We all dream of owning the fastest car in the 'hood. Well, don't we? Thing is, it's simply not practical, nor feasible for reasons I really don't need to spell out here. Right. But hey, owning something that turns heads and goes as well as it looks - sure couldn't hurt. Well, I reckon we've found such a car in Antony Vickery's highly modified yet relatively modestly-priced Nissan Skyline. Antony has chosen his parts and modifications wisely while still coming up with a package which although far from show car standard, certainly surprised this scribe.
Yep, thanks to a heavy-breathing RB20 turbo, mega-taught suspension and improved brakes, the silver body kitted R31 sticks to the road and track and is capable of covering the quarter mile in less than 13 seconds. You want the exact change? Okay, bearing in mind the car is set up to go around corners, we reckon that a 12.87 at 109 mph ain't too shabby! Want more? How about a lap time of 1.08.6 around Calder's demanding racetrack? Fact is, these stats give Mr Skyline major cred, making it much more than a Chapel Street cruiser. Rather, call it a Dandenong Road bruiser.... Melbournians will know what I mean!
Antony's story is typical of so many 'performance enthusiasts' in that peer group interest resulted in his involvement. "I wanted the fastest car possible, however all I could afford at age 18 was a 1979 Mazda 626," Antony laughed adding. "But hey, it was a different car once I'd fitted a sports exhaust, mag wheels and tinted windows. I mean it sounded and looked like it went hard, but it didn't!"
Police Hunt
Four months later Antony stepped into a company car, a VS Commodore nonetheless, from which he removed the hubcaps, painted the 'Interceptor' rims silver, and went 'hunting'. You're sure to have been there at some time in your life. Like you're speeding along when out of the corner of your eye you spot a late model Commodore parked in some bushes with a speed camera hanging out of the window. Dup.... you're gone. Sure enough, the VS peels out and takes off after you only to slowly cruise past with the two young male passengers laughing their friggin heads off! Oh, how could they have had a speed camera you ask? They didn't, it was a timing light!
Logically, Antony didn't keep his job, and his company car, for very long. So, he moved into a stock 1986 Skyline. Mind you, just as he had 'worked' the Mazda, Antony took to the Skyline with a vengeance. Well... Over an 18-month period he resprayed it, lowered the suspension to the bump stops, fitted decent rims, extractors and an exhaust system. "I was kidding myself, I mean even with the modifications, the car was damn slow, so I sold it for my current car."
Logic it seems isn't on Antony's agenda, cos rather than upping the performance ante, he stepped into a stock (well almost) GXE Skyline. The previous owners had improved things a little in fitting a TI interior (electric everything), they modified the suspension, gave it a two-tone paint job, fitted Series 3 front-end tin, and bolted on nice rims.
"When I bought it, it was so clean I figured I'd leave it alone. But you know how it is! Within a month I was bored of the sluggish performance and bought a set of extractors and a sports exhaust. But this was bloody useless as about all it did was make it sound like a VL Commodore without improving the performance!"
Having accepted that basic performance modifications did little to hurry up the slushbox-backed RB30 engine, Antony searched for a turbo package. "The cost was quite high, so I decided to swap the engine for an RB20 DET NICS (the more powerful dual inlet runner version) with factory computer and intercooler. In stock trim in front of the original Skyline four-speed auto, the little two-litre engine performed poorly. Yep, for daily use it was a total slug requiring at least 3500 rpm before the limited boost got things moving. Thing is, with a high first gear and diff ratio, - where at 7000 pm in first the car was travelling at 110 km/h - Antony wasn't having a good time of it.
Cog Swapping
But then fate dealt a quality hand. Because of the cylinder head cracking and spitting its gasket, Antony was faced with the decision of whether to repair or improve the driveline. He opted for the latter! "I decided on an rebuild, manual transmission and to beef up the package," he enthused. Engine mods aren't exactly over the top, however they're enough to ensure the car gets up and boogies. 'Short' inclusions consist of shot peened rods with aftermarket rod bolts (ARP), Nismo competition bearings and the standard pistons are HPC coated and milled for a slight .2-point drop in compression. Rings are gapless.
The head was treated to some polishing and porting, it contains a reground Wade camshaft and accepts a port-matched NICS inlet manifold. The induction combo pretty much retains standard fair on the fuel delivery front. However, improved airflow is available thanks to a new supply pipe and ram pod, whilst oversize (65mm) intercooling piping and a smartly-placed R32 GTS intercooler see a cooler intake charge entering the engine.
Boost, all 22 pounds of it, is thanks to an ATS-prepped VL Turbo T3 turbocharger, and a high-low switch with a low setting of a mere 10 pounds. A 3.5-inch dump is mounted on the rear of the turbo and is followed by a custom mandrel-bent three-inch system. Ancillaries include a Blitz BOV and the engine wiring is connected to one of the most sophisticated immobiliser systems available. It even has remote starting!
Initially, Antony backed the engine with a complementary RB20 turbo five speed transmission, however noise was a problem and it was replaced for a second, then third and finally a fourth unit. Number four trans ended its days in a bang necessitating Antony to think a little more wisely about a replacement. Fortunately, his choice of an RB25T trans has since proven worthy! Bolted between the trans and engine is a lightened steel flywheel and heavy-duty clutch, and on the other side is a rebuilt and balanced two-piece tailshaft leading to a rebuilt diff with 3.7 LSD centre from the Silhouette model.
Satisfied with the vastly improved straight-line grunt, Antony turned his attention to the steering and braking systems. The braking ante was upped with GTS twin spot front calipers and larger rotors, while performance pads are fitted on all four corners, braided line replaces the standard rubber hoses and the master is filled with DOT 5 fluid.
The suspension is another kettle of fish altogether in that it consists of Pedders' newly released Extreme package of fully adjustable struts with mega inserts and heavy duty springs. A sprinkling of Nolathane bushes is there and the front end sits flatter thanks to an R31 GTS sway bar. The icing on the cake comes with MOMO rims wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tyres which whilst not the stickiest on the race track, are brilliant on the road. The bottom line is that the car rides hard, which is what Antony wanted and his racetrack performances suggest he's made a wise decision.
Interior Additions
Antony hasn't bothered to change the luxurious TI interior; rather he's just added tinted windows, a Speco boost gauge and Jaycar LED mixture monitor. Oh yeah, there's also a heavy hitting sound system of Phillips cassette/CD changer (six stacker in the boot), 6.5-inch Pioneer splits and 6 x 9 Kenwood rear speakers. Bass is thanks to a pair of 10 inch Kicker subs in a ported box that receive grunt from a pair of 300-watt RMS Sony Xplod amplifiers. Two 75-watt RMS Power Acoustic amps power the internal speakers.
Having a car this capable deserves to look good and Antony hasn't taken any prisoners here. Yep, he's improved the appearance of the Series 3 front tin with a custom front bar, spoiler, GTS grille and imported headlights. A GTS rear bumper and Series 3 lights improve an area most contenders only ever get to see with all and sundry painted in Spies Hecker silver by ARP Smash.
With Skylne in its current guise, Antony loves his car. Thing is, for work it has become impractical, forcing Ant to lease a new stock-as-a-rock AU Falcon. The bottom line is he can't afford to keep the Skyline. So, if you're interested in a sleek and fast R31, give him a call on 0411 225 399.
