1973 Nissan Skyline 2000GTX RB26DETT

Back in 2006 Patrick Soliman took ownership of his 1973 Skyline 2000 GT-X. It was a funky old car that had already been in the United States for a while at that point. At the time a vintage Skyline wasn’t quite the status symbol it is today; instead it was a cult machine, and the car that Patrick bought was far from a cherry. It had been heavily modified by its previous owners and even had an SR20DET swapped in at some point. Whatever the case, it needed a lot of work.

Serving in the United States Navy, Patrick was stationed in Japan for a couple years and that’s where he was exposed to the radical kyusha that fill up highway parking areas every weekend. Capturing that authentic look was one of his big goals when he began the Kenmeri project. But he didn’t just want something that looked special, he wanted to give the Skyline plenty of attention under the hood as well. In Patrick’s mind, the car needed the power to back up its aggressive styling.

He wanted the heart of a 1990s Skyline GT-R – the legendary RB26DETT – not just for the power but for that unmistakable inline-six turbocharged sound. For him, it was the ultimate upgrade for the vintage Nissan. But rather than just dropping in a stock RB26 and calling it a day, the R33 GT-R engine in Pat’s car has been upgraded with a large Precision single turbo conversion with a host of supporting modifications, and a custom engine management system. Altogether the setup is good for over 550 horsepower at just under 8,000rpm – impressive numbers for a full-weight R33 with all-wheel drive grip, but downright crazy in a much lighter, rear-drive Kenmeri.

The gearbox is an RB25DET 5-speed with an OS Giken clutch, and the turbocharged power reaches the ground through a Z31 R200 LSD differential with a 3.70 final. Of course, you just can’t add that kind of power and call it a day, so Pat also added custom coilovers all around, T3 trailing arms and a four-wheel disc brake conversion to help bring it all to a stop. The custom coilovers also give the Kenmeri that all-important shakotan stance.

And sitting beneath those flares are custom re-barreled Hayashi Techno Phantom wheels measuring 15×10-inch in the front and 15×12-inch in the rear with sticky Toyo R888s at each corner. Inside you’ll find an interior that’s been tastefully modified with a pair of vintage Recaro seats mounted on custom rails, a Nardi steering wheel and a set of Auto Meter gauges to ensure the RB26 is running smoothly.

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