Nissan Skyline News

Episode 202 - Chinese utes gone wild: Move over HiLux and Ranger!

The Ford Motor Company has trademarked the famous ‘Skyline’ name right from under Nissan’s nose in North America, and there is nothing that can be done about it.

Aussie car fans and nostalgia buffs will tell you that local motoring reached its peak in the 1970s.

Backyard used car dealer Ali Faraj has been dubbed the South Australia’s 'dodgiest trader' by the consumer watchdog, after his latest court appearance. He has a 'substantial history' of 'unscrupulous behaviour' which stretches across different industries and has cost him $150,000 in fines and compensation payouts in the past 14 months, Consumer and Business Services said.The Warradale man, 31, is a home-wrecking renovator and backyard car dealer who has swindled people out of tens of thousands of dollars using three different names. He also holds the record for the highest fines imposed by courts for breaching building and car dealing laws. Faraj, also known as Kamel Kassem and Kamel Mousselmani, was also jailed in Victoria for six months in 2011. He has convictions for at least 68 dishonesty and deception offences in that state.Consumer Affairs Commissioner Paul White said Faraj ''clearly has complete contempt for the law … He is untrustworthy, unethical and CBS have made every endeavour to ensure he is no longer a threat to consumers,'' he said. Last week, Faraj was fined $33,000 in the Adelaide Magistrates Court for selling more than 10 used cars without a second-hand car dealer's licence. He was found to have 'intentionally' traded the cars illegally between July 2011 and December 2012.The vehicles, many brought from Victoria, included Mercedes Benz sedans, a Toyota HiLux and a Nissan Skyline. The previous Friday, Faraj was banned in the District Court from working in the building industry after continuing to advertise for construction work despite convic-tions last year for working unlicensed and ripping off several customers for tens of thousands of dollars for renovation jobs.For these crimes, he was fined $57,000 and paid $1706 victims of crime levy, $800 for prosecution costs and $60,000 compensation in September last year. He undertook contracts worth more than $700,000 with at least four Adelaide homeowners to carry out renovations, demolition, painting, plumbing and electrical work in 2010 and 2011. In one case he demolished the interior of a beachfront Hallett Cove home and left the $380,000 job unfinished - despite taking a $50,000 deposit from the owners. CBS urges consumers who engage with any trader to check they are licensed at the Public Licensing Register on www.cbs.sa.gov.au 

Aussie motorsport heritage flexed its muscles last weekend with a spectacular show of local racing champions and their cars. Held at Sydney Motorsport Park, the ninth annual Australian Muscle Car Masters once again included a gathering of our most famous racing cars and drivers from the past half-century. This rolling history spanned several categories and eras of Australian motorsport, including Group N, S, A, and C, V8 Supercar, Formula 5000, plus a variety of current historic racers.  Notable examples included the 1986 Bathurst 1000-winning Grice/Bailey Chickadee Commodore, the 1992-winning Richards/Skaife Winfield Skyline GTR, and the Perkins/Ingall Castrol Commodore driven to victory in 1997.Legendary drivers in attendance included Allan Moffat, Fred Gibson, Harry Firth, John Goss, Leo Geoghegan, Jim and Steve Richards, Kevin Bartlett, Allan Grice and Neil Crompton.The highlight of the event was easily the ‘Bathurst Grid Spectacular’ held on the Sunday, where 60-odd previous Bathurst entries lined up on the grid for an hour of high-speed parade laps, and the variety of machinery and sounds proved that Australian motorsport runs far deeper than just Ford and Holden-badged racers.There were hundreds of classic road cars also on display, plus nearly 30 individual races held over the two days.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn

... , the increasingly popular motorsport in which cars skid sideways."I didn't get my licence first time around because I didn't see the 40km/h zone," he said.  Now, with just one round to go and 15 points on offer, Coulson, 17, holds a substantial 12-point lead in the top amateur class of the national Stadium Drift titles.The youngest competitor yet in the series started drifting when he was 15. His father, Martin, a used car dealer, had to drive the car in and out of the pits for him.  "I'd driven about three times around dad's car yard before I had my first drift," he said."It felt just like the Playstation game LFS (Live for Speed). The steering wheel felt exactly the same just the feeling of the G forces was different."In just his second season in the sideways motorsport, Coulson has blitzed the much more mature and experienced field with two firsts, a third and a fourth.  In drifting, competitors are marked on proximity to the car they are "racing", their speed, the angle of the car and the amount of smoke they generate from drifting the car on its tyres at speeds up to 160km/h."I like racing against other people, especially the pros because you can trust that they won't spin out and hit you," he said.  "I don't have any fear. It's just fun."The Forest Lake College senior student hopes to go professional next year or venture into other motorsport disciplines such as V8 Supercars. Meanwhile, he will help out at his father's Moorooka used car yard."We're not concerned about him hooning on the streets," his father said.  "You'll find most people will do it only on the track if they have the opportunity. Unfortunately the opportunities are so limited."Coulson has spent about $50,000 developing his son's 1989 Nissan Skyline with its RB25 2.5-litre turbocharged engine pumping out 258kW of power, which is about 100kW more than a Holden Commodore.  While the young Coulson can unleash the full potential of his Skyline's blown engine on a race track, as a P plate driver he is not allowed to drive the turbocharged car on a public road.For the road, he drives a non-turbo Skyline.  "Drifting should only be done on a track," he said."And if any competitor is seen leaving the venue spinning their wheels or doing anything they shouldn't do on the street, they are not allowed back."

The R34 GTR, up until the R35’s release, was Nissan’s true performance flag ship car. A car that, to this day, fetches prices ranging up to a staggering $150,000 on the second hand market. Japan, and the rest of the world, just couldn’t get enough of this Skyline. Hundreds of them have been heavily modified with some pushing in excess of 1,000hp at the wheels. In the years following the final run of GTRs, in 2001 Nissan’s tuning arm, Nismo, even purchased quality second hand examples and rebuilt them into the now infamous Z-Tune GTR … with over 400kw from the factory. In celebration, Skyline Australia recently arranged a R34 cruise to Mount Wilson west of Sydney. This picturesque location at the top of Bells Line of Road presented a typical Japanese autumn photo-op for close to 100 Skylines that turned up. The view of an endless line of stove-top tail lights was truly as site to behold as the procession led its way up the mountain. A show and shine, Japanese sword skill demonstration, and traditional Kimono wearing grid-girls were all part of the day. However it was the sound of all those straight six engines that truly stole the show. From a Mines GTR replica to well sorted original R32 GTRs the event was one of the largest ever gatherings of Skylines in Australia and a real tribute to the passion of the Australian Skyline owners community. Happy anniversary and long live the mighty GTR.

Just ask him about the very first touring car he drove, the Nissan Skyline which starred with Glenn Seton in sideways action at 250km/h at Bathurst in 1987. It was as unruly as any newborn puppy, but with a much more malicious streak. And then there was the original Ford Sierra he took on with Dick Johnson. Far too much power for the tyres or the chassis, so definitely not a thoroughbred. But running through the rascals could take all day, and today we're talking about a different type of dog. Bowe has just taken on a four-paws project that suits him fine as he drives deeper into what he calls retirement, even if most of us would just say he has swapped his V8 Supercar helmet for something else to race. He's now tied up with the RSPCA, an organisation also supported by Will Davison and James Courtney, and promoting the need for safe travel with pets. That covers everything from strapping them into cars to the need for proper ventilation to identity tags if they go missing on a getaway drive. "Every year many hundreds of dogs are needlessly injured simply because they weren't tethered or harnessed properly. It only takes a few extra minutes to do the right thing," Bowe says. "It's also vital that animals have holiday tags on their collar containing their owner's holiday contact details.It can be very distressing for animals that are stuck at the RSPCA because there is no way of contacting their owners."        

Panel Shop 1, Revesby - Honda CRX Respray After a small accident and on advice from several friends, I convinced my wife that this shop was the way to go for a re-spray on her CRX. We took the car in and negotiated to totally re-spray the car in factory white and colour-code the side skirts. Basic stuff. We were told it would be a four week turnaround and quoted $2000 plus the insurance claim payout. All good. Four weeks later, the promises started. If I could get them on the phone, they would say “pick it up tomorrow” then cancel the next day. Same thing happened daily for the next week. Finally we pick up the car a week late, after waiting around for half a day till they get it clean and ready. Then driving the car out reveals the plugs are full of water. From there, it gets worse. We list a full page of imperfections from masking tape lines and dents to a misaligned bumper. Basically, points that should be picked up in the process of a respray. Another two weeks of being stuffed around, we are told that it is finally ready. On picking it up, there are still two dents that haven’t been fixed. Finally get the car back and still not happy. But at least there’s no chance I’ll ever deal with them again. Some compensation was offered but it was really too late in proceedings. Panel Shop 2, Homebush - Skyline Aftermarket Front Bar Install After the above mess, my wife says we are only going to a smaller outfit from now on. This place is not cheap and I had to accept that the premium cost quoted to paint and install would be worth it, based on my wife’s feelings about the company. Eerk! So we dropped off my R34, with the front bar still in the original box. The owner, Joe, went through the options I had on installing the bumper and what he would be doing to it. All included in the original quote so there were no surprises. A week later as promised, I headed to the shop, to be greeted by a clean-as-a-whistle R34 with fitted and painted Impul front bar. No bumps, imperfections, issues, or anything else to complain about. The finish is excellent and the colour-matching is flawless. The bumper was mounted to all the factory holes and Joe personally mounted the front number plate on the spot to my specification. The morals of the story are: - you get what you pay for - your mates are not always right - just because places have a big name, they are not always the best - and – most important of all — listen to you wife!  

This Bathurst-winning beast was at its time the most high-tech and amazing car on the planet and I was hooked, line and sinker.Two years ago I finally got to the point where I could afford one -- and the insurance costs that came with owning a one-time supercar. I got myself a 1993 GTR.The happiness was instant but short-lived. With the engine blowing within a few months of owning it and a looming $12K rebuild cost, I threw in the towel and sold it off as is.Needing another car I weighed up looking for another GTR, 200SX etc. After much import car-yard hunting and weighing up options, I stumbled on a stock R34 GTT Coupe. Now I finally have a great Skyline to call my own. Not an ‘open the wallet and strip me bare’ GTR, but an affordable and easy-driving GTT with a 2.5-litre turbo to boot!Unlike the GTR, the body and motor were in perfect condition. Since then I have not looked back and love the car more every day. This blog will give you an insight into a 'take your time' build-up of the car into a well-sorted modified street car for Time Attack. Stay tuned…