Yuliya retro cars

A 1977 Pontiac Trans Am starred in the movie “Smokey and the Bandit.” Four were provided for the movie – all of which were badly damaged during production.

The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was banned by NASCAR. The car was named for the Daytona 500, and with its record-breaking speed, it won the first race it was entered in. Unfortunately, however, it was just too fast to last.

Pontiac’s “The Judge” (a 1969 GTO) was named after a TV show skit. At the time, John DeLorean was the man in charge, and he chose to name the car after a show he watched and liked: “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.”

The first Chevrolet Camaro to ever come off the production line was black. And originally, the Camaro was going to be called the Panther.

Back to normality this week. The NEC was fun, though I'm glad to say that I managed to restrain myself from buying any period car magazines at the auto jumble. Not because I didn't want to, but because I need to eat this week. Anyway, the eighth-generation Nissan Skyline (R32), introduced in 1989 as a successor to the popular, but somewhat unimaginative seventh-gen (R31) range. Around a decade of development in chassis technology, engine technology, computer wizardry and other technologically-savvy investments had to lead to the ultimate driving machine - and indeed, from launch, it sent shockwaves through Japan's car market. The Skyline's basis was just as happy in GXi trim being driven by grandma to the shops once a week as it was in GT-R trim, being hounded round a tight set of chicanes by a racing driver. Power came from a number of different engines from both the CA and RB family, ranging from the naturally-aspirated 1.8-litre CA18i to the twin-turbocharged 2.6-litre RB26DETT, which drove either the rear wheels, or all four, through either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. Of course, the R32's finest hours came in Group A racing, in the legendary GT-R guise, having been the first car to receive said trim since the end of C110 GT-R production in 1973, and after nearly two decades of speculation and rumour as if to Nissan would ever dig the name out again. To upset popular fanboy folklore that the infamous 'Godzilla' Skyline "killed Group A because it was too fast", the GT-R grew in popularity enough that by 1993 as its dominant streak continued, besting nearly all that stood in-between from the likes of domestic manufacturers like Toyota and Mitsubishi, nobody wanted to buy anything else. The FIA was planning on getting rid of the aging Group A regulations at some point anyway, but with the details sorting out, Group A was gradually phased out by FIA Supertouring regulations for many series, hence the gradual downturn in fortunes for the R32 over time. If you are a fanboy who wants to proclaim that the R32 killed something (you know, to make yourself feel better that a decently-well-kept GT-R will require the removal of a couple of organs to pay for) the golden age of Japanese street racing was already on its knees by the introduction of the 32, but by the time tuning houses figured how to break its complex computers open, it was game over, and a new, Japanese-dominated market opened up as the decade continued - in other words, bye-bye muscle cars, say hello to Skyline's and 911 Turbo's duking it out on Japan's expressway network. For the R32 itself, after having sold a pretty decent 303,150-or-so examples, replacement came in the middle of 1993 with the ninth-generation (R33) Skyline, though the ever-popular GT-R, which made up around 43,661 of those total R32 sales, continued in production until the tail-end of 1994, by which time the ninth-generation's GT-R model was ready - a car which still unfairly continues to receive much stick from certain crowds for being overweight and "a boat" to drive, but in reality, proved to not only be a worthy successor, but arguably even better for road use.

This here is a 1990-year Skyline GT-R (E-BNR32), powered by the twin-turbocharged 2.6-litre RB26DETT straight-six engine, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Purchased second-hand at some point during the mid-to-late 90's, the owner sadly hasn't provided too many details about the car's ownership, other than the immortal line, "it was a good vehicle.". And, I mean, in all fairness, it's certainly a handsome motor car, isn't it? It does get even better underneath the skin since, yes, while the owner didn't say anything about his time with the car, and his likes and dislikes, he did provide a juicy build sheet. Underneath the bonnet, the grunty RB26DETT received a few light upgrades, including a K&N air filter, MINE'S VX-ROM ECU and HKS EVC boost controller. At the rear, with a new front pipe and 5ZIGEN cat-less muffler, the power sits around about 350PS. To help take the power, the transmission received an OS Giken twin-plate clutch. The suspension system received changes, with Bilstein Ennepetal height-adjustable dampers and Tein pillow tension rods firming up the ride. The exterior features a few NISMO pieces, including a full body kit and N1 headlights, which complement the resprayed paint pretty well, while the wheels are 17-inch Volk Racing Gr.C's inside unknown, albeit 255mm wide, rubber. Inside, the interior featured a few changes - a Nardi Classic steering wheel, MINE'S 320km/h speedo and boost gauge, as well as a homemade shift k**b alongside the computer control systems. That's about all we know, though, obviously, the owner doesn't have it anymore.

Enjoy happy car life!

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