Nismo starts full Nissan R32 GT-R restorations

Nismo is bringing tired R32 GT-Rs back to life.

Nissan’s motorsports and tuning arm will start undertaking ground-up restorations of the 1990s hero, with prices starting at more than $500,000 for a complete rework of the body, interior, driveline, and engine. Nismo will also source you a car, but it won’t come cheap either.

If you can’t afford a full restoration, Nismo will also rework individual parts of a car from the interior to the engine.

The ground-up process is painstaking, as you’d expect given its steep price. First up, the chassis is stripped bare and evaluated, and any damaged or fatigued parts are patched. Once repaired, the body is sealed to prevent rust in the future and the chassis rigidity is tested so the Nismo boffins can clean up any imbalances or weak points.

All the sealant, sound deadening, and undercoating is put back into the car, which is subsequently repainted – either in the original colour, or a new one based on the owner’s preferences.

Owners keen for a power boost can have the engine given a Nismo tune-up, but even without it the motor will be blueprinted and rebuilt with new bearings and belts, and broken in on the dynamometer to ensure everything is within the right tolerances.

The whole driveline is given the same treatment, from the transmission to the transfer case.

Every nut, bolt, and bushing in the suspension, subframes and under bonnet is replaced with brand new components, as are all the electrical control units.

What can’t be replaced with original parts is the interior trim, which doesn’t meet modern standards for fire resistance according to Nismo. Owners can opt to have their car cleaned meticulously, or have it re-trimmed in materials borrowed from the R35 GT-R.

Finally, the car is thoroughly shaken down and presented to the owner with a detailed dossier of the work that’s been done. It’s also warrantied for 20,000km.

Such an in-depth overhaul isn’t a simple, slow process. It could take between six months and a year, according to Nismo.