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Tatsumi PA/Wangan Photos!

December 6, 2013, 8:20 am
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Professional photographer Mr. Wolfgang Groeger-Meier was kind enough to share the following photos from the photoshoot that I was invited to a few weeks ago.  Turns out some of these photos made it to print as well in theGerman weekly magazine Stern.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, not much for me to say except Danke Schoen to Wolfgang for sharing these photos.


check out the ghost-like delivery van in the background....lol


It was actually very, very cold. I'm trying to look warm when in reality I was FREEZING

With me in my car is Marcel, another German photographer...
...without whom I would not have accelerated or been in the right position for these photos. Thanks for the direction Marcel!



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First Post for 2014... and the mod is...Clean Air??

March 6, 2014, 3:55 am
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Friends,

Apologies for the vacation I took from updating the blog. Truth be told, it's been too cold here in Japan and with the occasional snowstorm, until today I'd only driven the car once this year.  That, and a new job for me means little free time to be tinkering. But, I'm settling in now and so it's time for some new mods.

Anyway, it's now March and FINALLY a nice day, without rain or snow. Just a little cold. So, I took the day off and got some mods I've been wanting to get done, as well as take the car for a spin to Do-Luck, which is only a 5 minute drive away from where I live (more on what I did there in my next post).

March in Japan also means the beginning of hay fever season. I had always assumed that for a "modern" car like the R33 GT-R, the HVAC system would have come from the factory with filters. But it turns out that, only from about midway through the production cycle did Nissan offer filters as a dealer installed option for the R33 Skyline, as this Minkara user explained.

A quick search and I found that even though not widely known, these filters made by PMC work with the R33 Skyline:

Part number EB-205, for select Nissan cars

The EB-205 is listed for the "R34" Skyline, however for model years January 1996-November 1998. In other words, a typo which may be why these don't pop up when you do a search online.  In any case, with a Series 2 or 3 GT-R, should be good to go, right?

I selected the EB series over their PC205C series which appear to be more premium, because the small print in the PC descriptionstates that the model 205 which fits certain Nissans lacks some of the qualities that make the PC a supposedly better design than the EB! That is, it has activated charcoal, but lacks the anti-static, anti-bacterial, anti-mold, anti-allergen, and anti-virus (!) properties otherwise found in the PC series filters. (So why even bother I wonder?)  The EB seriesat least has the anti-mold and anti-bacterial, anti-smell, anti-dust, and anti-pollen, and while maybe not as effective as the PC series, it at least has these features which are lacking in the PC model.

Here's what the filters (there are two in the package, as one stacks on top of the other) look like


And here is how it looks close up (note I am holding it UPSIDE DOWN, the arrow points UP!)


Installation was a lot easier than I thought:

Step 1 - remove the glove box. This can be done simply by removing two pins on the bottom hinge.
Note this is the RIGHT side, I am taking the photo shooting up.
Step 2 - you will see that there is a wall behind the glove box that needs to be removed.
There are 4 screws, one in each corner, as well as 2 screws holding the tongue for the latch in. Remove all of these.
Step 3 - you will end up with this.
I could not believe how much dust had collected behind the wall and in this general area

Step 4 - using a sharp craft knife, you will cut away some of the plastic, as I am pointing to.  You will essentially cut this entire vertical strip of plastic between these two raised "rails" away.
Hard to tell from the photo, but there are actually TWO raised rails on either side of my finger.  
No need to remove either or both.
Step 5 - let the cutting begin


Step 6 - Having cut away the bottom first (below the raised horizontal ridge), I notice something interesting. What appear to be "rails" for a filter element to slide onto...(Note: there are similar tracks on the top of the filter box as well, although reversed (they stick out) in pattern).

Oh my, how dirty is that???
Step 7 - a knife does not work to cut away the horizontal rib. You need this:
Or some kind of saw in general. Made short work of the horizontal rib.

Step 8 - once that middle section is all cut out, you will then have to use the saw to further cut the top portion of the bottom ledge that sticks out. Once that is cut away as shown below, the filters should BOTH snugly fit.  Note:  make sure that the filters go in with the ARROW POINTING UP!
Remember those tracks in Step 6 above? This is how the filters fit.

Step 9 - Done! No need for any external clips or tape to hold the filters in. They fit perfectly!

Step 10 - Reassemble the glove box and then clean up! All that sawing resulted in lots of plastic dust, which gets everywhere. Have a shop vacuum handy!

Conclusion: So a very easy and inexpensive mod, the filters cost less than 2000 yen for the pair. The work itself took me less than 30 minutes. And even if these aren't the most effective filters on the market, better than driving around with NO filters. I'm not too optimistic that these will help lessen the symptoms of hay fever, but it has to be better than nothing, and it's one more thing that can be done to "modernize" the 33 GT-R.

Check back soon, will have another modernizing mod posted I think.


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DTM-II Firmware "Update"

March 17, 2014, 1:02 am
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So a couple of Thursdays ago, I had some free time so I swung by Do-Luck.


The main reason was to receive an "upgraded" DTM II.

If any of you have recently bought the DTM II, don't worry - because I was one of few who had bought a very early model.  Most DTM IIs sold overseas, already incorporate the following change- if you bought yours through an authorized dealer, then you need not worry.

Ito-san told me that the change was necessary from early customer feedback. The issue specifically was that, on the racetrack during high speed cornering, the DTM II was too quick to activate and deactivate, due to the sensitivity of the onboard digital G-sensor.

So, the firmware was slightly rewritten so that the there was more of a "lag" in how the ATTESSA responded.  More accurately, it is not a "numbing" of the sensors but a reprogram whereby the unit now knows that, in certain cornering situations, to keep the torque going to the front wheels a bit longer, allowing the more average driver to better feel the ATTESSA doing its work.

Naturally, I asked Ito-san about future upgrades. He told me that, so long as you buy a DTM II from an authorized dealer, then the upgrades such as this one, which "refine" the product, will be free.  Any big changes to the programming - for example "maps" appropriate for certain racetracks, for example, may or may not be at nominal cost, however.

I don't have any pictures of the upgrade, which was literally a replacing of the circuit board on board my DTM II control box, for a new one.


The swap was done in literally five minutes - just access, then unhook the leads, pry off the old one, replace the circuit board, and tape it back into place.  Then teach the unit the closed and open throttle positions, and that was it!

Ito-san and I then popped open the hood (bonnet) of my car, and spotted some things that needed improvement...so we agreed that in the near future we'd have some work to do.

As for the improved DTM II - I really have to take the car to a track soon, or on the twisties, but I have at minimum 2 more mods I want to do before that...stay tuned!
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Windshield Washer Nozzles, Revisited - OEM vs. Fluidics vs. Mitsuba

March 24, 2014, 7:19 am
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Some readers will recall that, last year I experimented with these"fluidic" windshield washer nozzles.

They DO work well, and are really inexpensive, but alas their fitment isn't quite right because the holes in the bonnet/hood for the OEM washer nozzles are too large for these fluidics nozzles (so if I had an aftermarket hood, and could drill my own holes they would work well).  And it was still touch and go, despite my use of some washers to fill the space:



So, I decided after a few months of always making sure that the fluidic nozzle I test-installed on the drivers side was always pointing in the right direction, to try out the Mitsuba nozzles I had mentioned in my fluidic nozzle post.


The packet actually comes with an assortment of adaptors and tubing extenders:


The technology they use is different that the fluidics - it's more old school. From what I can see, they basically have a single outlet as the OEM, except that it's flattened so you get a spray versus a stream. Kind of like the difference on those spray bottles for glass cleaner (i.e. Windex, etc.).


I was actually hoping to have a pro do the painting, but I had some time, so this is what I did:

First, I taped up the nozzle side.


Then,  I mounted in the make-shift cardboard mount I had used earlier for the fluidics, and then sanded them down to get a slightly rough surface (as packaged, they are super shiny and slick):
1500 grade sandpaper works well here

I then went outside (sunny day) and sprayed on some KR4 paint I had left over:

After letting them dry overnight (actually, it was about two weeks before I had time to work on this again), installation was as easy as:

1) removing the masking tape protecting the nozzle:
Not bad if I may say so myself
 2) Install the rubber shield to fit between the nozzle and the hood itself:


3. Installation on the hood itself, requires use of these lock nut type plastic washer which holds the nozzles firmly in place.


Here is how the hood looks when done:


Here are short video clips that compare the fluidic and these Mitsuba ones.

Fluidic (from thefluidics blog post):


And here are the Mitsuba ones (on both sides):


So the differences are:
1) the Mitsuba ones definitely fit on the hood (bonnet) better, and look nicer/closer to OEM (although they are a bit bigger actually - wider but a bit shorter, and also not as "teardrop" shaped - more angular and a bit taller?)
OEM on top, Mitsuba on bottom (installed)
2) the fluidics DO have a finer spray. The Mitsubas DO spray in a wider pattern than the OEM, however the water droplets are larger compared to the fluidics.

3) The Mitsubas appear to leak on the nozzle side - not sure if this is overrun from the excess volume of washer fluid, or if the nozzle spray tip itself leaks, but this could be a concern for those who use their windshield washers in dry weather (where the fluid could possibly leave a stain).

4) Out of the package, the Mitsubas were aimed way too high, with the spray reaching over the roof and a bit landing on the rear window.  Although I suspect at speed, perhaps the wind would keep more of the fluid on the windshield.  Since I usually use the spray at low speeds, I took a  small flathead screwdriver and adjusted the nozzles accordingly (basically the screwdriver was parallel to the ground).

In conclusion - I am going to keep the fluidics in my parts bin, because if I ever get an aftermarket hood, these are the washer nozzles I would go for.  In fact, I think I like the fluidics the best due to their efficient spray, low profile, and low cost, but that small size means these ones don't work on the OEM hood. I suppose if I found some that fit the OEM hood like OEM, then without question I would go for fluidics. Until then, however, I guess I will have to use the Mitsubas.

Until next time...
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R33 Skyline Service Manuals!

April 4, 2014, 11:52 pm
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The other day I was looking online on Yahoo Auctions Japan when I stumbled upon this:

 What appears to be the entire set of R33 Skyline related service manuals, from 1993 until 1997, including of course the sections for the R33 GT-R.

Naturally, I bid, and amazingly no one else did!

When I got the package a few days later,  I started looking at the contents.

As you can see, there are 5 manuals:
1) (most left in photo) 1993 R33 Skyline service manual, covering both the 2 door coupes and 4 door sedans
2) (middle top, white) 1995 new car technical manual, incorporating all aspects of the R33 GT-R, and any other changes to the rest of the lineup
3) (middle bottom, red) 1996 service manual, all R33 models as listed, showing changes
4) (right top, white) 1997 wiring diagrams
5) (right bottom, red) 1997 service manual.

So the 1993 manual is huge, and contains everything from engines (other than the RB26DETT), to interior, electrical wiring diagrams, etc., for all cars EXCEPT for the GT-R.

1993 Manual, showing the front door glass and regulator in 2 door coupes

The 1995 new car manual is the most interesting, as it has the most information on the RB26DETT as well as other aspects of the R33 GT-R. Recall this was the first year the GT-R was released.

RB26DETT engine block assembly

While the technical aspects of the RB26DETT engine are not a mystery, I bet very few people know the reclining angles of the R33 GT-R seats?

Using the lever, you can recline 20 degrees to the back... and only 14 degrees if you use the knob!

If you want to know the technical aspects of the temporary spare tire:
Interesting that the recommended air pressure for the OEM 17 inch rims is relatively low

This wiper information would have saved me so time during my Bosch front wiper project

And also useful if you want to know the flow rate of the washer fluid, capacity of the tank, etc. 

For those N1 fans, interesting to see here that the N1's washer fluid capacity is only 2.0 liters versus 3.5 liters for all other cars including the sedans, as the N1 did not come with a rear wiper.

Also for GT-R owners, if you want to know what pins do what on the back of your speedometer cluster (I've seen this online before, actually)

Most of these are lamps; the electronic speedometer leads are 16, 22, 17, and 15.

For those of us who tinker with electrical bits as I have with the LED lights projects I did in the past, the wiring diagrams will be useful. Here is the wiring diagram for the Xenon headlamps, found in the white 1997 wiring diagram manual:

I think I only understand the symbol for the battery, lol

I've found the service manual for the RB26DETT in English, online, as well as FAST. But never before have I run across such detail for all other aspects of the car.

So as a R33 GT-R nerd, I'm pretty happy. Now, to begin researching stuff I always wondered about...

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CUSCO Tension Rod Bar Installed/Impressions

April 19, 2014, 7:47 am
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So the other day, I realized I was over due for "shaken" - the biannual road inspection regime in Japan that is supposedly designed to get dangerous cars off the road, but in reality is a way to incentivize people to buy new cars due to the sometimes crazy costs associated with "repairing" cars to bring them up to standards (yes there is some price gouging). So in other words, the typical person goes to the dealership and either comes out with a few thousand dollar repair bill, or a new car.

In my case, as is common with people who are not interested in playing such a game, one can go to your local trusted mechanic who knows the rules and how to get around them... cheaply.  I took my car to BeAmbitious (same shop which did the installation of theR35 Brembos, rear BNR34 diffuser, S15 trunk brace, Nagisa brace, Tomei ExPreme titanium muffler, etc.) and had Ninomiya-san there take care of getting my car properly "shakened" (he told me: had to raise the ride height of the car, special bung for the Tomei muffler, etc.).

While the car was with him, I decided to have him install the final external body stiffening part I could find: the CUSCO Tension Rod Bar.  I had meant to do this myself, along with an oil change, but laziness dictated otherwise.

Here are some photos from the CUSCO website, to show you what they look like:
Courtesy of CUSCO

The Bar looked like this when it arrived:


Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the bar installed, because I didn't do the work. I did find this  photo on Minkara, you can see how the blue bar bolts onto the inside each of the tension rod mounting points (so in effect, connects the two sides together).

Courtesy:　http://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/userid/178485/car/68462/4485982/parts.aspx
The description from the CUSCO website states: "The Tension Rod Bar is made from 22mm steel pipe that enhances chassis stiffness, rigidity and stabilizes alignment." Ok sure, whatever.   I was not expecting much, if anything, after all of my body stiffening projects.  Further, the Minkara poster also stated he could not feel a difference (although he admits he added these when he changed his tension rods).

So, what are my impressions?  To be honest, I think there is a very slight improvement in how the car's steering feels upon turning, as well as the car's response.  That is, on center feel is still somewhat numb (compared to my recent drive in an NSX - and this is the holy grail for me), but moving the steering wheel to begin a turn, feels more direct, and the response feels more immediate (so is this an "enhancement of chassis stiffness, rigidity and stabilizes alignment"??).  As a result, the car feels a touch more nimble, which is a good thing in my book.  But I still want more feedback on-center, I was hoping this Tension Bar would help, but all it did was to further highlight it!

 But for the price, a worthwhile mod. Your results may vary, indeed I may be suffering from a placebo effect! I am now beginning to wonder if it might be worth getting my car spot welded in a few strategic places, but I have to research whether the pros outweigh the cons for that. I realize that spot welding probably won't make the car feel like an NSX, but at the same time am curious as to what would happen in terms of how the car feels.



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A First: Professional Interior Detail (warning for those easily disgusted...)

May 12, 2014, 3:17 am
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Now this is going to be a tough post. Because the photographs won't do justice to the work done.

As most know by now, I tend to keep my car clean.  Very clean. But I've never taken my car to a professional for any cleaning work - until now.

The primary reason I did this time, was because I had recently driven to a place where, I suspect enough pollen accumulated in my car so that, even with the recently installed A/C filter (and yes on recirculate), my hay fever was still triggered.  I was sneezing so much, and my nose running so much, I had tissues stuffed up my nostrils...

So I had to figure out a way to clean the interior without suffering, and clean it such that there was a significant reduction in pollen.

Enter Kabe-san at RAPT. I've gone to him before in the past for some minor body work and for tinting my windows, but his true profession is auto detailing. So I was curious to see what methods he used as well, perhaps there would be some techniques I could use.


As you can see, pretty busy times for RAPT, right during the Golden Week holidays.

What bothered me most, was the amount of dust in the air ducts, like this, that I just couldn't seem to remove:
(Sorry I haven't taken an "after" photo yet...but it's CLEAN now!)

Anyway, Kabe-san had told me that he would remove the seats, and use steam. So I was curious to see what kind of difference awaited me.

He was also nice enough, to post on the RAPT blog, the steps he took to clean my car. I've taken the following photos, and summarized the steps from the RAPT blog at: http://rapt.livedoor.biz/archives/1980827.html

First step, before he took the photos, was to clean the dashboard. Then...

Remove front seats
Oh my, look at that dirt under the front seat. Yes, it's been a while since I vacuumed the interior thoroughly...


Adding Steam to loosen up the embedded dirt in the carpet

Using a "rinser" he then vacuumed up all the dirt and grime
Wow looks cleaner already!


Here is the driver's seat before any work
The Japanese description talks about how I was concerned with "sebumsebaceous matter" - in other words, 17 years of human sweat and oils...

Steam to break up the oils


The "rinser" again to vacuum it up...
I am assuming that this brownish matter is... organic??

The dirt just from the floor
Thank the lord this was dirt from the carpet, not stuff embedded in the seats!


Nice and clean after the steam cleaning... letting the seats and floor dry.
I'm not sure why that (seat) bolt is on the floor there, lol.

This looks clean
He didn't mention in his blog, but it's clear he steam cleaned the cloth inserts as well (after this photo was shot).

But using a special cleaning solution and sponge he rubbed this off...

After the above, he finished off other sections of the car, including the trunk!

What the photos don't show, is how the cloth materials now feel cleaner - like brand new - and the car smells different.  Before it had a slight industrial smell, but somewhat "manly." (a combination of smoke and engine blow-by... or so I thought)?? But now the car smells like new car...

Interestingly, Kabe-san told me that the previous (and first) owner of my car was a smoker (I'm not)!  To me, everything looked very clean, but apparently when he steam cleaned the ashtray, there was some tell tale brownish runoff - Kabe-san surmises the previous owner must have smoked with the driver's side window open, arm resting on the armrest... And actually, this explains why my armrest shows some wear there (the cushioning is gone).

He was also kind enough to put an "after" photo up on his blog.
From: http://rapt.livedoor.biz/archives/1981355.html
Unfortunately the photo is a bit blurred, but it would be hard to tell from any photo the difference, especially as I keep my cars relatively clean. But as I stated above, the difference is readily apparent from a tactile and olfactory perspective!!  And yes, no more pollen!

Anyway, given the pricing, which is very reasonable, this may be something I do once a year, as I do love the new car feel and smell.

PS - One thing we discussed afterwards - does anyone know of any makers of high quality automobile carpet? Would love to do such an upgrade...
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Tech Note: The R33 GT-R had ELECTRONIC SUPER HICAS + Yaw Rate Sensor!

May 18, 2014, 8:44 am
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So I've decided that, on occasion, I will do a "Tech Note" based on interesting stuff I find in those R33 service manuals I got recently.

So today, let's talk about SUPER HICAS. In the technical/service manuals for the R33, I found this page interesting (I've added English translation in BLUE):



HICAS is one area where there is lots of controversy. Some people swear it makes the car handle strangely and so you are better off without it. Others say it weighs too much - which might be an argument on the hydraulically driven R32 GT-R, but not only the electrically driven 33 and 34 GT-Rs.  (and yes, it's heavy on the 32... but if you remove it, you increase weight bias on the front wheels, which is not something you want to do... and is the reason why the battery was moved to the back in the 33, for better weight distribution. But I digress...)

Anyway, it appears that most people who lock out their HICAS, don't really understand how it works, at least in a technical sense. So, since I found this, I thought I'd share my findings. It won't change some people's minds, but for me, as a purist R33 fan, it confirmed that I want to keep it.

First, what is interesting is that the previous version HICAS, found in the BNR32,  did not have yaw rate feedback control, like the R33 GT-R did. There appears to be a lot of confusion out there with regards to this:
http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/70832-how-does-hicas-get-yaw-rate-feedback-in-an-r33/

http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116708

No doubt, these guys couldn't read Japanese nor did they have their hands on this manual I have. For those who can, see the above - the white is the "normal" SUPER HICAS (found in other 33s), while the grey is what was added for the GT-R.

The take away is that, compared to the "normal" SUPER HICAS, the R33 GT-R (manual doesn't say others) had the yaw rate feedback added, in addition to the inputs for vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Here are two photos showing the 33's yaw rate sensor - it's located in the trunk next to the battery:



Apparently there was a preset map of yaw rate values to correspond to the actual vehicle situation according to the driver's intent.  The system would read the actual yaw rate value, compare it against the pre-programmed values, and then cause adjustment to the rear wheel steering to match the driver's intent.

The next page of the manual describes the yaw rate sensor as a tuning fork, piezo-electric, oscillation gyroscopic type. There are basically two types that exist - piezoelectric and micro mechanical: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaw-rate_sensor

So I'm not sure if these kinds of piezo-electric sensor wear out, or need to be replaced. Would a purely digital one improve the performance of the HICAS? I'm also curious to know about the software and the pre-set map - how complicated is it?

The white part above could very easily handle having the rear wheels steer in the opposite direction at low speed in a linear fashion, and then in the same direction, at high speed, in a linear fashion.

The grey part - the yaw rate input must therefore be for unusual, high performance/race type situations where the car's rear end is purposely being slipped or where the traction of the road surface is slippery.  Naturally, this raises the following questions on how the MAP has been programmed - What happens when the car skids, or the rear end is sliding? And would there ever be a situation where something would cause the car to "wobble" at speed?  HICAS computer malfunction, for example?

Has anyone had any experience in reading the HICAS Map?

Finally, I wonder what, if any, improvements were made to the BNR34 Super HICAS ECU and its programming. Obviously the 34 has a slightly shorter wheelbase, which means that the rear wheels would need to steer at slightly less of an angle to give the same level of response as the 33. This would suggest that transplanting the 34 HICAS ECU into a 33, would not have a beneficial effect, unless there was something else improved about the 34 ECU, such as better maps, or faster processing, etc.  So I will have to research this...stay tuned!


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Mini Aero Project - OK So That Didn't Work... What Was I Thinking?

June 11, 2014, 8:35 am
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So in my quest to modernize the car, in addition to mechanical and electrical items, I stumbled upon this:
Courtesy: http://parisworkingforart.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/lexus-lfa/
This is the driver side rear view mirror from the Lexus LFA - note it has the horizontal strakes built in, presumably to better manage airflow going around the car.  So I began to wonder if there might not be an easy to way to replicate this on one's existing mirror?

I found this:

From the manufacturer's description, this appears to be just what I was looking for!

Apparently, with the strategic application of these double stick tape rubber pieces, you can straighten out the flow of air around your car, and in the process, reduce wind noise!

For less than US$8.50 (JPY 830), this was too good not to try.

So while June is rainy season in Japan, on a sunny day I broke out the can of KR4 spray paint (which I still have left over from the fluidic nozzle mod) and spray painted the two pieces for the mirror in the hopes that they would blend in fairly decently.


Then on a trip to Chiba prefecture just today (to implement Step 1 of my long awaited audio upgrade... stay tuned, pun intended) I had the opportunity to try these pieces out.  Mounting was as simple of finding a place to put them, peeling off the double stick tape, and sticking them on:

On the B Pillar

This was the only place this piece would stick on the door sail

You can see the knob sticking out off the bottom of the mirror

And then it was a matter of driving to see what the difference was.

The verdict?

Uh... well... I could NOT tell the difference - not because these don't work - maybe they do - but because the road noise and engine noise coming in from the firewall area, plus the sound of the exhaust, basically made it too loud for me to hear any wind noise. For my audio upgrade, while I did lay down sound deadening as well asundercoating looks like I will have to do the firewall...

I even drove (a bit ?? lol) over the speed limit, in the hopes that at really fast speed wind noise would be more apparent - but no difference.  The only thing I DID notice, however, was that my BNR34 rear diffuser was working quite nicely - sending up a rooster tail of water at speed (it was raining quite hard by the time I was driving back home today).

Thankfully, again this aero mod cost me less than 850 yen to try.... maybe I can find a Prius to try it out on...

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Fuse Tuning! (Yes Another Gimmicky Mod...Placebo effect?)

June 26, 2014, 8:51 pm
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A few years ago, I read an article on "fuse tuning" in one of the many car /car parts magazines here in Japan.

The whole concept was basically an extension of using gold plated fuses to improve the sound quality in hi-fi stereo systems. (A Google search under "Fuse Tuning" will show a bunch of links on this.) The claim was that gold plated car fuses would enable the car's stereo to sound better, and the ECU to operate more accurately, etc.

But 24K Gold plated car fuses??!!   Just goes to show you that, with the proper marketing, car owners in Japan will try just about anything to extract just a bit more from their cars.  And yes that includes me, except I wasn’t about to spend 1050 yen per fuse(!)… imagine how much it would cost to replace ALL the fuses in your car?

However this concept seems to be a gimmick that quickly ran its course... still, the logic seems to be undeniable, we all see those gold plated stereo wires...

The leading company was calledRitz (which apparently now is out of business, surprise surprise) and had these types as well other types of these fuses:

From: http://www.geocities.jp/bigsingleworks/ritz.html

On this website that sold the Ritz fuses, they even have a dyno chart showing the before and after, and even better the car used was an R33 Skyline which shows a 0.5kg/m increase in torque, plus 18.7ps increase in HP!!

Apparently changing 10 fuses is all it takes!!

But 1000 yen per fuse?  Even back then, my cheapness won out…. However, just the other day, I stumbled on these very similar G-Fuses  (car fuses with 24 gold plated terminals from Amon, a popular car DIY company) on Yahoo Auctions – except now it was 490 yen for a pack of 10! So yes, couldn’t resist, although the fact that these are now clearance items tells you something…that in the end, even the Japanese consumers didn’t buy into the propaganda!

These aren't made anymore... and are listed as out of production on Amon's website here
According to some here in Japan, with the 33 in particular, having the battery located in the rear, plus the longest wheelbase (requiring the longest electrical harnesses and thus a drop off in the strength of the current) of the RB26 GT-Rs is the reason why, the 33 car tends to have electrical related problems - although I’ve never had a problem myself.  Then again, I’ve installed an earthing kit, and at the moment I’m not running electrical devices that would strain the system. However, in my quest to modernize the car, I suspect that it will require more electrical items to be added – thus if these G-Fuses provide any benefit at all, and they are cheap, then well worth installing them I think? Even the slightest benefit might help.

Let’s back up a bit – do a Google search, and you will see lots of debate on whether gold plating actually makes a difference.  The debate is particularly loud in the audio/video world:
http://www.avrev.com/forum/cables/1849-gold-connectors-bad-idea-make-connections-worse.html

 http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=123403

http://www.cnet.com/news/are-gold-plated-connectors-worth-it-morrisons-mailbag/

The consensus though seems to be that gold, while not as conductive as copper or silver, does not corrode like they do, and also does not react with other metals.  Additionally, gold is malleable.  Thus, a malleable, non-corrosive and non-reactive metal (in the audio world, as gold plated terminals, speaker wire, etc.) appears to be the best way to improve electrical contact and thus connectivity.  People agree, however, that there should be no difference in sound quality.

So what would that mean for car fuses?
  
In most fuses, the metal used is zinc, copper, silver or aluminum, or an alloy of those metals. In car fuses, the metal most commonly used is likely zinc, for cost reasons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuse_(electrical)

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/wfc2.htm

So if you look at these G-Fuses, you can see that the terminal blades are plated (they claim) in 24K gold.  As a layman, I think that unless the entire fuse itself is made of gold, there won’t be any difference in conductivity of the entire fuse circuit, assuming that the metal part of the fuse is made of zinc overlaid with a thin layer of gold.

However, the packaging claims otherwise. 

For the 10A fuse, the company shows an improvement of about 2.7mmOhms difference in electrical contact resistance.  For 20A fuses, the difference is smaller.  So, like the audiophiles claimed, these fuses apparently improve electrical connectivity.

But would there be a difference in “sound quality” – in other words, would the improved electrical connectivity somehow improve the overall electrics of the car?

To answer this question, I found people’s impressions of these on Minkara (the Japanese all things car site):
http://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/partscatalog/parts.aspx?pt=78085

To summarize, impressions are all over the place, some saying no change at all, others saying they feel a difference, etc.   The reality I believe is, if used in a simple, isolated circuit, you are more likely to detect a difference. But in a typical car, with hundreds of circuits and dozens of connectors (that don’t use gold), the likelihood of a single gold plated fuse making a noticeable difference, is slim.

Still, objectively I think these are “better” fuses than what is typically used.  So, let's try and see what happens?

First, the 20A fuse for the right headlight:

Before I switched the fuse for the RIGHT headlight

After: See the difference? Not really, yeah me too...

Ok how about the rear lights? 10A so maybe a bigger difference?

Before

After...I tried to stand in the same spot...a very slight difference? LOL

Conclusion: it's always smart to have extra fuses lying around, just in case, so IF you can buy these at a serious discount, then why not? Doesn't hurt, and in the off chance there actually is an objective difference, then great.  At the very least I can go around bragging about having gold plated fuses on my car now, lol!!


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Best Motoring (Keiichi Tsuchiya) Review of the Series 3 GT-R vs. Impreza WRX vs. NSX 3.2

July 15, 2014, 9:36 am
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I'm still working on a bunch of posts on the R33 vs. R32 as well as some R33 trivia...in the meantime your patience is appreciated! 

I had found this video before (and posted it), but lost it when Best Motoring had it removed from YouTube.

But I stumbled upon it tonight, so while it lasts:
Part 1:

Tsuchiya reviews the then new Impreza WRX Type R Sti, vs the new 3.2 liter NSX, vs. the Series 3 R33 GT-R (non V-Spec).

Not surprisingly, he loves the NSX (engine power is nice, great brakes, very stable, easier to drive than the previous version), is impressed with the Impreza (very readable, like a well designed FR car).

Compared to older R33 GT-R models, he notes
1) the ABS braking is fantastically good (but the car is heavy... not surprising considering the other two cars)
2) Std car (not V-Spec) is more than enough if you're not always doing track days
3) Can really feel the front sticking to the road - this allows you to read how the rear is moving
4) Unfortunately he notes that the test car, without an oil cooler, shows the oil temp rising very quickly (by the 3rd lap)
5) Fastest of these 3 cars around this track.

In his summary comparison, the Drift King says that the car is significantly improved and of the three cars it's the most stable, and most confidence inspiring to drive at full speed. But yes the oil temp goes up too quickly, car should really have a large oil cooler for track running.

However, the brake balance, suspension balance, as you drive the feeling as its cornering, pointing it into corners, or stomping on the brakes, the GT-R had the best stability of the three.

What follows are a bunch of 0-400 runs, the results of which are obvious from viewing the video.

Part 2.



This second clip begins by showing how turbo lag can really affect the GT-R's times (if the race begin at idle versus full revs, clutch drop).

The cars are then taken to Tsukuba for the famous Best Motoring "race" test. The results are again obvious if you view the video - with the lighter cars gaining an advantage over the GT-R.  Naoki Hattori complains that the brakes are weak, for such a heavy car.

Finally, whether those testers would buy each of the seven. Impressions of the GT-R:
Takuya Kurosawa points out that the car is on the edge of oversteer and understeer, depending on whether the turbo is spinning or not given partial throttle. That "delicious" neutral is hard to find and doesn't appear often.

Four of the testers would buy the GT-R; three would not.

Nakaya - (would not buy) If I were to get this, I'd get a V-Spec instead.
Tsuchiya - (who would buy it) retors - buy it on the premise you wouldn't take it to the track. You can have a family of 4 ride in it, no problem. And, a just a "bit" faster than most (family cars). I can't forgive it for being slower than an R32, but it's a "buy."

Ooi - (who would not buy says) Sure I'd buy it if I wanted to drive easy.
Nakaya -  then get a V-Spec.
Ooi - no, then the ride is too stiff.
Nakaya - well that's because the purpose is different.
Tsuchiya: So don't take it on the circuit, as a road car it's a good car!
Gan-san (who would buy): Yeah but the gas mileage is bad!
(everyone chuckles)

Aki comment: given how well known Tsuchiya did not like the R33 GT-R (he bought one after test driving a press car, which was fantastic. His personal car did not live up to that press car's performance after which his opinion soured), I am amazed he had relatively positive things to say about the GT-R.

Again, a few more days and I should be able to begin posting the posts which I have been conducing lots of research for.  Appreciate the patience!!
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A New Type of Roll Center Adaptor

July 17, 2014, 8:43 am
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So I took a day off today as I had some errands to run and stopped by Do-Luck again as they are only 5 minutes away from where I live.
Looks clean as usual, right? Unfortunately not underneath!!
They have a new product which I've been interested in for since its release a few months ago - their new roll center adjusters.  Actually, ever since I lowered my car by fitting the complete Nismo link set, I've studied, read up on, and been told that ideally the car should have some roll center adjusters.  I've been meaning to do so, but other stuff kept me distracted.  Here is a well written site which explains what they do, if you need a refresher like I did.

Moonface is probably the Japanese company best known for their roll center adaptors. Here is a photo of the kit for the BCNR33:

From: http://www.superlap.jp/item_detail/57/
Do-Luck has, however, recently helped in the development of this very interesting R33 GT-R which Dino has featured on Speedhunters:


And as you can see from this video, it is a very, very fast car (his time here at Fuji Speedway is about the same as a GT race car):


Anyway, this car runs Do-Lucks's new Roll Center Adaptors, available for the R32, R33 and R34 GT-Rs:



Which you can tell, by looking at the shape, are not your typical roll center adjuster/adaptor.  These work by not just restoring the angle of the lower arm (of a lowered car) to near horizontal/stock angles, but ALSO simultaneously work to restore the tie rods to their pre-lowered state.  In fact these may be the first ones on the market to combine roll center adjusters and tie rod ends into one piece.

Further, these are designed specifically for cars still running the OEM arms and OEM tie rods - in my case, I have the Nismo arm which is OEM shape but with stiffer bushes, and yes still the OEM tie rods. So perfect for my car!

Camber is increased another 1 degrees, and so with the Nismo links like me you end up with about 3.2 -3.5 degrees of camber.

Do-Luck offers these S7075 duralumin items in two colors - the anodized silver above, or anodized black. I went for the black, simply because I thought it would stand out from the rest of the suspension pieces.

For the left side, facing up
I actually took a bunch of photos as the install was happening, but having driven my car most recently in a rainstorm and not having properly washed the under carriage, I am choosing not to embarrass myself with how dirty the car was underneath!

But as I discovered, the install was not as easy as it could have been - maybe for a DIYer with the proper tools, it would be possible.  Basically, while it is obvious that the lower arm has to come off the hub, and the tie rod comes off of the hub piece as well, in my case, the brackets for R35 Brembos meant that fitment was a bit tight - necessitating removal of the driveshaft to make sure everything was bolted up properly tight.  Then after it was all bolted and connected together, the alignment had to be redone as well.

Anyway - to get a better understanding of how and where it fits, here are some photos (and again, I am distraught about how dirty it is...)

Before (left side):
Looking from back to front - Circled in blue are the bits between which the Adjusters fit



After (Right side):
Looking from the front to back. Obviously the arm is not connected yet.

Looking from the front to back. Circled is the adaptor installed. Note lower arm is now connected.

Looking from back to front - you can see, circled in red, where the tie rod USED to be connected

View from the top - you can clearly see the tie rod is no longer connected directly to the knuckle

Driving Impression:

So after both sides were done, and the alignment fixed, I went for a spin.

The first thing I noticed was the steering felt lighter. Almost as if the power steering had gotten stronger, or the car itself lighter.   Ito-san told me this is because the tie rods are no longer in the "Y" shape, they are more parallel with the ground. In fact this is, if I recall correctly, how the car felt BEFORE I lowered it.

 I then noticed that the front wheels felt like they stuck to the road better because the car seemed to react a bit quicker than before, going left to right.  In other words, the car felt more "flickable." Obviously, this is because the arms are also more parallel to the ground, and not doing the "Y" as can be seen in the Megan Racing link.

Finally, my biggest issue - on center numbness - seemed to have improved.  The zone (the angle of the steering wheel from left to on-center and then from on-center to right) over which the car feels relatively numb (remember I drove my friend's non-power steering NSX, which remains my personal benchmark) has shrunk substantially.  But dead on center, the feel can STILL be improved to be honest.

So I am one step closer to obtaining the kind of handling, both in feel and in response, I want with my car.  The more nimble handling (which I was told may actually make the car feel a bit jittery on bad roads), coupled with improved on center feel.

The only caveat I have is, these are expensive, with a retail price of 84,000 yen for the pair!  Perhaps I should have done some more research, but how much of an advantage do we gain by utilizing one solid piece vs corrections at both locations (by using roll center adjusters and tie rod ends)?  I guess one thing about high prices, however, is that likely not many people will have these on their car so it will add to the "bespoke" nature of my car.

So what do you all think? Post a comment and let me know! (and yes, I know, I'm still working on the R32 vs R33/R33 trivia blog posts...thanks for your patience on those!)


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R33 GT-R Design Trivia (Part 1 - Seats, Tail Lights and Headlights)

July 29, 2014, 7:44 am
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In doing research to discover how the R33 GT-R improved upon the R32 GT-R, I came across some interesting tidbits on the R33 - some items which even I had not thought about before, as well as some which had always bothered me.  Before I post what I found on the improvements over the BNR32, I have three posts on BCNR33 design trivia.

Blue vs Red Interior Stitching:

I've always wondered why Nissan did this. Why was the Series 3 given the red stitching, but the Series 1 and 2 blue stitching? Notably, the seats also have red or blue inserts to reflect the rest of the interior.
From a Series 1 car: courtesy http://www.gtr-world.net/gtr/archive/1858
Series 3 car
It turns out that in the beginning, there WAS argument internally over the stitching color – either red or blue – but blue was finally decided upon as it was Nissan’s image color.

Remember this is how the old logo looked:

The Series 3 cars did make the switch to red – but this was apparently because the main body color switched from midnight purple to silver (as can be seen in the TV commercials):

The "Speed King" one when the car was first introduced in 1995:


And then the Series 3 in 1997:



Anyway, as everyone knows, the R33 seats are simply reupholstered R32 seats.  A bit of history on the R32 seats.  When designing the R32 seats, they had 2 goals-  seats that could keep up with the GT-R’s performance, and seats ergonomically designed to fit well and allow for long drives without tiring.

So they looked and examined seats from Porsche, racing cars, rally cars, Recaro, and even seats with good reputions from other sports cars.  But the most attention was paid to rally car seats.  Most seats (at the time) really only supported the hips, but rally car seats support the hips, thighs, and shoulders, etc. in several locations.  So the GT-R seat was based around a bucket seat design found in rally cars. Data on how the muscles move, blood flows were recorded and used.  Initially, the seats held the shoulders more securely, but test drivers and journalists all reports this to be tiring in nature, so the shoulder areas were trimmed. 

Also two different sizes were considered for larger and smaller drivers but eventually only one size was selected.

For the R33, different seats were again examined, including those from Group C cars, but they settled back on the R32 seats.

As for the seat material – initially the same stuff “exse-nu” (not sure of the spelling, as the name was in Japanese in the reference text) as on the R32 was considered,  but a better material with better feel and finer fibers called Lux Suede was sued. Although a NASA space material and real suede were also candidates, Lux Suede was selected in order to keep the seats as light as possible.

Incidentally, the rear seats of the R33 were designed in response to complaints that the rear seats in the R32 were too uncomfortable. (Both photos below courtesy of SkylinesAustralia.com)
R32 GT-R Rear Seats

R33 GT-R Rear Seats

Head and Tail Lamps:

Nissan designers had to design the head and tail lamps within the parameters of two design elements specific to the Skyline.  Everyone knows about the 4 rear afterburners (which in fact WERE inspired by the afterburners of jet fighters), but the designers also had to follow the Skyline custom of having 4 head lights as well - apparently, every Skyline from the beginning had 4 lights up front, which is not true of all cars, for example Nissan's own Z cars did not.
AFTERBURNERS!
"AFTERBURNERS"
Speaking of the 4 tailights – it turns out that these rear circular lights are actually not perfectly circular, but slightly oval. The reason for this is that apparently, from afar, perfectly circular does not look circular (I've got to go out and measure them sometime!).  Also, the designers also claim that the donut design is necessary to make them look round as well.

The R33 GT-R headlights are different from the standard R33.  Naoto Shiraiwa, who designed them, explains that the design was based on Group C cars, and further the image he wanted to have was two eyes peering out from behind a visor shield of a racing helmet.  


From: http://www.lacar.com/?p=9538
It also turns out that light manufacturers wanted Nissan to use projector headlamps (like in the 32), but these required more depth than halogen lamps and further initially these lights were large and their use gave a disjointed look.

Incidentally, the R33 GT-R’s outer lens actually has vertical lines inscribed – this is so that if viewed from the side, the lens (apparently) gives a glitter effect!  What was also important from a design perspective was to make sure that these headlights actually looked like lights – looking securely forward.

The headlights on the 33 GT-R are actually 20mm forwards that of the standard R33.  This was because it was not possible to keep inside the hood area.

The front round turn signals were borrowed from the Nissan Figaro, although the color is amber to make distinctive. These lights were also later used in some 180SX models as well.

The Nissan Figaro. The resemblance is uncanny (not!)
1997 Nissan 180SX Type X - from http://nissan.fan-site.net/car_1.htm 
Finally, what Shiraiwa wanted to do was to have an “S” mark inscribed in both the 32 and 33 headlights. (in the photo of the R30 headlamp below, you can see an “S” mark between the two lamps, at the top where the light doesn’t hit).
Courtesy: http://www.ebay.com/itm/nissan-skyline-r30-kouki-headlight-left-side-/140778704453


Next in R33 GT-R Design Trivia, Part 2: Emblem, Steering Wheel and Gauges

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R33 GT-R Design Trivia (Part 2 - Emblem, Steering Wheel and Gauges)

August 3, 2014, 8:21 am
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Continuing on the theme of interesting stuff I found out when researching how the R33 GT-R improved upon the R32 GT-R:

The Emblem:



Nissan’s design division has one division that specializes only in emblems. For the RB26 GT-Rs, the GT-R logo used on the Ken Mary GT-R that debuted in Jan 1973 was the inspiration. That is, “GT” on top, a larger “R” on the bottom, and the “R” letter actually being silver outlined with red being painted within the outlines, to give it more presence.

From: http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2011/09/13/events-2011-japanese-classic-car-show-part-01/
It turns out that at the time of the R32, the general design trend was to minimize badging or make them smaller, in order to give a clean look to the front of the car. Thus, the GT-R, like all R32s, only had the “S” symbol on the front hood, and only had the GT-R badge on the trunk.

However, the R33’s development chief Kozo Watanabe (who would later be in the same role for the BNR34), insisted on having a largish GT-R logo in the front as well, in order to strongly emphasize the car was a GT-R.  This was in order to let cars ahead, when looking in the mirror, see that a GT-R was closing in from behind!
So this is the view in the mirror as a lesser car is about to be passed.
From: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/237956-in-motion-pics-of-my-r33-gtr/

There is also a “GT-R” that is inscribed only on the left cover to the rear spoiler.  Ever wonder why it’s only on one side?
From: http://www.driftireland.com/forum/showthread.php?36087-Genuine-R33-GTR-Spoiler
This was done so that a driver being PASSED by a GT-R (in the fast lane in right hand drive countries,) would see at eye level, at the moment of being passed, what car had just passed him!

The logo designer was Ms. Junko Ito, who said her marching orders were to come up with an elegant and sporty design, larger than the 32 design on which it was based to reflect the larger mass of the 33, and fit it al into a square, while remaining well balanced.  The "R" was made larger than the "GT", and there was a black background to the letters.  Further the red used was more crimson than the brownish red used in the 32.

The Steering Wheel:

This is one area where I think the R32 is better -  its steering wheel, which was inspired by Porsche and BMW designs.  The objective here was being able to turn the wheel by sliding your fingers. It is simple, clean and functional:
From: http://jp.autoblog.com/2013/03/03/nostalgic-2days-2481km-r32-skyline-gt-r/
We all know that by the time of the R33, airbags were becoming mandatory.  Hence the Series 1 BCNR33 had that monstrosity of a steering wheel taken from the Nissan parts bin.  It did not even have the sporty red stitching found on the more compact steering wheel found on the Series 2 and 3:

Series 1 on left, Series 2 and 3 on right
I guess it could have been worse? The R33 GT-R Prototype's steering wheel:
Actually, this looks better - at least smaller - than the Series 1 one.
All three photos above from: http://www.gtr-world.com/
What is NOT known is that it turns out the second steering wheel (for Series 2 and 3) was actually finished as a product and ready to go by the launch of the R33, but for parts sharing purposes, the decision was made to use the older one that ended up in the Series 1.

So, apologies to Series 1 owners, looks like you guys got stuck with some of the cost cutting going on at the time...

The Gauges:

When designing the R33 GT-R, Nissan designers followed the theme of "road going racer" - so racing drivers as well as Nissan test drivers were asked for the input in designing the interior. One trait as a result was the large number of gauges.

The sub meters were carried over, but improved upon the ones in the R32. On the R32, the gauges were pointed at the driver, but on the R33, in addition to having larger and more readable font, the fascia was cut to allow easy visibility without having to offset the gauges.

OEM R32 GT-R Sub Gauges
From: http://www.gtr-world.com/gt-r/bcnr33/bcnr33-skyline-gtr-4door-autech.html

And all the gauges are all ROUND.  Actually, other parts of the interior are round too, including the clock, harzard, defogger and even the HVAC switches.  This was done on purpose, to create a link to the afterburner tail lamps.  As one designer stated,  "The beautiful circle is the Skyline philosophy."

As for the main gauges, one small detail is the use of the imprinted carbon which in addition to the GT-R logo in the tachometer, was designed to separate the R33 GT-R from non GT-R variants.

Speaking of the tachometer - unlike in the R32, where the needles of both the speedometer and the tachometer were sitting, at rest, at the 7pm position (see photo above for the steering wheel) or the non GT-R R33, where the speedometer and tachometer needles both begin in the horizontal position -  Why, in the R33 GT-R why does the speedometer needle point to 9pm but the tachometer needle point straight down? I've always wondered about this.

From: http://www.skyline-forum.de/showthread.php/10001-NISMO-R33-320kmh-11k-TACHO

The problem with gauges with needles in the horizontal position (as was found in non GT-R R33 variants) is that the area where the rev limiter would kicks in (at 8000 rpm) is towards the bottom:
Yes, it has the carbon look, but this is a BCNR33 gauge panel installed in an ECR33.
From: http://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/userid/660687/car/1417373/6174645/parts.aspx
For the R33 GT-R designers, functionality was the most important aspect. But they also wanted an emotional connection with the engine as well: they wanted the driver to get excited watching the needle go up and down along with the engine revs.  In other words, the designers wanted the tachometer to have a natural, wide angle of sweep, so the needle would rise from zero at maximum bottom below and peak near the red zone at the very top.   Also, more practically, when driving at high speed, by having 7000rpm at the top center, it was easy to see at a glance that you were approaching the 8000 rpm red zone.

The designers also did a couple other things to emphasize the importance of the tachometer. First, they eliminated the voltage gauge found in the R32, and replaced it with a warning light, and then moved the torque meter to the 3 sub meters in the center stack area.  By eliminating the number of surrounding gauges from 4 to 3 (leaving only one on the tacho side), this made the tachometer appear larger and easier to see.  Also - it turns out that the color of the font on the gauges is actually not white, but a light grey for better visibility.

Compare:
From: http://www.skyliner32.net/HNR32/img/after.jpg

OR:
From: http://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/userid/1558931/car/1155628/4692855/parts.aspx

Amazing the little details they thought about, eh?

Next: R33 GT-R Design Triva, Part 3: Wheels and Tires.

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R33 GT-R Design Trivia (Part 3 - Wheels and Tires)

August 11, 2014, 7:59 am
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Wheels:

It's common knowledge that BBS Japan made the forged aluminum alloy wheels for R32, R33 and R34 GT-Rs.  What is not as well known is that, in fact, the R33 GT-R wheels were based on the look of the R32 wheels – instead of 5 solid spokes, there are 5 hollowed out spokes (so they appear to be 10 spokes).

R32 GT-R wheel. From: http://www.e-polish.info/sagyou-R32.html
R33 GT-R Wheel. From: http://defend.co.jp/newblog/?cat=11

In the beginning, there were two candidates for wheels – a refined/evolved version of the R32, or a new 5 spoke design.  They wanted to go with the first design, but quickly realized that in a 17 inch rim size, the wheel got heavier, which is how they came up with the 2 rib per spoke design.

At the time, the 2 rib wheels were rare, so appropriate for the GT-R. The wheels were also designed to improve the cooling characteristic of the wheel, so that owners could go to the track using the OEM wheels.

There was also a candidate design of 5 flat spokes (like the Ferraris back then), but the dished look won out, to give a sense of fullness and strength.

The R32 wheels, by the way, were inspired by F1 wheels, and their design was done so that the calipers would be visible from above. Same theme with the R33.

Tires:

So what is the difference between the Bridgestone Expedia S-07 tires that came on the V-Spec, vs the Bridgestone RE010s that came on the standard BCNR33?

Both were specifically designed for the GT-R, and we would expect to be the S-07 to be higher performance tire... which is true to an extent.

Bridgestone S-07 From: http://www.croooober.com/item/1876796

 RE010 From: http://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/userid/167168/car/143531/2987993/parts.aspx

It turns out that the RE0101s were better all around tires, while the S-07 were better in the dry but not so good in the wet.  Most interesting however is that the S-07’s design minimized tire noise (to those on the outside, due to new noise regulations for cars passing in 1998.)

For the UK spec R33 GT-Rs, it's not surprising they were fitted with the RE0101s due to their all weather characteristics.

Next post - How the R33 GT-R improved upon the R32 GT-R, Part 1 (High Traction Layout, Aerodynamics)

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How The R33 GT-R Improved Upon The R32 GT-R (Part 1 - Exterior Design/Aerodynamics & the "High Traction Layout")

October 5, 2014, 8:08 am
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So although I've previously explored the differences between the R33 and R34 GT-Rs, and discovered that while the running gear basically stayed the same, with improvements to body rigidity and aerodynamics (as well as styling, of course) being the main differences, I hadn't yet really looked into the differences and improvements between the R32 and the R33 GT-Rs.

Nissan had a problem - the R32 GT-R was spectacularly successful - and its successor the R33 was bound to be in its shadow unless it was substantially better both subjectively and objectively.  While R33 haters may not like to admit it, the R33 GT-R is a technically much improved car over the R32 GT-R - so much so, if you recall the objective when designing the R34 GT-R, Nissan's goals were not to make it any faster than the R33 (it was deemed fast enough), but rather, just easier to drive for the average driver.

In any case, with all the information I found, I've split the discussion into two parts - this post, Part 1, which examines the improvements in the exterior  (design and aerodynamics) and the "High Traction Layout" (balance and body rigidity), and the next post, Part 2, which examines the Engine, ATTESA ETS PRO, and Super HICAS.

Exterior Design and Aerodynamics:

When development of the R33 (the general model, NOT the GT-R) began, it was initially conceived that the 2 door coupe would ride on a shorter wheelbase than the 4 door sedan. The coupe was to have a shorter hood as well (further, no turbo model was contemplated).  This all changed, however, when Nissan decided to put the coupe on the same wheelbase as the sedan.

We all know that the R32 GT-R excelled in the Group A racing series in Japan. However, the R33 GT-R was facing a different race series (N1 Taikyu), this one which required sustained speeds exceeding 250kph; this requires not just awesome acceleration but stable braking prowess as well.  Thus, Nissan decided to put heavy emphasis on aerodynamics during the design; and not just better aerodynamics, but balanced aerodynamics.

The R32 was developed with the “Zero Lift” concept in mind, hence it sported a large rear spoiler to help keep the car on the ground and provide stability in high speed cornering.  However, its coefficient of drag was 0.40, which was not something to brag about even back then.  Further, based on racing experience Nissan wanted the R33 GT-R to have superlative cooling and anti heat abilities, which would require large openings for the radiator and oil cooler.  The front spoiler would have to be a shape which would reduce front lift as well.

Nissan called the design theme for the R33 GT-R,  "Sophisticated Strength" -  while engineers wanted superior aerodynamics, cooling ability, and a wider tread, the designers wanted a design that suggested speed and power.

Here are some quotes on various design aspects from the chief of the GT-R’s exterior design, Hidetoshi Nishiizumi: (Source: Cartop Mook: R33 Skyline GT-R Best Album) (all Nissan Gallery photos from Wikipedia)


"The R32 had excessive front lift.  At Fuji Speedway, taking the high speed 130R corner at speed was scary, according to Kaz Mizuno (later father of the R35 GT-R). So efforts were made in the R33 to minimize front lift - and in that regard, the longer front overhang worked in our favor."


"We designed large openings in the front bumper, and made the shape spoiler-like. We experimented with various angles for the lip spoiler as well, to get the best wake separation for the air.”


“The size and height of the rear spoiler of the R32 GT-R were designed with Group A racing in mind. The regulations meant the wing could not be adjustable, so we put a big one on from the beginning.   The R33 GT-R had an adjustable one.  From the rear, you can see that it actually has a “Y” shape design.  Mizuno-san was heavily involved in the design.   Although it extends a total of 30mm on the sides, the size of the spoiler is limited.  We did experiment with a spoiler that would fit within the width of the trunk lid, but it looked unbalanced.   This is what lead to the current design with its overhang.”


“Compared to the R32 GT-R, what really gives the 33 remarkable presence is the larger spoiler on the back.  From the back, it really enhances its presence.  The reason we included an adjusting tool in the tool kit was so that the wing could be adjusted for track days – but in town, it looks best at horizontal.”

“We experimented with making the entire wing adjustable, but in the end settled only on angle adjustability and the caps on the sides, for weight purposes.  Also the reason why the rear is solid, but the front of the blade is adjustable, is just in case it became separated, it would move in the direction of generating downforce, allowing the driver to stop safely.”

The design was in a state of change until right before the car went on sale. You can see that the production car looks far more aggressive than the the prototype:
“Compared to the prototype, we widened the lower half of the body to give the appearance of a lower center of gravity.”
The R33 GT-R Proto - I'm not sure I see the narrower lower belt line?
Photo from http://www.gtr-world.com
You can see the solid, fixed position rear wing which has evolved from the Type M wing but is still not adjustable
Photo from http://www.gtr-world.com
Initially this rear trunk spoiler was a fixed position one, but at the very last minute a decision was made to go with the adjustable one we have now.  Incidentally, the original fixed spoiler design can now be found on the R33 GTS25t Type M.
The R33 GT-R could have had this rear spoiler design.
Courtesy: http://asteriskblog.blog90.fc2.com/blog-entry-39.html
Also, one aero design that was considered at the time, was to have a roof spoiler in addition to the rear trunk spoiler.
GT-R could have looked like this, with the roof spoiler!
From: http://infinitefocusphoto.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/hangs-muskis/

There was extensive wind tunnel and road testing of the design, with efforts made to obtain the best front-back lift balance while allowing for wide tires, blister fenders and rear spoiler.  In the end the Cd equaled 0.35 (beating the R32's 0.40), and the front /rear downforce was better balanced, with a front coefficient of lift of 0.09, and a rear downforce of 0.03 (with the spoiler at the flat position). Even with the bigger body.

For a review, see this post

The "High Traction Layout":

In addition to the aerodynamics, the High Traction Layout improved the dynamic performance of the chassis.  This is Nissan's terminology for the technical chassis design differences which were designed to improve the performance of the R33 GT-R over the R32.  In addition to the improved aerodynamics, the High Traction Layout improved the dynamic performance of the chassis.  It did this by improvements in two areas: body rigidity and weight distribution.

Body Rigidity:
With the addition of front and rear strut tower bars, as well adding cross bars under the floor in over 30 locations, rigidity was improved – 40% increase compared to the R33 GTS, and over 150% (1.5 times) more rigid than the R32. The improvements include, front tower bar, front cross bar (which connects the sides of the transmission tunnel), floor cross bar, the seat back center (the plate behind the rear seats), rear strut bar, etc.

From: "All About the New Skyline GT-R"
Four wheel multi-link suspension: The front layout was changed.  The R32’s weak point was the use of an “I” shaped upper arm, which was susceptible to rattles.   These were changed to “A” arms, which gave 90% more lateral rigidity. 

In the rear, Nissan added the “triple cross bar” – which adds more rigidity for the suspension members (in the R34, it also provided a nice place to hang the rear carbon diffuser off of… the 33 and 34 triple cross bar is the same, incidentally).

Having increased body rigidity means, of course, that power not only gets to the ground more directly, but the suspension behaves more accurately.  To the driver, this makes the car feel more nimble and agile, with more direct feel, and thus easier to drive.

Weight Distribution:

The Problem:  The R32 GT-R was criticized as being too front heavy, which lead to strong understeer.  Additionally, the fuel tank was placed below the trunk floor, meaning that there was weight overhang in the rear as well. Not only was the weight BEHIND the rear wheels an issue, but as fuel was consumed and the rear got lighter, there was an obvious effect on the car’s performance.  Combined with a less rigid body, the R32's potential was wasted.

The Solution: With the increased wheelbase, it was now possible to improve weight distribution; the plastic fuel tank was placed below the rear seats, battery moved to the trunk, and to the extent possible, heavy things were moved towards the center of the car.  The front and rear overhang weights were lightened.

 From: "All About the New Skyline GT-R"
But improving the weight distribution wasn't just about moving things around between the wheels - it also means reducing weight in critical areas to improve the balance of the car.  The increased body rigidity didn't help - the added bracing added to the car's weight, which meant that Nissan engineers had two compelling reasons to try to figure out ways to lighten the car.

Up front, to reduce front overhang weight, the front hood and fenders were made of aluminum (as in the BNR32), the headlights were made of lightweight plastic and the intercooler was lightened, in order to lighten the front overhang, reducing inertia.  The intercoolers were changed from extruded multi hole tube to inner fin type which improved response, cooled 4% better, and was 400g lighter.

Nissan engineers also found other ways to reduce weight, even by a few grams.
This includes:
Hollowing out the side door beams.
Using high tensile steel on body panels.
Reduction in sound deadening materials.
Super HICAS becoming electric.
Hollowing out of rear stabilizer bar.
Use of high tensile springs front and rear.
Shrinking the ABS actuator.
Light aluminum wheels with higher rigidity
The front and rear axles were made of aluminum (as in the BNR32) but also so were engine mount insulators and brackets
New plastics were used for : fuel tank, head lamps, super high strength "PP" bumpers, air cleaner, changing the headlining material, changing material of rear spoiler.

So even though the R33 was heavier by 100kg, the records show that it was 30kg heavier up front, and 70 kg heavier in the rear.

There were a few drawbacks to the High Traction Layout, however - although these were deemed worthy sacrifices to get better performance:

1) With the battery moved to the back, as well as the rear strut bar, trunk space and volume is smaller on the R33 vs the R32.
2)  Additionally, the fuel tank shrank from 72 liters to 65 liters… resulting in a lower range.

In any case, I think they did a great job on both the looks, aero and chassis development.  It is ironic that people criticize the longer wheelbase without understanding how Nissan engineers actually used that to the car's advantage from a dynamic technical standpoint - the longer wheel base is not just stability at speed in a straight line, but also with the High Traction Layout in corners too!

Next: Engine, ATTESA E-TS PRO, and SUPER HICAS

Sources:
1) Cartop Mook: R33 Skyline GT-R Best Album
2) Neko Mook: I Love R33 Skyline GT-R
3) Motorfan: 新型スカイラインGT-Rのすべて("All About the new Skyline GT-R")
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How the R33 GT-R Improved Upon the R32 GT-R (Part 2 - Engine, ATTESA ETS-PRO, and Super HICAS)

October 20, 2014, 8:30 am
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Continuing from the previous post - (How the R33 GT-R Improved Upon the R32 GT-R (Part 1 - Aerodynamics and the High Traction Layout), the following items seem more mundane and evolutionary, versus revolutionary.

Also, these are areas that have been widely discussed in the English press and so the big improvements may not be new to you - however, I still discovered items of interest, as described below.

First, however, this video - this was a promotional VHS video sent to Nissan dealerships upon the launch of the R33 GT-R, to be shown to prospective customers - it's Nissan's explanation as to how the R33 had improved on the R32 (yes it's all in Japanese, but the visuals... and engine noise... and the amazing acrobatics while being driven hard at Nurburgring (at about 8:40 onwards) are worth it!):



Not surprisingly, the video describes or mentions, in addition to the items in this post, most of the items I wrote about, not just in the previous postbut also much of what appeared in the design trivia posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

Engine:
Basically the same, except boost was raised in response to Nissan test drivers who wanted more torque and response.  This resulted in 1.5 kgm more torque (to 37.5kgm) and more horsepower, although due to the gentleman’s agreement, power continued to be listed as “280ps.” Engine management (and thus response) was improved as the engine ECU was changed from 8 bits to 16 bits for more detailed engine control, response and reliability.

Side note: Something that Nissan did not publish, however, is the claim that the standard R33 GT-R RB26 blocks are actually more rigid than the R32 ones, due to slight changes in the block design (i.e. improving the ribs in the block). [Note: Even though this is published in my sources, I have never heard this claim before. I would take with a grain of salt.]


Drivetrain: ATTESA ETS-PRO

With the BNR32, in addition to high speed corners being tricky as the car generated lots of understeer, there were also times where traction was not satisfactory.  So the goal with the BCNR33 was to have it behave exactly as you wanted it to.
From: http://2000gt.net/Nissan/ATTESA/ATTESA.php

Yes, everyone knows by now that the R33 V-Spec model came with the electronically controlled Active LSD, while the standard BCNR33 did not. This leads many to believe that the standard R33 GT-R uses the same ATTESA system as the R32 GT-R… which is true for the hardware, but NOT the software.

Hiroki Sasaki, in charge of ATTESA-ETS in Nissan’s Chassis department, explains that the problem with the R32 was that it understeered badly, it simply would not turn.  They researched the issues, and ended up changing (the software on) how the torque split is done.   As a result, the R33's handling is more precise. The R33's ATTESA ECU is able to take into account more road and speed conditions, using higher capacity (higher limits) sensors, to better tune the car's response in light of the driving conditions and compatibility with the tires.

For the ETS-PRO, they initially borrowed the Active LSD that was already being used in the standard (2wd) R33 in a quest to maximize real wheel traction. However, initial testing did not go well, so the engineers spent a lot of time experimenting.  They finally got it to work well, but this also was due to improving body rigidity and tire performance, finally better.

Here are a few photos of the active rear diff - note that it has the finned cover, which the standard differential does not.

From: http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~t-e-s/bcnr33lsd.html
The end result is, ETS functions in both R33 GT-Rs to make the car much more FR-like than the R32.  And, with the ETS-PRO, the active LSD allowed Nissan engineers to say the the V-spec is “the GT-R we really wanted to build, with superlative performance.”

Brakes: all cars, both V-Spec and Standard trim, came with the Brembo brakes that made their debut on the R32 GT-R V-Spec models. I occasionally hear about the odd R33 GT-R that doesn't have Brembos on it... unfortunately, those were stripped of the Brembos before being sold to the unsuspecting new owner.



Super HICAS:  The R33 adopted the electrically driven Super HICAS versus the R32’s more primitive Super HICAS which was hydraulically driven, heavier, not as precise and did not utilize a yaw sensor. See my technical note about this from an earlier post.  HICAS appears to be a touchy subject - many people claim that "HICAS kicked in" to explain why they lost control of their GT-R.  I believe this is the result of people not understanding how HICAS works, and not understanding what else could cause handling issues - HICAS is an easy culprit to blame, especially given the number of hydraulic HICAS equipped R32s, the fact that many tuners sell lock out bars, and the apparent complexity of the mechanism itself.  I'm doing research on this issue, and I hope to be doing a future post on this topic, soon.

Putting it All Together:  Along with a more responsive intercooler, all of the changes mentioned above and from the previous post resulted in a car that Nissan engineers claimed was more responsive and faster than the R32 GT-R, as demonstrated by the significantly faster performance at Nurburgring (in Japan, the advertising copy was “Romance of minus 21 seconds”).


Here is the "romance of minus 21 seconds" commercial:


Hiroyoshi Kato, Nissan's main test driver, explained that (due to all the technical improvements, especially the ones mentioned on this page) "the R33's performance completely surpasses the R32s... the first we went to Nur (with the R32), the Nissan team was completely intimidated with how Porsche was testing, but by the time we had the R33, in our hearts we believed we could kick Porsche's ass." (Quote from "Nissan Skyline GT-R R33/R34, Neko Mook 1377")

By the way - here is Nissan's official profile (in English) of Kato-san: Nissan Legends - The Man Who Found His Calling -Hiroyoshi Kato.


Next - time for some mods for my car (finally)! 

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Back To Where It All Began...

October 21, 2014, 10:53 pm
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So this past Sunday afternoon, I was driving around Yokosuka (where the US Naval Base is), when all of a sudden I heard something weird: like a fluid hitting something hot, repeatedly. It sounded like this: "pshh pshh pshh pshh."

I first thought something had gotten caught in one of the brake calipers, but then I began to see some white smoke. Still the optimist, I kept going, and headed onto the expressway.

However, entering a toll booth, it just seemed like there was a BIT too much smoke. Also, the idle speed was too high - like at about 2000 rpms. Did not sound normal at all.  So I finally pulled over, popped the hood, and tried to locate the source of the smoke.

It seemed to be coming from the back of the engine area, on the side opposite of the turbos, down near or on the firewall.  And of course everything was too hot back there to touch, and further, it was getting dark... quickly. In any case, having spent a good amount of money on the engine, I wasn't going to press on and risk damage.

So I called roadside service (JAF - Japan Automobile Federation) and they dispatched a flatbed to pick me up.  JAF is great - only 3000 yen per year, and they offer numerous services. When they tow or  haul/flatbed your car, they do so anywhere within 15km for free!  In any case, the operator (who didn't know much about cars) was going to send over the first available tow truck... but then this flatbed showed up.  

The JAF driver told me, as soon as they heard "Skyline GT-R" over the radio all the local drivers knew it had to be a flatbed. So this driver who was nearby volunteered to come over.  It turns out that there are two types of flatbed - the ones that extend the entire platform to the ground, and those that slant.  Obviously, your car has to be drivable to use the slant one (they can winch it up, but because my car is so low, that would be tricky).

View from the driver's seat as I drive up the ramp
I wasn't about to wait for a "true" flatbed type truck to show up (another 2 hours). So I started the car up, expecting the worst... but it sounded fine, in fact sounded nice and warmed up??!!  Even the highway safety officer (not a policeman but one of the guys who, although they wear police-like uniforms, actually work for the private expressway operator) who showed up in one of these:



commented on how good the car sounded, asking me "hey is this a Nismo tuned engine?" When I told him it was a Mine's engine, he got excited and asked me more questions, even though I was busy at the time listening to the JAF driver as he directed me to drive up the ramp slowly, one meter at a time as he used wooden blocks to make sure my car's front lip spoiler didn't scrape!   Sheesh.

Mine's is also in Yokosuka, and was the closest tuning shop (I had called ahead to request they stay open late for me).  So once the car was safely strapped down, off we went. We arrived exactly 15.1 km later:

Arrival at Mine's.
Takayanagi-san (aka "Elvis") met us at the door, and directed the driver to pull into the backside.  As he was directing the JAF driver, Nakayama-san, the man who actually built the engine in my car, greeted me looking a bit worried and tired (he was there late as he is currently building another RB26 for another customer - you can barely see the gunmetal BNR32 in the photo below, to the left):

Nakayama-san moves to open the garage door for my car
Interestingly, he told me that customers with RB26 GT-Rs were keeping Mine's busier than R35 GT-R owners... that plus those overseas trips he has been taking leaves him tired!

Takayanagi-san pulls my car into the garage of one of the world's most awesome GT-R shops.

On the left, the Mine's R34 GT-R. On the right, a Stagea RS260! 3 world class RBs lined up?
Once again, the car sounded great upon unloading. Nakayama-san DID agree with me that the exhaust smelled worse than it should (a long standing problem which I've been neglecting a while) so he promised to do a thorough whole car inspection for me.

Two GT-R Legends? (only in my mind, LOL)

So now, all I have to do is wait to find out what they diagnose is the problem with my car. Going back to the beginning of this blog, Mine's did the new engine install back in late summer of 2007, so it's been just about 7 years.  During that time, I've had a leaking water line, and then a few months later, had the turbo oil lines break, (twice!) spewing hot oil all over the place - the smoke this time was not black, was coming from the other side/rear of the engine, and there was no oil residue so I'm optimistic that it doesn't involve these oil lines.

This time, I'm hoping that it's nothing serious, in which case, I will ask that expendable items in the engine bay be upgraded to the extent possible.  IF the engine has to come out, however, then maybe it's time for a few "optional extras" to be installed??  Any suggestions?

Stay tuned!
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Update #1 from Mine's....

October 26, 2014, 11:18 pm
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So I finally got a call from Mine's Takayanagi-san to update me on my car.

Here is what he told me that they've found so far:

Apparently, they found most of the water in the cooling system, gone! So they suspect a broken hose somewhere.   No visible damage anywhere, so likely they will have to lift up the car and/or remove the engine to be sure.

Luckily, I only drove for about 10 minutes once I saw the smoke so there is unlikely to be any damage due to overheating, however Nakayama-san will be inspecting the head of the engine to make sure there is no damage. (keeping fingers crossed, that sounds expensive!!!)

If the leak was from a hose somewhere, it would have happened very rapidly, as I don't recall seeing a puddle of coolant in my garage area.  So it would have happened that day when I drove to Yokosuka.

Additionally, they found that the water that remained, was rusty. This is probably my fault, I can't recall the last time I had the coolant changed - I thought it was a couple of years ago - and I've never had any cooling issues.  Takayanagi-san doesn't believe I need a new radiator, but it (and the whole system) will simply need to be flushed out thoroughly.

By the way,  I've circled where I saw the smoke/steam coming from:


In any case,  I will let them first diagnose exactly where the leak is coming from, but assuming that it is a hose that gave way,  I think I will have to replace some of those hoses back there with something stronger.  Steel braided looks nice, but my understanding is that silicon hoses are just as strong and reliable (so long as you use the proper clamps) and steel braided's drawback is that the braiding prevent you from finding the source of a leak quickly.  People's thoughts on this? If I do silicon, what color? Blue or black? (note I already have the Samco set for the radiator, in blue).

Stay tuned....
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Flash Back Post - Aluminum Pedals

November 1, 2014, 10:35 am
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Since I haven't heard anything from Mine's since my last post, I've been trying to clean up parts of this blog.  For example, I updated my Spec List page and realized that I had made some mods, and even took photos, but had forgotten to post when I did those mods!

So, time to post and get those photos up. First up - aluminum pedals.  This I did back in April, 2010!

From a distance, the OEM pedals sure look boring and ugly:
But look closely... the "R" on the clutch and brake pedals

To be honest, I was hesitant to do this mod.

First, note how Nissan has actually inscribed the "R" on the pedals themselves. GT-R specific? Probably! But old and getting worn...

Second, aluminum isn't going to be very useful if the soles of my shoes are wet from rain.  Then, I realized that since I almost never drive in the rain, this should not be an issue.

Out of excuses, I went ahead and ordered a set from Nissan. Note in the photo below there are three "bush" - but if I recall correctly, only two were actually needed (I can't recall where I got the part number list.  Unfortunately, I also don't remember which one bush I didn't use, but as they are cheap parts, I would go ahead and order all 3 if you are going to do this mod).

These began appearing on the later model BNR34s
No instructions were included, but this can't be that hard. The foot rest was a simple bolt off and bolt on affair.


Next up was the gas pedal. Note the difficult part here was, getting to that clip undone that holds the top part of the pedal. A small standard screwdriver is handy here.

holding the pedal upside down (narrow end on top)

The aluminum pedal - I can't recall exactly, but I seem to remember that you had to be careful to force the bottom piece (onto which the metal pedal arm hooks into) in. The top piece is self explanatory.
I don't know what that piece on the right is?? I think it wasn't needed.
Turned out that the brake and clutch pedal were the most difficult to get on. I ended up using a hair dryer to soften up the rubber, and the quickly stretch the pedal around the metal pedal arm portions.


Here is the aluminum pedal installed, from the back.


And finally, the end result:


Looks good! Yes, I lost the "R" factor, and these are now found throughout various Nissan vehicles. Still, I can't complain as they look good and I GUESS the small rubber sections on the left and right of the brake and clutch pedals act as anti-slip mechanisms for wet shoes.

Also, yes I have seen Nismo branded aluminum pedals, but was never sure if they were fake or not. So I stayed away from those, even though I'm sure Nismo did at one time have such parts available.

In any case, this was one more small thing I did to help "modernize" the car - heck if Nissan installed these on the later model BNR34s, then of course they would have put these on the R33 GT-R had these parts been available back then, right?

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