Stu Rogers’ C33 Nissan Laurel inches across the riverbed. Rock by rock it makes its way along the expanse, zigzagging between obstacles, accompanied by the unnerving soundtrack of stainless steel on stone. The Nissan is everything a four-door Japanese car should be: long, low and loud.

Besides the three magic Ls, this Laurel is also fairly rough around the edges, and for this, Stu makes no apologies.

“Its no show car, and it was never meant to be,” he gladly admits. Stu’s C33 is the salty old bar-room brawler of the South Island import scene, the hulking, bent-nosed gorilla sitting in the corner booth, swigging his beer under a dark cloud. And like the smashed-knuckle bar ape, this ’89 Laurel is not something to be shrugged off or dismissed it packs a punch few can match.

Three years ago, Stu was all about Mazda GT-Xs. He had owned 10 of them. One day, a chance encounter saw him purchasing the beat-down automatic, diesel-powered Laurel to use as a late-night, too-many-beers paddock hack destined for his large farm property just outside of Christchurch. Although the Nissan was destined for death, it never quite made it to the scrap heap out back. Stu, during another of his chance encounters, stumbled across an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R front cut, and decided on impulse to snap it up.

An experienced spanner spinner, Stu got stuck straight into the conversion, with help from a few mates, most notably talented engineer Ben Petrie of PPR Engineering, who would end up doing most of the fabrication. Within a few weeks the Laurel was running, this time with 98RON fuel coursing through its veins, rather than diesel. “We threw it on the dyno to tune it, and the car made 414hp at the wheels,” Stu says, sounding rather surprised. “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to get that sort of power compared to the Mazda and Mitsubishi engines I had been working with previously. Until that point I had only really planned for the car to be a total street sleeper. Once I saw the dyno sheet, however, I couldn’t resist and went on a bit of a power hunt.”

Three years later and Stu is still on the hunt, but the car has evolved from a rattling piece of junk to a low-slung, force-fed, high-powered monster.

Now packing a fully built motor, a huge Garrett GT42RS turbocharger and all the mods to support it, the car peaks at 1001hp at the rear treads, and has come tantalizingly close to that magic nine-second pass, with a 10.08 @ 242kph. Although he could potentially run a high nine using his current setup, there’s a new package already in the pipeline. Let’s just say this Nissan will definitely be one to watch over the summer drag racing season!

Personally, I don’t actually care how quickly Stu’s Laurel can make it down the strip. Sure, low numbers are great, but this car appeals with its pure character. It’s angry. It’s tough. It’s powerful. And it’s nowhere near perfect. But import life just isn’t all about perfect panel gaps, show-winning paint and completely overhauled interiors. There is nothing better than seeing a ride that is clearly loved and enjoyed but not babied; a machine that has a clear purpose yet possesses real personality. Bent nose, broken knuckles and all.

1989 NISSAN LAUREL (C33) – Specifications

Engine: Nissan RB26DET 2.6-litre DOHC 24V inline-6, Wiseco forged pistons, Eagle rods, ARP studs, custom Kelford cams, oversized titanium valves, adjustable cam gears, GReddy intake plenum, K&N air filter, Garrett GT42RS turbo, GReddy blow-off valve, 50mm external wastegate, custom PPR headers, 700x300x100 intercooler, 2x SX fuel pumps, SX adjustable fuel pressure regulator, PPR surge tank, XRP fittings, braided fuel hose, custom twin-entry fuel rail, 1250cc injectors, custom PPR exhaust system, 600x350x60 radiator, 16-inch fan, RES Performance dry sump, Peterson 3-Stage oil pump, Japrace oil cooler, Link G4 Extreme engine management system, 2x Link igniter units, Link MAP sensor
Driveline: Nissan Z33 5-speed gearbox, OS Giken gear set, custom steel flywheel, Quartermaster triple-plate clutch, GT-R diff, GT-R axles, custom 1-piece driveshaft
Suspension/Brakes: K Sport adjustable coil-over shocks/springs, GReddy strut bar, GReddy front sway bar, D2 8-pot front callipers, D2 6-pot rear callipers, D2 330mm front/rear rotors
Wheels/Tyres: Front — DTM 17×9-inch alloys, GT Radial tyres, Rear — DTM 17×10-inch alloys, 28×11.5×16-inch Mickey Thompson ET Street drag tyres
Exterior: Workshop X front bumper, Workshop X sideskirts, custom paint, Lexan windows
Interior: R32 GT-R driver’s seat, Sylvester harness, Auto Meter boost & oil pressure gauges, boost controller, 8-point NZDRA-spec chromoly roll cage
Performance: Dyno Power — 1001hp (746kW) @ wheels (35psi boost), 0-400m — 10.08 @ 242kph (750hp tune)

Stu Rogers – Driver Profile

Age: 28
Location: Christchurch
Occupation: Motorcycle shop owner
Length of ownership: 3 years and counting
Build time: 3 years
Thanks: Ben Petrie @ PPR Engineering, REC Performance, Gavin @ HPE Automotive Services, Jon & Ryan @ Spec Performance, Adrian @ Japrace, Dave @ Cylinder Head Specialists, Simon @Link, Phil

Words: Peter Kelly Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Performance Car issue 153. Click here to check it out.