my car. The biggest effect it brought was an “unbearably uncomfortable” ride quality. I reckon if I was younger, I might have enjoyed it but it was not good for a long distance drive for oldies like myself who want to enjoy a slow drive.

Rear strut tower var. It works!!

However, it was a good experience trying Ohlins products to learn about damping force. When I installed a rear strut tower bar, I immediately felt the front & back balance change dramatically. A strut tower bar is great for a shabby old car. Before that, it was like I was letting the old car body absorb the shocks instead of letting the suspension system do the work. I recommend a strut tower bar!

Other parts I used:
Engine: Normal engine, Aluminium radiator
Wheels: Ray volk racing alloy wheels
Exhaust system: Impal blast exhaust pipe, Trust aluminium intake, RSR front pipe, HKS air cleaner
Electric system: Defi water & oil temperature metres, Defi oil pressure metre, HKS turbo timer, Trust boost metre
Body: Sparts front and rear strut tower bars

Wow! How much have I spent on my car…?

For a race car
If you do car races, it costs a lot more in maintenance to buy things such as oils because it strains your car a lot. I go to a race just before my car is due for an oil change if possible, to reduce the cost. I also change transmission oil every 3-4 races. Of course the brake and tyres wear out too. It is not a cheap hobby.

Thank you very much for reading my long story but the last thing, I would like to tell all the mail magazine readers is this: I experienced a lot of different troubles which needed this bit changed and that bit changed, it has been costing me a lot of time and money in regular maintenance but I will tell you what: it is worth it! I love my car! Strangely, GT-R is a type of a car you will love more as you spend money and effort to look after it. You can appreciate a GT-R when you own one. I will keep looking after my GT-R and want to be a GT-R owner for a long time.




How was it? Did you feel Mr Suzuki’s love and passion towards his 32? Especially if you are thinking about buying a GT-R 32, if you actually own one or like sport cars, I am sure you enjoyed his story.

In the next issue, I am going to write on GT-R BCNR33. What is the difference with R32? Good & bad sides? What sort of maintenance is needed? Please look forward to it!