Larry Chen and his R32 GT-R

VOTE FOR LARRY’S GT-R TO WIN THE 2023 HALTECH HERO OF THE YEAR HERE

Larry Chen is a man who should need no introduction to the motoring world.  But just in case you’ve been living under an automotive rock, Larry is a California-based photographer and videographer who captures every aspect of our lifestyle, from high-end cruisers and lowriders, to drift cars, drag cars, and time attack racers.

He’s been a major influence on many young car guys/girls across the globe. He’s been featured in all kinds of media from magazines including Hot Rod, websites like Speedhunters, and many Youtube channels, including Hoonigans and our own Haltech Heroes.

Purity

Last time we caught up with Larry, we were taking and in-depth look at his Datsun 240Z, which may have upset a few purists, being that is it SR-powered. This time Larry is showing us his 1990 R32 GT-R, and purists, we think you’re gonna love it! 

Larry, like many car nuts from his generation, fell in love with the R32 after seeing it in magazines and playing it in video games. And like many Americans from his generation, He cursed the fact that the car was not available for sale in the United States. 

Street-Legit JDM Classic

It all changed in 2014 when the R32 was allowed to be legally imported to the US. Larry, knowing that this change was coming, set himself the goal of owning one of his childhood dream cars, and as soon as they were available he contacted any and all of his vehicle importer friends to grab this one. As soon as it landed on US soil, Larry sent the car off to have extra catalytic converters fitted, ensuring that the old Nissan is fully emissions-compliant in his home state of California.

Mod or Restore?

“Restomod” is a term thrown around a lot these days, and we think Larry’s R32 is the perfect embodiment of the term. The car looks like a tastefully restored survivor but has a few modifications that bring it into the current century. In fact, from the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking this car has had any modifications at all. It even rides on factory wheels, which Larry sourced in favour of the Work items the car was delivered with.

The mods that are noticeable are tasteful and subtle, has a Nismo gauge cluster, shift knob and floor mats. Everything inside the car’s cabin feels original, we would argue that it’s better than the original interior has ever been. The subtle touches here and there, coupled with the meticulously restored plastics seamlessly blend the classic and the modern in perfect harmony.

Upping the ante

The engine bay is a work of “restomod” art. It has been fully restored by Larry’s good mate Tommy Farrell, better known as tommyfyeah. The bay and under the hood have been painstakingly paint matched to match the exterior.

Every item has been cleaned, restored, or replaced with something that looks factory fresh. The HKS MAF delete is one such item. Hidden under the stock manifolds sit a pair of HKS GT-SS turbos, than give a stock vibe, but provide modern performance characteristics.

That’s not all the HKS parts in the car either – When Tommy was pulling the engine to restore the bay, he did a compression test and unfortunately found that two cylinders were down on compression. After doing some sums, Larry decided to fit the RB with an HKS 2.8L stroker kit, as it wasn’t going to add a lot to the cost of the rebuild. 

“Tommy kept bugging me. He knew I have this car and he really wanted to restore it and bring it back to its former glory and beyond that.”

Haltech ECU was chosen to run the new motor, and was fitted to a Wiring Specialties loom. Power was measured at 360HP at the wheels and 365 ftlbs of torque at 19 psi which is a big improvement over stock for this stock-looking car. Improving the handling is a set of KW coil-overs.

The extra power makes the car so much more driveable on the road, especially when combined with the HICAS and ABS delete, and the single plate Competition clutch that Larry had fitted. Which is what Larry wanted, a daily driveable classic that is understated, fun, legal, and awesome.

What do you think, purists? 

The “other” Nissan

In case you’ve missed it – here’s is Larry’s SR20 powered 240Z: