There was one final car that I managed to shoot after the Hellaflush Japan event earlier this month at Fuji Speedway. I purposely didn't post many pictures of it in the main event coverage as I wanted to put a more detailed feature together. Star Road is a respected restorer and tuner based in Tokyo, dealing in all sorts of Japanese classics but specializing in Skylines and Fairladies.
This S30 is their latest creation, barely finished before it was taken to the event at Fuji, and not surprisingly attracting a ton of attention.
But before we take a look at the stunning exterior…
…I wanted to first concentrate on the amount of work that has gone on in the engine bay.
Power comes via an N24 L28 Nissan straight six that has been not only treated to a full rebuild, but quite a lot of tuning to make sure it doesn't disappoint on the performance side of things.
A lot of time was spent on the N24 head, porting and polishing the intake and exhaust ports to increase flow capabilities before the special 75º camshaft was dropped in. Valve seats were cut to accommodate the larger diameter valves, 46 mm for the intake and 36.5 for the exhaust, and the increased lift. ABB/PBB valve guides and special valve springs make sure this L-series can support a ton or revs…
…so the triplet of 44 mm Solex carburetors can supply the right mix of high octane gas and air.
The N24 bottom end was honed and prepped to receive the special Kameari oversized race pistons, Wako H-beam connecting rods and the balanced crank. Capacity has been boosted to just over 3L with these components. Under the carbs you can just about see the custom made 48 mm headers, which dump exhaust gasses into the 80 mm muffler, again a one-off Star Road piece. Everything that could have been chromed was, adding to what is already a masterpiece of an engine. Driveline upgrades include an RB 5-speed transmission and an R200 LSD.
The restoration was one of the most time consuming aspects of the project, taking months upon months to fully eliminate rust spots, spot weld and stiffen critical areas of the ageing chassis and of course spraying both the interior and exterior in a deep, glossy blue. The whole underside of the car was coated in a black sealant to keep the car protected for decades to come. Star Road doesn't shy away from modern components, believing that older cars like this S30 can only benefit from modern and reengineered parts that not only add functionality but also style to the car. So you will find HID projectors in the headlights, a carbon fiber front chin spoiler and carbon bolt-on overfenders.
Sitting snuggly inside the wheels wells are Work Equip 03s, sporting the new optional bronze anodized lip, adding a great contrast to the blue body. The 15-inch 03s measure 8.5J up front and 9.5J at the rear and are shod with very sticky and adequately stretched Bridgestone Potenza RE-11, 195/55 fore, 225/50 aft. Star Road Type M front calipers take care of the braking.
The car was lowered right down to the lowest possible setting on the adjustable Star Road suspension, giving it a near-perfect stance. The suspension has also been spiced up with Star Road rose-jointed arms and links to tighten up the handling and steering feel. The rear end is finished off with a carbon fiber hatch spoiler, a great little final touch.
The interior has been transformed with modern additions like the adjustable sports seats and Momo steering wheel.
Check out the new-gen speedometer which joins the rest of the Defi gauges, integrated into the stock binnacles.
Upgrades like this might make purists cringe but the idea here was to add functionality and comfort, not to mention inject some modern day technology to help improve the driving experience.
It took over two years to complete the restoration and the finished car is impressive in every way. Would any of you have done things differently? As I think this is pretty close to what a perfect S30 should be!
Hellaflush coverage on Speedhunters
-Dino Dalle Carbonare