The repainted RE30s are back on my R33 GT-R

Words escape me, so I'll let the pictures do the talking... ;)

The sight that greeted me as I arrived at Autodetailer earlier today (picture courtesy of Darren): 

Couldn't be happier! =)

Repainted my Volk Racing RE30s

I decided that the bronze look wasn't working out and called on the services of Darren from Autodetailer. My previous car, which was a manual track-spec 350Z, had been detailed by Darren in early 2010. Hence, I knew the car would be in good hands, if not the best in town. Since I was going to be out of the country for a bit, the R33 was and still is, at Darren's batcave in Jaya One.

I was initially stumped with trying to decide what pattern or colour to paint the rims. My first thought was to turn the rims glossy black and have the lips painted red, to look something like this:

But after sleeping on it, I decided that such a paint scheme was just too plain hectic and might be deemed untasteful among certain quarters. So it was back to the drawing board.

I eventually decided to play it safe and go for a tried & tested two-tone look. This paint scheme is actually carried by Volk Racing from the factory - heres an example:

I was pretty sure that this paint scheme would work out, especially after I saw the following pictures of a silver Porsche 997TT with matte black rims and chromed lips:

And so, before heading to the airport, I dropped the GT-R off at Darren's and was overseas for a couple of days. The trip was pretty tiring but all the aches & pains went away, after I received an e-mail last night. Attached to it was a picture.

This is the end result of Darren's work and I'm mighty pleased with how the project turned out. Can't wait to see them on the car and a big shout out to Autodetailer for making it happen!

Installed: Blitz Nur Spec R Exhaust

I've been looking around for a replacement exhaust in the lead up to my engine rebuild. My old exhaust system is a workshop amalgamation of a Kakimoto muffler and a custom straight pipe with numerous weld points. So it had to be factory crafted, loud and net a power gain. 

I was looking at titanium systems but not really sold on the sound - I prefer the more bassy note of stainless steel systems. Its also difficult to get a titanium exhaust repaired if anything were to break or crack, as we do not have a titanium welding facility here in Malaysia (or one thats accessible to the general public). Despite what some people say, you can't do a weld on titanium pieces unless its in a controlled environment, devoid of oxgyen i.e. a vacuum-controlled chamber!

So my search continued but time and time again, I came to the same conclusion. The Blitz Nur Spec R exhaust system came up tops among most Skyline owners in their forum discussions. The system also comes with a detachable silencer thats nests inside the muffler. So if there ever came a time to tone down the decibels (i.e. MOT tests), one can turn to this device (refer to the pic below - its the object next to the gasket and screws). The Nur Spec R is also one of the few exhaust systems thats completely made from 100% stainless steel - tip to tip.

So I ordered a brand new set from neweraparts a month ago and the exhaust arrived in Malaysia two weeks ago (80mm at the midpipe, 115mm at the exhaust tip). I also specified for a Zacetec Decat Pipe, which is required to replace the catalytic converter section of the system. This too came in the air freight box from Japan. Big up to Miguel from neweraparts for making all the items fit in a EMS shipment box - otherwise, I'd have to go with another Japanese air freight company and pay more. 

And so without further ado, here are pictures of the unwrapping and installation:

The package was long and huge!

Got a bit excited seeing the Blitz emblem

Factory packaging and bracing to ensure the exhaust is not damaged during transit

The Zacetec Decat Pipe

Getting ready to install the mid pipe

Wonder what lies beneath all that cardboard and plastic?

Isn't she a beauty?

I have to say that I chose well. The exhaust sounds amazing and loud enough to satisfy my inner boy racer fantasies. By removing the silencer, the exhaust is pushing out sounds above 100 decibels. And thanks to the small center cannister, there's absolutely no in-cabin droning, even at high speeds. Very satisfied with Blitz Nur Spec R and I hope to record the sound it makes, sometime this weekend - hopefully on a drive up to Ulu Yam with the boys.

Engine Rebuild Update: Block resleeved & rebored + purchased an ATI Super Damper

The machine shop has returned my spare block and I must say that I am quite pleased with the work done. It has been resleeved and the rebored to once again accomodate the HKS 88mm forged pistons. The reason behind the resleeving is to strengthen the block and as an added measure to ensure the longevity of the new engine. Below are pictures of the finished item:

Next up is to port and polish the head, which is already underway as we speak:

I've also purchased a ATI Super Damper today. The RB crankshaft, being in a straight 6, is quite long and thus prone to torsional resonances at lower frequencies. Without a mass damper tuned to the cranks natural modes of vibration, one could get some nasty and sometime fatal twisting of the crank. This resonant twisting can also break the oil pump. Hence it is crucial to have when rebuilding an RB26 engine thats pushing out more than stock power. Its certainly not cheap but definitely gives you peace of mind.

Thats all for now. Till next time, stay tuned.