Nismo begins factory restoration program for Nissan Skyline GT-R

Nismo is offering a new bare chassis restoration service to return original Godzillas back to their former glory - but boy howdy, it will cost you.

In partnership with Nissan’s Heritage Parts Program, which supplies newly-built parts for its back catalogue of cars, the restoration service will involve Nissan Skyline GT-Rs being stripped down to the bare metal and then being rebuilt from the ground up.

Some 43,000 were built in total.

Nismo says the restoration process can take up to a year.

When it’s as naked as the day it hit the original production line, the chassis and bodyshell are inspected for structural integrity and rust, with any imperfections rectified before heading back to the paint shop for a factory-spec coat of paint.

While many owners will opt for a factory hue, any colour can be specified.

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At the same time, the 2.6-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine undergoes a full rebuild back to factory specification, or it can be tuned up with extra Nismo goodies should you wish to turn up the wick.

The rest of the running gear, including differentials, axles, suspension, driveshafts and transmission, are completely disassembled and repaired or replaced as needed.

All electrics including the ECU and wiring harnesses are also rejuvenated if needed.

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Inside, all trim pieces are repaired and repainted – or even replaced – back to factory standard if necessary.

The seats and carpets can be deep cleaned or reupholstered, though the original fabric will be swapped out for Nissan GT-R R35 GT-R material due to fire-resistance standards changing over the last 30 years.

After all is said and done, Nismo engineers then take the restored GT-R on a comprehensive test drive, checking every aspect of the new build.

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Should the new car pass the stringent standards, it receives a special serialised plaque indicating its Nismo restoration.

Cars undergoing the restoration can be owner-supplied or sourced by Nismo itself, but the restoration itself isn’t cheap.

In fact, Nismo says the base cost is an eye-watering $570,000.

Compare this to the as-new price for an Australian-delivered Skyline R32 in 1991 of $110,000, and the number really takes on a life of its own.

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It's a cringe-inducing price tag for a relatively straightforward restoration, though the result will provide the best-functioning and best-looking GT-Rs in the world after the fact.

With the way Japanese classic car values are going these days, do you think a $570,000 Skyline R32 GT-R restoration is worth it?

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