Good things however aren’t always meant to last and unfortunately on one of his first trackdays after moving back to Sydney, the car had a bender – “it was one of the worst days ever”. A date with the concrete barrier saw the front end of the GTR crumpled and the car was immediately retired from the track and towed home. Luckily there weren’t any physical injuries but Kase was mentally devastated. After assessment, besides obvious panel damage, it was found that the engine was pushed up to the firewall and the chassis was completely twisted to the point the boot wouldn’t even close.

For many of the initial nights, Kase spent time pacing up and down his garage looking at his wrecked car and pondering his options. “It was becoming an eye sore to look at each night”.

There were grand ideas to rebuild the whole car or transfer the parts to a rolling shell but eventually it was easier to just close the chapter and sell the car off to someone with more time and money to salvage. Stripping some minor parts as a memento, the car was sold and Kase was left pretty empty and itching to get back into the GTR scene.

In what seemed like an eternity, lady luck showed itself and presented a rare opportunity (even more so by today’s standards) to purchase a black V-Spec II. Owned by an older guy who had personally imported itself, the car was well kept with low mileage and some clean modifications. It was by all accounts a gem.

After some VIN checks and searching on the GTR registry, it was uncovered that the car was in fact only a standard V-Spec – “It was doing my head in as the numbers and records don’t lie”. After some heated back and fourths with the seller whom was adamant it was a genuine V-Spec II, Kase took a punt and put down an initial deposit for the car. A genuine V-Spec still ain’t too bad, especially when you consider he picked it up for $23,000… Have time machines been invented yet?

Like the prodigal son returning, Kase made a one way plane trip to the Sunshine State to pick up his second R32 GTR. With the help of his best mate who picked him up from the airport, nervously they went to collect the car which met all expectations. The car was mechanically sound and came with HKS coilovers, aftermarket Recaro’s, Apexi catback exhaust and a set of highly coveted Nismo LMGT2’s.

The V-Spec II sticker remains on the boot but before you throw your arms up in protest, it is acknowledged by Kase that it doesn’t belong there. The reason for keeping it on for now is so as not to damage the paint underneath during the removal process as the sticker does look like it’s aged the same time as the car has been on the road.

Stoked with the purchase, Kase made short work of the long drive back to Sydney where later that day, he picked up the same mate from the morning activities at Sydney airport. “We still argue to this day who got to Sydney first”.

In what you would consider a luxury in today’s car market, Kase got a second attempt to build a GTR. Opting again had an initial 500hp figure in mind on stock internals. Intensely scanning through forums and getting advice along the way, parts slowly started to stock pile over a four year hoarding period. With the pieces of the puzzle gathered, Kase landed on using Anthony and the team from Dahtone Racing to assemble the final image. Quickly becoming one of the more renowned GTR builders in Sydney, Kase said the reputation and down to earth interactions were enough for him to hand over the car, keys and parts.

An initial health check of the bottom end before work started revealed that the crank had some damage which meant the original plan of a stock bottom end wasn’t panning out as planned. Finding himself at yet another cross roads, the options were put on the table; 1) forged RB26 2) RB30 bottom end 3) stroker kit. Maybe tempted by Anthony’s car (which we’ve featured on this site in the past), Kase ended up going with option two saying it would’ve given the most cost effective solution to boost the cars power.

Boasting a pretty exhaustive spec sheet, the highlights of the rebuild include a Precision 6466, Nismo intake plenum, Tomei 270 cams, Supertech valves, springs and retainers, Bosch 1650cc injectors and a flex fuel compatible setup. A trip to DVS Tuning after the build has seen the car push a neck snapping 572kw.

Along the engine build process, the car got some aesthetic work done. An engine bay refresh was an obvious choice with the motor out so the car was sent to A1 Smash Repairs in Peakhurst for a respray. The MNP styled rocker cover along with the brushed titanium and aluminium parts give a premium but subdued finish to the car’s engine bay.

Some carbon accents were added to the exterior of the car including a replica Abflug lip, side skirts, Attain rear exhaust shroud, Fujimura rocket dancer flap and a intercooler shroud. Although the car is black, the subtle glint of the carbon fibre weave under direct sunlight is a nice touch. The LMGT’s also got re-barrelled into a 10 inch setup. The polished lip along with the OG centre cap look incredible against the dark body of the car.

The interior maintains a very period correct style of modifications which will make any R32 owner envious of the Nismo catalogue display that Kase has collected. Nismo floor mats, rear mirror cover, pedal covers, titanium shift knob, leather steering wheel, 320km/h cluster and cigarette lighter all come courtesy of many years of slowly hoarding parts which when assembled together look right at home. A quick Google search for prices of these parts would make most grown men cry.

Six years on from the first GTR, Kase says he can somewhat rest easy knowing that while the first was and still is a memorable experience, if it didn’t happen he never would’ve had the opportunity to buy something more rare to enjoy. With the prices of JDM cars soaring year on year, future plans include nothing short of enjoying the car and driving it to close out a busy working week.

Special thanks from Kase to his wife – Lydia, the team at Dahtone Racing, Platinum Racing Products, A1 Smash Repairs, DVS Tuning, Just Dip It Hydrographics, Berlina Body Works, Leading Edge Detailing and the R32 GTR community.