The Tuning Parts Of R’s Meeting
Parts, Parts, Parts

The list is endless – pistons, connecting rods, cam and crankshafts, bearings, valves, valve springs and valve seats, retainers, turbos, wastegates, exhausts, ECUs, injectors, air flow meters, boost controllers, pumps – oil, water, fuel and scavenger – spark plugs, ignition coils, dampers, springs, suspension links, brake calipers, rotors and pads, aero, wheels, tyres, carbon bits…

If you’re anything like me, your mind is a nonstop mishmash of all of the above – new, old, recommended and proven. Call it the tuning bug, or simply being a car guy but we can’t escape, constantly thinking about our track project, our daily driver, or heck – even the wife’s car! So while checking out what tuners had on display at the recent R’s Meeting at Fuji Speedway, I thought trying to do a quick round-up of the most interesting parts on display would make for an interesting post.

RsMeeting-2014-37

Let’s start off with aero. While not much is happening with the older GT-Rs like the R32, R33 and R34, the same can’t be said for the R35 which continues to be at the epicenter of exterior parts development. Varis have teamed up with HKS Technical Factory in Tokyo to create this time attack beast – the Kamikaze-R – which has already cemented itself as one of the fastest R35s to lap Fuji Speedway.

RsMeeting-2014-75

Aside from the four figure power output it pushes, Varis have developed all sorts of interesting aero additions to help the car generate more downforce at speed. So along with the front and rear spoilers, and diffusers and winglets, there’s also a pretty interesting number of additions to its profile – namely Super GT inspired front vented fenders and rear overfenders that give a unique look to the big GT-R.

RsMeeting-2014-50

As you are reading this the HKS R35 GT-R is on its way down to Australia with a bunch of other cool Japanese time attack cars ready to take on the WTAC next month. The 1300hp GT-R sports a BenSopra-designed front bumper and under-spoiler section to help generate the needed downforce to keep it planted through Sydney Motorsport Park’s high speed corners. Just in case there’s too much downforce being developed, they also have a shorter diffuser they can swap in to balance out the performance.

RsMeeting-2014-42

BenSopra parts are of course made by Miura at Rocket Bunny, and in the Fuji paddock there was also another car sporting his unmistakable aero styling – Kawabata’s D1 R35 built by Trust. This rear-wheel drive GT-R wears the full Rocket Bunny san-go kit and it’s looking a lot more colourful than it was when we saw it unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January.

RsMeeting-2014-78

Properly stepping into the R35 tuning game with a whole new demo car is Do-Luck. The Yokohama-based shop came out with this serious looking GT-R running their functional front diffuser and a long list of other upgrade parts.

RsMeeting-2014-79

On top of that they unveiled their new front vented fenders, that help channel hot air away from the engine bay via a Super GT inspired outlet which doubles up as a downforce-generating winglet. It sort of reminds me of the Nismo Z-tune front fenders for the BNR34.

RsMeeting-2014-74

The Do-Luck GT-R was also sporting an Overtake rear section including one of the widest wings I’ve ever seen on an R35.

RsMeeting-2014-35

If you like the Super GT theme so far, you will love what they have on offer in the braking department. We all know that the R35 comes stock with some pretty awesome brakes, but as you boost power this is one area that will sooner or later need a rethink. Do-Luck have the solution for the most demanding of customers with a lightweight AP Racing six-pot caliper straight from GT500 Super GT cars. They are mated to special brackets and large grooved discs to create an ultimate GT-R braking package. Oh, and there are slightly smaller six-pots for the rear too…

RsMeeting-2014-61

One particularly interesting upgrade is the new Do-Luck ignition coil upgrade for the RB26 – something that everyone that runs this engine should consider throwing onto the upgrade list once you hit the 500hp mark.

RsMeeting-2014-62

These coils help bring a stronger and cleaner flow of current to the spark plugs, and the better insulation keeps them performing at their best even in the toughest conditions.

RsMeeting-2014-63

R35 owners will also be happy to hear that Do-Luck have released a digital G-sensor for their cars too. If you recall I fitted the Tarzan version of this gadget to Project GT-R a couple of years back and I was very impressed with the improvements in traction and overall feel. There’s also a digital torque controller now that allows you to fiddle around with the settings to get it all set up to your preference.

RsMeeting-2014-36

Autech Tsukada – or ATTKD as we all know them – had a superb collection of cars on show at the R’s Meeting, but the one that truly blew me away was an R34 running an RB33! If dropping in an RB30 block isn’t enough ATTKD can stroke and bore the block out for you (87.5mm x 90mm) so you can achieve 3.3L of capacity. Now mate that to an HKS V-Cam for optimal response and pick up throughout the range and a T04Z single turbo and you have created one of the torquiest RBs out there.

Tune Those Engines
RsMeeting-2014-39

Tomei Powered has some of the prettiest turbos available for the RB26 – some that sooner or later are going to get fitted onto my car. More updates on that coming soon…

RsMeeting-2014-41

There is no better way to really make your motor sing than to let it do so through a beautifully designed big bore titanium exhaust. Tomei’s Expreme Ti fits that bill nicely.

RsMeeting-2014-40

But while enjoying a barely-silenced RB26 scream at the track is quite the aural delight, there are those that prefer to stay a little under the radar.

RsMeeting-2014-43

That’s why valved systems like the one HKS has developed for the Skyline GT-R are becoming much more popular. After all, this is how supercar manufacturers manage to get their cars to pass homologation tests around the world – keeping their engines muted until about 4,000rpm, before unleashing their full aural fury.

RsMeeting-2014-44

While at the HKS display I took my time to try to understand why a 4.1L stroker kit for the VR38 costs more than double that of a 2.8L stroker kit for the RB26.

RsMeeting-2014-46

Aside front the different sizes in question and slightly different materials used, the actual reason isn’t quite so obvious when you look at them from the top.

RsMeeting-2014-49

To really notice the difference you have to check out the way they are built underneath. Both may be forged – but the similarities end there. The bigger VR38 piston on the left requires a lot of extra work to create on a five-axis milling machine, the complex truss structure making them so resistant yet so light. That’s why the kit retails for 1.3 million yen, or about US$12,200.

RsMeeting-2014-47

One of the best upgrades one can throw onto an RB motor is a V-Cam. Depending on the spec of the system chosen this allows you to vary inlet cam timing by 30 to 50 degrees and boost low-RPM torque without sacrificing top-end power. Since R32, R33 and R34 owners are holding on to their Skyline GT-Rs longer than anyone ever expected, we are beginning to see more and more people go with this solution, despite the pretty high price tag attached to the system.

RsMeeting-2014-45

Mate that to the right sort of exhaust cam (cams shown above are actually for the VR38) and you have yourself a killer setup.

RsMeeting-2014-48

These GTII 7460 turbochargers are the ones that HKS use in their GT800 engine upgrade kit for the VR – blowers that will easily boost power well over 800hp and give you 100kg/m-plus of torque to play with.

RsMeeting-2014-51

Nismo always manages to do a great job of making GT-R owners drool, and if it isn’t over their complete cars like the R34 demo car we saw in the first part of the R’s Meeting coverage, it’s with their parts.

RsMeeting-2014-68

There’s almost no reason to throw out your stock R32 (on the left) or R34 (above) ABS plastic air box and replace it with one of these immaculately built Nismo dry carbon equivalents. But you know that every single GT-R owner out there would love to have one. These haven’t been released yet as Nismo isn’t sure if it will actually sell them, but if they do, they’re guaranteed to be prohibitively expensive.

RsMeeting-2014-69

This carbon and aluminium honeycomb panel was developed for the Nismo R32 demo car project and it’s meant to replace the rear metal trunk panel located behind the rear seat backs. Aside from being lighter, this is a far more rigid piece and therefore marginally boosts the BNR32’s torsional rigidity once bolted in place. It’s all about the details, right?

RsMeeting-2014-70

Want to add extra rigidity up front without impacting weight too much? Nismo has you covered with these titanium strut tower bars.

RsMeeting-2014-71

If you are going to rebuild your GT-R at the Nismo Omori Factory then you might as well splash out on a recent addition to the ever expanding list of options. That’s this insulation kit for the floor to keep all those nasty vibrations out of the cabin and cut down on heat around the transmission tunnel. If you are wondering what the red thing is, that’s a center-mount tow hook for the BNR34.

RsMeeting-2014-52

Combine all of these wonderful upgrades together and you get cars like Nismo’s new san-ni demonstrator, which was built from the ground up to celebrate the BNR32’s 25th year anniversary.

RsMeeting-2014-72

The car is powered by a Nismo Final Spec edition RB26 and is running all of Nismo’s greatest products, including Group A turbine inlet pipes and a GT plenum.

Wheels, Transmissions & Interiors
RsMeeting-2014-53

If the only consideration you make when choosing your wheels is performance, then the new RAYS Volk Racing ZE40 should be right at the top of your shopping list. This newly-released model is more rigid and lighter than anything RAYS has ever made outside their motorsport wheel line up. I think I must have seen five or six GT-Rs at the R’s Meeting already running this wheel.

RsMeeting-2014-65

I’m so happy to see ARC back in the tuning game. After some financial trouble they have returned to making those wonderful cooling related products they have always been so well known for. They had this nice radiator overflow tank for the R35 on display – a great way to upgrade what has to be one of the biggest eyesores inside the new-gen GT-R’s engine bay.

RsMeeting-2014-73

On the subject of cooling, I spotted this differential oil cooler over at the HPI booth. This competitively priced cooler is definitely a must for anyone that spends a lot of time lapping race tracks as it helps keep the rear pumpkin at optimal temperature. The kit comes with a small radiator, Earl’s connectors, braided lines and the electric pump that circulates the fluid. The carbon breather tank is an option.

RsMeeting-2014-57

Nagata-san at Top Secret had all sorts of shiny goodies up for grabs at special discounted prices for the R’s Meeting, like this gold anodized oil catch tank for the VR38.

RsMeeting-2014-54

Developing their GT-R for this year’s WTAC has allowed Top Secret to come up with a variety of adjustable arms and links for the R35 – again a must for anyone that wants the best performance out on track.

RsMeeting-2014-55

F1-style LED fog/emergency light? Why not!

RsMeeting-2014-56

Top Secret may focus on engine and mechanical tuning, but they have never passed up on the opportunity to develop dress-up parts. Their new carbon-shelled mirrors now sport amber turn signals, just like high end European supercars do these days.

RsMeeting-2014-58

Since a number of RH9 member shops were present, Phoenix’s Power and Top Secret set up a special RH9 booth to show off some of the collaboration parts that they create, like this titanium exhaust section for the R35.

RsMeeting-2014-59

Auto Gallery Yokohama never fails to impress when it comes to driveline upgrades. They are a renowned specialists for R32 and R33 gearboxes, offering all sorts of internal upgrades from refreshes to full dog-engagement race-oriented gearing.

RsMeeting-2014-60

Or complete gearbox replacements and transfer box rebuilds.

RsMeeting-2014-64

I remember back around 15 years ago, how limited the market for brake upgrades was in Japan. The most popular upgrades were centred around Brembo Ferrari F40 or F50 four-pot calipers or old ex-motorsport AP Racing or Alcon six-pots. Nowadays you are spoiled for choice, depending on how much money you are willing to part with of course…

RsMeeting-2014-76

So you’ve taken years to fully tune up your GT-R, doing all sorts of wonderful things to the engine, driveline, suspension, braking and exterior. What’s next? The interior of course! It’s companies like Robson Leather that continue to raise the bar in this department, getting rid of the ’90s fabric that covered the seats on R32, R33 and R34 GT-Rs, and replacing it with soft leather, Alcantara, or both. This M-spec Nür demo car at their booth had just been upholstered in Nappa leather – a very soft yet durable type of hide.

RsMeeting-2014-77

For the first time they’ve even addressed the lower section of the door cards – a part that from factory is a pretty nasty and easy to scratch black textured plastic. They had to sand everything down and treat it with a special chemical so that the glue used in the upholstering process allows the Alcantara to follow the contours of the surface without any air pockets.

RsMeeting-2014-66

The same process was also used on the transmission tunnel. If you ask the guys at Robson, they might even add some padding to this area for you, because – as any GT-R owner will attest – when you do some spirited driving on track your knees bruise up pretty badly from smacking against the hard plastic on the side of the console as well as the door.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick run down on the most interesting GT-R-related parts that I came across at the R’s Meeting. You will have to wait for the Nismo Festival at the end of the year for the next Nissan-related nerd out!

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Comments



Comments are closed.

57 comments

by Oldest
by Best by Newest by Oldest
1

Nice pics and updates Dino! I thought the Vcam system was discontinued on the R34's?

2

This was a cool peek into the world of the GTR tuning marked in japan. I would love to have similar focus on other brands. Even som small surprices for lesser followed brands.

3

Damn, if I ever visit Japan, I'll choke in my drooling...

4
speedhunters_dino

MatsNorway Noted :)

5
speedhunters_dino

trustr888 No it's still very much for sale:

http://www.hks-power.co.jp/product/engine/rb26_vcam/index.html

6

Lots of cool parts but its still unbelievable that no tuner has stepped up to make a new full scale meter for the BCNR33! Because with the Nismo discontinued people have to resort to paying ridiculous prices for second hand ones.

7

trustr888

It was but this is the second or third version of the V-cam system.

8

GREW89 the GTR is love. hab letztens einen Händler in der nähe gesehen der den echt geil tunt selber 800ps

9

Great article Dino. Really interesting to see the way the tuning market is moving with the new models and adapting to owners hanging onto their cars for longer. 

PS: I'd love to see what the Japanese manufacturers have on offer for the older BMWs, if you're ever doing one of these again ;)

10

speedhunters_dino trustr888 Can you tell me anything about the system? is it a hydraulicly operated cam twister basically? It would seem doable to make a similar product for other brands.

11
VictorVanderpooten

More pics of the Nismo R34 GTR ?

12

All these parts are giving me the vapors. I really love that Varis Kamikaze-R R35 and Nismo's R32. But I can't stop looking at that R32! I want one!

13

Still love the HIS C230R, been a while since I heard more about its future lol

14

Wasn't the same event you covered last year that was also on a rainy day and (unfortunately) happened just a little before the death of gtr-otaku Paul Walker's death?

15

Don't talk about Paul... Not good memories

16

That Nismo R32 is perfection on wheels! And some very beautiful wheels too!

17

STJ88 trustr888 Right, I remember the Best Motoring episode where HKS came by with that system.

18

Some these pictures look more like space ship parts than car parts.

19

speedhunters_dino MatsNorway RX7's please! :)

20
speedhunters_dino

Afroneck Hope that's a good thing haha

21
speedhunters_dino

mbretschneider Yes and yes

22
speedhunters_dino

LukeEVOVIII HKS should bring it back out!

23
speedhunters_dino

VictorVanderpooten Feature coming :)

24
speedhunters_dino

Verdigrie Could be something worth investigating, there is one shop in Yokohama that I've been meaning to visit for a while now does a complete E36 M3 package

25
speedhunters_dino

STJ88 There are a few speedo conversions still out there

26
speedhunters_dino

Brett Allen speedhunters_dino MatsNorway haha ok

27
speedhunters_dino

MatsNorway speedhunters_dino trustr888 uses oil pressure to actuate, then the cam looks like is off a VQ engine I think

28
speedhunters_dino

trustr888 STJ88 Black R34 GTR where Wakisaka and Tsuchiya try it at Ebisu Higashi?

29

Definitely a good thing. Dude, I would mount some of these on a wall as art. The craftsmanship is amazing.

30

Really didn't know that, who makes them?

31

I'm glad there are still some articles I can enjoy in amongst all the stance and drift sh*t you guys are all about these days

32
speedhunters_dino

Gareth36 Come on, take a look at the front page now and tell me how much stance and drift related posts there are. We cover car culture in all its flavours... ;)

33
speedhunters_dino

Afroneck I know what you mean! I have accumulated bits and pieces over the years and most of them sit on my bookcase as display items :D

34
speedhunters_dino

STJ88 Bunch of them, Yahoo Auctions is always a good place to start looking:

http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=R33&auccat=2084008427&aq=-1&oq=&ei=UTF-8&tab_ex=commerce&slider=0

35
speedhunters_dino

HarryK Bring tissues hehe

36

If they did bring it out, they'd always have a buyer here though!

37

speedhunters_dino Gareth36 After putting everything everything on the front page into groups i realise that there was more variety than i thought, it is somewhat skewed though due to the two redbull F1 features which are a rarity and your two R's meeting features (the type of thing which also seems to be a rarity now), you must admit something has changed in the last 4 or 5 months, i think i really became apparent to me with the lack of N24 and LM 24....anyway that's upto you guys i'm just glad there is still some goodness for me! Thanks

38

Really enjoyed this article! I can now not only dream of the parts but their unruly price tags!

39

speedhunters_dino STJ88

I know bought one there last week, but was thinking about new. No body make's new combo meters for the bcnr33.

40

speedhunters_dino Verdigrie
That wouldn't happen to be Studie would it? On my trip to Tokyo I tried to find their shop, got lost in Yokohama and went to UP garage instead. 
Any E36 content (especially the idlers 318is variety) would be very much appreciated :)

41

When is the Nismo Festival?!?

42

I would seriously look into the problems the tomei turbos have had. I know here in Australia many people have had to send them back. Just saying they may be a bit cheaper than other options are sure they make good numbers but i know of at least 5 that have gone in within a year of install

43
speedhunters_dino

@Jonno They initially did have some issues with the SR20 turbo charger, but from what Tomei told me that was 2-3 years ago now and they have since fixed the issue. Have yet to hear of a RB26 one failing

44
speedhunters_dino

cooki_monsta Usually first weekend of December

45
speedhunters_dino

Lachys114 Thanks!

46
speedhunters_dino

Gareth36 speedhunters_dino Well we have laid off the motorsport coverage if that is what you are getting at :)

47
speedhunters_dino

Verdigrie speedhunters_dino No the place is called Iding Power. There are a few Studie places around Tokyo and Yokohama, you should have checked their website and copy & pasted their address into Google Maps, that always makes things easier :)

48
speedhunters_dino

STJ88 speedhunters_dino Nor for the R32 or R34...same goes for headlights, I really wish someone came up with a modern headlight conversion for the older GT-Rs!

49

speedhunters_dino STJ88

No the Nismo R32 en R34 are still in production. And pretty strange that there are no good headlights available, everybody seems to be fixated with making rear LED's!

http://www.nengun.com/nismo/320km-speedometer-r32-gtr

http://www.nengun.com/nismo/combo-meter-skyline-r34-gtr

50

speedhunters_dino MatsNorway trustr888

Nice system but way too expensive, lost of shops in Japan have started experimenting with NVCS (R34 GTT valve timing) on RB26 engines.

51

speedhunters_dino Verdigrie Oh I'd be very pleased to see some coverage about Iding. Their rear seat delete has been mythological in the E36 community for quite some time!
Unfortunately at the time I was in Tokyo I only had my backup phone as we had travelled through HongKong and Shanghai...to say we were unprepared for Tokyo would be a massive understatement, but there will always be next time :)

52

Speaking of WTAC, the Queensland matsuri is Australia's biggest drift event, it would be great to see coverage of this event also.

53
Gianluca FairladyZ

speedhunters_dino Thanks for this nice coverage Dino. Let me ask you a question. Since there is so much competition between the tuners, how can Nismo be still in the game? We all know that Nismo parts are really high priced for the Skyline scene. Does it make sense for Nismo to continue as seller of aftermarket parts or should they limit their self as a constructor of complete cars ( Nismo GT-R, Nismo Z's, etc) Thanks.

54

speedhunters_dino trustr888 STJ88 Yup. I love that episode. Same with all the episodes to be honest. Btw Dino, this might be off topic, but I"m kind of in the crossroads in the tire department. I have an 08 Nismo edition 350Z. Stock tires lasted up to now @ 23k miles. I'm deciding whether to go for the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R's or the Hankook Ventus RS3 Ver.2's. Not sure though if anybody in Japan uses the ventus rs3's.

55
speedhunters_dino

Gianluca FairladyZ speedhunters_dino Simple, because they still sell a lot. The Japanese aren't looking for cheap deals, the pay for the best parts and even more so when it comes with the kudos of having official Nismo products and service.

56

Anyone with quick estimate (US $) of much these cost as a whole? I know that you can't have both aero kits, but...

57

I truly LOVE this article!  I was actually getting a bit emotional looking at these pictures and from realizing how much I just love cars in general, especially those from Japan.  Thank you very much Dino for supplying me with more motivation to work towards my dream car.

OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS