Group of Skyline Obsession

Photos by Jason Gynn

 Loyalty to a particular make or model is by no means uncommon amongst enthusiasts. Iconic models such as the LJ Torana or the Volkswagen Beetle have lured many into a monogamous relationship with the model and for Graeme Taylor, that model is the DR30 Skyline.

Graeme grew up with Glenn Seton and George Fury thrashing DR30s around Australian circuits in Group A racing, saying “ever since then, I have wanted to own one of these cars.”

Looking at the example he now owns, you can see why he originally found the model so appealing.

Factory fitted with an 150kW FJ20ET, an engine way ahead of its time and still quite a weapon almost 30 years on, the DR30 coupe was understandably appealing to a young Graeme so you can imagine the fun he had when he picked one up with a little bit of work put into it.

 “When I first brought the car home,” he tells us, “my father was very sceptical about the performance of a ‘four-cylinder car’. He was a Holden man through and through, so I took him for a spin down the road. Well, my dad is a true gentleman, but when it came on boost he let out a ‘for God’s sake, f*cking slow down!’ It was the first time I’d ever heard him use that word. And that was when it was only making 190rwkW. How would he go now with 303.5?”

There has been a lot of progress since that first blat up the street and Graeme has become well known as a collector of all things DR30.

Walking through his impressive garage you will notice racks and tubs of meticulously sorted spares, all labelled and stored for a rainy day.

The real centrepiece of this shrine to the DR is Graeme’s second coupe, a long term project that will eventually emerge as a tribute to the legendary Super Silhouettes of old.

For those of you unfamiliar with these beasts, take a look at the image above. With wild wide body kits and aero modifications, these touring cars were extremely exciting to watch around the track and are a perfect example of the quintessentially Japanese styling present in motorsport in the early 80s.

These vehicles were much more extreme than the ones Graeme had lusted after as a child, watching them racing around Bathurst; so it is no surprise that he is building one for himself.

Progress is slow but as it is a project of passion, the journey is just as enjoyable as we imagine the finished product will be.

A full roll cage is already in place, with permanent marker indicating where the cutting will begin to create the signature rear guards.

No engine resides in the bay as of yet but with a 300kW+ street car, we can confidently say that Graeme’s track car won’t exactly be a slouch.

It’s a project that Graeme is eager to see finished but until then, we’re sure he will continue to enjoy his road-going DR30 to the fullest.