# Jun Lemon and Top Secret R33s



## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

So where are they or has Mick Begley held onto them?


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## Cardiff R33 (Jan 16, 2004)

Doesn't Jeff Ludgate own the lemon now?


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## Night stalker (Mar 24, 2015)

Pretty sure Harlow auto have the Jun 33 now.


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## paul450 (Jul 4, 2006)

didn't harlow sell the top secret r33gtr to someone aswell


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## David (Apr 25, 2003)

Cardiff R33 said:


> Doesn't Jeff Ludgate own the lemon now?



Jeff's 33 is a completely different yellow r33

I believe Matt J knows the guy who now owns the top secret r33. That's one of my favourite gtr's.

Does anyone know where the bee-r 33 is that's my favourite looking 33?


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## Mookistar (Feb 5, 2004)

Remember Offolly and the Bee-R. Pmsl


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## TAZZMAXX (Mar 9, 2010)

Max1 was the last owner of the Drag R and I beieve his wife (partner) Sarah used to drive it. Can't find any trace of it now but Max did have it up for sale in 2013. Ozz was rebuilding the Lemon some time back but that all went quiet as well.


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## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

Mookistar said:


> Remember Offolly and the Bee-R. Pmsl


Was that legit? I remember his 'son' coming on with his 'dads' login details and going nuts with the insults




TAZZMAXX said:


> Max1 was the last owner of the Drag R and I beieve his wife (partner) Sarah used to drive it. Can't find any trace of it now but Max did have it up for sale in 2013. Ozz was rebuilding the Lemon some time back but that all went quiet as well.


What sort of wedge would these go for now? 

The Jun lemon always seems to be getting rebuilt or having probs. I remember when Deano (is that Dan or Sam Houser - the GTA series creator) had it, was having problems back then to.


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

Mookistar said:


> Remember Offolly and the Bee-R. Pmsl


He was something else...

Up there with the Canadian kid with his 763hp R32 (and stillen exhaust!), and very thorough write up of the 'ring (by his experience on a video game). 

Bee*R last I heard was in Holland. Had a smash, repaired, not sure if he ever sold it.


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## tranq (May 31, 2009)

David said:


> Does anyone know where the bee-r 33 is that's my favourite looking 33?


Imported to Netherlands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tqrk_ydzZg

was sold few years later.


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## RXXXIV (Sep 3, 2007)

That Bee*R R33 was sold to a guy in Germany after being in Holland if I am not mistaken.

Don't remember though what happened to it later on.


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## Marlon88 (Sep 20, 2008)

Jun super lemon is owned by Ozz . I've been to his place and saw it sitting in a corner. My friend Mark had the top secret R33, was sold to a guy goes by the name Medi. Had the opportunity to see both cars really close, which was a wonderful experience for me since I live in Malta and I only knew the cars from youtube videos, pictures and on magazines when i was a teenager... ohh and rocket Ronnie's R33...


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## RSVFOUR (May 1, 2006)

the gold top secret 33 was a true monster when giles owned it but that was quite a few years ago

that was sold to someone in the uk but then the spec was changed quite a bit so not really the same car anymore .

quite a daft thingto do imho because it lost most of its kudos .


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## Marlon88 (Sep 20, 2008)

Ozz have sourced me from Japan , the Legendary's gold Top Secret R33 sister car, built by top secret as well for Japan drag series old school battles. Here is a picture from when i went to pick it up from Ozz, if you look closely, at the back you will see a very special car


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

The top secret R33 is owned by Medi and maintained by Exclusive Tuning.


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## f5twister (Feb 5, 2013)

The bee-r r33 was indeed here in the netherlands for some time it was competing in the dutch time attack series.But it is has been sold to germany last i heard is that it looks completely different now.

and yes it had a accident during the 2011 time attack in assen i saw it happen unfortunately it was heading with his nose to the wall but the owner was just in time in by correcting it resulting in hitting the right quarter panel .

old footage from the accident : 

watch from 0.40second
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iWTRrkDHH8
speedhunters article : http://www.speedhunters.com/2011/04/car_spotlight_gt_gt_bee_r_skyline_r33_part_2/


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## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

such a shame to change the specs. Sure it's better but certainly not the 'same' and as mentioned before loses a big chunk of kudos.


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## Jimbostir (Dec 2, 2008)

opcorn: if anybody has seen the top secret car. I've not heard anything since Giles had it.


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

Jimbostir said:


> opcorn: if anybody has seen the top secret car. I've not heard anything since Giles had it.


It's getting an engine upgrade.


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## Jimbostir (Dec 2, 2008)

Any ideas if/when it will appear back on scene?


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

I get the impression the owner is more interested in Drifting than finishing the TS.


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## Jimbostir (Dec 2, 2008)

Oh ok. Shame.


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## Skeeed3r (Nov 14, 2011)

the Bee*r is in Germany... a cosumter of my Mates from High Import Performance, here you can see some rebuild Pictures https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.807506449312966.1073741846.140502396013378&type=3


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## f5twister (Feb 5, 2013)

why


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

Bee*R not radically changed it seems (exterior)....but still the unpainted fenders! If it was me that would be the one thing I'd change on that car, paint the fenders! (in purple)


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## Mookistar (Feb 5, 2004)

Just seen the TS is being broken on eBay. Wonder what the story is there.


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## TAZZMAXX (Mar 9, 2010)

I suppose the value of the individual parts is now a lot greater than what someone would pay for the whole car. It's a shame as it was a good looking car, regardless of its performance or history.


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## Jags (May 20, 2007)

Massive massive shame. The Drag R was a bit of a hero car for me, I still have the Max Power issue from back in 1998 with the Supra. Probably one of the most legendary tuner Skylines around.

If I could afford it, I'd buy it and love to put it back to the 1998 spec


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

Big shame to see it broken.
Cannot believe it owes him £120k. No sequential and just a T51R SPL. Not that special apart from the history.

Given the way prices are going, give it 20 years and it will be worth 4 times that.


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## moleman (Jun 3, 2002)

I don't think the history is that relevant. How much has it been altered by various owners in the, erm 15 years or so it's been in the UK?

As either a complete car or as parts it's not worth 1/3rd of the asking price.

Shame though.


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## ekjim (Jun 11, 2005)

Got some pics of the jun car at knockhill just about when it first arrived over here, i think this was late 98 or 99. Some car!

Sorry about the pictures


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

I don't think the TS car is that far from the original spec. Looks mostly greddy twin turbos and Greddy intake and whatever gearbox was fitted missing from the old max power spec. Pretty easy to restore.

When you look at how these iconic jap tuner cars inspired a generation of petrol heads, and how most of them have ended up scrapped, then the value of these dinosaurs can only go one way.

Still not worth 120k yet though.


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## moleman (Jun 3, 2002)

lightspeed said:


> I don't think the TS car is that far from the original spec. Looks mostly greddy twin turbos and Greddy intake and whatever gearbox was fitted missing from the old max power spec. Pretty easy to restore.


Yes, but, it has had one UK engine rebuild that I know of and three or four owners since then, so who knows what else. It's about as Top Secret as if I built it. 

You can restore the TS spec, but it will never the Top Secret Drag R again. Same goes for the Lemon, Duke, etc.


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

Rebuild or refresh?

From memory it started life as a Trust 2.7

How many historic cars are rebuilt from just a handful of original parts?


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## TAZZMAXX (Mar 9, 2010)

lightspeed said:


> How many historic cars are rebuilt from just a handful of original parts?


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## moleman (Jun 3, 2002)

lightspeed said:


> Rebuild or refresh?


Semantics, mate.

If I fiddled with your mrs, would the degree of fiddling be relevant?


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## Mookistar (Feb 5, 2004)

As soon as top secret stop maintaining it, imho, the legend starts to wither. Same goes for all the iconic Tuning house cars. Just look at the Bee-r FFS


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

Not semantics.

Refresh implies using same spec parts, rebuild could be any revised spec.


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

Maintenance by the tuning house has nothing to do with the legend. As long as someone competent has twirled the spanners. 

The car, the performance and the spec creates the legend.


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## tarmac terror (Jul 16, 2003)

Mookistar said:


> Just seen the TS is being broken on eBay. Wonder what the story is there.


Got a link? Can't seem to find it on Ebay..


TT


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)




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## Mookistar (Feb 5, 2004)

Listings gone.


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## tarmac terror (Jul 16, 2003)

matt j said:


>


#Barry. As in Barryboys.co.uk ? Index page.

Is this the new SOTW???

:chuckle::chuckle:


TT


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## moleman (Jun 3, 2002)

lightspeed said:


> Refresh implies using same spec parts, rebuild could be any revised spec.


Does it? Once an engine has been dismantled and put back together it has, by definition, been rebuilt regardless of what parts have been used.




lightspeed said:


> Maintenance by the tuning house has nothing to do with the legend.


It does though, mate. I could be wrong, but I doubt Mr Nagata would still put his reputation to a car that he knew had been through the hands of two or three other tuners.

Yes, it's the TS Drag R, but it is now not the same car left Japan.


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

moleman said:


> Yes, it's the TS Drag R, but it is now not the same car left Japan.


I have been threatened by the owner for saying *the exact same thing*; apparently I'm going to get what's coming to me and in saying the above, I'm ruining the sale of this pristine example £1Million car. Go figure...


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## JapFreak786 (Aug 29, 2003)

I wish I had it off Giles when it was up for sale, he offered me the car at a good price but I was earning about £8k per year then and there was no way I could have brought it. It is my favorite R33 GTR and it was a pleasure to have gone out in the car with Giles at Brunthingthorpe and enjoyed the car in it's original spec as it was from Japan.

Shame to see it being broken for parts


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## tonigmr2 (Sep 12, 2002)

A car with an interesting history perhaps, but not the car it was, and no longer fettled by Top Secret means it can't be. Seems clear enough! Doesn't mean it can't be nice or well tuned of course.


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

tonigmr2 said:


> A car with an interesting history perhaps, but not the car it was, and no longer fettled by Top Secret means it can't be. Seems clear enough! Doesn't mean it can't be nice or well tuned of course.


Exactly, it's not the car it once was and never will be IMHO; short of returning it to TS for a makeover - and that wouldn't be a cheap option!
I say, enjoy it for what it is, a decent spec R33 with a great history behind it in need of some tlc. And I appreciate opinions are like ar$eholes...


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

I fully understand it's been messed with but any classic or historic car can be restored back to it's former glory by people with skill and attention to detail. The original builder is often long gone. To say this couldn't be put back to its max power era spec without nagata's involvement is bizarre. Bob at Zealous would ace it.


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

lightspeed said:


> I fully understand it's been messed with but any classic or historic car can be restored back to it's former glory by people with skill and attention to detail. The original builder is often long gone. To say this couldn't be put back to its max power era spec without nagata's involvement is bizarre. Bob at Zealous would ace it.


If you look at any classics, the value is in originality. An original always commands more than a restored vehicle of the same spec and condition from what I've seen. Nobody is saying it can't be restored by anyone other than TS, what they're saying is, the result wouldn't command the same as if it were done by TS themselves, or at least that's how I've been reading it. 

Take a priceless vase, drop it and it breaks. Now, there's plenty of people in the world who can return it to its former glory; agreed some could just stick it back together with superglue but there are experts out there who could repair it invisibly and you'd hardly be able to tell it's been 'rebuilt'. Is it worth the same?


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## Ludders (Feb 6, 2004)

Just read through this thread. Interesting opinions and just about everyone is right. It is not possible for a car to last for ever especially if it is well used over the years. Engines, gear boxes, clutches, drive shafts, etc they all have to be rebuilt, refreshed or occasionally have damage repaired. I should know I have been through enough of them! 

Those special cars still have their history and the cars should never be broken - it is a terrible shame for that to happen. I would love to see the Drag R and the Lemon up and running for years to come. They still have a great following and plenty of fans. Like many owners, it was these iconic cars that brought me in to the world of the Nissan GTR and leaves me with great memories of the days I have raced against them.

Long may they live.


.


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## K66 SKY (Jan 25, 2005)

ekjim said:


> *Got some pics of the jun car at knockhill just about when it first arrived over here, i think this was late 98 or 99. Some car!
> *


And apart from the plate change and some graphics altered, It still looked pretty much the same years later at Jap Fest at Castle Combe!:smokin:









I wonder just how many people/enthusiasts got into Skylines due to the press generated by these iconic Tuner cars?!


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## tonigmr2 (Sep 12, 2002)

The lemon is the one R33GTR I'd buy if it came up for sale, still looks cool!


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## Ludders (Feb 6, 2004)

tonigmr2 said:


> The lemon is the one R33GTR I'd buy if it came up for sale, still looks cool!


I'm with you on this one Toni. 



.


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## LP570-4 (Jan 25, 2011)

Skeeed3r said:


> the Bee*r is in Germany... a cosumter of my Mates from High Import Performance, here you can see some rebuild Pictures https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.807506449312966.1073741846.140502396013378&type=3


They made it look like s#!t..


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

Sad ending for the TS R33. 



matt j said:


> I have been threatened by the owner for saying *the exact same thing*; apparently I'm going to get what's coming to me and in saying the above, I'm ruining the sale of this pristine example £1Million car. Go figure...


Million quid, was he on crack by any chance? :clap: IIRC Gilles had it up for ~28K didn't he? That's some investment


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

bkvj said:


> Sad ending for the TS R33.


It's not dead, it's just a different spec from what TS originally built.



bkvj said:


> Million quid, was he on crack by any chance? :clap: IIRC Gilles had it up for ~28K didn't he? That's some investment


No idea but he was very serious.


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

matt j said:


> It's not dead, it's just a different spec from what TS originally built.


Fair play, thought it was being sold it bits. 




matt j said:


> No idea but he was very serious.


 what a **** :clap:


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## Ludders (Feb 6, 2004)

tonigmr2 said:


> The lemon is the one R33GTR I'd buy if it came up for sale, still looks cool!


Look what I found......


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## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

haha Jeff, just last night I noticed some pics of the lemon on your fb (from some drag events). Will you bring this to shakey at some point? Would love to see it in the flesh. And if you ask me nicely I will take it down the strip for you too  Such an awesome car!


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## Ludders (Feb 6, 2004)

gtr mart said:


> haha Jeff, just last night I noticed some pics of the lemon on your fb (from some drag events). Will you bring this to shakey at some point? Would love to see it in the flesh. And if you ask me nicely I will take it down the strip for you too  Such an awesome car!


Probably not this year. Lots to do to it to make it nice again.


.


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

A proper full weight GT-R! 8s in this one Jeff?


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## Ludders (Feb 6, 2004)

matt j said:


> A proper full weight GT-R! 8s in this one Jeff?


No, I am going to try out the bendy ones!! It will be set up for track!!


.


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## Cardiff R33 (Jan 16, 2004)

Great work Jeff! I wanted to buy this years back off Mick, legendary


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## matt j (Oct 19, 2001)

Ludders said:


> No, I am going to try out the bendy ones!! It will be set up for track!!


You could always ask Jeremy Clarkson for some pointers after his spin out on track in it! 

Most of all - just enjoy it mate


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## mouthwash (Oct 7, 2016)

Love rare things like this, very cool!


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## NITO (Nov 19, 2003)

Whatever happened to Mick? I haven't been very active on the forums since selling my Nur but Mick was all over the Skyline scene back then.

Nice to see these cars came back to the top. Blast from the past.


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## Ludders (Feb 6, 2004)

NITO said:


> Whatever happened to Mick? I haven't been very active on the forums since selling my Nur but Mick was all over the Skyline scene back then.
> 
> Nice to see these cars came back to the top. Blast from the past.


Mick lost interest in cars after his great friend Tweenie Rob was killed in an accident. Cars were never the same for Mick after that day.

I must admit I miss those days an awful lot!! One of the reasons I guess for buying the Lemon. Great memories!!


.


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## NITO (Nov 19, 2003)

Wow, I think I remember him posting it for sale after that now you've jogged my memory but thought it was a knee jerk reaction, fair play. I still have my Tweenierob sticker somewhere, sad time, I remember him from way back in the scooby days.

Good luck with the Lemon, great to see it's in safe hands, great bit of skyline heritage refreshed or not.


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## Mark SlideSquad (May 30, 2017)

Hi all, 

First time poster here, from Southern California, but originally born in Newcastle UK. I just picked up a 1992 R32 GT-R, and it's my first Skyline. Been around the Nissan scene since 1996 though, and wanted an R32 since 1995 when I first saw one in Option mags. I was lucky enough to snap some film pics at the Tokyo Auto Salon back in 1998 when I was there, which for me, was the golden era for all famous tuning house Skylines. I was there in Tokyo during that time for a job interview at JUN and met with Junichi Tanaka (owner) and head tuner Susumu Koyama. They showed me all three locations of their machine shop, aero division, and showroom and dyno tuning facility. I didn't end up working for JUN, unfortunately. Here are all three cars that are in this topic. It was amazing to see the quality and detail of these cars in person, something I'll never forget!


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