Advice on r33's

[Guest Dakidmas]

Hey guys,

I will be purchasing my first ever skyline but don't have a clue on what to look for in way of problem areas with these cars

(r33 gts-t), i am moving up from owning a silvia so i really don't know much in way of the engines on these things.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, engine, body, interior ect. it all helps.

Thanks, Clint.

[Drivebai]

Hey dude,

well problems i've had with my car are the book leaking on rainy days your boot can get pretty wet.. but some silicon fixed that, oh and if the car has standard shocks then its pretty common for the rear shocks to be rooted as well.. other than that the car has been pretty solid so far with no major problems, but then again i bought my car pretty much stock from japan i dont think my car had been thrashed everything is in top condition except for the shocks which just went after i was driving it though

[craz0]

The lattest version of HPI has a list of common faults in it.

[SKYLINED]

I got this from a site, hope it helps you out a bit!!

(Sorry bout the large post though)

We are fairly lucky that we have a wide range of Skylines available thanks to our second-hand car importing industry which has been going strong for over a decade. With so many cars on the market, there is no reason to buy a lemon.

Here are some points to watch for with Skylines.

· The year of manufacture can be found by looking at the front seatbelts, near the floor mounting point. There is a fabric tag with the seatbelt specifications and the year of manufacture sewn onto the webbing.

· Inspect the welded seams in the front door sills just below the plastic kick plate. This is where I have seen rust start to form on Skylines, especially the R32. The R33 has an identical seam, so these will also show in years to come.

· Remove the rubber around the boot rim - this is a prime rust spot in any car. While you are in there, look in the side panels and make sure they are not full of water.

· Feel inside the panels in the boot where the jack is - debris found here will tell a story.

· Watch for glass (broken rear window or tail lights at some point)

· Inside the engine bay, look for crayon or chalk marks on components - this may indicate they have been replaced with second-hand parts.

· Crawl under the car and inspect behind the front and rear bumpers for signs of collusion damage.

· If you are keen, use a set of vernier callipers to measure the panel gaps especially on the doors.

· Mechanical - a noisy ceramic turbo isn't a good sign - see if it has been replaced with a conventional steel type.

· With the front wheels off the ground, check the play in the top end - any more than 5mm and there could be expensive repairs needed.

· Watch the oil pressure when the car is hot - Keep in mind the oil pressure sender is prone to failure.

After Purchase

· As you may not know the history of the car, it is best to start with a full service.

· Air filter - replace.

· Fuel filter - replace.

· Run a bottle of injector cleaner through the system with the next tank of petrol.

· Oil filter - replace, and change the oil. If there is a sludge problem do a hot oil change and repeat within 1,000 km. Don't use an engine flush treatment.

· Automatic transmission - have the oil changed. The transmission cooler should also be flushed.

· Spark plugs - replace. Make sure they are replaced with the platinum resister type.

· Timing belt - inspect and replace. Nissan specify a 100,000 km life for these. Be safe and prevent the rain of valves.

· Radiator - add plenty of anti-freeze. Without the protection of anti-freeze (corrosion inhibitor) there are parts that will corrode and eventually cause you grief. Check the condition of all the hoses while you are at it.

· Battery - monitor and replace if needed. Japanese car batteries are smaller than the regular sized car battery, and it may be the factory fitted battery (over five or six years old)

· ECU - reset it. Make it learn our driving conditions.

· Drive safe, respect the roads and enjoy the ride...

[SKYLINED]

I got mine checked with the RAA, they did a 4 hr inspection on it.

They checked almost everything on it and gave a recommendation on if to buy or not.

It helped me out cause they saw stuff i didnt, and it cost $165.

Bargain if u ask me, saves the nightmares of gettin a lemon

HAPPY HUNTIN!