No More Nismo Parts!

I am done with Nismo! But only because, after my last visit back in May, I am pretty sure there is nothing left offered by Nismo or Omori Factory that I want to get installed on my car. I mean yes there are things I have not yet upgraded but I will likely get such parts from other manufacturers. Stay tuned!

How my car looked BEFORE the work this time

So what did I get done this time?  Well I have always wanted an aftermarket intercooler to replace the stock one.  There is nothing wrong with the stock one - after all it was designed to handle up to 600ps supposedly - but simply because I am trying to restomod my car so it has the most up-to-date technology and parts. Bonus, if a replacement part is stronger or lighter than the OEM part.  More bonus if it looks great too! But there are so many intercoolers offered by the aftermarket - ARC, HKS, Trust, etc. However all of these tend to be offered in a thickness of 100mm, up from the OEM 70mm size (ARC being an exception).

With regards to ARC - they offer two types in the OEM size for the r33 - their M073 (plates 3mm thick for claimed 88% efficiency) and M079 (plates 1.5mm thick for claimed near 100% efficiency). Since I want to stick to well known brands, with Made in Japan quality (and taking advantage of the recent weakness of the yen), I never considered any overseas brands, never mind Chinese brands like Mishimoto (I have trouble with anyone who tries to sound Japanese but are not because it implies they are trying to fool their customers who may assume Japanese level quality). And yes before anyone asks, I would consider the quality of parts coming out of Australia superior as well.  But I digress...

Anyway, Nismo recently released a new intercooler in 75mm thickness to supplement the 100mm thick model they have had available for some time. In addition to increased cooling efficiencies thanks to a more modern design (better flow etc), because it is 75 mm, there is no cutting of the bumper frame and bumper. AND, that also means that the OEM intercooler mesh screen which guards the intercooler from stone chips and other road debris, can be kept on. 

A closer look. Maybe the dark grill/intercooler looks good after all?

So let's take a closer look at this new Nismo part.  You can find it listed in the 2022 Nismo catalog here.

And yes, the welding is sloppy - hence why it's a display model

As you can tell from the catalog specs, the only difference between the 100mm and 75mm thick versions is the thickness. Width and height are the same, along with the internal construction, which is bar and plate.

Oh, and if I am getting this new intercooler, might as well replace the old HKS hard aluminum pipes too, right? The (il)logical and expensive choice naturally is these latest pieces of art offered only by Omori Factory (probably not listed in the usual Nismo catalog).

So yes very pretty, but when you think about it, these pipes are pretty much hidden away, so is it really worth it? I asked about what technical advantages carbon fiber has over aluminum.  I thought that aluminum would act as a heat sink and better allow hot exhaust air to cool off on the way to the intercooler, but it turns out that the opposite is true - carbon fiber does a better job of shielding the air going into and out of the intercooler from the heat generated by the engine and then trapped in the engine bay.

The engine bay BEFORE the install. Arrow points to the HKS silicon joint and the aluminum intercooler piping

So the blue HKS silicon joint is gone, and yes the carbon pipe is visible from the top!

No sloppy welding here! And yes it looks like one day I have to take off the front bumper covers and steam or dry ice clean that bumper frame! 

Have to admit, I was happy to see that the Nismo part sticker is still clean as brand new on the Nismo brace - visible right under the "S" in the printed NISMO.

Here is a close-up of how it looks put together, with the OEM mesh screen.

So those above photos were sent to me during the install.  When I went to pick up the car after the work was completed, I took  second to check out the new corporate signage outside Omori Factory.  This is because earlier this year Nismo (Nissan Motorsports Co. Ltd.) and Autech Japan Inc. merged.  Guess who oversaw that from a legal perspective?

Anyway, the car looked great as usual upon arrival in the garage.

The original OEM intercooler.  Lots of dust and sand fell out while I was examining it.  Sorry Nismo custodians...  

So they haven't thrown it out yet - do you think it can be sold for some more cash? Or should I keep it?

Here are the other parts.  Pretty sure I can sell these HKS intercooler pipes, no problem.

Finally at home.  The white floor makes it easier to make out the new silver colored intercooler and the NISMO logo.

So what's next? Well I think I want to turn my attention on some further interior tweaks. Stay tuned!