Ok, first post here and I wasn't sure whether I should put this in the turbo or non-turbo section.
First off, my mate has just bought a skyline, and I think he got an excellent deal:
1998 R34 4dr, 2.5L straight six (non-turbo), 4 speed tiptronic auto. Recently imported from Japan, no mods, everything in excellent condition inside and out (RAC inspector rated highly), 16 inch alloys, double barrel exhaust (not sure what size but it looks nice), no spoiler, metallic gunmetal grey paint. Came with 3 year unlimited warranty from dealer. $19,000.
When he first told me about it, I thought that he was getting very good value, but also that it was just about the least sporty skyline he could possibly have bought. Personally I would have preferred a 2dr manual non-turbo, but my mate said the cheapest of those he saw were nearing $30k, plus he specifically wanted a 4dr and was not fussed whether he got a manual or auto.
Basically the car looks great right now, and the only changes he wants to make in the short term are to fit some of the wheels that come as standard on the R34 GTR (I think they are 5 or 6 spoke 18 inch wheels in a sort of charcoal colour, but I could be wrong), and a nice (but not too low) body kit.
However, once his warranty is over, he would like a performance upgrade, and that is where my question lies: What would you reccomend as being the best way to upgrade the performance of his car? Would it be possible to fit the engine from the R34 GTR, or would it be too much torque for the auto to handle? Could he swap it for a normal R34 turbo engine (I have no idea what they are called)? Or should he simply have a turbo fitted to his current engine?
Also any advice on finding the wheels from the R34 GTR would be nice.
Thanks
Jezzamundo