1992 Nissan Skyline - Carbonated

1992 Nissan Skyline - Carbonated

These Osaka-Ns Are High On Something & It's Not What You Think

Body shop owners are a finicky, often cranky bunch. They endure long hours in hot garages, noxious gasses and paint dust. Then there's the constant clatter of tools around. It's enough to make a sane man go nuts. I mean, when was your last encounter with a body shop pleasant? Most of the time you're in there because some ass hit your pride and joy, or you're forking over huge sums of money to paint your car. You, yourself are often tired, cranky, and most likely have taken some time off to deal with your "problem". Face it-body shop people get very little love dealing with people like you. It might even be said that one has to be a little crazy to work in this field.

To that end however, owners Masahide Kawamoto and Syuko Morita of Final Motion must be full-blown certifiable. They've conceived a plan to not only make you fork over huge sums of money, but do so with a smile on your face. Perhaps it's all the fumes, but if you've ever repaired or owned a boat, you know what I'm talking about. Let me explain. "Resin", and it's closely related brother "catalyst", are the haz-mat level-two materials that harden bottoms of boats, fishing rods and crossbows. Readers of this magazine might be familiar with their uses on stereo boxes, carbon fiber hoods and body kits, but one base material used with them that you might overlook is Kevlar. Ballistics-grade versions stop bullets-think of how that can be applied to automotive. F1 and GT500 cars use it to build whole chassis and so do some super-exotic production vehicles. Upon closer inspection of the R32 before you, you might notice the carbon. But if I didn't tell you it is indeed Kevlar, you might not have known. One could literally stand on the hood of this car without nary a hair crack forming. Try that with your cheap Made-in-China reproduction hood.

At roughly $50 per square foot, this stuff is not only expensive but expensive to fuck up. Yes, Kevlar is one of the reasons that sets Final Motion apart from other body and aero component shops. Other carbon-Kevlar components on this '92 Sukagee are the Final Motion wide body front fenders, doors, front lip, bumper, grill, rear wing, radiator diffuser plate, under-car diffuser plate, and side skirts. And not only do they look mean, they all serve function in either creating downforce or aiding in heat dissipation. But all these aero components would be just plain silly if the car underneath it were just a 170hp Civic. Morita employed engine and chassis tuning specialist Nokyo Racing Service (NRS) of Kadoma (outskirts of Osaka City) to help attain speeds more befitting of his Kevlar-clad creation.

In its current state, the RB26 is on its sixth rendition. This version started with a Nismo short block, with NRS boring it out to 87mm, giving it a final displacement of 2.66 liters. With 2.7-, 2.8-, and even 3.0-liter versions of bored stroker kits available, we asked why Morita didn't take advantage of them. The Osaka native explained that he wanted a car that achieved balance. Going further, he wanted a car that does everything equally well. Getting greedy with the power almost always ends up giving you a car that does incredibly well in a straight line, but sacrifices in everyday drivability and corner exit speeds on track. Fortunately, the Japanese aren't greedy.

Delving more into the engine reveals HKS S3 connecting rods, pistons, piston rings, and a Tomei fully balanced and blueprinted crankshaft. Other bottom-end components include a Trust oil pump and a NRS aluminum crank pulley. Leaving no stone untouched, the boys at NRS also ported the head, and fitted it with Stage 2 HKS Camshafts. With the long block complete and in the engine bay, NRS helped it breathe with high-tension valve springs, an NRS one-off intake manifold, turbo manifold and downpipe, and finally a T8833D turbine, all from the Trust catalog. To top off the engine, Final Motion included their signature Kevlar valve cover, and NRS used titanium extensively to create the exhaust and side-exit wastegate pipe.

Components external to the engine include a Toyo radiator with Trust radiator hoses, keeping H2O temps to a minimum, and a three-inch A'pexi core and associated titanium intercooler piping for the intake charge. The oil-frothing issue is dealt with by twin Trust oil coolers, hidden inside the bumper. Fuel management is delegated to twin Bosch OEM Nismo pumps, which flow downstream to some thirsty Sard 720cc injectors, where pressure is regulated via a pressure regulator of the same make. Combustion happens, and more than 900 horses are sent through a Nismo transmission with a twin-disc OS Giken clutch and lightened flywheel. Then it is transferred through a Nismo carbon propeller shaft, where it meets with a 1.5-way ATS carbon LSD. The current set-up had been dynoed at the wheels to push in excess of 680 hp at 6,800 rpm. Maybe not earth-shattering power in the realm of Skylines, but enough to achieve a record-breaking lap at Central Circuit of 1:31. Again, balance is the goal of Morita's creation.

Speaking of balance, the boys at NRS installed a set of proprietary Crux dual-adjustable coilovers with a set of 15kg springs, front and rear. To combat chassis flex, a set of Nismo anti-roll bars were employed, along with a set of Cusco upper tower braces. Nismo hard rubber bushings minimize LCA movement and spherical bushings are used liberally to tie in suspension points that won't adversely affect the street ride. Addressing safety and chassis stiffness, a Cusco Safety 21 roll cage is welded into key structural points. Most just stop at stitch welding. During its fourth rendition, however, while skewered onto a rotisserie, the GT-R received aircraft-grade rivets, and structural foam was used to further strengthen various crevices within the pillars and floor.

A massive set of 15-inch Alcon brakes (normally reserved for Super Taikyu cars) slows the car prior to corner entry. For street use, the R32 wears Advan A048 255/40-17. For track duty, the tangerine/bronze killing machine ditches the 17X10.5 TE37 for a set of SSR Type Cs, wearing a set of Toyo R1Rs of a similar size.

With the liberal use of exotic components, hand-laid carbon-Kevlar, years of careful tuning, and multiple trial and error renditions, we believe Morita has made giant strides towards achieving the balance he desired. It's people like him that the RB26 community will thank for being real-life test beds. Oh and the Kevlar doesn't hurt the eyes, either.

Behind The Build

'92 Nissan Skyline

Output 680 whp @ 6,800 rpm

Engine 2.66L RB26DETT; Nismo N1 short block, bored to 87mm; Tomei Crankshaft; HKS Stage 3 connecting rods, pistons, piston rings; Trust oil pump, valve springs, intake manifold, turbo manifold, wastegate; NRS aluminum crank pulley, cylinder head porting, exhaust; Toda cam gears; Final Motion valve cover; Greddy T8833D turbocharger, fuel rail; A'pexi intercooler and pipes; Koyo aluminum radiator; Sard radiator overflow tank, oil catch tank, blow-off valve, 720cc fuel injectors, fuel pressure regulator, swirl pot; Bosch OEM fuel pumps (x2)

Drivetrain OS Giken twin-disc clutch, flywheel; Nismo short shifter; ATS 1.5-way limited slip differential

Suspension NRS coilovers; Crux 15kg springs; Nismo front and rear anti-roll bars; Cusco front and rear strut tower braces; Nismo hard rubber LCA bushings; custom spherical ball joints, stitch welding, structural rivets, structural foam

Wheels/Tires 17X10.5J +15 offset Volk TE37 wheels; 225/40-17 Advan A048 tires (street); 17x11 SSR Type C wheels; 245/35-17 Toyo R1R tires (track)

Brakes Alcon 355mm six-piston front brakes; Endless brake pads

Exterior Final Motion carbon-Kevlar front fenders, front bumper, side skirts, hood, grille, doors, front diffuser, six-point adjustable GT rear wing; House of Kolor Tangerine paint; Hands On graphics

Interior Final Motion custom Cusco Safety 21 cage, bucket seats, carbon fiber dash and trunk separation; Willans four-point harnesses; Momo Command steering wheel; Nismo shifter

Electronics HKS EVC6; Tomei ECU; Panasonic head unit; Auto Meter water-temperature gauge, EGT gauge; A'pexi tachometer; Alpine six-inch front door speakers, 12-inch rear subwoofers.

Gratitude Nokyo Racing Service, Final Motion, Wife and kids.

Name.
Syuko Morita

Age.
35

Location.
Osaka, Japan

Occupation.
Body, Paint, Aerodynamic Specialist

Hobbies.
Foreign Music and Movies

Build Time.
11years and six engine rebuilds

Favorite Quote.
"Build a car that does everything well-street, strip, circuit. Then you will achieve balance."