1996 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 - Near Death To Drop Dead

The Skyline has been mildly body tuned with the addition of a Do-Luck front lip. Considering the car comes from the factory with a widebody-esque stance and many of its stock styling cues have been copied into custom kits for other cars, the sleek coupe looks pre-tuned from the factory. Superior PV Autobody handled the installation and sprayed the sleek coupe with a two-stage silver paint job as well as the resuscitation after the wreck at the strip.

The cockpit features Gias bucket seats up front, and stock rear seats wrapped in Bride fabric, which is also plentifully applied throughout the interior. Nismo and DEFI instrumentation is visible between the spokes of a Momo steering wheel with quick-release hub. A six-point ADF roll cage, which has proven its value, continues to safeguard occupants with the assistance of a Simpson five-point harness system.

Despite all the trial and tribulations, Shen points to the gearbox and turbo as the biggest players. "Getting the Hollinger gearbox from Australia was long and hard! I had it ordered before I even got the car and it still was barely here in time. But to have a gearbox like this to drive on the street is like dream come true. You know it can handle the power and you don't have to hold anything back."

Shen adds, "The headwork by Hiro and the way the turbo spools, it just sounds so bad ass when it hits and the car accelerates like it's moving into the next dimension. I can take the RB to 9200 rpm without hesitation. It's really nice to have such big powerband on the street."

As for the future, this R33 is done, over-and-out, finito. There are rumors of an R34 in the offing but SP is prepping for the all-new, US-spec GT-Rs. The plan calls for two simultaneous GT-R build-ups; a BPU car and an all-out attack in the same vein as this car. Like the rest of the import community, we can't wait.

By Steve Demmitt

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