The first question you will find yourself asking, is it really worth restoring a 30 year old R32 GTST? Thats right GTST not GTR. Lets speak with Matt co owner of Track Tuned Parts and get his perspective on why its worth the money and effort.
Tell us how the build started?
The journey for this build began when I decided to list my turbocharged 370Z on Facebook Marketplace, hoping to explore a swap. It didn’t take long before I got an intriguing offer: a 1993 R32 Skyline. The idea of swapping cars caught my attention, and a meet-up was quickly arranged.
When I finally saw the Skyline in person, I was immediately torn. Four hours of indecision followed as I weighed the pros and cons, unsure whether I should go through with the trade. But after a lot of back-and-forth in my mind, I took the plunge and agreed to the swap.
The drive back home with the Skyline was a moment of clarity. Despite the hesitation, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of contentment with my decision. The Skyline was now mine, and the build had officially begun.
For the first day, I thought the car was almost perfect, one of my dream cars. It drove beautifully, handled like a dream, and put a grin on my face every time I got behind the wheel. The only part I initially wanted to change? The engine bay.
That didn’t last long. Three days in, I found myself making my first upgrade: a bigger turbo. I was excited that was until I unboxed it and realised something heartbreaking. It was still too small. Like any true petrolhead, I stood there, arms crossed, staring at my new, shiny turbo with a deep sense of disappointment. I hadn’t compensated nearly enough for my tiny manhood.
In that moment, I knew this was only the beginning. What started as a simple upgrade quickly spiraled into something much bigger and thus the engine bay restoration was officially underway.
Tell us, how do you restore a engine bay?
One of our main services at Track Tuned Parts is our engine bay restorations, so it made sense to give my own car this treatment.
The first step? Removing absolutely everything from the engine bay. And when I say everything, I mean everything. The bay needs to be as clear as possible to make painting easier and ensure a flawless finish.
My vision was a crazy clean engine bay, so any unnecessary bolt holes had to go. That meant welding them up and smoothing them over, a painstaking and time consuming process. But this is one of those times where you have to trust the process and keep the end goal in sight.
To get the perfect finish, every surface in the engine bay needed to be stripped back to bare metal before painting. My car was no exception. With the bay prepped, it was time to shift my focus to the heart of the build: The engine.
My GTST came equipped with the RB20DET, a 2.0-litre straight-six turbocharged engine. While not as powerful as its bigger brothers, the RB25DET and RB26DETT, the RB20 has serious potential with the right upgrades. So, I committed to a full rebuild, upgrading all the internal components.
For pistons, my top choice was the Supertech RB20 piston set, a product we proudly offer at TTP. I paired them with Spool rods and ACL bearings to ensure maximum reliability and performance.
Next the block had to be machined so it was off to our good friends at Ian Walley Racing to have the block bored to 79mm, skimmed and the head skimmed.
With ARP studs secured and a 1.5mm Tomei head gasket installed, the bottom end was now reinforced to handle all the boost I could throw at it. After bolting down the head and fitting a set of Tomei Pon Cams, the next step was painting the engine bay.
A commonly overlooked detail in this process is reapplying seam sealer after priming. Since the factory seam sealer is removed during prep, it's essential to reapply it before moving forward to ensure structural integrity and a flawless finish.
I then moved onto the final filling and the last coat of filler primer was applied by our in house painter to give my bay that semi shaved look.
Paint was now able to be applied, I chose to paint the bay the same colour as I was going to paint the car... Mazda Celestial Blue. After a day in the spay booth the engine bay was transformed.
With the freshly painted bay complete, I began reinstalling the engine, upgrading every component possible to enhance both performance and aesthetics. My goal was to recreate the stunning Skyline engine bays I admired in magazines as a kid.
Knowing that our customers would appreciate a visual representation of the high-quality work we offer, I was determined to make this build truly special.
The final touches, including our very own Track Tuned Parts real carbon fibre intake pipe, a JDM Garage power steering kit, and a Tigworx catch can, brought everything together. These additions completed the look of this now show-worthy bay, making it a true showcase of our craftsmanship.
The car is 30 year old it must be rusty underneath right?
Like every project car, my build didn’t stop at just the engine bay. I had now set my sights on creating a super clean Skyline as a shop car to demonstrate our work here at TTP. With that goal in mind, the car went up on the workshop ramp, and it was time to take the underside back to bare metal, treat any rust, and apply rust protection.
Our process started with applying a rust converter treatment to any areas showing signs of pitting. We then used Buzzweld rust encapsulator to fully safeguard the bare metal before resealing all the seams for maximum durability and longevity.
For maximum protection, we applied a top coat of Buzzweld WAR paint: A highly durable wax-based coating that dries hard and provides long-lasting protection for the underside of the car.
To restore and strengthen the undercarriage, every component was sent to our partners at Stella Blast for shot blasting and powder coating, giving the 30-year-old parts a fresh new look and extended durability. To elevate performance and handling, we installed a set of HSD Coilovers, a brand we proudly stand behind and supply here at Track Tuned Parts—along with Driftworks arms, ensuring a complete and meticulously executed underside restoration.
The car has now changed colour ? tell us about that
The car was originally resprayed in Nardo Gray, but I wasn’t satisfied with the paint job, it didn’t enhance the car’s body lines as I had hoped. I wanted something more unique yet still refined for a Skyline. In the end, I chose Mazda Celestial Blue with added metal flake to make the colour truly pop.
Did you change anything inside the car?
The entire interior was stripped out and reupholstered to match the car’s fresh new look. The outdated Skyline radio was replaced with a modern 9-inch tablet, while the analog clocks were upgraded to a Powertune digital dash. The factory GTST seats no longer suited the build, so I swapped them for Corbeau RS2 reclining bucket seats for a sportier and more refined feel. One of the most expensive additions was a Nismo steering wheel, but it was the perfect finishing touch to complete the transformed interior.
Was the restoration worth it?
Looking back, every ounce of time, effort, and money poured into this build was completely worth it. The pride I feel in owning this car is unmatched, and no matter where I take it, it commands attention. The increased resale value is just a bonus, but truthfully, I have no plans to part with it. At the end of the day, the best way to describe this feeling is simple, I could sit and stare at the car for hours. It was worth every penny.
