You guys know I love you and couldn't stay away long. So I've been living about an hour outside of Tokyo flying for the world's best Navy for a year now. I miss the Miata, and I miss all you cynical bastards. So, while this is in no way shape or form Miata related, I figured you'd all get a huge kick out of it anyway. I'm going to post up about some of the stuff I've done in Japan, mostly car related, and also detail my 1990 R32 GTR which I now own and intend to bring home when I come back stateside in 2016. Hope you enjoy.

First, when I arrived here I was very lucky to make some friends pretty high up in the car industry here in Japan. We did some kart racing together and they were impressed with my times and that I was not a typical Gaijin (obnoxious, fat, etc) so we became close.

That's how I got pit passes to a GT500 race at Fuji Speedway.



I love umbrella girls

 

Next, I started going around Japan and seeing some local speed shops. Here's a Supra with a compound turbo (OMFGOMGOMOGOMGOMGMOZOMGBBQ!!!)



And an RX-8 made entirely of Carbon:


With a N/A 20B mounts where the stock dash would be.

 

Next I went to Tokyo Auto Salon and saw many things. Most Notably:

Toyota 2000GT, possibly the most beautiful car ever made.



And the undisputed God of all car-dom:

 

Alas, as a dog of the military, we all have to deploy eventually. But port stops can be baller.

India is mostly a dirty scary place, but it has some nice scenery:


A super swank hotel:


And 1000 year old ruins


I also saw Saipan, which is a haunting but gorgeous tropical paradise with some really shady bars and SKETCHY AS FAWK strip club.


After I returned home, my karting with the locals became an obsession and I purchased one for myself. I got a used Birel Chassis from a friend and imported a PRD Fireball 125cc watercooled 2-stroke putting out about 28hp. That's good for 100mph and 0-60 in about 3seconds. It is possibly the most frightening vehicle I have ever driven. I try to do so every weekend.

I recommend this to any car guy, it is by far the cheapest way to go fast, and you go FAST.

 

Then it happened. I met Godzilla. Since I moved here it was a goal of mine to purchase a GTR. I hooked up with an auctioneer who goes every day and scours for vehicles for people. Usually he gets people deals on cheap runners but I came to him on a mission. I wanted something in top shape with tasteful mods than I could build upon, but wouldn't have to build. He blew me away. For a 1990 this thing is crazy.

I was expecting a 25 year old Nissan. And it is. But it's so NICE. No creaks, no rattles, just an absolute delight to drive. It's quiet, comfortable, and an all around good car. I kind of expected to be buying a horsepower bitch but this made me change my plans a bit.

It's a mostly stock engine, with a 3.5inch HKS Exhaust, Nismo charge pipes, and a 4" thick trust IC. It's tuned and buts out roughly 325awhp at 14psi.
It also has Alcon 355mm brakes up front and Nismo Coilovers (the built by Ohlins ones with external reservoirs. I need to snap some pics of that).







I wasnt a huge fan of the Enkeis that came on it, so I turned to Wedsport for one of my favorite wheels in 18x9.5 +12. Wrapped in some 265/35/18 Yokohamas. I had to roll my fenders flat, but I get no rubbing and full suspension travel, and the fitment is pretty nice too! I'm going to try 285's next set of tires.

 

That's all for tonight but there's plenty more to come. Since buying I've fitted BRIDE seats, a nice Pioneer cd player, custom sub-box, subframe lock collars, and under the body fender braces (like what we do to miatas)

On deck I have a full nismo suspension arm kit, bushings, and sway bars. It's nice having a car that was raced by the factory because you can buy some very well engineered go-fast bits. Everything I've seen made by Nismo is extremely high-quality and fits like OEM.

I am also planning a transmission rebuild with OS Giken close ratio gears and some trick synchros a local shop offers, along with an HKS twin plate clutch. I also have 350mm rear rotors with calipers to match the front and an ABS delete kit coming.

It's not all candy and nuts however. I've had to fit a handful of things. CV joint boots split, and recently my AC went out. I am converting to an R34 compressor as they are half the size and lighter, so pics will be coming.

It's also developed a VERY intermittent stutter (like once every other day or so), so I've taken apart the MAF's and resoldered the circuit boards, and have order a D585 coil kit to replace the stock ones. Hopefully that should sort it as those are the usual suspects for that type of issue.

Progress will be slow but steady, but I do deploy for months at a time. Hope you enjoy the ride!

 

I've never been GTR YO fanboy, but that is a clean nissan you got there. Pretty awesome, interested to see where it goes.

 

Thanks for doing this, most of us never get outside the state we live in, let alone experience the coolness of another country's car culture.
1990, will you have any issues bringing it back?

-Jeff

 

If you dont mind telling us how much in us dollar you paid for that awesome skyline.. I was in the AF and wanted to stationed in japan but got crappy CA instead I got a feeling if I would have got japan a skyline would have been the first thing I purchased.

 

Nice. One of my high school buddies has been stationed over there for about 5 years. He just picked up a R32 GTR as well, same color I think.

 

**** you
i love that color

 

Rx8's are for suckas. Pics of R32 or bs.

 

I had a huge response typed but my work connection ate it. Cliffnotes:

Thirdgen: u mad bro? I posted 5 in my last post. If you were expecting a GTI, this is a skyline thread. tee hee.

Locomonkeyboricua: I paid about 12K. Decent ones go for about 8K and meh cars about 5K. Because they are about to become legal here the values have been creeping up. there is difinitely a surge in interest for these cars with the flood gates about to open stateside.

2manyhobyz: No there shouldnt be any issues. EPA stops after 21 years. NHTSA after 25. That said EPA requires an engine in "original configuration" so don't expect any epic turbo builds until I have a USA title in a couple years. I will however make the rest of the car flawless so that when I move back I ONLY have an engine build to do.

Fireindc: I hate fanboiz as much as anyone. I simply wanted this because I've seen supras and rx-7's etc but I've never been within 100yds of a skyline before. What surprised me is this is a much nicer (in like an old person's definition of it) car than any supra I've messed with. And that's just it: this car is making me grow up a bit. It feels like it's a BMW type of vibe as oppposed to a boy racer toy car.

 

This is awesome. Keep taking pictures of all the cool stuff you see in Japan!

 

This car was the worlds best car in 1990, no other car came even close. So I would have to imagine that it was way better then supra or rx7 and bmw. 8k for gtr? Or gts? and how much do you think shipping cost is back to usa? Yours looks like its worth every penny at 12k. I hope you get to ship it back free on uncle sams dollar.

 

Welcome back! I'm glad you are making the most of your far east adventure. I am looking forward to more updates and pictures of anything and everything you see that's interesting or different. Is it safe to say that it doesn't remind you much of Kansas City?

 

Scuba Steve! I was going to give you a day or two to find this then I was gonna come looking. There are a few things that drive me absolutely crazy here but in all, it's the best place I've ever lived. And no, it's totally nothing like the mid-west, though I did have Jehovah's witnesses knock on my door the other day... I have actually found an EXCELLENT BBQ joint in Yokohama but they still give you Japanese portions. I randomly have violent hankerings for Waffle House.

It is a long term goal of mine to attend the Mitty in my R32 and get stupid at your lake Chateau.

Locomonkey: The prices I quoted were all GTR. 5K would get you a really nice GTS-T. Shipping is somewhere between 1-2K. I will most likely have to pay but that's my own dumb fault. The military DOES allow you to bring one home.

R33's are about the same as R32's. I think the 32's used to be a fair bit cheaper but they have gotten more expensive as sellers are taking advantage of people buying to ship them to the US. I expect R33's to get more expensive as the years go on. R34's are still crazy money. Nice R34 GTR's are easily 30-40K.

What totally stuns me is how cheap RX-7's are. I find EPIC FD's here for under 10K all the time. It makes me wonder...

 

What do prices look like or C10 gtx and gtr's? Those are on my short list of dream cars.

 

c10 gtrs are literally priceless. IF you can find one, expect it to be owned by someone who refuses to sell to a gaijin. IF they will sell it'll be 6 figures EASILY. the original s20 engine alone goes for some stupid figure north of 20-30,000 bucks.

Gtx's built as gtr clones fetch around 25,000. If you're serious about one I'd get one of these and put a really well tuned 280z engine with webers and bored to the tune of 3.1L. Or something totally ignant like:
http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/08/the-v8-hakosuka-rocky-auto-does-it-again/

 

I probably couldn't fit in one but I still like the idea of having a Suzuki Cappuccino.

Maybe one day I'll get to Japan.