DSPORT Issue #209
Text by Bassem Girgis // Photos by Project Prime // Cover by Alec Paris
We all love our children equally, yet differently. In the Nissan world, all enthusiasts hold dearly to the legendary Godzilla in the R32, R33, and R34 GT-R, but no one can deny that this nickname was first given to the first child, the R32. Born aggressive, capable, and innovative, the R32 opened the door for its successors to evolve and continue dominating tracks around the world. The result is the R35 GT-R capable of achieving some of the most impressive quarter- mile times ever recorded. Jim Goritsas was one of the many that wanted to be the owner of what’s considered the best Japanese performance car ever made, but he decided to take it and run with it.
History Class
Before sharing the story of Jim and his R32 GT-R, it’s important to explore where the R32 came from. Before the name Godzilla made it onto the scene and started scaring other manufacturers around the world, there was a vehicle sporting the same Skyline badge found on the R32 years prior. From 1957 to 1961, the first Prince Skyline was introduced using a 1.5-liter GA-30 engine. In 1966, Prince and Nissan merged and the Skyline officially became a “Nissan.” In 1969, Nissan debuted an inline-six GT-R delivering 160 horsepower. And in 1970, the very first two-door Skyline debuted, but the gasoline crisis and stricter emission laws shelved the vehicle that would become a legend later. Numerous variations made showrooms since then, and in 1986, the R31 was born. While these models paved the way for this iconic line, it wasn’t until 1989 that the name Godzilla was born. This year marks the birth of the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R. All-wheel drive, 280-horsepower, and the extremely capable RB26DETT engine, the world didn’t know what had hit it. This platform quickly became a tuner favorite, and while it never made its way to the United States, people like Jim Goritsas prove that nothing can stop us from having the best right here on our own soil.
Easy Choice
It was the year 2015 and Jim Goritsas was rather set on acquiring a Nissan R32 GT-R of his own. While living in Florida, Jim purchased the R32 from a private owner in Dallas Texas. The previous owner had imported the GT-R, only to realize that it would be more work than he can invest in building it. “When I first saw the car, I fell in love with it,” said Jim Goritsas. “The truth is, in my opinion, there is not much to not like about a Skyline, but of course, a er purchasing it, the goal was to add my personal touch to it.” While “personal touch” may mean a wing, an intake, and an air freshener to some, this was not the case for Jim. Jim’s personal touch included taking a legendary Japanese performance vehicle and turning it into an absolute vicious monster.
The Goal
When Jim first acquired his R32 GT-R, he wanted to approach the project the right way. Before getting started on changing parts and building the engine, he wanted to educate himself as much as possible about this platform and all of its capabilities. The key to this was to go step-by-step and absorb as much knowledge as possible in the process. He wanted to keep the twin-turbochargers, but a er trying a few setups, he decided it was time to switch to one, big turbocharger. “The car is my weekend driver, but I have all intentions to run it down the track as o en as possible and see what it can do,” Goritsas said. To set up the foundation properly, Jim opted for a new NISMO N1 RB26 block. With this foundation set in place, it was time to start chasing the big power numbers and deal with all of the issues that come with the pursuit.
Ups and Downs
Finding all of the parts for such platform in the United States is never an easy task. Jim struggled with this issue, along with finding the right people to work on this vehicle. This made for an interesting challenge, but a er some searching around, Jim was able to team up with Motor Sports Mechanical in Australia. The team has proven their kn
owledge with some of the quickest GT-Rs in the world. After the initial struggle of launching the project the proper way, Jim started finding joy in watching the R32 evolve from 420whp in 2015, to 600whp in 2016, and finally reaching his goal of owning a high horsepower GT-R today.
High HP Club
With the NISMO N1 block serving as the heart for the GT-R, Jim switched to a single Precision Turbo Sportsman Series turbocharger. The turbocharger works collaboratively with twin AEM 400LPH fuel pumps feeding 2,000cc injectors. With the help of the NGK 8-series spark plugs, the R32 GT-R is able to put down 1,020whp and 891 lb- of torque. This is accomplished when running at 35 psi of boost on E85 fuel. The N1 block is not bored or stroked, but the future is not over in terms of machining for this engine, and frankly, the sky is the limit.
The Aftermath
With the R32 running strongly, Jim was able to capture multiple awards at every car show he rolled through. “Some of the best achievements with this car was obviously seeing the constant gains during the build throughout the years,” said Jim. The last time Goritsas visited the drag strip, the R32 was delivering 600whp on the twin-turbocharger setup. This trip resulted in an 11-second run at 137mph with a 60-feet time of 1.8-seconds. “These numbers make us very optimistic of what is to come,” Jim added.
What’s Next
While you may think 1,000whp in an R32 is a great stopping point, this is hardly ever the case with true performance enthusiasts. In the near future, this GT-R will be converted to a full-automatic transmission. Jim and the team are planning a swap to a TH400 transmission. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the H-pattern, but on the track, we will see great gains with the automatic,” Jim explained. The automatic transmission along with the brilliant ATTESA (all-wheel drive) system will maximize every millisecond on the track and bring out the true monster in this Godzilla. A er years of hard work, development, and planning, Jim Goritsas now owns one of the most iconic cars to ever come out of Japan, he can rev his N1 block over 9,000 RPM, and he can melt your face o with one hard push on the throttle.
