New Car - New Life - New Challanges

[Ares Helix]

So you've built a life for yourself.
Dream girl, dream house, dream car, dream Cat.
Things seem amazing.
Of course, at least from a literary stand point, things are not always as they seem...

With my ER34 GT-t running brilliantly (apart from that vicious twin plate!)
A few road trips, a few track days and more than a few people biting off way more
than they could chew - 2000 Legacy, i'm looking at you (in the rear view) I
was more than happy with the weapon i had built...

...and yet. In the back of my mind there was a niggle. A thought scratching away
like a mosquito bite.

In mid 2012, the next planned modification to my GT-t was down to two options:
Either go with a bigger turbo and manifold or bin the 25DET engine for a 26DETT.
Whilst weighing up the costs associated (including workshop and re-tune) it
was beginning to look pricey, especially since i wanted to go with plan B (new engine)
After weighing up the options my partner (at the time) put forward the suggestion:
"Sell Blue and find a replacement"

After several months of debate and a few more of settling in to our new place,
we hit up Trademe once more to find something new...

[Xsannz]

Options were?

Drop Girl, Run over cat, Rent out house, live in garage and build a custom build from the ground up???

[Arseynimz]

Ohhhhhh, an Ares story!! *grabs popcorn*

[Ares Helix]

In all things there is potential for love.
Whether seen or unseen, heard or unheard, there is always the potential,
the possibility, that we, as creatures of emotion, can find that connection,
not just in one another, but in ourselves and our interests.

I came from an artistic background - son to an English teacher and a Weaver,
brother to an Archivist come Calligrapher - performance music for many years,
followed in to a semi-career dj'ing here and there...

So my question was, and still is really;
Where the hell did my love of Cars come from?

I've lost sleep about this - this unnatural obsession with things of a four-
wheeled nature. It wasn't apparent until i hit about 24 or so either, so part
of me wonders if it's a natural or forced behavior, due to the people i chose
to hang out with.
The fact remains that i'm still unable to resolve the reasons behind my passion
for things automotive and yes, though i know it shouldn't, it bugs me that i'm
this invested in something with apparently no due reason other than;
people like what they like... 

One of my oldest friends and long term flatmate, Blackdove (gamer nickname)
recalls how happy i was with my mate Blue and that my now ex-wife began
putting thoughts of changing cars into my head. From my standpoint, it was
something i did actually want, however from his perspective, it's a different story.

Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, trademe came through once more
and after a phone call or two, one to the Guru and one to the dealership, we
arranged a time to meet and test drive the vehicle in question.

[Ares Helix]

For many people, at least Since the mid 90's or so, their first taste of
true performance motoring came from some form of Video game. The
playstation and xbox game catalog are awash with racing titles; from
staples of the annual F1 simulators, through to the more arcade inspired
Need For Speed games to karting games from LittleBigPlanet and Mario
there's literally something for everyone to be found.

For me, in '99 working at Dick Smith introduced me to Gran Turismo 2 and
the myriad of cars and manufacturers avaiable.
My eyes were opened and I've never looked back

Of all the cars in my garage, my prized possession was my Calsonic R34 GTR.
Setup for Japan's GT500 league, the car was very different from the standard,
but it was more a looks thing. Unlike the 32 and 33, the 34 shape Skyline's
seemed more aggressive and staunch. Possibly because of the angles and
wider stance, possible just on the larger headlights but for whatever reason,
they struck a chord with me.

So it was that in early May 2013, Blue and I made the trek up to the Guru's
temple, picked up Raj and, after apologizing in advance for my inferior driving
ability, headed to the car yard to check out the prospective replacement.

I wasn't terribly hopeful en route simply because of the colour, not only of the
car itself, but also the wheels...
Still when the thing is as rare as these beasties are, you kinda shrug and say
oh well.

As it was, after fighting our way through Auckland mid week, rainy day traffic,
we arrived at the dealership...

...and my jaw hit the floor as we walked in.

[Ares Helix]

I don't wear Pink.

I have nothing against the colour, or any colour for that matter -
they're colours - but, like Pink, there are many I won't wear, not
for any grand statements about race, religion or sexuality - nope,
i simply don't look good in Pink.

Purple on the other hand is a different story.
Years ago I had an amazing purple business shirt that was ruined
by the careless use of exit mould in the cupboard where it was
hanging. Sigh, i loved that shirt...

Purple has a bit of a History with Nissan as well.
In 1995 they (Nissan) launched a new GT-R as a follow up to the
highly successful and widely praised R32. It was wider, longer and
heavier than its predecessor and because of this, sadly, not as popular.
With the V-Spec variant came several changes over and above the
standard GT-R, however the most noticeable was the option of the now
iconic, inky black, Midnight Purple paint.
A pearlescent  paint that was an instant classic look, it can't really be
appreciated until viewed in person, but when you get up close the depth
to the colour is astonishing.

In 1999, with the introduction of the R34 shape in the previous year,
Nissan revived the now legendary Midnight Purple as an option for the
brand new V-Spec models, but with several 'catches'.
Firstly there would be two colours aptly named; Midnight Purple II and III.
Second, they would be a limited run, 300 cars for II and 175 for III.
Lastly, thanks largely to trends in Japanese car culture at the time, the
colours would be more subtle and subdued...
...wait that's not right, let's rephrase that...
the colours would be bat-crap crazy.

After i was done picking my jaw off the floor, i knew i was looking at
something special, something rare and something far more agressive
than i had remembered.
After a quick walk around the sales guys moved the car out of storage,
i jumped in the back, the guru and yard owner jumped in the front and
we headed out onto the street in a freshly imported, Midnight Purple III,
R34 GT-R Victory Spec.

My first thought was simple - MAN these back seats are comfy!!!

[toofast]

Wow, a r34 gtr vspec, and in purple as well. You are living my dream (except for the purple, much more of a white car person). Must of cost you some serious dosh though.

[Ares Helix]

Given my propensity for pushing my vehicles hard through tight bends
and my respect for tyres, i've never been one to enjoy drifting. I can
appreciate the skill involved and can do it (in a somewhat limited capacity)
myself but it never really appealed to me. The setup in my GT-t was a
great example of this - although quite capable of drifting - i geared the
footwork (suspension, tyres and brakes) all towards sticking to the road
and getting out of corners fast. That said, when it let go, it really let go!

However, whether you're out to annoy Australians, or just wanting to go
around corners faster than most other cars, the Nissan Skyline GT-R and it's
successors, the Nissan _ _ _ GT-R's, are generally considered some of the
best in the business. So good in fact that they were effectively outlawed
from the Australian Touring Car Championships in the early nineties.

The trick to them was an intuitive all wheel drive system called ATTESA E-TS
I won't bore you with the details but effectively this system, first introduced
on the 1989 R32 GT-R, combined the best elements of a rear wheel drive car,
with the desirable elements of a four wheel drive.
In normal conditions, the car is RWD, allowing for the maneuverability and
agility associated with them. However, when pushed past the limits of grip,
sensors and a specialized computer system, will divert torque (engine power)
away from the rear to the front wheels, allowing for more traction, especially
on entry to and exit from corners at high speed.

With the introduction of the V-Spec models cam the E-TS Pro, using an active
rear differential to 'vector' torque more accurately between the rear wheels.
I'm still a tad uncertain what the actual difference is but from what i've read,
the active rear differential is controlled directly by the ATTESA computer, to
allow more precise opening and locking. Effectively, this minimizes the charcteristic
under-steer so common in four wheel drives (GT-R's especially)

Whilst we didn't hammer it, just a quick up and down the street, I could feel
the difference the extra grip made. More sure footed than blue was from the
get go. The exhaust note was sublime, thanks to the factory fitted Nismo cat
- back and did i mention the rear seats?

We dropped the car back and after running a few errands, I dropped the guru
home and proceeded to my abode to contemplate the massive financial and
emotional decision in front of me.

Should I buy my dream car?

[Growler]

ohhhh!

I am in this boat at the moment (diff car completely) but I have an opportunity to blow $30-40k on my dream car and unsure if I should do it!

I am probably in a much different financial position to you but it still matters!

Do you have a significant other, if so what are their thoughts?

[Ninja]

me and a few friends are currently building an R33 GTR with the target of making over a thousand horsepower in a daily driven street car, the engine is at RIPS, the body is getting prepped and painted, with aerodynamic peices on the way. For anyone in a place where they can buy a GTR id say do it, that car is absolutely unbelieveable, the potential is endless, it punches way above its weight.

if u want to keep track of our build check out https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tvirus-GTR/489923184459312

[Ares Helix]

Coming up to my 36th Birthday, i can certainly say that in my life,
things are never straight forward. Sure things may seem that way
but they never really are, still waters run deep and all that...

It took one more trip, with my wife in tow, to decide to buy the car.
I won't say something as cliche as had i known then, or any of the
shoulda woulda coulda bullshit it entails just that i was over the
moon happy with it and life in general.

Given the car was fresh off the boat, it would need to go through
several lots of legal paperwork before it could be registered for road
use. Firstly, given the aforementioned off the boat status, it would
need to be fully stripped for safety compliance. The after-market
adjustable suspension and exhaust would also need LVV certification
and last but not least, due to the age of the car, it would need to
have a special interest vehicle permit squared away. Once that was
done, it could be registered, insured and put on the road.

Prior to all this, i wanted to take it for a drive to make sure it was
actually what i wanted. So i went back to the dealer one last time
and jumped into my GT-R's driver's seat for the first time.

Yeah, scraped the front lip pulling out onto the road from the dealer's.
 

[Ares Helix]

"Man is this thing heavy."

Not the best first thought about buying a new and relatively expensive
car but it was my first impression, right after;
"The front seats are comfortable too!"

The issue was (and somewhat still is) that after having dumped so much
money into my GT-t, the car i found myself in now felt very different indeed.
When i bought the GT-t an old mate of mine had exclaimed:
"That's 90% of a GTR, TAKE ME FOR A RIDE!"
At the time i'd smiled and agreed - now, not so much.

The weight difference between the two was instantly apparent - the GTR
was not only heavier, but also has a lower center of gravity. The Tein
coil overs fitted to it give an amazing ride comfort wise whilst still staying
fairly rigid, allowing the 18", 265mm rubber wrapped BBS rims to stick even
more securely to the road.

To be fair - I didn't push it in the slightest - just a simple round the block
to get a feel for it. Being used to driving much lighter cars, the weight
came as a bit of a shock, but the car performed well.

Another trip back a few days later and the paperwork was signed...
And the drama began.

[Arseynimz]

[Xsannz]

must have more updates.....

[Ares Helix]

So capital laid out, car purchased - I did my due diligence and began the
calls to insurance companies

The answer was unanimous:
"Until such time as the car has a licence plate, we're unable to insure it."
I get this somewhat, but i disagree with it in principle as there are many
occasions where having insurance legally is a good idea prior to having a
registered vehicle but alas, no one could see things from my perspective
and so I turned my attention to other matters.

Prior to purchase The Guru had put me in touch with a friend of his who
imports vehicles from Japan, we shall name him, in keeping with themes,
the boatman. The boatman advised me of the process we would take to
get the car on the road, all above board and according to LTNZ.
In short, it was A LOT of paperwork...

All cars entering NZ must go through what's called 'Compliance' essentially
this is the stripping down and re-assembly of your car to check for structural
defects, including rust and of the like, sure, but more to ensure the car hasn't
undergone any treatment for which the silly "Serious Crash Unit" producers
would pay good money to secure the royalties to.

Next up and done at the same time - though not always required - is an LVV
certification, commonly known as a cert. Adjustable suspension and major
power changes are usually the reasons for this, however more radical changes
(front wheel drive to rear wheel drive for instance) are also reasons to get this
squared away. Once done, you're provided with a 'plate' to be affixed to your
car, detailing the modifications and specifications for them, so Mr. Plod doesn't
have to think too hard if he decides to get grumpy about things.

From here, you're normally all set to pay your initial registration and get the car
on the road.

However, that's not enough of a cliff-hangar for one of my posts now is it...

[Ares Helix]

If you're a petrolhead, or indeed a motorist really, there are certain things we
take as read.
We need a warrant and registration to use our vehicles on the road. We
understand that part of the registration we pay is for ACC in case of emergency
and that our rates pay for maintaining and paying for new roads.
The government structures things in a "fair and reasonable" way for the majority
of its citizens (or at least it should...)

In 2001 and 2007 the government passed into law two distinct bills that changed
the performance and classic car scene, especially for importers such as the Boatman.

The first, was a law around the requirements for frontal impact standards on any
and all imported vehicles. The reason to begin checking this was to provide safer
motoring for all road users, including pedestrians.

The second, in 2007, was a law centered around exhaust emissions, in an attempt
to stem some of the CO2 build up happening not only here in NZ but all over the world.
Part of this was also geared to limiting the age of imported vehicles to no more than
eight years after production.

Whilst the success of these two laws is still very much debatable, one thing we are
certain of, is that it meant that a lot of high performance or enthusiast cars were no
longer able to be imported.

The government created yet another rule to alleviate this, called the Special Interest
Vehicle (SIV) scheme.
This allowed a very limited number of vehicles to be imported, complied and registered
for road use, all the while circumventing the other two laws.

PHEW

The interesting thing about this is that it only applies to vehicles over 8 years old but
younger than 20 years old. After 20 years old I'm told that things go back to the standard
entry procedures as outlined above.

But wait, there's more!

To qualify for an SIV permit, your car needs to meet three out of four of the following:

1: The car (sub-model and all) is classified as a classic by these magazines...
     (insert random car magazines here - no seriously...)

2: It was manufactured in annual volumes of 20,000 or less

3: It is either a convertible or coupe

4: It's considered to be a high performance car

NZTA also required proof that you have another car to use day to day.

So with hoops a-blaze i began a leaping.

[Ares Helix]

With the car delivered to the Boatman for storage, the process of compliance
and registration began.
Initially things moved with rapidity - compliance was done in a matter of days,
so to the LVV certification.

Prior to application for an SIV Permit, the Boatman suggested we apply for an
emissions exemption - a more cost effective way of doing things than the SIV
process.

With all paperwork filed the wait began.
Of course when dealing with Government departments, this almost always takes
far too long, and this was no exception.

In the mean time, with the car having been processed, we arranged to move it
into storage at the Guru's, as it had been getting a few looks and comments whilst
in the Boatmans's care.

To do this, we used a dealer plate and set out for, what was probably the most
harrowing and stressful drive of my life. A mate had volunteered to come with me
for moral support and to act as an extra set of eyes during our drive, which took
us from the Boatman's warehouse, to the Guru's garage.

Of the route's available, neither was overly appealing but i opted to head along
Lincoln Road (Henderson) to the North Western motorway for the run north to the
Temple. If you've ever driven along Lincoln Road on a busy day you'll be aware of
how nerve wracking an experience it really is.
Now put yourself in a very rare and very uninsured car worth more than your
annual salary.

Thankfully the fates were kind and we made it to the open road north. In spite of
the lack of traffic i still didn't really feel comfortable pushing the car, due to the
dealer plates and the aforementioned insurance - however the car stuck to the
road like duct tape to a cat's feet.

We hitched a ride back to the Boatman's in his 300ZX, after chatting to him and
the Guru for a little while and then headed home to wait for the paper work to
come through.

[Ares Helix]

If you met me, or spoke to my friends about me, they would describe me
in many ways. A bit of a dick. A bit of a geek. Loyal, annoying, sucks at
telling stories, passionate about driving and music...

Whatever they would tell you, i can hand on heart say that they would NOT
describe me as patient.

I can't remember how many times i called the LTANZ to try to hurry things
along, but in the end all I could do was hurry up and wait.

I HATE waiting.

Sigh.

[Ares Helix]

Governments are terribly inefficient beasts.
I'm certainly no economical or political expert, but it seems to me that
a government's main role is to provide as many jobs as possible to
accomplish as little actual work as they can.

After weeks of waiting I received a call stating that my application for
an emission exemption had been declined and that to register the car
for road use I'd need to apply for an SIV permit.

After hurriedly getting my paperwork together and getting it in to Land
Transport, I heard back within two days that I'd been approved and was
now able to register the car which also meant I could insure it.

HUZZAH!

Sadly the Guru had left the country that morning for a two week holiday.
...
...sigh.

[playerB]

MOAR

[Ninja]

for those lacking their GTR fill here's a video of a mates old car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB2qsj4Tzm0

[Ares Helix]

As much as people will tell you in your life that you need to learn from your
past and move on, as we humans are creatures who learn by doing things,
this is intrinsically flawed advice.
Sure, the idea of learning from experience, filing it away and then not thinking
about it ever again is appealing but the practicalities are a little more difficult.

In short - sure it'd be nice to let shit go, but sometimes it's not that easy.

Regardless of our ability (or inability) to let them go - it is true that we learn
more about ourselves during times of adversity than times of peace. Whether
on a personal scale or global scale, we define ourselves through "the struggle
of human existence" and in general, once the dust settles, we usually find
ourselves in a much better place.

July 2013 marked the beginning of a very trying time for me. I was pushed
beyond my breaking point and have never felt so utterly terrible in my thirty
six years drawing breath, however, i found strength i never knew i had, i
fought through pain and loss with that strength.
I endured, however, and i thank whatever powers that be for those who
helped me through that time.

Upon the Guru's return from his much needed holiday, everything was in place
for my car.
Complied, Certified, SIV sorted, road registered and insured i arranged to pick
it up from the Guru's and get it to a security specialists to get the alarm squared
away.

With my erstwhile cousin behind the wheel of his trusty little Vitz, with brand
new licence plates and car washing gear in hand, we headed to the temple.

[Ares Helix]

This was it.

With my life in turmoil and severely depressed, getting on the road early
and heading up to the Temple would go a long way to relieving some stress.
If that didn't do the trick, the fact I'd be driving my GTR back home certainly
did.

We'd left early, but still hit a bit of traffic on the way through the city - though
once we got past Spaghetti junction things moved quickly and soon we were
pulling in to the Temple.

Now, this is where I remind you that the names of those participating have
been changed for privacy etc. However, right from my first visit the Guru's
garage really did feel special and still does every time i go there. Aside from
the nostalgia, thinking about all the weird and wonderful machines that have
been through the place, there're usually one or two interesting vehicles there
having this or that done.

Today though, it was about the Purple GTR tucked away in the corner, all
safe and warm under its blanket...

As the battery had run flat, we moved it outside by hand - stuck the battery
charger on it and fixed the LVV cert plate to the boot interior. We then got to
giving it a bit of a wash (no wax though!) whilst the Guru worked with
another client on the dyno.

Once all clean, the last thing to do was to attach the license plates and then
head out.



Course, it didn't start...

[Ares Helix]

There are some things in life you can count on in a positive way, yet it seems we
are all to accepting of "Murphy's Law" - anything that can go wrong, always will
and at the worst possible time.

Whether you're running late for work and hitting every red light or getting to the
Bakery in time to see them sell the last of your favorite Pie, you can rest assured
that all human's everywhere have experienced this.

For me, Turning the key to the GTR and not hearing a thing, was both infuriating
and hilarious in equal measure but either way, with all the other dramas, wholly
expected.
What followed was the Guru and I, pulling apart of the boot of the car in a manic
fashion - both of us cursing more and more with each passing second.

This was to be my first taste of just how different a Skyline GT-R is underneath the
skin when compared to my (now very familiar) GT-T, or any other car for that matter.

You see, we were pulling apart the boot, to get to the battery...

[Ares Helix]

I get a lot of questions asked about my car.
Chief among which is "How much did the paint cost" and "Why did you choose that
colour?" - sigh.

The next most popular one is "Why didn't you get a (R-35) GT-R?"

As stated earlier, to me the R-34 is the pinnacle of the RB powered GT-R family, for a
number of reasons. The looks? Sure its a handsome brute, but more than that is how
it performs.
When I announced my plans to purchase one to the Guru he asked me why i didn't go
for the new one. I replied that whilst i could respect it and its capabilities and performance,
sadly looks wise i found it ugly as sin.
This follows through to my thoughts about the R-32 and R-33 variants. Given what i now
know about them, shape wise i prefer the 32, HOWEVER the 33 is an all around better
car performance and handling wise.

During their development, Nissan did extensive testing around structural rigidity and
aerodynamics. Whilst the 32 was a good looking car, it was prone to understeer due
to a less rigid construction and had some major aerodynamic flaws. The 33 took steps
to correct this and as such, though it was bigger and heavier it still managed to be faster
around a track, due in no small part to advances in the all wheel drive and all wheel
steering systems, to be sure, but also increased turn in response from having a stiffer
chassis.

The 34 built upon this further and made vast improvements in both areas. The results
were massive, cutting lap times even further - an impressive feat given the test track
in question was the Nordschleife circuit in Germany.

So, what does it mean for our story?

Simply put, Nissan moved the battery into the boot area from the 33 shape to improve
weight distribution. Nestled alongside it are the all wheel drive and all wheel steering
computers, which take up the entire space between the rear seats and boot lining.
However to get to the electronics, you first have to remove not only a strut brace,
running between the rear wheel arches, but also a massive metal reinforcing plate.

Once it was out of the way, we checked out the battery - disconnected it, reconnected
it and after a brief charge, were able to turn the engine over.

HUZZAH!

We then put everything back in place, with the engine still running and headed out for
the run south.