Special Skyline
One of our Australian readers, Mike Brook, owns this neat 1989 Nissan Skyline Silhouette GTS SVD that is one of only 200 released in the country. The Australian GTS scores many points over the conventional ol' R31. This last-of-the-series GTS comes draped in Beacon Red paint and kicks around on white 16-inch factory alloys. The suspension of the GTS gets full Bilstein suspension with "Group A" struts and fatter sway bars to ensure it corners capably, and it also gets a boost in power over the everyday models.
The 140kW six-cylinder engines are factory blueprinted RB30Es with a revised exhaust, and we've also heard that they also have a slightly different cylinder head. With this fair power punch behind it, the GTS can accelerate to 100km/h in 8.8 seconds and cover the quarter mile in 16.0. But we're sure Mike isn't the sorta guy to put these figures to the test (haha). He should be more than happy sitting back in the Scheel bolstered seats, holding the Momo leather steering wheel and listening to the sound system.
Outside, the GTS flaunts a subtle body kit and the "trademark" round stovetop taillights.
Mike bought the car in June '98 but because he's only just turned 20, insurance conditions mean he can't modify it greatly - but we think there will be some to come! The one modification currently on the car is a set of wider 225/50 tyres all round but that's it. I wonder if he's declared these tyres as a modification on his insurance form - if not, I guess that can just be our little secret!
See Mike and his car at www.tassie.net.au/~mbrook
True Muscle
In the US they don't often do things by halves. What could be as grunty as a supercharged V8 in a Z28 Camaro like this? Chris Frezza didn't set out to build a killer street car when he bought this 1995 Z28 new from a dealer in Michigan. But before long, it ,became obvious it needed more power - so in went an ATI ProCharger centrifugal blower under the low-slung hood.
And that characteristic whine attracts more than the odd stare as it drives by. Boosting to 9 psi, the blower boost the LT1-spec engine which is also packed with a LT4 hot cam and 1.6 ratio rockers. A set of 1¾-inch Jet Hot coated headers scavenge out exhaust gasses and pass them on to a full quality Borla exhaust system. To cope with the extra airflow, 24lb Bosch injectors were fitted and get controlled by a Hypertech Programmer with a custom blower program. An Accell 300+ ignition system is also wired in.
The best 1/4-mile time to date is a 12.325 seconds at 118.5mph, which was recorded at Milan Raceway. The car was then driven home, returning a creditable 28 mpg!
After a major sound system was stolen from the car, it is now equipped with a Sony XR150 CD stacker head unit, two Lanzar amplifier, Polk front speakers, Lanzar rears and a Lanzar 10-inch subwoofer in the luggage area.
Outside, the car looks pretty stock with the exception of the F1 silver stripes, the lowered suspension and the set of 17-inch Enkei rims. But that's all part of the deception! See Chris' car and links to other "F-friends" at http://www.eolonline.com/97transam/chris_orig/newz1.html and http://www.camaroz28.com/~chris/
G100 Goer
Sander Naberman carries the keys to this terrific '89 model Daihatsu Charade GTti twin-cam turbo. Factory labelled as a G100, this three-door hatch packs a three-cylinder 1-litre twin-cam 12-valve injected intercooled turbo heart under the hood. Breathing through a replacement K&N air filter, the IHI-built turbocharger now pushes up to 0.9 Bar boost thanks to a simple wastegate bleed.
On the exhaust side, the factory "backbox" has been pulled out and replaced by a high-flowing 90mm Sebring unit that also brings out the cammy burble of the mighty threesome. Putting in excess of the standard 105hp to the pavement are a set of sticky 185/55 Pirelli P700 Z rated rubbers, worn on conservatively styled 14-inch OZ rims. Another effective mod that has enhanced the car's handling are the lowered springs - 60 and 50mm lower at the front and back respectively.
Visually extending the bodyline closer to the ground is a pair of side-skirts intended for a Mitsubishi Lancer but modified to suit the Charade. Further external changes include an MS Design air intake on the bonnet, carbon-look stickers and a Daihatsu Club Nederland banner now spanned across the top of the windscreen.
The interior's aluminium pedals, racing Line steering wheel and carbon-look gear knob that are all from the Momo catalogue, and there is also a boost gauge just to keep the turbo motor under close eye.
In all, it's definitely another great little pint-sized ball of thrills!
See Sanders car and links to other hot Charades at
http://home.wxs.nl/~naber028/
Shining Sunny
The Pulsar/Sunny GTi-R is an almighty piece of machinery. Unfortunately for those in the UK, there aren't that many to be found floating around - but Caleb Zimbabwe's jet black example certainly holds the flag high. Often seen roaring through the streets of Guernsey Island (in the Channel Islands) the car comes with an all-wheel-drive chassis and 200-plus horsepower factory rated turbo engine.
Caleb thought the standard car was quick until he spent 1000 pounds on engine enhancements - it's pumping out somewhere in between 270-300hp! The 1k bill bought him a Trust air filter, HKS Super Sequential blow-off valve, GReddy digital boost controller, Trust cat-back high-flow exhaust ("very, very tasty") and a GReddy speed limit jumper. All this is good quality, brand name stuff that's not going to let anything go wrong - but the poor clutch plate doesn't know what's hit it! Apparently another high-performance clutch is on order to remedy that little problem. And then it'll be back to the all-wheel-spinning driving style!
The wheels that do the spinning are big 17-inch Momos wrapped in thinly sliced 205/40 series Falken GRB rubber - and they sure look pretty hot. Next came the mandatory suspension slam. Spax lowered springs were put into place, lowering the body around 35mm at the rear and a massive 70mm at the front! Caleb's not complaining about the front ground clearance - he can now claim to own one of the lowest GTi-Rs on Earth. And with the engine stomaching around 1.1 Bar boost along with the other mods, it surely isn't going to be amongst the slow ones either!
Find this car at http://members.tripod.com/~Caleb_GTiR/ (a regularly updated site) and check out all the other GTi-R related information while you're there.
See if you can work out that strange factory-fitted umbrella; it had us a little puzzled!
