Well the Skylines Australia Victorian chapter has blown our socks off once again with another awesome event, this time with the help of Road Track Rally and Motul Australia!
When SAU Vic have an event, they don’t mess about! The day was full of ear punishing, limiter bashing dyno fun!!
Hosted at the unbelievably clean Road Track Rally (RTR) workshop in Melbourne’s south east, the crowd was treated to a full day of peak power runs from 25 cars, ranging from Subaru’s, Mitsubishi’s, various euros and of course a large amount of Nissan Skylines!!


The day kicked off bright and early at 9am sharp, a testament not only to the dedication from the boys and girls behind SAU Vic but the boys from RTR as well for being up and running with the first car on the rollers that early on a Sunday!!

Outside the packed workshop, we were treated to a feast of immaculate Skylines that you would hope to see at any good SAU Vic event.

Midway through the day (proving of course that it is always cooler to rock up fashionably late) 4 R35 GT-R’s arrived within minutes of each other drawing quite the crowd.

Nismoo!! (We think this plate would work better with some black vinyl spots all over the car to make it look like a cow!)

Even though we have had more than a few chances to get up close and personal with GT-R’s, I spent some time looking at the latest model. I still find myself getting lost in all the detail, the bulging front fenders, sinister headlights and of course the way the roof comes down so aggressively towards the rear. All of this had me walking around it for minutes before I even thought to press the shutter button on my camera!

It seems we’re not the only ones who are distracted by the looks of the hulking Skyline.

Back inside the workshop was the Mainline Dyno that would see over 5,000KW pushed through it’s rollers across the entire day!

Most of the cars went on with ease however this 370ZX struggled to hide it’s girth after it needed a couple of adjustments to get it on comfortably.

The 370ZX belted out a respectable 204KW at the wheels from the naturally aspirated V6, not bad at all!!

The crowd was kept informed throughout the day by this 46″ display, complete with a leader board that was constantly being updated as each car showed us what it was made of. The SAU Vic kids do not mess about!

We saw run after run, but none impressed quite like Rob’s R33’s effort to shoot three foot flames after hitting a peak power of 221kw’s from the rear wheels.

Back outside the growing crowd was invited to ‘guess the power’ of this R32 GT-R.

Owner Samir remained tight lipped so as not to ruin the game.  All the guests had to go on was the visual cues from the intimidating exhaust and a host of goodies tucked away under the bonnet of the GT-R.

We’re big fans of Samir’s approach with the car and would love to feature it in the near future.

The crowd waited in anticipation to see if their guess was on the prize…

After getting strapped down by the RTR crew, Samir’s R32 put down 313.4kw at all four wheels! The most powerful car on the day excluding the R35 GT-R’s. We reckon that isn’t something to turn your nose up at!!

From the most powerful car to the wooden spoon of the day… David’s tongue-in-cheek Hyundai Excel certainly turned a few heads as it rolled onto the dyno.

While it certainly didn’t break any records it was the most consistent car of the day putting down 45kw flat for three consecutive runs.

While waiting for cars to come and go from the dyno I found myself lost in the workshop once again. At every event I’ve ever attended at Road Track Rally I end up getting caught up in exploring all the corners of the factory.
From expensive tyres mounted and ready for the next track day or shakedown test of the teams Evo X race car…

To the unseen beauty of the undercarriage of a customers Mitsubishi Evolution X.

The Evo X on the hoist was also getting it’s brakes freshened up so I got a good look at its’ stopping power.

At the far end of the workshop, I spotted this Subaru Forester missing a vital component…

I found the engine not far away looking just as clean as the car itself, my mind wonders thinking about what work the engine is getting done!

Back up the front another customers car, this time an Evo 9.
The boys at Road Track Rally are synonymous with Mitsubishi Evo’s, both maintenance and performance wise. So if you get excited by Mitsubishi AWD turbos then you probably need to know the guys down at RTR.

Back out the front there were heaps of cars coming and going and one car in particular stole our attention, well the wheels caught our eye would be a more accurate description of events.

It was Nick’s diesel Golf, now sporting some uber-cool Land Rover wheels. Nicks’ Golf wasn’t there just to look pretty though as it also made an appearance on the dyno!
It managed a respectable 108kw at the wheels! While this might not be at the top of the leader board, remember it is a diesel powered Golf so torques the game and this little guy wins with almost the same amount of torque as a 200KW Mitsubishi Evo!!
So next time you hear a tractor at the lights next to you, have a second thought.

Out on the street there was some more Euro action, with a pair of black VW Bora’s. Bora by name but not by looks… These two had a touch of VIP flair with some killer wheel choices and fitment!

Further up the street I spotted this white S15 trying to find a park with his matching white S15 buddy, this is the perfect look on this car in my eyes. ‘Keep it simple stupid’ has never been more fitting!!

Something we don’t see enough of here on GSS, more cars with horses for emblems! However this is no prancing Italian horse!

The first generation Ford Mustang! I must say this is one of the finest examples I have seen with my own eyes! If you know the owner then please get them to contact us at enq@gripshiftslide.com! We love this car!

Not too far away I spotted a stickered up Infinity Skyline, extra points for the Gripshiftslide sticker and world famous Kebabhunters sticker. (Both available from our online store, http://store.gripshiftslide.com)

After my short stroll around the street I headed back to find this driven and enjoyed R33 GT-R, there were a few giveaways this car gets to see it’s fair amount of track days. Like the serious looking Advan A050 tyres, the not so stupidly low ride height and of course the giant numbers on the rear quarter window!

Back inside the team had just finished running Samir’s ‘Guess the power’ R32 before the lunch break. The boys and girls from SAU Vic had a free BBQ for all the hungry mouths that attended and this was no easy feat, but the team managed to feed everyone there!!

After the short break it was back to work and the dyno was up and running cars in just a few minutes.

While we were paying attention to all the nice cars on show we spotted a few bits of street wear, (shameless plug) like this gripshiftslide cap!

Also this super cool and impossible to get Stanceworks Australia hoodie, seriously you can’t get them… We tried!

Before the long awaited dyno shootout between the four R35 GT-R’s in the afternoon, SAU Vic president John ‘Richo’ handed out a few prize packs, including some products from Motul Australia who are big supporters of the club.

So it is true what they say, winners are grinners!!

Some of the Motul gear on offer for those lucky enough to win a prize.

With the crowd the largest we’d seen it all day, something special must have been happening…

That of course was finally getting to see some modern Japanese muscle stretch its’ legs on the dyno.

One after another we saw all four go head to head.

The sound the twin turbo V6 makes is mental anywhere in the room, I was brave (read stupid enough) to stand only one meter away… Needless to say it is a sound that will stay with me for some time!

All eyes were on ‘Nismoo’ who was tipped to be a favorite for the highest power on the day.

Landing an impressive best run of 389kw at the wheels, painfully though only loosing by 1kw to Sam’s black R35. That just goes to show what a few bolt ons can do to improve performance with the lowest rated R35 on the day hitting 320kw.

The excitement in the room as ‘Nismoo’ pulled out of the workshop was insane, every man, woman and child was in awe of the white beast.

Easily our favorite event of the year so far (aside from our own of course!)
We cannot express how well run the SAU events are and we hope to learn a thing from John and the team for our future events and we look forward to anything that has those three letters attached to it – ‘SAU’.
A big thanks goes out to Dan and the team at Road Track Rally for providing the perfect backdrop and workshop for these events and support the car scene here in Melbourne.
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.
Additional images : Andrew Nguyen | AN Photography

A couple of weeks ago a few members from the JDM Style Tuning forums managed to sweet talk the guys from the Road Track Rally into having JDMST dyno day at their workshop, the attending list on the forum was full and the workshop was filled with some truly amazing Japanese machinery on the day!


With the even running all day, car came and went so parking wasn’t an issue in the tiny back streets of Dandenong.
We snapped a few shots of Reece’s Camry while there was no other cars or a crowd around it (which is a rare sight at a JDMST meet).

This car receives a lot of praise for it’s stupidly low ride height and aggressive offset.

The SSR MS1 wheels are a perfect match for this unique entry into the stance scene.

The wild card for the day went to Tim and his SR20DET powered Club Man, this lightweight open wheeler coupled with the performance of the punchy boosted Nissan 2 liter engine would be one hell of a handful under full throttle!

Once one the rollers the little guy belted out an impressive 152Kw at the wheels!!

While the boys were slaving away in the dyno booth the workshop was filled with some beautiful street cars, loving the Ralliart mud flaps on this Evo!

This Evo sits a little closer to the functional side of the fence with a not so unfriendly ride height, some very wide wheels to offer a little extra grip and a healthy amount of poke to the little punchy sedan.

Every time we visit the RTR workshop we are always so blown away by how clean it is!
Upstairs we found a set of Nismo wheels holding this wall up, we wondered if anyone would notice if they went missing…

The immaculate RTR Evo X is another mind blowing experience walking into this workshop hidden away in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs, We also crack a massive smile when we spot the GSS stickers on the bumper!!

Hidden in the back we found Trae’s Evo 7, now it seems it wasn’t actually there to go the dyno at all but in fact staying for a sleepover getting some things finished under the hood…

We’re not exactly sure what else could be done to improve this engine bay!!

Our favorite car on the day had to be this immaculate R34 GT-R!!

Bayside Blue and white wheels is a match made in heaven!

Shaun’s Skyline conquered the day with an impressive 292.8kw!!
More than enough for any fun street car.

All in all it was a great day out, very relaxed compared to the chaos of some of the bigger meets of late that have seen plenty of police trouble.
This was a breathe of fresh air and everyone who participated enjoyed testing the performance of their cars in a safe and legal manner and we’re hoping there are many more ‘activity’ based meets in the future as standing around cars in a car park can get stale.
Well done to the organisers and RTR for hosting such good day!
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.
Photos : Andrew Nguyen | AN Photography 

Unfortunately I showed up to the dyno day very late, after spending to much time at motoclassica i finally arrived. I was surprised and happy to see that there were still cars waiting to get on the dyno so late in the day.


The SW20’s seemed to dominate the line up of mr2’s at chassers motorworks. Many sporting the classic Bomex front bar. A lot of people were chasing the 200kw mark, it is a hard one to break in the SW20, some manage to do it but most sit around the 160-180kw.

5 spoke wheels suit the SW20, commonly know as the poor man’s 355 Ferrari, the sw20 is the prettiest of the Mr2 range.
It was great to hear some 3sgte’s revving off their heads on the dyno and this also gave the MR2 forum members time to compare mods and set-ups.

Its good to see some “P” platers buying mr2’s, rather than commodores. The Toyota MR2, its a true driving experience, mid engined and well balanced, so much fun to drive even if you only have the NA version.

This is a great example of the MRS, nice Work XD9’s wheels, porsche style front bar and a custom turbo set up that would make baby Jesus cry.

The targa style sw20 is by far the most popular version of the SW20 and although i wished for one in the summer, i was glad to have had a hard top version in the winter.

There were some great examples on display and this late model SW20 on te37’s is a killer, with a gen3 3sgte.

It did very well on the dyno, with a solid figure and bullet proof performance this is one of my favourite cars on the day.

I miss having pop up headlights and i miss the beautiful shape of the MR2. The only thing i do not miss is working on the engine in the cramped engine bay, especially the gen2 3sgte, try and change the oil filter and you will most likely loose all the skin on your knuckles.

The interiors of the 1990’s mr2s are very similar to the supra of that era with a slightly turned console and a high centre arm rest that really makes changing gears a pleasure. What happened to fighter jet inspired interiors?

There was not only MR2s at this dyno meet but there were also a variety of other cars including this GT4 Celica.

The only standard looking mr2 in the parking lot and it still looks as fantastic as it would have leaving the factory. It is great to see some standard ones still on the road, if they are kept in good nick they will end up being a desirable classic car in another 20 years time.

One of the most popular mods “Gen 3 tail lights” adds an instant facelift to the car and a touch of style.

From a distance you can see this well looked after aw11, the only one in the car park when i arrived, good to see the complete set of mr2’s were in attendance.

Apart from missing most of the Dyno day and only catching the tail end of the day, i still enjoyed seeing a good variety of MR2’s and recognizing some of the cars that used to be around when i owned an mr2.
It is a shame that the MR2 goes through waves of popularity, and does not have that constant following that the AE86 or supra shares.
For more info on MR2’s or Chasers Motorworks, hit these links MR2 Australia Forum, Chasers Motorworks
Thanks for looking,
-Grant

REXNET forum had decided to host a dyno day for it’s members, after much debate Springy Motors was chosen as the preferred location.
With over 25 cars on the list, limited time and a BBQ to squeeze in, it was time to get these cars on the rollers!


The boys at Springy Motors always make sure the cars are in good condition before they go on the dyno, oil and water checked and boost and vacuum lines inspected.

Many of these Subaru’s look standard on the outside but have some sneaky mods under the bonnet.

There is one at every event a Mitsubishi EVO! It must have known is biggest rival was in town for the dyno day.

From a distance, I spied an interesting straight pipe exhaust!

There is something familiar about this rex! I think I have seen its famous cousin around here somewhere.

All the stickers… but ones missing!

A Luxury ride, STI equipped too! Easily one of the best looking liberty’s manufactured, unfortunately the newer liberty does not hold a candle to this model in the looks department.

Hatch vs sedan… Who will win?

Looks like there is another modified Subaru RS on the scene, so Michael’s “Grip” RS isn’t the only one now.

Great colour choice on these gold wheels, makes this forester totally stand out amongst the regular ‘Foz’ crowd.

That’s not a Subaru! another intruder!
Don’t worry as it’s only the Springy Motors tuned R32 Skyline.

22b right? Nope! It seems I was wrong as many other were too, this is the type X WRX 2 door.
The 22b is a wide body version only found in Japan and a few rare exports floating around, thanks Michael for the heads up!

So many nice STI’s everywhere, this one is just about to get its methanol injection kit set up for some good boost gain and some extra low end power.

From one STI to Another, a very clean example of the 07′ WRX!

Gold is always a good choice for WRX wheels and I really like the cool little roof spoiler!

NA Power!! That’s right with no tune and on the standard computer too! Michael managed to pull the incredible figure from his RS.

So much pretty colour in the engine bay! This engine is finally back in it’s home after being pulled out twice in the last few months. It is running great and will soon have a proper ecu and a rev limiter installed.

Nice and clean de-badge! and kebabhunter sticker too!

This engine bay was so clean that I couldn’t even believe that the car was driven to the event, I looked everywhere for the trailer but this was just how much the owner really looked after his car!

And now for something completely different! An evil looking GT was sitting quietly in the corner of the workshop, with a blower the size of a small car strapped on top!!

Glad to see Michael’s ride on the road again! still considered one of the best Subi’s in the scene.

The leader board, its a little out of orders but check out the 334kw by Simon!

The type X WRX 2 door was so nice! I couldn’t get enough of it!!

This is one well modified bug eye, checkout the laptop in the passenger seat, self tuned and modded!

The guys Looking for the right t-piece to fit so they can monitor the boost of this beast.

For those brave enough to stand inside the shop while the cars were run on the dyno, they were treated to a symphony for the ears!
With the unique sound you only get from the Subaru boxer engine then mixed with the background noise from the Sandown V8 race practice held a short distance away. It was out of this world, my ears are still bleeding!!

Everyone sat and chilled out to digest there BBQ food while waiting to see the next car on the dyno.

One hella modified bugeye WRX! When it comes to Subaru performance Springy Motors knows where its at!

It doesn’t stop at Subaru or even imports for that matter, If you want power they’ll know how to extract it from almost any type of car, checkout the crazy super-charger and quality setup on this ford.

Standard looking Falcon right from the factory?.. Wrong! 2 speed 450kw+ talk about a sleeper!!
You can only just see the inter cooler behind the grill, no one would ever suspect what this car is really capable of out on the street.
A great day and an awesome bunch of Subaru Fans made this dyno day one to remember.
Thanks for looking,
– Grant