Midnight Purple R33 GTR EFR8374 Build

[sb119]

I’m new to the whole build thread thing. Not usually one to post info about myself or cars online but lately I’ve found myself working on other projects regularly while my GTR build gets put on the back burner. Hopefully this thread will be motivating for me and informative/entertaining for you.

I have a short memory and pictures are scattered but here’s a quick rundown of what the last 2.5 years of Skyline ownership have looked for me:
The beginning:

In auction in Japan


In Vancouver





Did a few basic mods but mostly did maintenance and enjoyed a surprisingly reliable 15 year old car.




Went on a 5500 km road trip to California in 2011.






Always had big plans for a build but never had clear goals. Then in 2012 I ended up picking up a second GTR.
Then a third. Then a fourth.




Just kidding!

Only 2. But still...





People began to tell me I had a problem..





So I sold my first GTR and put my focus on my new project:




1995 Midnight purple GTR VSPEC
Had a pretty nice mod list already, I was told it had:

Engine built by 4x Toys
- CP Pistons
-Eagle rods
- ACL bearings
- custom 0.002" clearance crank collar
- ARP Headstuds
- tomei poncams
- tomei headgasket
- n1 oil pump
- Nismo thermostat
- HKS adjustable cam gears
- ATI crank damper
- Exedy twin plate clutch
- HKS GT-RS turbos
- HKS manifolds with equalizer pipe
- HKS MAF delete pipes
- Greddy intercooler and piping
- ARC BOV
- Greddy Fuel Rail
- Bosch 750cc injectors
- apexi power intakes
- Dual oil coolers and HKS thermostatic oil filter relocation
- HKS FCON VPRO w/ map sensor
- HKS AFK (knock amp and afr display)
- HKS EVC6 boost controller
- Bolt in roll cage (through dash with door bars)
- Defi gauges
- Momo steering wheel
- Volk Proggressive ME wheels
- steel braided brake lines
- Endless pads and rotors
- HKS true dual n1 race exhaust
- Apexi n1 coilovers
- Nismo 400R bumper
- Jun carbon fiber front lip
- HID’s
- Cusco strut bar
- Tein tension rods



I had bought a Tomei Ti exhaust for my previous GTR but sold the car before installing it. I ended up buying a downpipe and Tomei Ti decat and ditched the HKS dual exhaust. At the same time I also installed a KTS carbon fiber exhaust shield.






To go with the carbon fiber theme I also bought a carbon Nismo S-tune replica spoiler blade and Nismo carbon B-pillar covers.







There’s just something about midnight purple and carbon fiber...
Also installed a Kansai Service strut bar, black Takata harness, Nismo oil pump and Tomei oil pan baffle and roadtripped from Calgary up to Stratotech for a track day.










Got some new wheels from Adam at Feast

Work XD9 18x10



Old



new



At some point I had bought a Borg Warner EFR 8374 – internal wastegate




And some Cusco and Whiteline adjustable control arms to fix my excessive negative camber





When I installed the Tomei pan baffle I found my piston oil squirters broken off in the bottom of my oil pan. Fortunately no damage had been done yet and I have the engine out again (as of November 2013) and found out the pistons were put in backwards. There’s a cut out in the skirt to clear the oil squirters but only on one side. Piston ring end gap is also too large and I have a leaking valve seal so a few things I need to fix before the engine goes back together. Also going to put in Tomei valve springs while its apart.






Plans for 2014:
- Finish “engine rebuild”
- Install turbo, make oil and coolant lines, get downpipe and intercooler piping made
- Build fuel system (I’ve got a couple Bosche 044’s that I may use. Also getting ID1000 injectors and some other fuel system related parts)
- Remove roll cage, remove rear interior, add harness bar and rear cross bar to cage and repaint
- More gauges and install Nismo cluster
- Retune at Vex Performance (Race gas and pump tunes)
- Install hidden stereo (ipod plug-in in center console with volume control and hidden amp powering 4 speakers)

- other stuff I'm forgetting

[steveo1502]

Wow, I love that car, that colour, those wheels, it's perfect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Black BNR32]

snazzy. what manifold are you going to use?

[sb119]

snazzy. what manifold are you going to use?

Good question. Short answer is I'm not sure yet but as of tonight I may be getting a custom built one.

Long answer
I originally planned to get one custom made by Unobtanium Welding (http://higherarcing.org/). Chris (owner) does amazing work and has tackled some projects for me that were beyond my fabrication skills this last year. When I moved from Calgary to Saskatoon it didn't make sense to tow my car all the way back to Calgary to get a manifold and downpipe made/fitted in the engine bay, just to bring it back to finish the build. I was looking into both the Full Race and 6Boost manifolds. Full Race one was meant to work with this turbo and would fit perfectly with 0 modifications. Another forum member used a 6boost manifold with a EFR7670 and had to modify a few things and with a bigger 8374 I was a bit worried of the turbo contacting my valve cover. I was thinking about just getting the 6boost and making it work (maybe getting custom RIPS valve covers if necessary) but I was talking to the guys at Vex tonight and looks like Unobtaium may be making a manifold/downpipe for one of their customers with the same setup as me so I'm going to see if its possible for him to make 2.

[sb119]

Wow, I love that car, that colour, those wheels, it's perfect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks man I appreciate the kind words

[leung23c]

Subscribed! Looking forward to see your build man! Jealous that I don't have that kind of skills nor knowledge but its something you can only work hard to acquire.

Yeah midnight purple is a pretty special colour. Got that feeling from watching wangan midnight.

Do the roll cage and the 4-point harness mounting point allow back seat passenger? really like that racer look.

[leeaspin]

Raw Brokerage now makes a nice manifold for efr series turbos...check them out they look quality.

[jdmchrist]

Why remove the rollcage!??

[sb119]

Subscribed! Looking forward to see your build man! Jealous that I don't have that kind of skills nor knowledge but its something you can only work hard to acquire.

Yeah midnight purple is a pretty special colour. Got that feeling from watching wangan midnight.

Do the roll cage and the 4-point harness mounting point allow back seat passenger? really like that racer look.

When I first bought the car it had back seats in it but there's a cross bar that goes right where the rear passengers feet would be so I never used it. I've taken the seats out now but the addition of a harness bar would make the rear seats almost impossible for passengers to access anyways.

[sb119]

Raw Brokerage now makes a nice manifold for efr series turbos...check them out they look quality.

Thanks for the heads up, last time I checked they only made them for externally waste gated turbos.

[sb119]

Why remove the rollcage!??

Its bolt in and I need to take it out to remove my rear interior trim panels. Its a bit scratched in some places so going to refinish it while its out and add a harness bar and rear cross bar (both removable) and then reinstall it.

[Black BNR32]

I got my cage done locally at Streetwise, if you're considering that. Turned out good.

[Bruizer]

Cool project. Some american pistons were known to not have the proper recesses for the pistons or builders put them in the wrong way chopping the squirters.

As for manifold, you're running a badass turbo, so get the badass full race manifold, I run some, they are cheaper than your turbo and are the nicest I've seen and aren't boat anchors like 6boost. They were a leading company in testing the turbos and they have lifetime crack warranty if I recall.

As for ECU, vex tuned your V pro? Or did they convince you to use "a better" ecu that they could tune? I have a vipec they don't wanna touch...

[sb119]

Pistons have the recess but were but in backwards by the builder :/ (4xtoys)

Vex tuned my Vpro before I bought the car. I never would have bought that ecu but it came with the car so thats what I'm using.

[PurpleStreak]

I didnt know you changed cars! Will be wicked when its done for sure..the guys at VEX are good