A Few More Days...

So a few more days to go until I pick up the car from Nismo OMORI Factory... unfortunately it won't be going straight back with me, I first need to drop it off at the specialist alarm shop that Ochiai-san found... and then some other stuff needs to be done... details in an upcoming post soon!

Second, Omori Factory isn't quite done with the car, as at the very least they still need to fix the cigarette lighter wiring and the front door speaker leads (they didn't have the parts in stock in time for the repair schedule)... but rest assured I have a few more things to be done (or at least, I'm getting estimates as we speak...) and so after getting the alarm wiring removed I will be making a return trip back.  Ochiai-san did confirm that the photos of the new headlight bulbs he sent last week was just to show the comparison between old and new, and that in fact both were replaced, and finally that in person the new ones look even whiter than the old ones.

On the other hand, they were able to get a new ashtray for the car:

Note the rough surface, consistent with Series 3 cars

And here is the parts number:

Remember, parts numbers change across the years...this is the late models only!

Ochiai-san also told me that they lowered the car as low as "legally possible"... which I understand is 8cm from the road to the lowest part of the car.

Very interesting device here...

In my car's case, the lowest part is the Mine's front pipe... and looking at how it looks compared to the rest of the underfloor, which has been completely refreshed, it doesn't look that pretty anymore, huh.　Maybe I need to make a trip to Mine's in the near future...??

So 9.5 cm from the road?

So I guess the front pipe is costing me 1.5cm... well I guess so long as it looks better than this:

On the other hand, in the past I found it was quite easy to change the heights of the Ohlins myself, so once it's back if it still looks odd we can lower it even more quite easily.  Although then yes we have to be careful about scrapes on not-so-smooth roads, and then I also wonder if the tires will rub against the inner fenders.

Finally, when I first dropped off the car they asked me if I wanted the car ceramic ("glass") coated. When I asked what happened to that option, turns out their supplier had checked out my car and said it was already "too clean" and that any work he would do to prep the car for the ceramic coating wouldn't really be noticeable. Win! It means very little prep next time the car goes in for a ceramic coat!

Anyway, while the car isn't as perfect as I wanted, it's come along way and we will keep fixing things one step at a time...

Finally!!!!

Got word from Ochiai-san...

Off to the specialist shop! What shop?Hopefully I'll have some photos to share soon. In the meantime, we have the 2019 Nismo Festival tomorrow... I'll be taking some R33 related photos of course! Check back soon!

Weird Things Happen... and Finding Stuff in One's Garage

During my trip on April 5th to Chiba Prefecture to visit Worx Auto Alarm with my friend Dino,  a slight sprinkling of rain hit the car on the way over.  While I was pleased to see how well the Echelon 1043 Nano-Fil paint protection I had gotten applied during its full detail at Rapt was holding up, by the time I got home, I was too busy and tired to properly wash the salt spray (from the ocean) and dirt (in general) off the car.

So last weekend, I spent about an hour washing the car. Compared to previous car wash sessions where I would have to carve out a few hours time to ensure I would have time to give the car a quick once over after the wash to apply some Zaino using my Porter Cable orbital buffer, this time the wash was a strictly water and car wash (Zaino Z7) solution, because the Echelon coating is supposed to last a few years (and I don't want to scratch unnecessarily, right?)

Unfortunately, right as I began washing, I spotted this:

WTF? When did that happen?

So yes was not happy. I thought about if there had been any vandalism to the car, but since this was really the first time I had driven a long distance since getting the car professionally detailed, I was confused as to how this could have happened.  Luckily, it's only a sticker, and so I will have it replaced with a new one soon.

Meanwhile, once I calmed down I continued to finish cleaning the car. After I dried it, I found this in my garage:

So this water repellant (i.e. Rain-X copy) product, called Clean View Glass Coat X2 Strong, made by Ichinen Chemicals, claims to last twice as long, and become effective at 38kph. It also claims to have 2 ingredients, fluoride as well as silicon. I almost don't think it's worth it, because one of Dino's questions when he drove my car was, "what did Kabe-san at Rapt put on the windshield?" pointing to how the rain rolled off the windshield.  At the same time, I noticed for some reason that the rain did not fly off the rear window thus suggesting that other than a quick polish of the glass surface, nothing special was applied (there is an Echelon product for glass that is supposedly amazing but I don't recall paying for that...)

In any case, I figured I had nothing to lose, especially if I applied this to the rear glass.  Application is simple, just like Rain-X. The liquid seeps though the large circular sponge attached to the end, and then you apply, let dry, and buff off. Presto!

close-up as it dries.

Now I'm not recommending this product, it was something I just found in my garage and further, because I rarely take the car out in the rain, I doubt I will be able to experience it in action. Until, at least, I next wash the car and then I will report...although based on the mediocre feedback on the Minkara Japanese language car blog, I'm not that optimistic.

In the meantime, I have a few real mods and some restore work coming to my car very soon. Stay tuned!

Professional Detail at Rapt - Finally!

Here in Japan, it's a tradition at the end of the year to "clean up" - your house, your car(s), your finances, whatever... in fact it was hard to get a reservation to get my car professionally detailed so the following actually took place in late November of last year.

Anyway, so while I've been to RAPT several times in the past to get my windows tinted, my wheels painted, get a new look by painting the front lip spoiler and NISMO 400R side skirts installed, and the interior professionally cleaned, I've never yet had the exterior properly detailed. Until NOW.

So here is the car before I took it in. This was when I went back to the Nissan dealership to pick up a few parts - details coming soon! LOL.

Yes, very clean by any standard, but not clean enough....

When I dropped the car off at RAPT, initially we decided to go with his "standard" glass coating package, which is "G'Zox" from Soft99 Corporation.

I found an English website here that somewhat describes it: http://www.gzox.com/english/

Now, I'm not an expert on these so called "glass coatings" - I know they are big here in Japan, and presumably do away with the need to wax, polish or apply sealant to one's car on a frequent basis. Supposedly, instead of just coating the paint, these products "bond" to the paint, hence their longevity of 2-3 years at a time.

However, a day later Kabe-san called me to explain he had changed his mind. He wanted to use a different product, the top of the line one he offered called "Echelon Nano-fil" - and this also is a "glass coating" like the G'Zox. Best I can tell from the propaganda, this one has a more interlocked structure, which presumably explains why it lasts longer, but also might take longer to set.

Kabe-san explained the reason why he wanted to use the Echelon is because I keep my car fully garaged all year round, and don't drive in the rain, this would allow me to take advantage of the month that it takes for this coating to fully cure.  The G'zox works great but has a much shorter curing time, and he confessed, a shorter lifespan.  With the Nano-fil, he expected protection to continue for SIX YEARS, although I would not feel the slickness after "only" two years.   For the price I paid, I think I can redo this every two years without my wallet complaining...

Anyway when I picked up the car 10 days later (both Kabe-san and myself laughed at how over the years I had until now never gotten him to detail the car... "Finally!!"):

First, at RAPT (the pictures don't do the work justice - there is a certain gloss and sheen the human eye picks up that simply can't be replicated even with a DSLR - and of course the paint feels super slick and smooth):

Under his lights, car looks almost light grey!

Yes, he cleaned and then coated the wheels AND the brake calipers with the glass coating too

I took this opportunity to replace both rubber bump stops on the hood. A worn out one on the right side was causing the hood to droop a little on one side.

This is where that rubber bump stop goes.

So now the bonnet is lined up properly, or at least, the best it can be given 1990s Nissan body gap quality/technology:

Photo of the new one installed

Before bidding me farewell he also gave me this nice little maintenance kit:

Then later in my garage at home, under daylight and "normal" fluorescent lights:

Note the hood STILL isn't perfectly lined up, but at least it's evenly off...I'll fix soon...

Admittedly, on a silver car it's very difficult to see the differences, at least in a photo. Up close in real life, what I notice most is the marked reduction in swirls in the clear coat (the existing paint has to be perfected before a glass coating is applied), as well as the removal of built up grime and such in crevices.  For example, he took special care around the headlights, bringing back the black lining on top of the headlights, as well restoring the black on the turn signal grill slits and other black plastic.

Anyway, the car now looks great. Now, going forward, anything body work related will be to touch up or fix areas that need work, such as the front lip spoiler which always gets scraped up, and maybe replace the front GT-R emblem which always gets dinged up.   I also have collected some interesting parts that need to be added too, so eventually need to add those.

Most problematic now is, what am I going to do with all the Zaino stuff I have now... Kabe-San says that application of other products can sometimes make things look worse...??

Road Warrior Plus Product Review and Washing Cars in Japan

This post was long in the making, as I had originally intended to try the Road Warrior Plus ("RWP") product for a few weeks back in September 2013, and then report on its efficacy.  Flash forward a couple years now....

First, let me explain what RWP is.  Basically, it's a user applicable, TEMPORARY clear bra (mask) product for vehicles.

The kit I ordered came in a bottle as well as a tray and application roller

The product was developed really as a way for people with pristine show cars/motorcycles to be able to travel a long distance, for example to a car show, and upon arrival, simply peel off the protection.  In other words, on the way to the destination, a vehicle would end up covered in dirt, dust, bugs, making cleanup a hassle.  Rather than water and some bug remover, this product allows one to simply peel off all of the dirt and grime, exposing the still pristine paint underneath.

Because no one out there seems to make a pre-cut kit for DIY clear bra application for the R33 GT-R (believe me I've searched), and because a custom job doesn't make sense for me because the hood (bonnet) and bumper has some minor scratches that need to be fixed first, I was looking for a cheaper, less permanent alternative. Which I think this is.

Application is simple, anyone who has been drafted into painting house walls will know what to do. That is:
Step 1 - Pour the paint into the tray:

Oh, and it smells JUST LIKE Elmer's White Glue (which we all used in elementary school)

Step 2 -

Apply with the roller

Step 3 - Can you ever put it on too thick?

Answer: not really, just smooth it out with the roller

Step 4 - for testing purposes, I applied RWP to the entire front bumper, the passenger wing mirror, and the front lip spoiler. Let dry to get:

You can see the slight orange peel effect... but now you are protected!

So here is my honest review.  Because the RWP is meant to be temporary, it is clearly not as durable as a traditional clear bra.  Also, because the material is water based (I really think it might be Elmer's glue?) when it rains, the water will temporary turn the RWP white where it hits. Not exactly pretty, but when it dries the white patches clear up.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure my liberal application of the RWP on the front lip spoiler saved it from some impacts, even with gravel/large insects, etc.

Also, if you have annoying friends who like to tease you for your OCD, they may start peeling it away without your permission - in fact this is what led to me taking the RWP off the other day.

After having working on raising my car height as well as the semi-succesful duct tape experiment, it was starting to bother me, how dirty I found the car's undercarriage.  Especially after some other R33 GT-R Facebook friends were showing off pristine under sides of their cars.

So off to the local car wash, for the only purpose of spraying and cleaning the underside:

And yes, the red bucket is mine, I brought along my own Zaino car soap, just in case

Incidentally, in Japan, the world's most vending machine infused society, yes there is a vending machine at public car washes with everything you need to wash, dry, and wax your car:

Do NOT drink that...wax...

Anyway, as I was using the high pressure spray, I accidentally hit the SAME SPOT where my "friend" Dino (noted motor journalist who has an intense jealously because of how clean my car is, compared to his - I guess...) had peeled some RWB off. This caused water to get underneath the rest of the RWB, and the effect was:

So the RWB just peels off...

So I peeled off the rest of the RWB, then drove home, where I finished washing the car, properly.

My next investment may be an air blower so I can blow dry my car....

In conclusion - try the product if you are curious. It's cheap, easy to apply/hard to screw up, and on my car, lasted 18 months! (ok I don't drive that much but still).   While I applied with a roller, I wonder what would happen if you had a sprayer and sprayed it on? Would it come out clear?

I actually DO have another product that is similar but more durable which I hope to test soon.

Until next time...

A Sunny Three Day Weekend means...

Being able to detail and tinker with my car to my heart's content.

As many of you know, for detailing I use the Zaino line of products. http://www.zainostore.com/

The weekend before, as I mentioned in my previous post, there was one sunny day, so I took my time and washed and claybarred the car. Then followed up with the Zaino AIO (Z-AIO) product, applied and removed by Porter Cable.

This past weekend, I used the Zaino instant detailer spray (Z-6) and cleaned the car (there was only some dust on the car anyway, as I had not driven it). I then followed with another coat of the Z-AIO (applied by PC again) and then some hand application as below:

Here, I'm using a toothbrush to remove some old built up polish on the "Skyline" lettering on the rear valance:


And of course - the details - here I am attacking the license plate too - both the front and rear were dirty.


Don't have any action pictures of me removing the Z-AIO (again by PC), which was followed by a coat of the Z-5 product , followed after removing it by PC by a gloss enhancer/instant detail spray, Z-8 , then followed by another coat of Z-5, again on and off by PC. So that's 2 coats of Z-5 - each coat enhances the shine, and the effect is additive! (someday, I will have 4-5 coats on... someday!)

I then sealed this all with their new one step sealant - Z-CS

Hard to tell from these photos, but the car looks amazingly better - so good in fact that the defects - stone chips, etc. are even MORE noticeable...









I also took a couple of hours to remove the dry carbon exhaust surround, which not only was dirty but was applied somewhat off by the bodyshop (when they fixed my rear bumper). I then cleaned it the best I could, and put it back on, this time straight.






I like this photo the best - really brings out the shine and the definition of the car!



But that wasn't all - I then decided to put on some carbon bling that I had taken off before - the side panels to the rear wing - when the clips fell off.

Here is the wet carbon blade compared to the stock plastic insert:


And here is the solution - those metal clips designed to route wire, with the adhesive tape on the backside (I think the carbon items had something similar originally, except the tape was much weaker):






But that wasn't all! I kept going - and this time installed the Optima yellow top that I had lying around as well.

But getting to the battery wasn't easy - not only did I have to remove the trunk wall (black steel), but also the standard tower bar!


And check out the size of this thing!
From the top:




Here it is, I finally got it sitting in snugly in the bay (note - not for the weak of arm, hoisting it up into the bay requires some muscle!)


Apologies for the bad picture - but here it is, done!


The result - I can't believe how easily the engine starts now! There is not only no loss of power, but the starter seems to be a bit more eager in how it cranks! Nice!

Next project - start figuring out ways to reduce the car's weight it gained from the Optima! Seriously, thinking of some titanium bolts, maybe some anodized washers (yes, BLING) for the engine bay... stay tuned!