Sometimes
a car comes along that no matter where it goes it
will stand out. It ignites an inner joy, a memory
of being a kid again with a big dumb grin on our
face because we all know what we are looking at.
The first time you see the Nissan Skyline you will
not forget it, I promise you. The legendary car
starring in movies, video games, and made famous
all over again with the Fast and the Furious series
is a car that will go down in the automotive history
books as something possibly never achievable again.
The Skyline was a favorite already in Japan before
any of the movies or games came out; dominating
the GT series motorsport scene and achieving monstrous
HP numbers at drag strips across Japan. Starting
in 1989 with the R32, Nissan built a car with menacing
looks, un-earthly performance numbers, and an AWD
platform on the GT-R’s that was undoubtedly
ahead of its time. With the way performance cars
are being dropped, the Skyline will stand out as
a classic for many years to come.
Wryann Vanriper is a man who understands what hard
work is, and what can happen when dreams become
realities. Originally owning an R32 Skyline Wryann
sold it to fund an ambitious venture and start VIP
Performance, located in Portland, OR and has quickly
become a top notch tuning shop. Specializing in
Nissan and Honda’s, VIP knows what they are
doing when swapping motors and the RB has become
a favorite due to its bulletproof design. When a
customer brought in a 2000 R34 GTT that had seen
better days, Wryann struck up a deal and became
the owner of the famous R34 Skyline. The car had
much needed repairs coming, including new bumpers,
engine and cylinder head work just to get it running.
Once running the adventure of building a show worthy
R34 quickly became his goal.
Stripping
the car down to bare metal and removing everything
but the dash was the main priority and 2-3 weeks
of long nights the car sits as it is now. An RB25
engine was the GTT’s stock choice and was
given a NEO tune from ROM Computer Tuning software,
which ended the final numbers at 405WHP, 355lb/ft.
of Torque at a conservative 15Psi. This is perfectly
adequate to drive from show to show and will see
many more upgrades this next show season. The paint
on the car is a classic White which shows off the
cars lines beautifully and was a task in itself.
Getting the car ready in 2-3 weeks for a show at
the end of 2009 meant special care was taken by
Wryann and his crew when re-installing parts as
the paint was not even set.
At Golden Gardens the car saw it's first crowds
and showed off what VIP Performance is really capable
of. Wryann has said that this car will try to be
at as many shows as possible to show off VIP’s
work and additional manifold modifications as well
as a re-tune of the computer might make an appearance
this season.
When speaking to Wryann over the phone you can sense
the feeling of accomplishment when talking to him
about his love for the Skyline. Legalities have
forced the car to remain outside of the US until
this last year with the re-introduction of the R35
GT-R and the money spent to get one here is astronomical,
but car enthusiasts love the car for just the way
it is, but I agree with Wryann that there is more
to it than that. The sound of an RB series motor
will turn heads a block away; at idle, max throttle,
or even at start up. You know that motor’s
sound anywhere. The lines of the car are as powerful
as the motor with an almost perfect stance that
shouts maximum performance. According to Wryann
the feeling of driving it, and more importantly
a RWD model is a driver’s dream, on and off
the track. The uniqueness, as Wryann said, is something
to be proud of.
I have talked with a lot of car tuners, car enthusiasts,
and even had the privilege of driving some serious
motorsport performance cars, but the Skyline stands
out amongst all of them. Wryann Vanriper’s
R34 is among them for the passion and hard work
that went into building it and goes to show that
hard work is not lost in this out of control world.
“It’s
a representation of most people’s dreams.”
– Wryann Vanriper
