Progress Bar: R32 Part 14 - Close But No GT-R...Plus Some Dirty, Dirty Car Porn

A long time's passed since my last Progress Bar post about my R32. I was hoping that by the time I wrote my next update I could finally announce that my car had roared back to life and was ready to be all the GT-R it could be once again. Sadly the car hasn't quite reached that point yet but it's tantalizingly close. With the holidays coming up I'll probably be taking a break from posting for a bit so I figured I should do one update before going on hiatus.

As you can see from the lead picture the front end's mostly all back together again and that Nismo intercooler is looking particularly spiffy. Everything in the engine bay is now finally hooked up after some delays due to sweating the details and sourcing some missing parts. The throttle cable was one particular worry because it seemed to have gone AWOL in the move the car made from here in Yuma up to Phoenix. Unfortunately R32 GT-R throttle cables are one of the many OEM parts that've been discontinued and auctions turned up no used ones available so for a while there I was worried that my car's build was royally fornicated. 

Thankfully, a knight with a shining purple Japanese steed came to our rescue. As soon as I posted on an Arizona Skyline owner's Facebook group my dire need for a replacement, Jose - a Phoenix resident with a four-door R32 GTS-t - responded that he just happened to have one extra because he had an R32 GT-R front clip he was using to source parts for a front-end conversion on his car. Jose shot me a fair price and we soon arranged to meet at Black Market Racing to do the deal and check out each other's cars - or at least the giant paperweight I had that was trying to become a car again.

Jose's cable quickly found a home on my car complete with a custom bracket to hold it and the aftermarket fuel pressure regulator.

Looks pretty complete doesn't it? That's because it pretty much is! Just a few more details to sweat on all the aftermarket and custom parts and she'll start getting some dyno time. In fact, the build's reached the point where all the essential fluids are being put back in the car. In the process of doing that however some little niggles came up.

Niggles like my snazzy gold brake calipers developing a mild case of incontinence. That's been fixed thankfully so I don't have to worry about my freshly reassembled front end getting involuntarily remodeled.

Mostly it's been all about sweating the details though like adding vital insulation such as the turbo blanket and heat wrap you can see here.

There's also the snazzy new black AN lines for my oil filter relocator to replace the gaudy red, blue, and silver mix it had before as well as the cleaned-up routing for my battery relocation wiring.

And of course I can't ignore the Tomei exhaust that's now installed on the car looking all shiny and chrome...and burnt titanium.

 
So yeah, the day my poor Nismo R32 can be called a car again is edging ever closer. Hopefully I'll get my own Christmas miracle and that brand-spanking new Nismo RB26 will start singing the song of its people before baby Jesus' birthday this year!

Since I can't regale you with my car's sonorous exhaust note just yet I've got another treat instead for you dear reader. How about some pornography?

Oh my, give me a second 'cause it just got rather tight in my pants.

Those three immortal letters.

Yup, on one of my visits to Black Market to check on my R32 one of the friends I've made in the process of my car's resurrection brought his spectactularly clean R34. Feast on the pics but make sure to have some hankies handy for all the drool.

Don't recognize the color? Well, it's a factory color...for an Aston Martin that is. It's hard to do it proper justice in photos as it's one of those shades that looks so different depending on the lighting.

And then there's that engine bay chock full of sick parts.

Obviously the sick parts don't stop at the engine bay. Big-ass monobloc Brembos are complimented by a touch of gold that tells the suspension connoisseur this ride has some seriously trick stuff - Ohlins baby!

As I mentioned before though this sickeningly awesome R34 wasn't the only cool ride I got to check out on my trips to Phoenix. I had to snap some pics of Jose's purple people seater as well.

 
If you've read my last post on R's Day this car might look familiar since Jose joined us in the festivities and was in one of my photos from the Friday night meet and greet.

No, the engine bay may not be as drool-inducing as that R34's but respect has to be extended to this car nonetheless since it took Jose from Phoenix to Monterey, did laps of Laguna Seca, and took him back home again without issue. More than can be said of many R32s...including my own so far lol.

And that wraps up this edition of "What problems are going on with Oliver's R32 build this time?". Fingers crossed and part 15 will be the one sharing the big news. Please stay tuned!