It’s fair to say you learn a bit by the time
you’re onto your third, fourth, fifth or sixth modified car. The chase for
all-out power typically loses impetus and extra focus is given to reliability,
drivability and legal considerations. Adriano Rosson knows the story all too
well. Having owned a WB Holden with nitrous and mini-tubs, and a coupe of overtly
modified Nissan Skyline GT-Rs, he got tired of being booked so took a slightly
different route with this machine.
Adriano picked up his current R33 GT-R as an
unfinished project. Sure, the motor was brought up to N1-spec and the head was
ported but the previous owner’s money ran out when it came time for the bolt-on
aftermarket equipment. There was a lot of work to do – and Adriano was the man
to do it!
Knowing the strength of the N1-spec motor, Adriano
had no hesitation fitting some pretty serious go-fast gear - but nothing over
the top or that would attract too much unwanted attention. The exhaust manifolds
were match-ported to the head and twin HKS GT25/60-5 turbochargers were bolted
on. A pair of 3 inch dump pipes feed into a custom high-flow exhaust employing Di Filippo and MagnaFlow resonators. The result is a legally compliant 91dB(A)
sound pressure level at the tailpipe.
Cooling the 1.2 Bar boost rush is a Trust 100mm
thick ‘drag spec’ intercooler. Interestingly, Adriano fitted the Trust ‘cooler
in conjunction with standard Nissan plumbing – this maintains a totally stock under-bonnet
appearance. A pair of plumb-back HKS blow-off valves hide inside the right-side
guard (in the stock blow-off valve location).
One of the biggest under-bonnet surprises is the
retention of the factory airbox assembly. You’d reckon this is a big power
limiter but look closely and you’ll find the airbox has been sneakily equipped
with extra air passages. A K&N panel filter and de-screened airflow meter go
further to ensure minimal intake restriction. A peruse of the engine bay will
also reveal the 20 row oil cooler and a custom catch can that drains oil back
into the 9-litre sump. You won’t find any breathers venting to atmosphere here!
The fuel and engine management mods are completely
stealth. Chances are you haven’t noticed the 720cc injectors, the Sard upgrade
fuel pump or the plug-in A’PEXi Power FC programmable ECU. The ignition system
is standard.
Adriano says the HKS GT25/60-5 turbos are much
quicker to spool than the set-up used in previous GT-Rs and have no problem
achieving a measured 268kW at the rear wheels on 1.2 Bar boost. In fact, based
on experience, Adriano says these turbos are begging for some more boost. And
that’s exactly what they’ll get in the next couple of weeks – Adriano is keen to
find out how much power there is with 1.7 Bar boost and race-grade fuel in the
tank.
After experiencing the ‘joys’ of a savage
twin-plate clutch in his previous ‘R, Adriano decided to upgrade the driveline
with nothing more than a single-plate aftermarket clutch. A modified Exedy
pressure plate delivers around 4000 pound clamping pressure (which is no problem
when you’ve got a hydraulic clutch). The standard gearbox and diffs remain,
although they have been rebuilt as a precaution.
Traction is assured by the Skyline’s active AWD
system but Adriano has added some extra grip and handling poise with some new
wheels/tyres and suspension mods. The guards are filled by 18 inch ROH wheels
which are custom built to maintain the original track measurement – the police
stung Adriano for illegal track measurements in his previous GT-R... Tyres are
265/35 18s front and rear. At the time of our photo shoot, the car was equipped
with subtly lowered King springs with R34 GT-R dampers. Castor and camber is
also adjustable. Track applications call for Tanabe adjustable coil-overs and
there’s a set of adjustable Koni front dampers sitting in the shed ready for the
quarter mile.
Inside, Adriano has kept the car pretty well
standard. Non-standard equipment includes an AutoMeter boost gauge and intake air
temperature gauge (which rarely points above about 40 degrees C when running on
boost). An Alpine head unit and amp can be found in the cabin and there’s a pair
of Alpine 10-inch carbon fibre subs living in the boot floor. It was essential
the subs were mounted to consume minimal space as Adriano often needs to squeeze
a pram into the boot. You’ll also find a pair of child seats strapped onto the
back seat - yep, this GT-R really is unique!
Not long after our photo shoot, Adriano ran the
car down the quarter mile in full street trim (18 inch wheels, ‘street’
suspension and child seats in the back!) and came away with a 12.1 second ET
with a very strong 121 mph top-end. And that was with only one attempt... A high
11 second pass seems well within reach with no further mods. Not bad for a car
that doesn’t get hassled on the drive to and from the track – Adriano say he was
once pulled over for a roadside emissions test and came aay with flying colours!
This is certainly one of the cleanest GT-Rs on
Australian roads and Adriano knew all it needed was the big rims, window tint,
clear indicator lenses and some cabon fibre inserts in the rear wing to
effectively enhance the look. It’s a simple formula that receives all the right
kind of attention - nothing that makes the plice do a U-turn and engage in a
pursuit...
But with another child on the way,Adriano
recognises his time with GT-Rs is nearing an end – the two-door body simply
isn’t practical enough. He is keen to find out what power it’ll make with some
more boost and then it seems likely the pair will part company. If you’ve got
around AUD$39,000 to spare and you’re genuinely interested, Adriano can be
contacted through michael@autospeed.com Hmmm,
investment time!
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