What was the acquisition process like?
”I began talking with Toprank Global and looking for R33 GTRs in Japan in December 2020. Went through auction sheets and talked to a Toprank rep daily. I Initially wanted a white one, but ended up buying this silver one out of Toprank’s Japan inventory in March 2021. It had a grade 4 on its auction sheet and was very clean with little rust. Buying from their inventory allowed me to do a compression test on the vehicle and get additional photos of the underside before I purchased the car.
The car was mostly stock with some tasteful parts: HKS exhaust, Nismo white speedometer, and Advan RA3DT wheels. It took two months from purchasing for the car to arrive at port in the US. When I picked up the GTR at the port it was my first time ever seeing an R33 GTR in person, thankfully I loved it! A customs broker helped assist me with all of the import documentation and picking up the vehicle.”
Nick’s Background
”My name is Nick, a 29 year old from Portland, Oregon. My career came to an unfortunate end as a division 1 College Football player after I had to undergo open heart surgery. The shift away from football reignited my love for cars and my desire to learn how to work on them after college.
I learned how to drive stick 5 years ago in a 1993 Ford Escort GT that I purchased for $250. In 2020 I moved to Hawaii and worked on cars during my time there. I now reside in Tennessee. Besides the GTR, I have built a 2003 Mustang GT, 2011 BMW 335i, and 2015 Audi S4.”
”As a kid watching racing with my dad and playing racing video games like Forza Motorsport, Test Drive Unlimited, and Top Gear. Watching fast and furious later and working on cars with friends opened my eyes to JDM cars and car culture.”
Mod List
Exterior: Custom built 18×10.5 Nismo LMGT2 wheels w/ Advan Apex V601 tires, Nismo S Tune front bumper, Nismo S Tune side skirts, Top Secret rear diffuser, Stout Type R carbon hood, custom projector headlight conversion, custom carbon side skirt extensions, ganador style mirrors, Nismo livery, carbon twin blade spoiler wing, Nismo wing end caps, Nismo B Pillar garnish, Garage Active front and rear tow hooks, Club R33 rear spats, N1 style bumper vents and hood lip, Car Shop F1 carbon front lip, rear wiper delete, Parts Collective titanium LMGT2 center caps.
Interior: Bride Stradia III carbon seats, White Nismo speedometer and triple gauges, renown time trial steering wheel, works bell X Night runners international quick release, works bell hub lock, Nismo floor mats, Nismo mirror cover, Mines Alcantara Shift boot, Mines ebrake & ebrake boot.
Performance: Greddy intercooler, HKS Super Turbo exhaust, Tomei titanium equal length downpipe, PRP R35 coil kit conversion, Protokraft carbon coil cover, extreme organic clutch/flywheel, Nismo titanium strut bar, HKS Hipermax coilovers, GKtech front upper camber arms, DBS slotted front rotors and Ferodo 2500 pads.
Restoration: Paint correction & ceramic coating, all new OEM exterior badges, new OEM wiper arms & hood cowel replacement, LED guage light replacement, polished and ceramic coated glass.
Future Plans
”I’d like to do Stance Parts air cup kit, building the motor for a reliable 450 hp, custom interior reupholstery, continuing to drive the Skyline as much as I can to beautiful parts of the country.”
Favorite Thing About the R33?
”The driving experience. Every time I’m behind the wheel, I am reminded of how much care the engineers who made the R33 GTR put into it. Between the placement of the pedals/shifter, to the Atessa AWD system, the sound and feel of the RB26 work together to create the most satisfying driving experience I have ever had.
Even though it is now 29 years old it feels much more alive and responsive than anything else I have ever driven.”
