This limited-edition HR31 Skyline GT Limited S is a showcase of the technology Nissan used to devastating effect on the racetrack in the next model, and of the transformation Japan introduced to everyday motoring
Words: Ian Parkes Photography: Deven Solanki
For a brief period in the late ’80s, squared-off lines, especially in cars from Japan, were the last word in modernity. Today, those lines give cars of that era a distinctive period charm. Owner Deven Solanki says his JDM 1986 Skyline GT Limited S car is a real head-turner and he gets a lot of comments from people whenever he takes it out.
It’s curious, in a way, that a comparatively staid, boxy, four-door saloon, which was only just beginning to hint at the world domination the ‘Godzilla’ Skylines would achieve, has its own kind of cool, but there is no doubt it’s there. Curiously, the squared-off lines make it look older than the sixth generation that preceded it, and even some versions of the fifth, which date back to 1977. So, perversely, the boxiness helps it stand out from the crowd — but does this HR31 (Japanese model designation) stand out as a Skyline?
The Skyline name predates Nissan and even Datsun as a brand, dating back to 1957. It was applied to Prince’s first ‘luxury’ car, which looked very much like a small ’56 Chev, powered by a 1500cc Subaru engine.
Deven’s car was among the first of the seventh-generation Skylines — yes, seventh — which, by this time, were available in more than 30 versions in saloon, station wagon, two-door coupe, and, as here, four-door pillarless hardtop, which was a Japan-only model.
Big Aussie six
Versions of this car were not unfamiliar here as it was also manufactured in this part of the world, in Australia. This seventh generation saw the introduction of the ‘red top’ — for the red cam cover — RB20DE six-cylinder engine, which was soon to evolve into one of the world’s most revered power plants, and for which Nissan has recently committed to making more parts. Its potential persuaded Nissan Australia to try to take on the Aussie sixes on their home turf in the family saloon market, and soon on the racetrack.
Nissan Australia started building the R31 there with a three-litre single-cam version of the six-cylinder engine, as well as a two-litre four and a diesel. The Australian version of the car also had a locally sourced BorgWarner live rear axle. That saved a few bob on the Japanese-spec independent rear suspension, which helped close the price gap.
Just the sedans and station wagons were made in Australia. While the vehicle sold in sufficient numbers for it to become a fairly common and reliable choice of cheap car for new drivers in this century it wasn’t enormously successful, not being as big inside as the local competition. The severely angular lines might also have made it a bit harder for Australians to warm to.
To add insult to injury, the Australian Skylines and other versions named Pintara didn’t get the turbo version of the six-cylinder RB30E engine, the RB30ET. However, Nissan did supply that engine to Holden for the VL Commodore as Holden’s own tired six wouldn’t handle the new unleaded 91 octane fuel. The turbo version, which made the 220kph VL the police pursuit vehicle of choice, also helped make that car one of the most desirable, and now collectible, Holdens of the ’80s
In addition to the car’s now cool lines and its proper ‘afterburner’ Skyline circular rear lights — some Skylines of this vintage had rectangular lights — the engine in this car appealed to Deven, being the first version of the six that powered the next model, the R32, to legendary status. That car, nicknamed Godzilla, blew apart the traditional V8 field at Bathurst with such devastating effect that the Aussies felt compelled to ban it and other foreign cars from ‘the great race’ to ensure their feelings weren’t hurt again.
Technology word soup
The two-litre engine introduced a new level of sophistication to family motoring, having fuel injection, twin cams, and four valves per cylinder. It also has a turbo — completing the standard recipe for most passenger car engines 30 years on — and an intercooler. It produced 180hp (132kW) at 6400rpm, and 226Nm (167lb·ft) at 3200rpm. It also featured the NICS (Nissan induction control system) injection system, which had a butterfly set-up controlling half of the 12 inlet channels. It created a longer inlet tract, which improved flow and torque at lower rpm. In later versions, this system was modified and given a new acronym — ECCS — for electronically concentrated control system. It had six larger inlets, instead of 12, fitted with splitters as the cylinder head retained the 12 individual intake ports. Those engines also got a larger turbo.
When Nissan decided to go racing, the Skyline coupe was the weapon of choice — even though the same engine was fitted to the Nissan Fairlady of the time. Nissan set to work on the engine, creating the GTS-R coupe, the ‘R’ for racing, aiming to rekindle the racing pedigree of the 1969–1972 Hakosuka Skyline GT-Rs — see New Zealand Classic Car 352, April 2020.
Five hundred cars were required for homologation for Group A racing but, to meet demand, 823 were built. This version had a bigger turbo again on a new exhaust manifold, and a much larger front-mounted intercooler. Racing versions made over 430hp (321kW) in Group A trim. Jim Richards and Mark Skaife duly won the 1989 Sandown 500 in a Gibson Motorsport–prepared Skyline GTS-R. Richards also used the GTS-R in six of the eight races to win the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship, switching to the new R32 GT-R in the final two rounds. The writing was on the wall.
Godzilla roars
The R32 and R33 GT-Rs got the 2.6-litre version of the RB engine plus twin turbos and a sophisticated four-wheel drive system that reverted to rear-wheel drive on corner exits to avoid overloading the front tyres. Apparently the Ford Sierra Cosworth 500s were producing more power but the way the Nissan put the power down meant the Fords — and everything else – were left in the dust.
The Nissan engines went on to produce over 600hp in racing trim. Japanese market cars were limited by a gentlemen’s agreement to just 276hp but popular opinion has it that was just the number on paper and the stock engines were always capable of producing much more.
Deven, a digital content producer in his 20s, says it was the rear-drive Nissan and Toyota drift cars that fired his imagination in his not-so-distant youth and soon had him wanting one of his own. However, like most of us, he had to start in something less glamorous — in his case, a 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. After that he bought a four-litre V8 1991 Toyota Soarer, a big change from the Mitsubishi.
“It was my daily driver and it wasn’t that bad to run back when petrol was affordable,” he says.
When he got fed up with filling it up, Deven bought a 1989 Ford Laser sedan, a 1.3-litre five-speed manual, as his daily driver. It’s in very good condition, bought from a careful older driver, and he still runs it — although he will occasionally also drive the latest in a series of Nissan Laurel sedans. His current one, from 1993, has done the lowest number of kilometres yet, at 183,000. It has the single-cam version of the engine in his Skyline.
“I’ve had four different versions of that car. It was just a car I always liked. It’s really comfortable, quite luxurious. I bought it from a 90-year-old in Hamilton. It’s in mint condition and everything is standard.”
Grandpa chic
It’s not that long ago that “boy racers”, as the politicians and media called them, would snap up the cheap old Japanese cars that already offered blistering performance and modify the heck out of them to create outrageous modern hot rods. Deven is definitely of a newer generation that seeks the classic values of originality and standard spec.
“It has to be standard,” says Deven. “I just like making old grandpa cars cool. That’s what I like to do.”
Deven also has a rough 1997 R33 Skyline he bought with a mate as a restoration project. It is still ongoing but two years ago the chance came to buy the HR31 Skyline. It wasn’t the first time it had been advertised. As Deven explains it, the previous owner, a dealer, had bought it in Japan as he hadn’t seen one before — it is a limited edition, one of 500. The dealer has other more expensive Skylines so the Limited was technically surplus to requirements. Apparently he had advertised it a couple of times in the past and then decided to keep it.
Deven has ‘Skyline’ as a permanent favourite search term on internet sales sites as he’s always either searching for parts for the project or researching different cars. In early 2021, when he had a budget that allowed more than window shopping, the car came up again, and this time he decided to check it out.
“I had a proper look at it and I could see it was a bit special. The price of these cars is going up because of supply and because America can now import them, which is putting the value up in Japan — all Japanese cars are going up — and there are more people wanting to get into a Skyline and get into the scene.”
All of which meant Deven had to think hard about whether this was the one he should put his hard-earned cash into. He would have preferred a manual, but for the same money, he says, you can often find an auto in better condition.
Factory fresh
What persuaded him to go with this car was its low kilometres. It had done just 48,000km when he bought it. He has added 2000km in the two years since then.“I felt this would be an investment as well. The interior reflects the kays; it’s pretty much immaculate.”
He took it for a drive and “really enjoyed it”. However, it was still an old car and it could have hidden issues. He decided to come back the next day with a couple of mates to check it out more thoroughly.
The dealer put it up on a hoist so they could check underneath and it appeared to be virtually rust free. All the electrics worked, and it checked out as a solid car. The next day, Deven went back with the deposit, paid it over, and became the car’s first official owner in New Zealand, as dealers don’t count.
Deven took the car home that day, along with an extra set of wheels. At some point the car had been put on a set of Ferrari mags — the standard wheels of the Limited are rather plain. The dealer thought it really ought to have something more authentically Japanese. He secured a set of Japanese-made Rays Engineering wire-effect mags — the same wheels fitted to Nissan performance subsidiary Autech’s version of the HR31 — and supplied them with the car.
When asked what he enjoys most about the car, Deven delves straight into the level of engineering sophistication that lifted Japanese cars to the front rank in this era, topped off by the additional features added to this car, which was produced to mark the Skyline’s 30th anniversary. Basically, it had every extra available on the lesser models.
It has fuel injection. Some models still had carbs. It has the independent rear suspension that Japanese Skylines had had since 1970 but which the Australian models were denied — and the optional limited slip diff. The intercooler was new for this model; Nissan’s earlier turbo engines didn’t have one. There’s a tiny inlet port just visible behind the front grille. This was enlarged on later models.
It has rear-wheel steering — Nissan’s Hicas system. It steers the rear wheels up to 0.5 of a degree, both in the same direction as the front wheels and opposite to them, depending on the vehicle’s speed. Speed sensors and a control unit directed hydraulic power from the power steering pump to supply hydraulic pressure to steer the rear wheels. Never one to rest on its laurels, so to speak, Nissan then refined the system with a new version called Super Hicas, which used an electric actuator on the rear steering rack — a much lighter solution that was also controlled by its own computer.
The factory stereo has a proper manual graphic equaliser in the dash, which is so much more satisfying than its modern equivalent, a menu-selected bunch of tonal presets. It has three-way adjustable suspension damping, controlled by a knob that lights up in the centre console. It’s called a foot control — perhaps something was lost in translation. Deven says it doesn’t make a noticeable difference on the road but then he doesn’t drive this car hard.
It also has a warning bell that sounds at 108kph, reminding the driver to steady on and not go crazy. Deven says that was an optional extra but he couldn’t fathom why someone would choose that option. “It is annoying,” he agrees.
The hardtop also gives the car an unusual configuration here. Not having a B-pillar means winding down the (electric) windows opens a panoramic view for front and rear passengers alike — and who wouldn’t want to share the cruise in this car?
More writing on the wall
The immaculate interior — the Limited’s ‘Advanced Interior’ — also offers high levels of satisfaction. The boxy dash is unashamedly a big chunk of plastic, which is so redolent of the era. The special edition sports seats and door trims are clad in red and black plush with features like adjustable headrests. Naturally, Deven also likes the fashionable-at-the-time decals on the exterior door panels that advertise the Limited’s extra goodies.
“I really enjoy driving it. I’m always in a good mood when I’m driving it, and I’m always getting kids and other people waving at me. I’ve had a few people tell me they had one in the past — a lot of people comment on the car, for sure.”
Deven says the Skyline’s performance doesn’t compare with that of the Soarer but it is still satisfying.
“It’s more of a cruiser, definitely, but you can hear and feel the turbo spooling up and locking in the torque. I’d say it was pretty quick for its time.”
This article originally appeared in NZCC issue No. 383
