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My Skyline returns

7K views 72 replies 8 participants last post by  mr_blue_sky 
#1 ·
Hi,
I've been a member of this Forum making the most of it's wealth of information for sometime now and as I've pretty well completed the restoration of my R33 GT (N/A) Skyline I thought that while I'm laid up convalescing after an operation that It's about time I contributed and shared some it's journey for any that are interested or thinking of doing the same.

After seeing ?Naturally Aspirated? some of you may think the same as a few of my friends and wonder why restore something without a Turbo so maybe a bit about me and how I came to be doing this might help explain some of my perceived madness.

Being in my mid 50's it's likely I'm not the youngest member here although I like to hope I'm also not the eldest either...ha! Over the years in-between harder times and a few heaps of rubbish I've been lucky enough to have had a few half decent cars, well they were half decent at the time and have included both the Opel Manta A (1.9lt SR) and Manta B (1.9lt Berlinetta), Opel SR Kadett and a Nissan 200sx (S14) but ever since I was fortunate enough to have had a Datsun 240z in my early 20's I've always had a fondness for the Japanese straight 6 engine and have since had both the R33 GT and R34 GTT Skyline.

I acquired my first Skyline the R33 GT (n/a) after my 200SX was stolen around about October 2000 (good can come from bad), it was a fresh import so I was the first UK owner and it was all standard factory issue complete with the original 15? wheels etc plus a full Japanese service history, the fact that it was the non turbo version suited me after the 200SX as it was not only more reminiscent of the 240Z engine but also a lovely not mega thirsty, comfortable car to drive that delivered all I needed from a Grand Tourer.

It was used it as my daily car for just over 8yrs adding a further 80,000mls to the 34,000mls I acquired it with before the usual rust and rot in the rear arches, turret tops and a few other area's were getting the better of her so I decided it was time for a change and picked up a R34 GTT (Bayside Blue replica GTR).

Rather than dispose of the R33 and with the fact that at the time it really wasn't worth anything other than scrap value and after 8+yrs of trouble free motoring it certainly never owed me anything I decided to stick it away in a garage in the hope that one day I might be able to resurrect it and give it a new lease of life in some form or another.

About 8 years later with the R34 having long gone as well as a couple of other ?normal? boring cars I had to move the R33 from the garage it was stored in and make a decision to either get another storage garage or get rid of it. As I was now in a better position to have it looked at in regard to getting back to it's former glory I found another garage to keep it in while I started the checks on how deep my pockets needed to be. Of course they turned out needing to be a lot deeper than my hands could reach but as many of you will know once a mission has started it's impossible to stop and you just extend the mission end date.

Over the next few mails when I'm able to write more I will try and start from the point of retrieving it from storage, my intentions of what to do, what's been done and where it's at to date.
 
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#31 ·
I'm not really sure how best to cover the work done on the n/s sill section running from the rear wheel arch to front wheel so I thought I'd start with a reminder of it at the beginning after the paint had been taken off, as well as the damage found near the front wheel and its bad repair which must have been done in Japan.








They also found more damage on the ledge below the passenger door which had also impacted on the inside above the floor pan and again not very well repaired.







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#32 ·
The next few are the n/s side again with the outer sill removed showing not only what's underneath and how its constructed but the hidden rust and corrosion.
In my case the majority of it is at the front spreading backwards from the damaged and badly repaired section but there is still quite a bit in the mid section and a lot in the rear section adjoining the wheel arch.
















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#36 ·
Thanks Moff, there was a lot more than I initially thought needed doing but as you'll know once you've started you can't stop, particularly when you can't do it yourself but thankfully the restorer who done the work (P J Smith in Bedford) were very accommodating at having rest periods for additional fund raising periods on my part and did the work over just short of a year.

I've been trying to show pics (hopefully without over doing it) on the areas you hope never to see on your own car but show what's underneath and how they're built just in case you do...ha.

At this point in the build I'd decided on what my end aim was, I have a standard factory R33 GTS spec 1 with its Japanese service history, all its original hand books etc so it'd be a shame to lose that, especially as there are less and less unmodified versions around now.
So I aimed to demodify what little it's had done and hopefully end up with a choice between a Factory Standard with its original wheels ect - wheels which at this point I still didn't know if I could find and get back - or as I also had a spec 2 Spoiler and Grille have those done as well so that I can have a change if I want.

Anyway thanks for your message and I'll keep adding more as and when I get over the continuing problems of uploading pics which is due to what ever problem my phone or laptop deem to be appropriate to wind me up with at the time...ha

NB: I am still looking for a Spec 1 high level brake light, the one that's set in the spoiler if anyone has one for sale. See my post in parts wanted if you have. Thanks.

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#39 ·
Back to the rear near side wheel arch, you'll have seen how rotten this was earlier so quite a lot had to be cut out.

I'd been lucky enough to obtain the lower part of another rear wing which was in good condition so this side didn't need making from scratch like the other side.



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#40 ·
Next on the seemingly never ending list was the Turrets and the underside of the front wings.
As much as I'd liked to have had the engine out and also have it fully cleaned funds were running on fumes so all this was managed with the engine still in place.



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#49 ·
Thanks Terry,
at this stage I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and after seeing it with the wings and bonnet back on (even though it was only to check alignment) I was getting excited about having it back and actually being able to drive it again after nearly 8yrs.
 
#51 ·
I sure hope I never have to do my arches or in fact any of this again, with all the stone guard protection thats gone on and with it no longer being my daily driver it also won't be seeing much rain or salt so it should see me out. Also even if they rotted at the same rate I'd be in my seventies by then and probably being encouraged to give up driving anyway.....lol

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#52 ·
With the wings and bonnet fitting ok it then went in to the paint shop to have the front inner wings and inner rear arches Stone Guarded and painted.
I don't have very good pics of the rears being done so these few only cover the front.


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