Nissan discontinued the second generation of the Skyline GT-R in 1973 over the oil crisis only to revive the sports coupe in August 1989. Fewer than 43,937 examples of the R32 were produced until November 1994, which is why the Skyline GT-R from that era is very collectible nowadays.
Finding an original Godzilla in the classifieds is like searching for a needle in a haystack. The collectability of the R32 explains why Nissan has started the NISMO Restored Car Program back home in Japan, an in-house restoration department that strips the car to the bare metal for a lot of money.
How much? “The average price for an R32 restoration like this one is 45 million yen,” a sales representative told The Drive. That sum converts to $420,500 and change, which is a heck of a lot of money if you kindly remember that a brand-new R35 starts from $113,540 before options.
The reason you’re charged supercar money for a Skyline GT-R in as-new condition is the sheer attention to detail that goes into every restoration. A restoration kicks off with the complete disassembly of the vehicle, down to the smallest nuts and bolts. Next up, the body panels and floor are repaired perfection, coated, and painted to perfection at the Omori plant in Tsurumi.
Overhauling the straight-six engine, stick-shift transmission, and driveline parts is another highlight. New rubber, suspension components, fuel and brake lines, as well as electrical and electronic components also need to be mentioned. Interior refreshing and track testing are the final stages of every build.
On that note, I have a great idea for Nissan. The final example of the R32 Skyline GT-R is 27 years old in 2021, which means that you can import Godzilla stateside. The problem is, all of them are right-hand drive.
Converting the R32 to left-hand drive would be extremely lucrative for the Japanese automaker, especially if the conversion adds $50k to the bill.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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