THE ICONIC circular taillights and turbo-powered heart of the Nissan Skyline is what drew Dylan Smaling to add a bare rolling R32 shell to his ever-growing car collection.
The young car enthusiast claims he formerly had a car collection of over 40 vehicles, which has since dwindled down to a mixture of 20 classic originals and modified Japanese drift-spec vehicles.
Mr Smaling said the most recent introduction to his garage was a 1992 R32 Skyline, which he has been gradually restoring to factory Type M specifications.
“It was a former drift car and a friend purchased it from Kustom Imports and stripped it back,” he said.
“He asked whether I was interested and I knew I had always wanted one.
“It was pretty much just bare bones, without an engine or body kit and basically just had its headlights, doors and boot.”
Mr Smaling said it sat in his backyard for around four months before he quickly put the car together in two weeks and drove it on a five-hour trip to Adelaide.
“I began to hunt everything done and I guess that is why the car looked like it is 15 different colours,” he said.
“I accumulated the parts over some time, but got my act together and got the bits painted, repaired and had all the wheels and tyres organised.
“I had not even driven it on the road before, but decided it was a good idea to tighten everything up and go for a drive.”
Mr Smaling said he was pleased with its first outing.
“I dumped the engine and gearbox into it and really did not know what the rest of the car was like or how it was even held together,” he said.
“I just made sure everything was tight, pre-registered it and went for a five-hour drive.
“I arrived and stopped in Adelaide to go and get food and the fuel pump died on me which I replaced and I have not had any problems since.”
The Japanese icon is fitted with coilovers, a front mount intercooler, R33 GTR wheels and a 3 to 3.5 inch exhaust with a manual transmission.
Mr Smaling said Skylines were nice looking cars and the popular vehicle was renowned for its taillights.
“I have had heaps of R31 and R33 models, but I think the R32 exterior is by far the best,” he said.
“Even when they are not moving, they still look pretty cool.
“The front ends also have a good look to them too, especially having glass headlights which stay crisp and clear all the time.”
Having used the vehicle as a daily driver, Mr Smaling said he did not want to spend too much money or time on it as he preferred to be able to jump in and just drive wherever.
“I do want to gradually clean it up, but I do not want to put too much time into it,” he said.
“It has scratches, dents and bog repairs, but I would rather I had a car I can just jump in and go anywhere when I want.”
With a passion for drifting and hill-climbing, Mr Smaling said he had no problems throwing the vehicle sideways at car events.
“This car is by far one of my favourites and it is second in line from my 1989 Supra which I am currently building at the moment,” he said.
“The first car I ever bought was an R33 Skyline so I think I also have that connection with it too.
“They are easy to work on, and there are lots of tips and tricks to them and nothing beats them really.”
