Not only am I adding weight to the car, I will be further customizing the interior to house speakers as well as the trunk to house amplifiers and a subwoofer as part of the ‘Entertainment’ portion of my little build project.

I have taken so much shit from everyone I talk to, that I am beginning to feel, well….nevermind. Where does it state in the ‘Rule Book’ that I can not add a stereo to the car ? just because it’s a Skyline GT-R….blah fucking BLAH!

Here’s how I feel about it: There is nothing wrong with adding a little weight to the car if you have the HP to back up the changes and with the motor being built to withstand in excess of 1,000HP, why not add ‘Cruisin Tunes’ to make those road trips a little more enjoyable. You can only listen to the exhaust note for so long until it gets boring…. Being approximately $40,000+ CAD deep into this project so far, I figured that I would dig the hole just a bit deeper and satisfy every sense, while enjoying a more complete driving ‘experience’.

Here’s what I have already purchased and is ready to go into the car…..so far:

- Kenwood KDC-X890 CD Head Unit.

- AudioControl 2XS 18db/oct Crossover
- AudioControl 4XS 18db/oct Crossover
- AudioControl DQS 24bit Digital EQ
- AudioControl DDC Display & Remote
- AudioControl Epicenter

- (2) Hertz ML28 28mm Tweeters
- (2) Hertz HD500 1.5″x3″ Dome Mids
- (2) Hertz ML1600 6.5″ MidBass Drivers
- (1) Hertz ML3000 12″ 4ohm Subwoofer

- Audison SRx2s (600w RMS x 1 @ 4 ohm) to power Subwoofer.
- Audison SRx2s (180w RMS x 2 @ 4 ohm) to power Midbass.
- Audison SRx4 (170w RMS x 2 @ 4 ohm) to power Midrange.
- Audison SRx2 (65w RMS x 2 @ 4 ohm) to power Tweeters.

The list and image above represents my Front Stage and Subwoofer, as I don’t plan to run rear speakers. Depending on the overall ‘balance’ of the system and the transition from the 12″ subwoofer to the 6.5’s in the front, I may decide to install a pair of  8″ subwoofers in the rear deck and add another amplifier.

As with everything, plans continuously change, so this is TODAY’S list and may be different by the time it actually gets into the car…lol. I have already changed my mind on items that I have already purchased a few times so far, hence this post not making it’s way onto the blog any sooner.

As you can see, I am a Hertz/Audison (Elettromedia) WHORE and love their products. As this is supposed to be my Dream Car, it might as well have everything I want from top to bottom.

Unfortunately, alot of the above items are already up for sale, with the exception of the speakers and most of the amplifiers as I am contemplating going a different route in terms of processors/crossovers etc.

The first step in the part of the build planning was to figure out what I wanted to do with the battery. A relocation to the trunk seemed like the best course of action, as I would like to house the majority of the electrical components there, out of sight, out of mind.

The plan was to run main 0 Gauge Positive and Negative runs from front to back, hood to trunk. I also decided to impliment a fuseless setup, using all breakers and a redundancy of in certain areas, to give me maintenence points, or power killing abilities, without killing the entire system.

The shopping list that I had to satisdy for this portion of the build was quite a bit more extensive than I had initially planned, but I figured that I might as well pull out all the stops and ‘Just Do It’ while I was focusing on it anyways.

Starting out with an NHRA Approved Battery Relocation Box from Taylor, I then focused on ordering up all of the wiring that I would need. Mutiple meters of 0, 4, 8, 16 gauge wiring was acquired along with distribution blocks to suit all junctions and gauge-change points, as well as DC fuseless breakers in numerous amperage values to work as both safety and future maintenance points, as I described above. The diagram shown also includes plans for a 5 channel amplifier for the ‘Entertainment’ portion of the build.

With a proper wiring foundation planned, it was now time to turn to enhancing the 12V DC system, more importantly, the Voltage delivery for both the Fuel and Ignition Systems.

On the advise of another BNR32 builder, I decided to check out the Boost-A-Spark and Boost-A-Pump from Kenne Bell. Both units are cockpit ‘intensity’ controlled, boost activated Voltage Boosters/Controllers that are both Performance as well as Stability oriented in design and are extremely popular with the USDM EFI Hot Rod crowd and are both Track and Time proven units. Both require a mere 10V to operate normally and from there are able to stabilize the Voltages going to either the fuel pump or ignition systems and under positive manifold pressure (via a sensor) become active to boost voltage to user/tuner desired levels for added performance and overall safety. Although there may be ‘JDM’ type boxes such as these that exist on the market, these are simply THE BEST and are known the world over for powering some of the highest HP cars on the street, as well as the track. They were simply the best choice for my application.

So, foundation planned, Fuel and Ignition System’s power requirements taken care of……what next ? Dare I buy into the overpriced ‘JDM Grounding Kit’ ? Not exactly, although I will be laying Ground Wires anywhere and everywhere possible, as it does help – I just don’t need fancy purple wires and gold terminals totalling $250 USD to accomplish this, but then again, if there wasn’t a market, certain products wouldn’t exist, so I will not judge too harshly.

Unfortunately as time goes by, Manufacturers begin discontinuing certain items for older platforms in order to focus on those that are more current and lucrative. This is the circle of life (que Lion King soundtrack – NOW).

Thankfully, upgraded Transmission Parts and Clutches, including all maintenance parts for each, are regularly maintained items by OS Giken. If your only resort is one of the best to begin with, that’s not a bad thing.

For this portion of my build, I focused on planning to get together what I needed to build the best Street/Drag Syncro H-box I could, as I was not interested in running a Dog Box, with the majority of my driving still being on the street.

To help get the power out of the ass end of the motor and further down the driveline, the parts list purchased looked like this:

• OS Giken 5spd Close Ratio Gear Upgrade Kit, Nissan FS5W30A Transmission.
• OS Giken Strengthened Input Shaft.
• OS Giken Strengthened Transmission Center Plate.
• OS Giken TS3BW Tripple Plate Clutch, +4.55KG Heavier Flywheel.

OS Giken state that this combo will withstand well over 800HP safely and to further help my choice, I had done a little research on a few forums to see how others had made out using similar setups. I was satisfied with my decision.

I would have to say that, the ICING ON THE CAKE for this part of the build was secured just the other night and I have yet to even receive it, as it is still in transit somewhere in Japan. While browsing Yahoo Auctions Japan for something completely unrelated, I came across what I believe to be not only one of the rarest parts I have encountered, but also one of the best suited for my application.

This is, the STILLWAY 0-400 5SPD LOCKOUT SHIFTER for BNR32/BCNR33/ECR33. In basic terms, it locks out 5th and Reverse, allowing you to be able to smash 3rd gear up out of 2nd, up-right as far/carelessly as you want and never blow the shift (just remember, be careful with your ‘glass’ syncros), ending up in 5th, or worse, back into 1st !

From the Yahoo Auctions listing description, it also seems to ‘aide’ other gear changes (of course, 2nd to 3rd being the biggest concern) when engaged for reliable, trouble-free up-shifts down the 1/4 mile. This product seems to have been designed for basically Street/Drag builds, as the Yahoo listing also hints to it’s ability to engage or disengage it’s overall effect on regular H-pattern shiting, allowing normal operation until manually engaged by the driver prior to a run.

I will update further once the Shifter arrives and I have a chance to get a better look at it and the documentation. Till then, Cheers !

** Just in case someone is skimming through and not reading the entire description:

THIS IS NOT A SEQUENTIAL SHIFTER.

Do all builds honestly require spending upwards of $7,000+ USD on Front and Rear Brake upgrades ?

There have been some kick-ass OEM Brake packages available on certain vehicles, the BNR32 included (for it’s time) and builders have been retro-fitting OEM applications as upgrades onto other vehicles for years. The latest swap-friendly setup is not a Brembo package, as we have seen many times in the past. This time, it’s OEM Giant Akebono and the OEM Nissan 370-Z Sport Package braking system that is being fitted onto everything from Z32’s to Z34’s and everything in between. Thanks to the BNR32 sharing brake mounting geometry with a Z32, this kit is also a no-hassle bolt-on upgrade for us Skyline owners.

The kit is exclusive-to and currently available from Concept-Z Performance in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. www.conceptzperformance.com

Depending on how it is purchased, prices for a full front and rear kit for a BNR32 Skyline GTR range in price from about $2,400 USD + Shipping and up.

Variations to the final price may include (but are not limited to) the buyer’s choice of Brake Pads, ranging from OEM Nissan, right up to Hawk and Ferodo premium/high performance models, choice of Rotors, being either OEM, Slotted, Drilled and Brand variations. Concept-Z have also added custom finishes, in terms of colour/powdercoatings, but this was not available when I purchased my kit earlier in 2010.

This is essentially how I purchased my kit:

• Akebono (Nissan Branded) Front 4 Pot Calipers, Rear 2 Pot Calipers. 
• 355mm Stoptech Slotted Front Rotors, 350mm Stoptech Slotted Rear Rotors. **Upgrade
• Concept-Z Stainless Steel Braided Front & Rear Brake Lines.
• Concept-Z Billet Front & Rear Caliper Adapters.
• Hawk HPS Performance Brake Pads, Front & Rear. **Upgrade
• Grand Total, with UPS International Expidited 3 Day Shipping = $2,928.00 USD

For what I spent and the performance increase I will see, I could not even consider going another route, especially for a Street/Drag Car.

For less than the price of a Front-Only Big Brake Setup, in a compareable size, I was able to equip the entire car with more braking power than I will ever need.

Although I can’t take credit for the first 2 pics, as they were acquired on a forum, they clearly show the difference when comparing the Akebono (Infiniti Branded) Front & Rear Calipers to a Front OEM Nissan Brembo, that is found on R34/Z34 etc. The rest were taken by me of my kit once it arrived.

Once again, both of the ‘Infiniti branded’ above shots show the FRONT BREMBO ONLY Compared twice to the Front & then Rear Akebono Calipers.