djr81

GT-R's are an extremely well engineered car - they were homologated for group A racing after all. They are reliable if looked after, bit like most things in that respect. If you are doing track days and the like you need to accept that the maintenance requirements will greatly increase. People will by their nature want to push the componentry to its outer limits - the number of cars that can acccept 50-100% higher power outputs is not much more than a handfull. For example try doubling the output of a WRX & watch the gearbox explode into a thousand pieces. Or in a rotary & lunch housings every 10,000kms. The reason the GT-R has the status that it does is because it is so well engineered. There are very few weak links in the whole set up. My R32 has been more reliable than my AU Foulcan. Although that isn't saying much...

One way of doing it is to purchase some new front seats (eg some recaro, bride etc) & then match up the fabric for the rears & the doors etc. Then you can sell your existing seats to recoup some of the money.

That is a bit harsh. The bloke is trying to find the best way of doing something, not looking to be told by others not to do it.

How you tell how long the car is in the country is by looking at the shipping documents/import approval/auction sheet... My first 89 GT-R has been on the road in Oz since the beginning of last year. I bought it late in 2003.

$30k is more than enough to get a good GT-R. But be aware that the on road costs of an import may need bolstering with things like (on the first of my R32 GT-Rs): New brake rotors. New pads (all round) New clutch (Mostly because I hated the button clutch in the car) Lots of minor things that Iwas fussy enough to fix because it was a new car to me. You don't need new turbos really. Not yet anyway. The stockers are good for over 300kW at the flywheel. Which is enough to get anyone into real trouble.

The genuine ones are almost always warped around the locating bolts. So there aren't really any second hand items nor ways of fixing them. Best bet is a reproduction item. From memory Japanese Motorsport do one, Unique Autosports may be worth a look & also UP imports. Let us know howyou get on - I may need the whole N1 kit, ie front lip, bumper cut outs, side skirts & rear lip.

It is worth getting an idea of what to look for - even if it is just to sort out the wheat from the chaff nbefore taking to a specialist & shelling out $100 or $200 dollars. Things to look for are: Burnt paint on the manifold - an RB26 that has had a hard life will have almost all the paint scorched off the induction manifold. One with an easier life will still have some missing. Look for the usual oil leaks etc. Look for dodgy/low rent/badly done engine mods. The Japanese are renowned for installing equipment & not tuning motors properly. Ask if/where the car has been dynoed and/or serviced. Check for a replacement cam belt (about a $500 job, so better if it has been done) Check for service stickers on the airbox (if it still has one) Talk to the owner & see if he actually knows what he is on about. Also it is better if the plug cover is still on the motor - replacements are $600 ish from Nissan. Check to see if the boost restrictor is still in and for EBC. If it is an old school boost controller chances are the motor has been running at higher boost for a while.

Fair enough, but there is not necessarily anything wrong with this. Someone has spent time/money importing it & is offering it for sale. If it isn't much of a car then the price should reflect this. Like all imports there is a risk involved. By buying a car already imported you are obviating that risk. It is only reasonable that there be a (small) cost associated with this. As someone famous once said:It aint what it cost, it's what it's worth. Anyway, maybe we should let the bloke who started this thread have it back...

I agree. Good questions to ask are: Why did you buy it? How long have you had it? Why are you selling it? If you elicit honest answers then you are probably half way there.

Have a search - you will find a fair bit on this topic. Engine bay: Look for burnt paint (particularly on the intake manifold) & general signs of heat stress. Look for service stickers on the airbox. Ask if the timing belt has been changed. (Should be a sticker on the cover) Interior Be aware that alot of GT-R's have had their odometers tampered with. So have a good look at the interior & decide whether or not the wear is compatable with the claimed kms. Particularly look at the state of the steering wheel (be wary of aftermarket wheels) & the seat fabric, particularly around the bolster. If these are stuffed & the car is claiming <100,000kms, run. Gearbox Check for worn synchros (mostly third & fourth) Brakes Check the rotor thicknesses & the pad condition. General Make sure everything works. Check the state of the panels & paint. Stick your head underneath & check for damage from forklifts. (Most will have some) Don't buy it because of shiney addons. Buy it if it is a good car. Question the owner & find out whyhe bought it, how long he has had it & why he is selling it.

Not everyone trying to sell a car is trying to profiteer... There are some, but you only have to ask a couple of straight forward questions to figure it out. On the other hand there are also alot of people trying to talk down the prices & the desirability of the GT-R's. Their motives are less straightforward... Buying a Skyline is not inherently different from buying any other car. You need to know what you are looking at and be realistic with your expectations.

Most of the wings are genuine ex Japan - which also means that they are (mostly) warped around the locating bolts.

Unless you can get one in under RAWS/SEVS you are basically too late to import one. The 15 year rule is gone. A compression test is not a bad idea. Don't take the head off it - you don't need to. Stock turbos are cheap (a few hundred dollars each) so you are better to concentrate on the engine than the turbos. Not sure why people with good experiences keep quiet about it - but there are plenty out there. Also, be aware that has been in Oz for a reasonable length of time is likely to have had things fixed. Buying a car like this means you don't have to fix everything yourself - stuff is already done.

IMHO you are better off paying a little more for a better car than buying the cheapest R32 you can find. Don't get fixated on a $20 grand mark. $20 grand GT-R's do exist, but by and large they are not pretty. Budget about $25k for a goodun & look after it. Take time finding it & make sure you get it looked at by someone who understands them. By the way - parts and gear are not necessarily that expensive. Costs rise because people mostly want all the good gear going in when they rebuilt engines etc. You don't for the sake of the argument have to put forged pistons in a rebuilt RB26. Also, running costs are alot more than for an ordinary car. 98 octane will be about 10% more expensive per litre, you will use much more of it, tyres are more expensive, synthetic lubricants more expensive, as is insurance etc etc etc. Having said that - a GT-R is probably going to be the best car you will ever own. Certainly mine is. I have had it two years now & no engine rebuilds, no gearbox replacements, just the normal servicing requirements. The only money spent on upgrades/replacements is because I wanted it to go harder.

If you just want the lip spoiler they can be bought without the cutouts that fit the wing - ie with a straight leading edge instead of one with notches in it.

For my 10 cents worth you are much better off spending your hard earned on a better set of tyres rather than set of larger tyres. The most marked difference will be in the amount of wet weather grip the tyres have - ie grip when you need it most. By and large there are cheap tyres & there are good tyres. If you want a set of 18 inch rims for looks then that is a completely different argument. Remember though, that for an equal quality rim a 17 inch set up will be lighter than an 18 inch. If you end up with a cheap 18 inch rim then it will be much heavier - to the detriment of your ride & handling.

Bump. So far I have only managed a 1.25 gee lateral acceleration & a bit under one gee for braking. Having used the GTech for a couple of events & also lent it to a couple of mates I can confirm they are well worth the $4-500 being asked. So, does anyone want to share any data - specifically for an R32 GT-R.

The workshop you mentioned has (Along with many others) had a huge (& short lived) increase in the volume of work due to the carry on with the 15 year rule. It is calming down somewhat now & the business involved is moving to new, larger premisis. Danny is doing a huge number of hours per week to try and keep up, but there is only so much he can do. It is also worth remembering the RAWS/SEVS compliancing requirements and what you are allowed to get away with in terms of engine mods - ie very little. So a car with alot of mods is going to take longer to comply. I have put two cars through this workshop & am happy with the service & the approach to doing business.

Item is sold.

Duralium is simply a variant of aluminium that has increased wear resistance due to its hardness (As the name suggests). Tomei have used it for ages & now HKS have come into line. If you are worried about wear the answer is pretty simple: LEAVE THE TIMING COVER ON YOUR ENGINE!

Hmmm, might be a bit difficult convincing the govt that it is a legitimate business given its lack of profits any time soon... Of course if you already have a business or are a contractor it would be much easier to integrate your racing with your current business activities & thence write the whole thing off as advertising for the business.

These are a couple of compressor maps published in Zoom a while back purporting to be from an R33 N1 & a "group A" (whatever that is in relation to turbochargers). The A/R for the respective compressors are 0.42 & 0.6 for the group A unit. For the turbines it is 0.48 & 0.64. You can see from the maps that they are markedly different. Can anyone make sense of this lot in particular the following: Is the "Group A" turbo the 0.6 A/R N1 unit? Does anyone have any other compressor maps that might helpmake sense of all this - particularly the Garrett equivalents & the stock turbos?

Hey Pete, are they what you have fitted to your 33?

Have a look in the back of the Auto Action (aka Auto Fiction) magazines for people who do helmet painting. Also, might pay to ask at Revolution as they should know people. The brand of helmet you have will determine what stickers it has attached. My Arai (Japanese) doesn't have an Australian Standard sticker because it doesn't comply. It does, however have a SA2000 compliance & hence a cloth patch stiched into the lining. If you have one, don't remove the Aus standard sticker! There is also another applicable standard, but it doesn't spring to mind presently. What make/model have you got?

Sold - just tying up the details.