Building a Nissan R35 GTR

This is a Nissan GT-R. One of the most legendary names in automotive history.

But before this car became the ultimate supercar killer, it had a long road to get here.

Nissan didn't set out to just build fast cars, they built icons.

The original Skyline 2000 GT-R in the 60s put the world on notice.

The R32 earned its Godzilla nickname by crushing everything in its path.

The R33 was an absolute weapon on the track.

The R34 cemented itself in history as a dream car for an entire generation.

And then came this, the R35.

No more Skyline name, but still the same philosophy.

Twin turbo power, all-wheel drive, and the ability to crush cars above its price point.

But even legends need a little refresh.

So today, we're dialing this GTR in with some key upgrades and a mountain of parts from Throttle.com.

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's official.

We're actually giving away this GTR and a check for $20,000 on our website right now.

For every $1 you spend, you're gonna get three automatic entries to win the car and the check.

And we dropped a ton of new merchandise on the site.

We got new t-shirts, we got new jackets, we got new hoodies.

We have a ton of awesome stuff.

So head on over to throttle.com, click the link in the video description and get those entries in while it's the triple entry period, because it is not lasting forever.

We're going to start off with Eibach sway bars and KW lowering springs.

This lowering spring kit is going to allow us to keep the stock struts that the GTR has, which has adjustable damping on it.

So on the dashboard, you can select your stiffness settings.

This is going to allow us to retain that feature while giving us the right height and the look that we're after.

And of course, they look beautiful.

We also have Eibach adjustable sway bars.

We can tune the suspension however we want, front and rear, to get the feel of the car we want while giving us really good handling.

These things are insane out of the box, and this is going to give it just that little bit more performance edge that we're looking for.

So let's get this on.

Old springs are out.

Let's get the new stuff.

We've used KW on quite a few of our builds, and the reason we went with this kit is because the R35 GTR stock dampers are so good.

The front struts are a little difficult to replace on the GTR because this car is all-wheel drive, so we'll have to maneuver the struts around the front axle for removal and installation.

This KW kit comes with new spring perches and allows us to use the factory top hat for OEM fitment.

KW springs are on the front with the stock shocks in it.

They look beautiful.

Everything cleaned up very nicely.

Now it's time to address the sway bar.

Now that the front sway bar is on, it's time to move on to the rear end.

With the stock springs off, we can drop the KW spring perch and helper spring on, followed by the main coil spring and finally the top hat.

Driver rear coilover is finished, let's get it in.

To finish the suspension, we're installing a rear Eibach sway bar.

This bar is adjustable and will allow us to dial in the rear end of this car and get it to feel exactly how we want.

The GT-R has a huge carbon rear under tray that needs to be removed to access the rear bar, and once it's off, replacing the bar is super easy.

Time to move into coolers.

We've got a radiator and an oil cooler, both by CSF.

Anytime we need a really buff cooling system for a car, we reach out to them because they're absolute legends when it comes to cooling.

We're going to start with the oil cooler.

This cooler is a bit bigger than the factory Nissan cooler and will help do a better job of keeping the oil temps under control.

This car has twin turbos so keeping the oil cool is critical to keeping this engine and turbos in good shape as overheated oil can break down and clog the turbos.

These cars come with insane OEM ducting which is really sick.

We're also installing a new radiator.

This CSF cooler has an aluminum end tank compared to the factory plastic which will not fatigue with heat cycling.

This is the main leak point for OEM radiators when they age.

This radiator is also much thicker, which means more coolant in the system, as well as more flow, which results in better engine cooling, which is exactly what we need.

R35 also have a really trick front core support design, so the radiator actually gets installed from the front of the car.

Next up, we're moving into the intake system.

We've got an SF intake by Cobb.

We're also going to be adding an access port when we move into the interior.

These intake pipes look absolutely beautiful.

I love the carbon weave on it.

It's going to add a nice hit of carbon to the engine bay and it's going to sound amazing.

And it's going to add a nice little bump of power too.

We also have a carbon fiber APR engine plate going on.

Again, this is going to match the carbon weave on the top very nicely.

It's going to add a lot of flavor to this engine bay.

So let's get it on.

To get this pipe off, I need to undo this coupler, this coupler, unplug this, undo these two hoses, and then this guy can come out.

All right, our first carbon tube is going on.

This is really nice.

And one thing I like about this kit is it actually moves the air box from right here.

This is where the stock air filters were.

The cob intake filters are actually going to be right here.

So they're even further forward.

So you're not heat soaking the filter and all that stuff, which is really nice.

And it moves it more directly into the flow of air coming into the front of the car, which is really cool.

So let's get these on.

It is time for us to start removing all four calipers because this purple is not it.

We're gonna give it a very nice color to make sure it pops when we finish this car.

So let's get it done.

Thought that's not what I was trying to do.

Anyways, she's out.

all four kind of parts are completely off the car and this is where the fun begins we are going to completely take apart all four calipers we are going to dump inside of a degreaser bucket and then we're going to scrub them to make sure everything all the oils are completely off then we're going to sand them down completely take all these purple stuff out before we give it a fresh coat of paint but it's going to take me all day so let's get started all right i have all four of them clean sand it down

and this one has all the bolts to cover everything that needs to be covered.

I'm gonna start with the primer to see what it looks like, and then from there we'll start shooting paint.

Check out these brakes.

They turned out amazing.

These calipers were clapped.

They were not even all the same color.

We had different color calipers on it.

We can't put these back on without a proper set of pads and rotors.

So we've got EBC brakes for the front and the rear.

These are a two-piece rotor.

They have aluminum top hats, which is saving a lot of weight, which is awesome over the factory stuff.

Usually we'll put EBC big brake kits on the car, but this thing doesn't need it.

The factory equipment with a pad and rotor upgrade like this is going to be more braking power than we'll probably ever need out of this car.

This is going to be sick.

So let's get it on.

On the front of the car, we're going to be updating the headlights.

These ones are cool, but they're not as cool as the new ones we just got from Terlizzi Auto Concepts.

Terlizzi worked their magic on these headlights for us and basically rebuilt a set of R35 headlights by blacking out the housing, upgrading the high beams to projectors, added a demon eye, some DRLs, and lastly, etched our logo into the driving light.

These were used headlights, so Ricky's going to go ahead and polish them out now that they're installed.

And we'll see these headlights function later in the episode.

I'm gonna use all these products to be able to make the hair look brand new.

I have some sandpaper, microfiber rags, polish, compound, a paste wax, some soapy water, and of course, the buffer kit.

First thing we're gonna do, we're gonna grab the 1000 grit sandpaper and we're gonna sand this down until everything's into one solid shade.

So let's get it done.

Now that the polish is down, last but not least, it's going to be the ultimate pace watch by my wires.

This is going to give you that extra protection and cover even more imperfections.

And it's going to make it last way longer without getting yellow or corroded or anything like that.

This is going to protect it for a long time.

Damn, my boy, David, coming through.

Look at the little etch, the little throttle logo.

That's cool.

Wow, yeah, you made it look really good.

These are Hi-Ref's Elite Series LED taillights.

I'm really excited to get these on the GTR because these are going to be much brighter than the stock ones.

It's LED.

It's going to give us that original GTR look that everybody know and loves.

But this one has a cool startup sequence.

We've got sequencing LEDs for the turn signals.

I cannot wait to see this on the car, especially because it's got this beautiful smoke finish when it's off.

Let's get them on.

That's it.

Yeah, dude, set it down.

Oh, yeah.

It's going to be super bright too.

Can't wait to see you.

All right, we've got the stock front lip off of the GTR, which is actually a really nice piece.

However, it's plastic.

But we're gonna be replacing it with an even nicer piece from APR.

Look at this thing.

Structural carbon fiber inside.

It has active brake ducting.

Also has a rolled up front lip.

And what's nice is this thing fastens with all the factory fasteners across the front.

So you know it's gonna go back on.

It's gonna be very structurally sound and will actually provide some downforce, which is cool.

Simple install, just put the bolts back in, put the bumper back on the car.

Time for some wheels.

For the R35, we finally have a proper set of real wheels in the house.

These are Volk Racing TE37.

I'm so excited to have a proper Japanese wheel for this Japanese legend car.

So we're running a 20x12 in the back, a 20x10 in the front, and these are wrapped in Falken FK510s.

We're running a 295 in the back and a 285 in the front.

So let's get these things on the car.

Baby, let's go!

Come on!

Woo, that's freaking hot.

So this is how the coilovers, we just threw them on.

We just threw the lowering springs on.

I didn't adjust anything yet.

And the fact that it looks like this without any adjustment is pretty freaking solid.

This is it, dude.

Bring it off the rack.

Look at that, it's perfect.

This is sick.

This is freaking money, man.

Next up, we're gonna be installing a set of APR carbon fiber side skirts to the side of the GTR.

These are OEM fitment.

They are a beautiful finish, and this is gonna add a really nice hit of carbon fiber to the side of the car that I think it needs now that we got a proper wheel and tire on it.

It's also gonna match the front lip perfectly.

Let's get them on.

Now that this car is looking proper with fresh carbon and a proper stance, Eric from Still Driven is here to give the scratched up black paint a proper shine.

And my God, did this paint bounce back.

With a full paint correction, this car looks phenomenal in black.

Now it's time for us to start moving to the inside of this beautiful R35.

And we're gonna start by the head unit.

We have this brand new T-Rex Tech Fusion head unit display.

And this thing, one of the best things about this that everybody complained on the previous model, that it didn't have the AC knob, and this one does have it.

This being on it is a big plus for me.

Can't wait to get it installed.

Now, our R35 has a huge display on it.

which T-Rex actually has one of those for sale as well.

This unit actually requires for you to keep your multifunction display from Nissan so you'll be able to have both and you're gonna get everything good about the T-Rex in one display.

So let's get it installed.

all right we have the stereo installed and we are going to turn it on for the first time keys on key on two and boom there it is climate control which is one of the main things we were talking about right you can control the ac unit from these two knobs you can also do pretty much like a stereo you got the knob for the stereo

You got volume control here.

So it makes everything so much easier.

And one of the main things about this tech is you get to keep your factory gauge cluster here, which is really, really rad.

It makes everything look so much better.

You still have eight inches of a screen with the Android background.

You have Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, everything you really need right at your fingertips.

If you have a GTR, you need to get the new T-Rex Tech stereo system.

This thing is really sick.

Next up for the interior of the R35, we have this.

A lot of carbon fiber.

Everything you see here is from Hi-Ref.

We have a carbon fiber steering wheel with some leather wrapped around it, which is going to make everything feel super great.

It also has a flat bottom, which I'm a super fan of that.

We also have the carbon fiber paddle shifters, carbon fiber trim for the buttons inside.

And we have two paddle lights, one for each door.

This is going to give you a lot more light when you open your vehicle, especially at nighttime.

And it's also going to have a GTR logo in it, which I can't wait to see.

For the center, we have an automatic shifter, all in carbon in the same leather.

This thing looks insane.

Can't wait to see this thing in the car.

So let's get to it and let's get it installed.

That's it, we're done baby.

Man, interior really cleaned up in this thing.

I know.

Good job Ricky.

It looks really good.

Now we're going to finish the car with this.

This is a Cobb access port.

We're going to run a tune on this thing, get it ready to go.

So let's get this installed in the car, get a tune on it, then we'll take it for a drive.

Ooh, GTR logo on there.

Damn boy, you thought this was just for Subarus.

All right, we're going to install it.

So we've got a couple of different tunes already preloaded on here.

The one we're going to choose is the big SF91 tune because we have the big SF carbon fiber intakes on the car.

And we have 91 octane here locally.

So we're going to install that guy.

So the first thing it's going to do is save the stock tune in case we ever want to revert it.

We've got a battery charger on there, which is perfect.

So let's start.

All in, baby.

Let's fire it up.

Yeah, look at that guy.

Car works, which is great.

So we're going to do one of these right here, brother.

The R35 is completely finished.

The only thing we haven't checked out is our new headlights by Terlizzi and our taillights.

So let's get them fired up and see how they look.

All right, bro.

You guys take the headlight or taillights first?

I don't know.

I kind of want to do the taillights first.

Let's do the taillights.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

With the little halos?

such an iconic look and this is like the main thing from the outside that i think made this car look dated was the taillights the rest of the body looks so modern but having this new led especially like this oh they look so freaking good it looks really good so nice this whole back looks so good hey let's go that looks freaking sick the throttle lighting up that's cool how you did that wow

If you want to make your car look new, a fresh set of headlights is the easiest way to do it.

Like the easiest way.

It makes such a difference, such a massive difference on the front end of a car, especially whether they're like old design halogen or like they're yellowed from plastic fade.

Like fresh headlights, especially modern headlights with LEDs is such a game changer for cars.

And this PTR is a perfect example of that.

This thing looks amazing.

We're going to drive it or what?

Yeah.

You ready to drive it?

Yeah.

Let's go drive it, brother.

I haven't driven this car yet.

R35 GTR.

You get a whoosh?

yeah these things are unbelievably good they're good in not an analog stick shift drive car way but like they're unbelievably stable they're unbelievably fast they're unbelievably refined they like do everything you want a car to do it's phenomenal how good these things drive and it completely changed my life on these i want one now

Yeah.

They're so freaking good.

This thing's peppy.

These things are freaking zippy, man.

They're so good.

It's because it's a 3.8.

You got some big torque.

Even though it is a V6, it's not a small displacement V6.

Right, exactly.

They're super easy to make power with.

The VR38 is a potent engine with the twin turbo configuration.

Oh, yeah.

I have a VR38 in my Nissan Frontier truck, and it's a great engine even in that truck.

Did you use a VR38 or is it VR30?

No, VR38 in the Frontier.

It's just non-turbo.

The tunability of this thing, you can go like bolt-on.

They call it an FBO.

You can get up to, what, like 800 horsepower?

Ridiculous.

With just bolt-ons.

Yeah, you get a lot of low-falve noise from these intakes, I noticed.

Oh, really?

Just a little short drive.

You can hear them, which is cool.

It wasn't doing that before.

The stock intakes definitely don't do that.

I mean, half the battle is.

When you drive it, that's the stuff that puts a smile on your face.

100%.

Speed is good, but the noises, man.

This car is so good.

These things are so good.

That is going to be it for today's episode, guys.

Our R35 GT-R is completely finished, and I'm so glad we finally have one of these back in the shop.

I've been missing our red one.

They're such a good car.

They drive so well.

They're so nice to work on.

It turned out so rad.

I love the final look of this thing.

And on top of that, right now, if you head over to throttle.com, every dollar you spend on car parts or merch is going to get you three times entries to win this thing.

So get on over there, spend some money.

You're going to get a heap of entries.

I hope you're one of the guys that wins it.

hit that subscribe button, hit that like button, comment below how you think our R35 GT-R turned out, and we'll see you guys in the next episode.

Peace.

All right, so if you've made it this far to the end, I want to say thank you.

I hope you guys have been enjoying all the awesome throttle content that we've been putting out, but I did want to take a minute to just go over some of the new products.

I think we dropped over 20 new products for the R35 sweepstakes so far, and there's actually more coming, but there's a couple designs here that are...

really awesome and we're really proud of we really are starting to make a lot more effort to try to make a lot more cooler throttle gear this one right here is one of my favorites and these are the backs so we have just five t-shirts here i think we have over 10 new t-shirt designs there's a couple more over here i can show you godzilla we also have a handful of crewnecks this one's dope street racer we've got a

Awesome camo.

This one is a champion blank, so really nice with the rising sun on it.

Couple new hoodies.

We also have this design in the t-shirt as well.

So we are really spending a lot of time working with the awesome design team and trying to pump out the coolest stuff.

So I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Once again, thank you guys so much for watching.

please take advantage of that triple entry period.

It's only going to last a couple of days and I don't know when or if we're ever going to do another 3X entry period.

So once again, thank you guys so much.

Hope you enjoyed the video.

Hope you love the R35 as much as we do.

We'll see you guys in the next one.

Peace.