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Hey all, I'm thinking of selling my current car (STi) and getting a R33 GTR. I have a budget of around $38,000 - $42,000 and was wondering how hard it would be for me to find a clean R33 GTR in pretty stock condition with this budget. Was looking at R34 but I don't want to get another loan, its a bit out of my price range. Cheers

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Hey all, I'm thinking of selling my current car (STi) and getting a R33 GTR. I have a budget of around $38,000 - $42,000 and was wondering how hard it would be for me to find a clean R33 GTR in pretty stock condition with this budget. Was looking at R34 but I don't want to get another loan, its a bit out of my price range. Cheers

Well for one, don't get a pure stock GTR as the turbo's are of the age that they will die. Budget for new turbo's $4000-5000 installed. The suspension will likely be a bit worn as well, another $4000-5000 installed for a full set.

Tell us why you want a GTR and your plans and people here can give you a better idea what to look for.

Look in the for sale section. Lots of cars for sale there.

Well for one, don't get a pure stock GTR as the turbo's are of the age that they will die. Budget for new turbo's $4000-5000 installed. The suspension will likely be a bit worn as well, another $4000-5000 installed for a full set.

Tell us why you want a GTR and your plans and people here can give you a better idea what to look for.

Look in the for sale section. Lots of cars for sale there.

I've heard of many GTR owners with their stock turbos and suspension still doing fine. So it really depends on your luck on how well the car has been maintained.

An R34 GTR can break their stock turbo too if it isn't well taken care of.

I've heard of many GTR owners with their stock turbos and suspension still doing fine. So it really depends on your luck

So have I, but I've heard and experianced a lot more failing stock turbo's. And suspension you can live with, but brand new suspension is always better.

The main difference with the R33 GTR is the series.

In my personal opinion, I didn't like series 1, and going series 2 which added 2-3K in price, and 2K in the redbook at the time I checked about 10months ago, series 3 which has the zenon lights et cetera costs another 2K on top of the series 2 unless you get lucky ;)

Series 2 has thinner lights, different steering wheel and I think the bonnet is slightly different for the lights, and the front bar is slightly different.

Series 3 has a different lower lip compared to series 2, one reverse light one rear fog light, newer gearbox syncro's, and

red-stitching on the seats and steering wheel. Although the chance of getting an original lower lip is incredibly low since they sit low and break easy (and cost a fortune to replace).

There is also the V-spec difference which you can lookup anywhere, active LSD vs the normal GTR's mechanical, disadvantage is the active LSD is very hard to rebuild.

However prices have dropped by a huge amount, I've seen a series 1.5 for 20K on these forums so they money you have is enough. Check the forums, carpoint and carsales if your looking.

Well for one, don't get a pure stock GTR as the turbo's are of the age that they will die. Budget for new turbo's $4000-5000 installed. The suspension will likely be a bit worn as well, another $4000-5000 installed for a full set.

Tell us why you want a GTR and your plans and people here can give you a better idea what to look for.

Look in the for sale section. Lots of cars for sale there.

Yes, plenty of cars for sale, I disagree with the suspension costs 4-5K. You can buy my low km R34 suspension for $600 and install them for a few hundred :).

Or you can look at the group buy for Bilsteins for about 1K by SydneyKid, and installation isn't that expensive unless you do more than just struts.

Turbo's can die, 4-5K is some good turbos with installation and you'd probably want a power FC to go with it (+1K?) :)

  • 1 month later...
Hey all, I'm thinking of selling my current car (STi) and getting a R33 GTR. I have a budget of around $38,000 - $42,000 and was wondering how hard it would be for me to find a clean R33 GTR in pretty stock condition with this budget. Was looking at R34 but I don't want to get another loan, its a bit out of my price range. Cheers

Hi F.N.

Congrats on researching a quicker much more solid and dynamic vehicle which won't depreciate much more than what it has already.

Yes there are just a few running around for sale at about $25K but as you've read, they need to be thoroughly checked out for this or that.

I organised a GT-R drive day last year for enthusiasts and I think I know of one coming up for sale before the end of this financial year and it's in stock form except for Fujinobo exhaust which is a top-of-the-line product for Skylines and others due to their R&D to ensure a) lack of contrictive popints b) no obtrusive resonance at any rev constancy and c) longevity. It'll be in perfect body and engine condition - colour is storm grey metallic. Full service history with Powerplay and Steve's Autobarn (Skyline specialist mechanics). Low Kms (pretty genuine) at below 70,000Km. Carpet and upholstery are in perfect condition. It's never seen track racing in Australia, and you can talk to Alistair (Powerplay) and Steve Phillips (Steve's Autobarn) about anything that has been replaced due to need or preventative work. It will be on sale for just over $30K. It is a non-V-Spec so there'll be no problems with active lsd. But has Tein springs and suspension to bring it down to V-Spec height. Oil I believe has been replaced by the owner every 5000Km and he's quite meticulous. It has the Xenon lights and is a '96 model - as I said with low Kms. It will come (I believe) with two sets of wheels a) genuine GT-R R33 forged alloys that don't even have a mark on them + b) German BBS look-alikes also forged. At last count, both sets have plenty of rubber with brand new Potenza R005 on the GT-R alloys.

Lol in your search anyway

E-mail me on [email protected] or PM. A bit of camera footage of the man's car is available from the drive day as well.

Regards,

Terry

Excellent choice :thumbsup:

I'd say go for a very good condition series 2-3 rather than an R34 in average/poor condition.

You'll be able to find something good for $30-$35,000 and add a few k extra if need be (i always allow a little more cash).

I'd recommend a GTR with some minor mods. A clean, well-kept example with intake+exhaust+coilovers is a great buy with the little bits already sorted. My car came like that, and the engine was stock, so i knew it hadn't been pushed too hard.

All the best mate.

i bought my r33 ser. III 6 weeks ago. Awsome cars. if you want a crazy ser. III there had 1 on carsales for 42000 in Tassie. it was a ex targa car, it was black from memory, it had a full cage, suspension, brakes, 330kw @ tyres and it was registered. dont no if its still there and not sure about reging it in aus. but boy was i tempted.

Hey dude

+1 for saving extra and getting R34 GTR. Shop around you can get a good one for your budget. Think about it man! A R34 GTR! Check this link out. http://www.j-spec.com.au/list/index.php?ID=12187

Good luck and happy shopping. ( I'm jealous ).

And buy an R33 for say 25k cash. Throw 5 or 10k cash at it and shit all over a std R34 GTR for the same or lower price?

How much more power & performance does an R34 have over a R33 anyway? Heaps?

all about the looks and again overall vehicle quality.

R32? Smaller and lighter, what engine?

my opinions so don't burn me peoples!

Edited by Union76
And buy an R33 for say 25k cash. Throw 5 or 10k cash at it and shit all over a std R34 GTR for the same or lower price?

How much more power & performance does an R34 have over a R33 anyway? Heaps?

all about the looks and again overall vehicle quality.

R32? Smaller and lighter, what engine?

my opinions so don't burn me peoples!

Hey dude

Yeah, all valid points. If it was me though, i'd want a younger car. Just for the simple fact of things breaking with age. Personally i have a R33 gtst and love the R33 gtr.

I just bought mine, an absolute minter mildly warmed up R33 SII under 30K. Take your time, do your shopping and soon enough the right one will present itself.

Edited by flyingfridge
I just bought mine, an absolute minter - Take your time, do your shopping and soon enough the right one will present itself.

^^^^here here^^^^

& "1C3B3RG"

Younger car by age or kms travelled? Can you believe the kms travelled without records? No - this brings a lot of things into question

And how many years between s1 and s2 GTR? Even S1 - S3 GTR? All in the same boat if you're askin' me.

96 GTS-T I've had (cost 15000 at the time), and if you threw 10k at one (ie extra that a GTR would cost ie 25k) how hard would it go? Sideways well! Lot of fun those things, how I miss going sideways - well the 2 wheeled sideways variety anyway!

Edited by Union76
^^^^here here^^^^

& "1C3B3RG"

Younger car by age or kms travelled? Can you believe the kms travelled without records? No - this brings a lot of things into question

And how many years between s1 and s2 GTR? Even S1 - S3 GTR? All in the same boat if you're askin' me.

96 GTS-T I've had (cost 15000 at the time), and if you threw 10k at one (ie extra that a GTR would cost ie 25k) how hard would it go? Sideways well! Lot of fun those things, how I miss going sideways - well the 2 wheeled sideways variety anyway!

I meant R34 GTR younger. By age too 2001 R34 GTR will not fall apart as much as 1995 R33 GTR. Logic, and the law of common sense. Happy times.

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