Those Parts Numbers REALLY CAN Make a Difference...

So given that the Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 (Zenki, Chuki and Khoki) R33 GT-Rs are fundamentally the same car, in modifying and keeping this car running, I am usually not a stickler for different part  numbers for the SAME PART - the only difference seemingly being that my car is a Kohki car (with some part numbers containing a 98U00) and not a Zenki or Chuki (with part numbers often containing 24U00). Usually I am happy if I find something in better shape regardless of the year car it came off of. Of course, if it's brand new that is great too...

Sure, some parts like the Kohki Xenon headlights and red accented interior, I get.  Having different parts numbers for those very distinct parts makes sense.  But how about this:

Other than the Mine's speedometer, what's the difference?  Why did I just find and buy the old scratched up gauge cluster on Yahoo Auctions?

Well, the clue is in the numbers:

My gauge cluster on top, the Yahoo Auction special on the bottom.

So yes, my cluster appears to be from a Zenki or Chuki car while the bottom scratched up one is from a Kohki car.  And yet, my car is a Kohki so what's going on?

Well, I didn't realize until this incident that I think when I installed the Mine's speedo, I kept the 24U00 unit it came in (only replacing the V-Spec tachometer for the one that came in my car originally), and so I must have sold off my OEM 98U00 unit.

So why am I making a big deal about this now? Well... as you may know the Kohki cars have a standard rear fog lamp:

Rear red fog lamp on the right side only.

But for the last few weeks, I thought that maybe the fog light or the circuit was broken, because when I turned on the fog lamp, I heard the relay click, but did not see anything on the dash.  And when I checked the owner's manual there was supposed to an indicator lamp that turned on where the green arrow is pointing, below.

Suspecting a burnt out bulb, I removed the gauge cluster to check the bulb. But the bulb looked fine...

And I realized the contacts for that bulb looked clean too.

Ok so what about this removable film? It contains all the graphics for the warning lamps.

After gently removing it to check the back side, I immediately realized that not only did the part number seem to be an earlier part number - 15U000 - but it was clearly lacking any indicator diagram for the rear fog lamp.

Just to make sure, I plugged the gauge cluster back in and turned on the rear fog lamp - and as you can see, the bulb is not the problem.

Bulb lit up here

Lamp off, Bulb off.

So this is when I decided to see if I could find a Kohki gauge cluster and see if my guess, that the Kohki clusters WOULD have the diagram, was right. By total coincidence, that evening I found TWO clusters with the 98U00 number on Yahoo Auctions. So I bought one and a few days later:

So yeah first thing I did was to inspect it, and then compare it to mine.

Surprisingly, the newer 98U02 unit was dirtier! Although the black surround looked cleaner, yes.

But what was weird was the back side.

Top is mine, the backing is blue and looks newer and cleaner. The newer one on bottom looks more green and somehow older even though it has the 98U00 series number

In fact, look at this:

The amount of rust on the screw!

So very weird. The newer 98U00 unit was dirtier but also looked more aged, for some reason.

In any case, I popped it open and:

98U00 number! Fog lamp indicator!

So compared to the part in my cluster with the inscribed 18U00 part number, this shows 98U00. And yes, it has the fog lamp indicator!!

But check this out - even though the outside housing has the 98U02 number, the gauges inside still show 24U00 series part numbers! So is the only difference the warning lamp indicator piece?

And actually, I found ONE MORE interesting difference:]

The ABS indicator is different on the Kohki cars!

So for whatever reason, the ABS warning indicator changed too. Not sure why - anyone know why? Was there some kind of new international standard that got adopted for 1997 onwards?

Anyway, I replaced the 15U00 part on mine with the 98U00 part and then plugged everything back in on my cluster:

Success!

And so now, whenever I drive my car in the rain and decide to prevent myself from getting rear ended by turning on the rear fog lamp, I'll be able to tell if it's on.  As it should be, as the car originally came with this. So a bit of successful restoration, I guess!

I wonder if there is anything else like this, parts number wise... I know from experience that the HVAC control units of Kohki cars had different numbers (and different harnesses in the back), but functionally they look the same...

Anyway, another educational experience for me. Hope it was fun for you too!

Go with 90s era Chrome or Stick with OEM Plastic?

 

From: https://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/306146/car/200234/1339412/parts.aspx

So this is something I have always wondered about, but I did not take any action to get the part until it was too late... 

For many years, I spotted the OEM optional chrome R33 door handles on Yahoo Auctions.  And then, suddenly last few years, they seemed to disappear. So I had given up on this mod as recently as 2018, when I was putting my interior back together after the FUBAR that happened at Worx.  But recently I found someone who had figured out that the same part was offered for certain Infiniti models and thus still available. 

So, I took a chance and got a pair.

This was an easy enough install. Remove the door cards, remove the plastic cup behind the handles, unbolt the handles from the mount and carefully remove the two hooked hard wires that operate the door mechanisms.

The red LED, by the way, is linked to the center dome light fade out mechanism and something I installed back in 2012! Check out the write up here. One day I will get it working properly again - it requires hole drilling into the door handle cups, but I had sent those to Marc at Xclusiv Carbon to carbonize, in the process the holes got covered up and I never bothered to redrill them out.

from: http://www.r33gt-r.com/2018/09/still-working-on-interior.html

Anyway, once I had temporarily reinstalled the door card, it looked like this

Kinda busy, huh

I then changed out the carbon cup to a standard black plastic cup, just to see the difference. From a distance, you can see the difference compared to the OEM black plastic handle too, against the black plastic cup in the background.

Finally, I decided to go back to the standard black plastic for both the cup and the handle.

But I left the passenger side with the OEM handle, but carbon cup and window switch - just to give me something to reference against and to think about.

So currently my car has carbon on the left side and none on the right. But don't forget, these cars CAME with fake carbon imprints on the main and sub gauge clusters, which I of course replaced out with real carbon (initially gloss, but then I went to matte). At the time I thought that it would make sense to have more real carbon in a matte finish replacing just plain black plastic, but now I am honestly tempted to go back to all black plastic.  Is less more in this case? What do you guys think?

I've Met Another Crazy Kohki KR4 Owner

Recently, a fellow R33 GT-R owner messaged me on this blog about how he had successfully used a BNR34 part on his car. Murray (Follow him on IG: kaizen.r33) currently lives in Okinawa, Japan, so when I found myself there for a couple weeks of special work, it was natural that we would meet up in person just so I could check out his car (his daily!).

Beautiful! Love the quasi 400R look, reminds me of my car. And the Nismo intercooler
venting is awesome!

Once we met up, of course I had to check out in person what he had tried to explain to me via email and photos about his mod using the BNR34 rear strut tower board, which being two layered (vice the single layer BCNR33 piece) provides more rigidity to the rear of the car.

So I could tell immediately that this looked different from the usual 33 part.  First, the Nismo Performance Damper appears (and is) shorter, but that is because its mounting points are different - you can see in the next photo (kindly provided by Murray) that compares the 33 and 34 rear boards - the 33 is one piece so the rear strut bar (and thus the Nismo Damper) connects on top, while the mounting for the 34 strut bar (and thus Nismo Damper) is a separate piece that lies on top of and bolted underneath the rear board.  Murray told me that because of the different lengths he had to buy a new Nismo Damper for the rear. Because Nismo only sells in front/rear pairs, he sold his new 34 front one on Yahoo Auctions.  

Additionally, Murray informed me that, compared to the 33 board, the 34 board has 4 extra recessed holes, probably M10x50mm in the standard 1.25 pitch. He says the Series 3/Kohki cars already have these holes drilled at the factory so he had no problems adding and tightening these extra bolts down. Otherwise, as I reported in the GT-R magazine article post, this part is a direct easy fit requiring no mods to either the car or the 34 board.

Murray reports he could immediately feel the difference - an increase in rear stability - and this makes sense as the 33 is longer than the 34 and thus I would suspect that an increase in rigidity here in this area would do wonders in how the car feels.  Certainly makes sense given how this 33 was used as the basis for improvements that would end up in the 34. Incidentally, I forgot to take photos, but Murray also has the S15 trunk bar installed as well, so the improvement I think might be noticeable in my car as well.

I am very, very tempted to do this mod! I will have to research the Damper issue- whether the change in structure is effective, etc. Ideally I want not to have to buy a new Nismo Damper...

But of course I had to check out the rest of the car.  I had already noticed that this car was running those beautiful Nismo semi-gloss LMGT4 wheels, and I could already spot some brake mods.

And yes we agreed on tire choice too - PS4S

These are ACRE Dustless-Real pads and Dixcel FS 6 slot rotors. He has the 400R fender flares but told me that Nismo no longer offered the ones for the front. I will have to look into this, but meanwhile we discussed how the Nismo R35 brake package does wonders for the braking ability of the car.  I think if Murray ever takes his car to Fuji Speedway, he will realize that the OEM brakes are the weak point of the car. I did advise him to stay away from adaptor brackets made elsewhere, unless he can overcome the shortcomings I found with the set I sourced from the UK. 

While still at the rear of the car, I noticed that Murray had also installed a BNR34 rear diffuser. But it looked different than mine. And it's not just the 400R rear bumper.

I forgot to ask if the red taping is reflective. If so, nice touch!

Turns out that Murray had the rear diffuser custom-made by CW-collective.  No photos from me as my knees were not cooperating that day (but check out Murray's IG), but I did notice how clean the exhaust cut-out was.  Murray did remark that compared to the OEM 34 version, he did not have a jack up point (so he has to use the arms), but otherwise the install was very clean.  And he even used the OEM 34 plastic fins, which is a smart move because they can get damaged when backing up (although I did not see any damage to the fins on his car).

One more interesting piece in the trunk area was this old-style Nismo badge that is no longer available.  I suspect that Murray and I may have been competing on Yahoo Auctions for the last few years over the same parts...

I also spotted this side turn signal that Murray says came with the car. Yes I have advised him to get it changed out for a more inconspicuous part.

Anyway a well put together and a very clean look that works! (despite the shaved off trunk lock - done by the prior owner of the car).

And the car has a replica carbon 400R double blade rear wing

Ok so let's check what's under the hood(bonnet!).

Hard to tell at this angle, but Murray reports the new HKS GTIII-2530s work really well. I also spotted the carbon fiber Nismo Omori Factory original air intake - great minds think alike?  Also hard to tell at this angle is the deletion of the OEM CAS for a more modern trigger kit, with the engine now controlled by a Haltech Elite 2500.  And yes that is a MASSIVE front strut tower bar! 

I also noted that he was running a non-standard front lip. Murray reminded me that this was also a Nismo piece, I guess my focus has been on other Nismo parts as it didn't register with me when he told me!

A better view of that massive Midori Seibi tower bar

From what else I can recall, Murray told me that he had gotten his Xenons redone with a much brighter bulb set-up, retrofitted with G5-BRT projectors from Lightwerkz Global. Additionally, he told me he is running a very interesting cam set-up - 290 on both intake and exhaust with 10.8mm clearance.  Sounds awesome, but he admits that the decrease in engine pressure was causing him some brake pressure issues; hopefully the Auto Select Large Capacity Brake Master Cylinder he is getting installed soon will mitigate the issue.

But wait - what about the interior? Hold on as this was, to me, the highlight of the tour.

First, I noticed the real carbon treatment on the dash surround. Not my taste as I like matte and not gloss but it worked well here actually. Then I noticed the Garage Yoshida sourced HVAC relocation kit, and the 2DIN screen.  Yep, been there, done that, except of course not Garage Yoshida. 

But of course, I then saw that the instrument cluster is the old Nismo option that has the center screen. Murray told me he sadly does not have the Epson EJ1 computer module that came with it - he is on the hunt for it. 

I would argue however that he does NOT need it. Yeah I know not OEM, but his current execution is WAY better:

And if that wasn't impressive enough, once past the welcome screen:

Here is a close up:

Murray says he was inspired by the R35's graphics when he configured this set up! I am very, very impressed with this!

I really think this is way better than the original:

I mean if you are going to Resto-mod... let's make it modern, right!?

But this wasn't his only interior mod. Check out his camera mount.

We were joking that maybe this gave some more body rigidity as well. Looking forward to whatever video Murray takes from this!

Lastly - and this is something new for me - as I learned something - is this OEM R33 cup holder.

No OEM foglights yet, but Murray is on the hunt for a set!

Ok here is a better shot of the cupholder, without the carbon fiber insert:

So it turns out that the R33 GTST had these cupholders.  Unfortunately for the GT-R, the G-sensor needed for the ATTESA system that is mounted underneath this space prevents this part from fitting, but if you have already replaced the old analog G-sensor for a digital one from Do-Luck or Midori Seibi, then this mod is possible.

So this is another Murray mod that I may have to try out! Not that I EVER drink or eat in my car, but maybe if I get this part I will allow a water bottle in the car... lol.

Anyway, my thanks to Murray for taking time out of his day to swing by and let me check out his car.  I'll close this post with a fantastic photo he took... and I do hope we will be able to meet up again soon!

Research - Where Do All Those Engine Stickers Go?

So normally I don't post until I have done the research in full and I am ready to show everyone something, but in this case I'll make an exception to show how I get an idea and then start moving towards SOME KIND of project.

In this case, I am talking about all those stickers that were on the underside of the hood (bonnet) and in the engine bay when the car was delivered new.  Anyone ever wonder what those were all about? Some of you may have faded remnants of some stickers - but didn't you ever wonder if your car had the full set of stickers as applied at the factory?  And what do some of those stickers say anyway?  And then some of you are like me - you've replaced either the hood itself or the underhood insulation, or both, and want to get "back to OEM" or as close as possible, anyway.

The genesis of this project is when I got the underhood insulation replaced at Nissan Prince Tokyo back in 2016 - so yes, I have been thinking about this for almost 5 years, but have done little except to slowly collect the stickers when I remembered.  As you can see, there is an indent on the insulation which clearly suggests one or more stickers of some sort are supposed to go there.  

That, and when I googled I found this:

From: https://ameblo.jp/exage-gtr/entry-11835304505.html

Other search results showed a sticker not on the insulated part, but on the right side directly on the paint:

From: https://jota-garage.com/stock/st10/R33GT-RAutechTOMEI.html

As well as just one sticker on the insulation:

From: https://cartune.me/notes/XSPr6UCsnD

So, since all of them can't be correct, I had to look it up. My main source was this - Nissan's Main Maintenance Parts Catalog for the R33 Skyline, issued in July 1997, covering vehicles made since 1993:

Sometimes I think paper is faster and easier to use than electronic...

Yes, it is basically the print version of the Nissan FAST. Of course, as some numbers have changed due to the Nismo Heritage Program, I also accessed the Heritage Program as well.

Finally, I also used nissan.epc-data.com, and found this (the same as above, but a bit easier to see the locations under the hood for C, A, and G?):

From: https://nissan.epc-data.com/skyline/bcnr33/3940-rb26dett/body/991/?full=991-_001

Anyway - so here are all the stickers I have accumulated over the years.

Let's look at these one by one. First, this very yellow SRS Airbag warning sticker ("G" in the diagram above).  I have confirmed this is the correct parts number for the 33.

 Here is what it says, if you ever wondered: 

Caution      SRS AIRBAG

- this car is equipped with an SRS airbag.

- the harness and connectors for the SRS airbag are yellow in color

- do not use a multimeter to test the circuits

- modifying the circuit or disconnecting the connectors can cause the SRS airbag to operate improperly and prevent the system from normal operation, and is a cause of major damage

- when disposing of the gas release unit or the vehicle, always consult the sales company that handled the sale

The next sticker is for emissions.  Note that this one is available only via the Nismo Heritage Parts program.  The sticker for the BNR32, by the way, is identical as the same regulations were in effect and applicable. The difference is in the parts number (ending in RHR20) and the print on the bottom left says "2R1" and the separate small sticker on the side has "05U00." Yeah, I have no idea either.

It says:

This car conforms to the exhaust gas regulations of Showa 53 (10/15 mode)

Engine type: RB26

Overall Engine Displacement: 2568 cc

Equipped with following equipment: 3 layer catalytic converter (monolith) canister type

Engine adjustment values

Idle speed: 950 rpm

Ignition timing: 20degrees/950  BTDC/rpm

CO adjustment value (at idle):  0.1%

HC adjustment value (at idle):  50 ppm

This automobile conforms to the exhaust gas regulations of Showa 53 based on the safety standards of road transportation vehicles.

Next is a more comprehensive fluids check list ("C" above). I have confirmed this parts number is for the 33, although I think this is a period correct sticker for all Nissan vehicles of the era.

 Use Nissan OEM parts on this car! - Oil and fluids should be as follows!

Engine Oil (OEM Nissan oil in SD, SE, SF, SG grades)
Replace: Every 10,000km or 12 months (SG grade)
               Every 5000 km or 6 months (SD, SE, SF grades)

Inspect/Replace:   Before use as appropriate

Manual Transmission Oil (OEM Nissan Gear Oil MP)

Replace:  Privately used:  no replacement

                Commercial vehicles etc: Every 100,000km or 2 years

Inspect/Replace: Privately used every 12 months; commercial etc., every month

Differential Oil (Gear Oil Hypoid)

Replace: Privately used: no replacement

               Commercial vehicles etc: Every 100,000km or 2 years

Inspect/Replace: Privately used every 12 months; commercial etc., every month

Automatic Transmission Fluid (OEM NissanMatic Fluid D)

Replace:  Hired cars, taxis, etc:  Every 100,000km

                All others;  no replacement

Inspect/Replace: Privately used every 12 months; commercial etc. every month

Power Steering Fluid (Nissan OEM Power Steering Fluid)

No replacement

Inspect/Replace: Privately used every 12 months; commercial etc. every month

Brake Fluid (Nissan OEM Brake Fluid NR3)

Replace:  Privately used; First time at 3 years; every 2 years thereafter

                Commercial:  Every year;  Freight: Every year

Inspect/Replace:  Before use as appropriate

(Warning) Do not use anything other than NR3 Nissan OEM brake fluid

*Please see Maintenance Manual for Details*

Next, I found this Oil Change Warning sticker. I have confirmed that this parts number is for the Series 3 R33:

Warning At Time of Oil Change

- Engine oil (Nissan Motor Oil)

Always change at every 10,000km or every 12 months

(Please use SG, SH grade oil)

- Automatic Trans (Mission/Axle) Fluid

Always use NissanMatic Fluid

- For other oils please consult Maintenance Notes

For Details please consult the Nissan Sales Company

The only problem is, I have no idea where this goes on my car. Not only was the parts manual not helpful, I could not seem to find out even on Google examples of this sticker and its application.  And yet, it is listed on FAST and in the catalogs as for the R33...

This next sticker (weirdly, also listed as "C" above!) is listed as common for the R33 and R34 - the Ignition timing:

Engine Adjustment Value

Idle RPM (Manual transmission) 950 rpm

Ignition Timing (Manual transmission) 20 degrees/950 BTDC /rpm

I have no idea what the "2P" here is for, nor why there is a small sticker on the side with the second half of the parts number.  Turns out however that maybe I did not need to order this sticker:

As my car still has the factory applied sticker in place. Not exactly straight either. Note the yellow caution label is also not applied straight.  This is going to bother me... and yet they both WERE applied at the factory so super OEM...

So I have a backup sticker, I guess. I also have no idea where the simplified oil change sticker goes as well.

So for the remaining 3 stickers, this is how I THINK they would be applied, according to EPC/the parts book - but to be honest, I am not sure if I even WILL have the stickers applied:

I guess this will simply have to be another question/task for Nismo Omori Factory, next time I go there...

Actually, there was ONE sticker I found and I know where it goes:

On the side of the dashboard on the passenger side - visible when the door is open. Although whether to apply over that nice leather finish will be another conundrum.

Anyway, most frustrating for me because there simply isn't enough information I was able to find. Not the most pressing parts update for my car, but I did want to share what kind of research I do as well as my decision making in seeking to refine my car even further.

So, I suppose I will have to continue my research before moving forward on actually applying these stickers.