Looking For R32 Gtr, Advice?

[r32dood]

I'm in the market for an r32 GTR.

What issues do they suffer from? are parts expensive? easily obtainable?

electrics a problem?

Thanks.

PS: Alll the grey import ones i see all have say 50,000-100,000kms on them, are these legit Km's or are they dodgy? Because the interiors do not seem like cars that i have owned that have done 100,000kms.

PS: I keep getting emails from J Spec, they have some really cheap cars ie: $15K+, are they a good operation?

Thanks again.

Edited April 4, 2006 by r32dood

[*GOJIRA*]

Hey mate,

It pays to shop around and not compromise at all it will end up costing you more, its better to spend a few extra thousand on a car than spend more later on a car you bought cheaper in order to get it up to scratch. Although having said that it is possible to find a good quality GTR for less than $20,000 as i did, but it took me a few mths of waiting. Im in the car industry and from what ive seen alot of the import cars all had dodgy k's, i remember 5 cars at one dealership that amazingly all had even k's eg, 35,000, 61,000, 72,000 etc. Im not saying this is everywhere, but keep in mind that more often than not the k's arent legit and are generally wound back in Japan before arrival here anyway.

As far as running costs yes they are high, but that goes hand in hand with what quality car you purchase in the first place, i did alot of preventative maintenance to begin with, which wasnt cheap but if you weigh up the cost of say a $500 fuel pump to an engine rebuild $6000 approx, its obviously the cheapest $500 you will spend.

Things i replaced or upgraded were for example, fuel pump / filter, quality plugs / coils, all the belts, including timing belt, quality oil etc. All the basic things.

Also this is all going to come down to what level of mods the car has allready, so it may be possible to save money on the above anyway, and whatever you do shop around for parts, now im guessing this is going to ruffle a few feathers, but the aftermarket parts scene for turbo cars in australia is absolutely pathetic the inflated prices compared to the same product from overseas is a complete JOKE !!! how most retailers can justify a more than 100 % mark up considering they buy most parts in bulk at discounted rates and still charge insane prices is nothing short of robbery.

Good luck.

[Topaz]

GOJIRA's GTR was about $18k if I'm not mistaken and seen as though the R32 GTR price is going up slightly, $20k is a good price to pay for a decent macxhine. $15k GTR's usually have problems that need to be addressed and have suspiciously low km's. Look for 100k service stickers.

Electrically they are pretty good, I don't think many R32 GTR owners digital clock works and I have troubles with the aircon display sometimes, everything else works

[N1GTR]

GOJIRA's GTR was about $18k if I'm not mistaken and seen as though the R32 GTR price is going up slightly, $20k is a good price to pay for a decent macxhine. $15k GTR's usually have problems that need to be addressed and have suspiciously low km's. Look for 100k service stickers.

Electrically they are pretty good, I don't think many R32 GTR owners digital clock works and I have troubles with the aircon display sometimes, everything else works

???????

Try 20k for an average one, anything less will have problems, and you get to pay for them

For a decent R32 GTR spend about 24K + and know that half of it wont break within 6 months

[IOWNU]

???????

Try 20k for an average one, anything less will have problems, and you get to pay for them

For a decent R32 GTR spend about 24K + and know that half of it wont break within 6 months

Exactly.

Try and buy one that has already had a rebuild.

[djr81]

Maybe the point is not to get hung up on the purchase price - but worry about the condition of the car & matching that to your requirements. At the end of the day you should be buying the car on condition rather than on what the odometer says. Saving a couple of thousand is all well & good, but not if you have to spend more than that on fixing the thing up.

Also, understand that - believe it or not - not every R32 was manufactured in 89 If you want a younger (up to 94) example these can be found.

BUY A GOOD ONE NOT A CHEAP ONE.

[Topaz]

???????

Try 20k for an average one, anything less will have problems, and you get to pay for them

For a decent R32 GTR spend about 24K + and know that half of it wont break within 6 months

Whats the point of waiting for a $24K+ R32 GTR to come around, that seems too much for a stock R32 GTR. For that price expect some performance mods and a thrashing. Not saying thats what the car will have undoubtedly been through, but you can't just overlook it.

I was thinking along the lines of $20k for an R32 GTR as is, no tax or ORC's on top. Like you see on Imports101 or Prestige for example. I receive emails from Prestige all the time and one recently was for an R32 GTR which still have a standard air box and no mention of a boost controller for ~$13,500 ecl ORC's etc...

I say look around for a 1993-1994 GTR, but all post August 1993 R32 GTR's are V-Spec are they not?? you will be even luckier and definately be paying more for a V-Spec.

[djr81]

Whats the point of waiting for a $24K+ R32 GTR to come around, that seems too much for a stock R32 GTR. For that price expect some performance mods and a thrashing. Not saying thats what the car will have undoubtedly been through, but you can't just overlook it.

I was thinking along the lines of $20k for an R32 GTR as is, no tax or ORC's on top. Like you see on Imports101 or Prestige for example. I receive emails from Prestige all the time and one recently was for an R32 GTR which still have a standard air box and no mention of a boost controller for ~$13,500 ecl ORC's etc...

I say look around for a 1993-1994 GTR, but all post August 1993 R32 GTR's are V-Spec are they not?? you will be even luckier and definately be paying more for a V-Spec.

Not all mods have to be performance mods. My car has uprated suspension, an oil cooler, alloys & some other bits & pieces, but the engine is still stock other than for an exhaust.

If you think about it, the last of the few GT-R's that Prestige & others are offering under the 15 year rule are the last of them for a reason....

GT-R's were built in standard (ie non V-spec) form from 89 to 94, I have a June 94 R32 GT-R & it is not a V-Spec.

You can get a GT-R for $20k, but for such a complicated & (when new) expensive car - why buy from the bottom of the barrel? The difference between a GT-R for $20k & one for $24k is marked and to my mind a false economy.

[Quinny]

When looking for a "good" GTR, what are some things that you should be looking for? Is there any common problems or tell-tale signs of abuse that might indicate that the car has been thrashed or mistreated.

I agree that buying a cheap car is not the best way to go as it can cause problems later (learnt that lesson the hard way), but just because a car is more expensive does not mean that it is any better.

A GTR for $20K might be in better condition (mechanically) than a similar one for $25K.

I have heard that the rear turbo on the GTR can have heat problems - causing the turbo to fail. Is there anything else that people have had experiences with that one should look for when buying a GTR?

[djr81]

When looking for a "good" GTR, what are some things that you should be looking for? Is there any common problems or tell-tale signs of abuse that might indicate that the car has been thrashed or mistreated.

I agree that buying a cheap car is not the best way to go as it can cause problems later (learnt that lesson the hard way), but just because a car is more expensive does not mean that it is any better.

A GTR for $20K might be in better condition (mechanically) than a similar one for $25K.

I have heard that the rear turbo on the GTR can have heat problems - causing the turbo to fail. Is there anything else that people have had experiences with that one should look for when buying a GTR?

Things to look for (The short list!)

Body:

Usual signs of panel damage/rust etc.

Signs of a respray eg front spoiler painted/overspray on seals etc.

All badges in tact (They tend not to get replaced)

Underside damage to chassis rails.

Rust in the sills.

The Nismo body kit if fitted & original will probably be warped - this is common especially the rear lip spoiler.

General scrapes/dings/scratches.

Motor:

Signs of heat stress.

Amount of boost it is running.

Timing belt been changed?

Any service history (For an OZ car - you wont get one from Japan)

Gearbox

3rd & 4th gear synchros get tired so check these.

Clutch.

Stock or aftermarket clutch - condition.

Suspension.

The suspension bushes fail - so listen out for clunking noises.

Look for leaking silicone fluid from the subframe bushes.

Interior.

Check for original steering wheel & gear nob. These are high wear items & a good indicator of the mileage of the car. If they have been replaced and the kms read 50,000 then ask why.

Seat bolster wear on drivers side.

Extras

If the modifications are sensible & done well then this is usually a good sign. There are very, very few stock GT-R's about. However there are also any number with bizarre mods which probably tells you something about the owners state of mind....

If it has a half roll cage, dodgy pod filters, an attack meter, boost controller then it may have been at the track. I worry less about this if it has been done (properly) in OZ because you can talk to the person involved & get an idea what it has been doing. Sometimes this is all good as the upgrades can be really nice to have.

Other than that many cars will show signs of window seals failing, stuffed/replaced rear speakers, worn brake rotors, broken air vents, roof lining (At the side/rear) looking sad etc. This is pretty common & doesn't really mean much. Just factor it into the price.

That is the short list, doubtless the are more things to think about.

The rear turbo doesn't suffer unduly - certainly no worse than the front. What will kill ceramic turbos on GT-R's is too much shaft speed. This means the boost needs to be less than about 1 bar - any more & the things will probably go bang in a pretty short order.

Edited April 6, 2006 by djr81

[Quinny]

Champion. That is a big help. Most of the stuff is pretty common with all cars, but a few things in there that I didn't think of.

I notice on the R33 GTRs that some have the lip on the front bar painted the same as the car, and some are just black. Is this normal, I figured that they were black from factory, and that the painted ones were done later. Is this right? Would a painted front lip be an indication that the car might have had other paint work (i.e. front accident repair) or was the coloured lip available from factory?

[djr81]

Champion. That is a big help. Most of the stuff is pretty common with all cars, but a few things in there that I didn't think of.

I notice on the R33 GTRs that some have the lip on the front bar painted the same as the car, and some are just black. Is this normal, I figured that they were black from factory, and that the painted ones were done later. Is this right? Would a painted front lip be an indication that the car might have had other paint work (i.e. front accident repair) or was the coloured lip available from factory?

I guess you mean R32's. They came from the factory in black, but can get scratched up etc. A lot of people didn't like them in black & hence painted them. Also some got painted when the rest of the car got painted, so yeah, a bit of both.

[Quinny]

I guess you mean R32's. They came from the factory in black, but can get scratched up etc. A lot of people didn't like them in black & hence painted them. Also some got painted when the rest of the car got painted, so yeah, a bit of both.

No, I meant R33s, I have seen some with the black lip and some with a body coloured lip - probably same reason though.

[Beer Baron]

djr81 is right. forget the price. forget the odo. dont worry about clowns that say: i bought a GTR for $15K and it's mint.

look at a car on it's condition, when you find one that is nice ask your self what is that car worth to me? I would happily pay $30K for a really mint 32 GTR. maybe even more. you just need to remember that you are looking at a car that was over $100K new and was a bargain at that price. that's not to say you cant get a good deal, but just worry about the car first, price second.

[Adriano]

R32 gtrs are quite easy to get and cheap, I say look at getting one already in the country, myself and two of my mates purchased gtrs, one from prestige and that was a shit box, very very rusty, and I bought mine through imports101 which arrived in the country with number 6 piston with a hole in it, nice and blown and either of us have recieved any compensation or even help.

So i cant stress enough of how important it is to test drive a high performance car before you spend the money.

The risk is far to high to send your money to japan..

anyway good luck with the search.

[djr81]

R32 gtrs are quite easy to get and cheap, I say look at getting one already in the country, myself and two of my mates purchased gtrs, one from prestige and that was a shit box, very very rusty, and I bought mine through imports101 which arrived in the country with number 6 piston with a hole in it, nice and blown and either of us have recieved any compensation or even help.

So i cant stress enough of how important it is to test drive a high performance car before you spend the money.

The risk is far to high to send your money to japan..

anyway good luck with the search.

Please be aware that, as far as GT-R's are concerned importing them under the 15 year rule is basically no longer an option. There may be a few left, but these are probably not really worth worrying about.

RAWS/SEVS compliance is becoming more common, but is expensive & really for those who want a late model, mint GT-R that is near stock.

On the other hand there are a reason number for sale locally. When you go to look at the car ask the seller to provide you with the information he had when buying it ex Japan. This will help sort out which have had a respray & been tarted up for sale.

Good luck with the search & if you are unsure there a a number of people who can/will help out.