my gtr story...
well...it's basically spring...i kind of couldn't wait to get the gtr out...and since i'm doing so i thought i'd do a bit of write up...i don't see many new posts on here...
the very first rhd car i ever drove was my friend's 89 gtr. he had been talking about the r32 for years before he got one, and after learning about the car, i wanted to own one at some point. but the experience of driving one...it made me NEED to own one.
his car was pretty nice, it had big old brembos, coilovers, was cammed and tuned, and had an ebc...i didn't know enough about cars at the time to really appreciate it...but it was amazing to drive...we went down the infamous westside road near kelowna b.c....that drive gave me butterflies every time i thought about it for months afterward...not because it was crazy or dangerous, but because the car gripped so hard, handled so well, and stopped. like...stop stopped. it was...love.
so...fast forward five years to last fall...a 92 was traded in at the dealer i work at...it wasn't quite driveable, but it ran...and i was on it like a dragon on gold.
my inspection revealed an apex'i power fc and commander, hks intakes, turboback exh. with apex'i muffler, and an aem wideband. i'm not sure if the engine is untouched or what...
i bought it without knowing anything about the background of the car, other than a few import papers and random things i heard. it has been crashed, most of the front end stuff has been replaced (fenders, hood, bumper etc.) but as far as i can tell there was no structural repair needed.
the car came in with the clutch master hanging off the booster (one of the nuts had come off and when the clutch was pushed in the other stud bent under the force.) so that was the first fix i had to do. the car came with a new master so i repaired the booster and put it right.
i did a double hot oil flush on it as the oil looked like it hadn't been changed in way too long, and took it out for a spin.
i was dismayed to find that despite what the guy had told sales, there was no tune on it. it was rich at idle, and only got worse once under power. the air/fuel pinned itself below 10:1 and stayed there as long as you were on throttle basically. in addition to that, the timing was advanced way too far and it would knock (bad) as soon as it hit boost.
so then i learned how to use the fc commander (kind of), and had a buddy drive it while i monitored and adjusted things until i could drive it without danger of really f**king things up. it runs decent now, but i'd like to get a datalogit cable so i can do a better job.
i noticed after i drove it for a week that it started misfiring (and idle hunting) when it was hot, so i used the fc commander to look at values. one of the mafs was cutting out, so i soldered both. i also mounted them to brackets since they had been left free floating...it's been good since.
the rear end had a clunk, and when i looked at the lca bushings they were f**ked. i replaced them, and while doing so realized that someone had installed the incorrect urethane bushings in the car. needless to say it has the proper energy urethane ones now. i've done plugs on it too, and bled the brakes...
it still needs love. it's got some rust behind the wheels, the fan clutch seized right before i parked it in the fall, and i've got some new front tires coming for it. there are a few leaks from the transfer case, some interior issues, and a couple of other things i'd like to take care of before i consider it good.
it's been a long time coming, but i finally got one...and i really. really like this car. it's so fun...controllable...awesome. i was just coming home tonight and had some d**k tailgating me as i pulled off the highway...so i dropped a gear and drifted a thick one out, and left him so. so far behind...all with a coffee in one hand. (of course, this wasn't me, but a professional driver on a closed course.)
that's one of the amazing things about these cars though, they just...rip...you can pull moves impossible in most cars without ever feeling out of control, increasing your pulse rate, or trying...and when you drive them hard...well...it's like music. it's like...poetry...it's like a f**king ballet, man.
yeah...i know, i love my subaru too. but the wrx is quick, and the gtr is FAST. the wrx is nimble, light, super fun. the gtr is f**king dead serious. it's a beast, it breathes fire, roars like a monster...it's awesome...
top one is today.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by dah_hunter
