To Buy Or Not To Buy

[Beelzebub89]

Hi all,

I'm currently in the middle of searching for a new car and have been searching now since August 07! After many many months and many changes of heart/interests its come down to an R32 GTR and an R33 GTST which for most is a seemingly easy decision. This is where it gets difficult.

At the moment I'm working at Tweed Heads in NSW and have to drive to and from work from Jimboomba. Its around 105kms. The journey is probably 50/50 between highway driving and twisty mountain roads. So by the end of the week I've easily clocked up 1300kms or more, this is were my main concern is. How badly would fuel kill me with the GTR is it that much worse than a GTST? That and the servicing side of things I would probably end up servicing it every month which is pretty crazy. Well I think so anyway lol. But again the GTST would need to be serviced every month also.

Now looking through carsales I can see very clean examples of both cars for under $20,000. And this is where the GTR has got me thinking. Where as when I started looking at GTRs back around August/September last year you had to pay around $22,000 - $25,000 for a nice example but now there are plenty of nice looking ones for under $20,000. It just seems such of rip off to pay $17,000 for a mildly modified GTST when you can pay an extra 2 - 3k and get a clean GTR.

If i budget $800 - $1000 a month for fuel costs and servicing would I be able to maintain a GTR? that is about as far as my budget stretches without compromising my saving for the month.

Im finished working at Tweed Heads around July and after that I'd probably only do 600 - 800kms a week so maybe I could just skip breakfast and lunch for 6 months and buy the GTR lol

Sorry for such a long post but I wanted to give a bit of detail about the situation so you can see where I'm coming from.

Thanks guys n gals

Coxy

[IDO 11S R32]

I own a GTR and it is a great car to drive, but maintanance is a big issue, with an R32 you will probably get small problems as they are getting old now, I know mine is an R32 and as much as I love it, it gives me the shits alot of the time. If your driving through twistied you will love the GTR as it is absolutly rewarding through the bends. But to give you some sort of idea, taking it easy, you wont get much more then 400km a tank, and using 98 octane fuel with todays prices you are looking about $100 a tank. If you start to thrash it abit, (which you will) you wont see more then 300km a tank. Servicing will be about the same for both cars, just keep the oil fresh and it should be fine. It is your descision, I am only commenting on the GTR, I have never owned a GTST so I dont know what they are like. But if you ever decide to mod it, then just empty your accounts and get a large loan!

Goodluck!

[Victory]

I own a R33GTR V-Spec and a R33 GTS-T Series II so I have some experience with both types of cars. They are two very different animals that are built to do two different things.

The GTR is a blast every single time that you drive it. These things create passion but it comes at a cost. There is that much that you can do to a GTR the sky is the limit and every single thing that you do feeds your passion and kills your bank account at the same time.

By comparison the GTS-T is made as a street car and not as a total performance car. With a few basic mods like a front mount intercooler, Power FC, good dump pipe, hi flow cat and good exhaust, either a pod or a K&N panel filter and a nice set of 18 x 8 and 18 x 9 mags it becomes a good daily driver with about 200 RWKW.

I originally purchased my GTR as a daily driver but after a few months I realised that it was not made to do that. I now do about 6k in the GTR and 30k in the GTS-T a year. The GTR also continuously asks you to give it a bit and if you respond you can just about see the fuel gauge going down. I live in Wollongong and work in Sydney (about 80k each way) so I am also a daily commuter.

You must also realise that Skylines do not come cheap and every thing that you buy for them comes at a premium price from the synthetic oils, the dyno tunes, the factory and performance parts to the performance tyres that you chew up on a regular basis. It also depends on how much you are budgeting to run your car. Last year my GTR cost me $18k and my GTS-T cost my $25k just to run not including mods like the three spare sets of mags that I now have in the garage.

From my perspective I would look at a nice R33 GTS-T and then allow about $4k for some basic mods. Then enjoy…….

[datt0man]

Def go the GTSt! I have had both, and the GTR isnt really designd as a daily. It may be Quicker, but that isnt the goal, is it. The gts is slower in the twisties but sometimes can be more fun. If you are having fun in a GTR, than you are well over the speed limit, and will get frustrated when being held up all the time by GTS drivers having fun!

Much easier to maintain too.

[N1GTR]

If its just for a daily driver, get a gtst

If its for a daily driver that goes through hills get the GTR. Dont wait for things to break before you give them attention

Go buy a stock GTR, add ECU, exhaust, 1 bar boost........maybe a decent clutch (begdet permitting), then go find the hills

[TezGT-R]

Or buy the GTR for weekends, and a POS laser/pulsar/corolla for work.

My GTR costs me $80 a week to drive to work and our celica costs $20.

In 3 years Ive only had to fix a leaking radiator ($140).

[TommO]

Maybe the older GTR's aren't as reliable, because I drive mine daily (400kms a week) and it's brilliant.

I must admit the upkeep does cost a little more, but fuel isn't that bad. My old GTST got 11L per 100km, the GTR gets 13L per 100km... and thats with a fair bit more power.

Both are significantly nicer cars to drive daily compared to say... an evo.

It's very hard to find a clean R32 GTR though, so if it was a daily between 33 GTST and 32 GTR with a requirement as your only car, i'd have to say i'd go the 33. R33 GTRs are a bit newer and generally more reliable.

Edited January 28, 2008 by TommO

[Swink33]

I was in a similar situation mid way through last year. I was tossing up between a 250rwkw series 2 R33 GTS or a R32 GTR. I ended up with the GTS because everything was already done that I was ever going to do and I could tell that the car was the sellers labour of love. He had over $20k in receipts for modifications. All the R32 GTR's I looked at for similar money were fairly rough and would have been expensive to maintain. GTR's are at the age now where motors, turbos, gearboxes, suspension bushes need to be replaced if they haven't been already.

All I can suggest is that its a buyers market at the moment and don't be afraid to low ball a few desperate sellers. You might get lucky. I know i did.

[djr81]

Simple answer is to buy something like an EL/AU Falcon as a daily & put an R32 Gt-R in the shed for when you want it.

You get the advantages of:

1. Cheaper to run.

2. No hassles on the road.

3. More comfortable for the 200+kms a day.

4. You will actually still enjoy driving the Nissan.

5. It wont ruin your day/week to the same extent if/when it breaks.

Plan B would be to get a Gt-R as a daily & another GT-R as a track day special. Your shed would then look like this. Mine did for a time. Ahh, happy days.

Edited January 29, 2008 by djr81

[Wayne_J]

Hi all,

I'm currently in the middle of searching for a new car and have been searching now since August 07! After many many months and many changes of heart/interests its come down to an R32 GTR and an R33 GTST which for most is a seemingly easy decision.

Any reason why not an R34GTT? Unless your absolute limit is 20K, then fair enough...

but just over a week ago I paid $22500 for a 2000 model R34GTT, just imported, in excellent nick, basically stock aside from intake and Nismo coilovers.

So for just a little bit more money...

I too was considering an R32 GTR - but the R34 was in many ways the nicer machine, with a lot less age related problems, etc.

[Beelzebub89]

Well I'm still torn guys but I think I'm gunna go with the GTST. I won't really be able to afford to run a GTR so I don't wanna buy the car n then destroy like most people my age do. I can't afford to have 2 cars just because of the insurance/rego and etc and I don't really want to spend more than $20k on a car thats why the 34s are off the list.

Thanks for all the replies they were all very helpful and a good insight into owning a GTR I'm gunna go n low ball some GTST owners haha. Ill throw up some pics when I finally buy one.

Coxy.

[Modena]

Well I'm still torn guys but I think I'm gunna go with the GTST. I won't really be able to afford to run a GTR so I don't wanna buy the car n then destroy like most people my age do. I can't afford to have 2 cars just because of the insurance/rego and etc and I don't really want to spend more than $20k on a car thats why the 34s are off the list.

Thanks for all the replies they were all very helpful and a good insight into owning a GTR I'm gunna go n low ball some GTST owners haha. Ill throw up some pics when I finally buy one.

Coxy.

Go with GTST if you are not well off. If you buy the GTR and then start runing into ptoblems, you will be miserbale as you wont even have enough cash to fill the car up... i recall reading NS.com where young guys were bitching how they cant afford fuel for their 200 RWKW +silvias... lol

Buy what you can afford, you will thank us later.

BTW I own a stock GTST and love it.

[Beelzebub89]

Hi all,

I bought my car yesterday ended up buyin a 1996 R33 GTST. Its got full gtr bodykit, intercooler and 3 inch exhaust. It goes alright there is a few things missing from the gtr kit though. The front splitter off the front bar is missing, I'm not sure if thats what its called, its the small strip at the bottom of the front bar, i think its made out of rubber from factory and the rear diffusers? from the rear bar. It still looks tough as though If anyone knows where I can get these parts it would be a great help. ill post some pics up when I get it all clean and shiny.

Thanks all for the help and advice it is much appreciated.

Coxy

[1C3B3RG]

Congratulations on your purchase!

I have a 33 gtst with mild mods, i love it. I'm in the process of organising an air fuel adjuster so i can get a little more power but mostly for better economy. I love my car and i'm sure you will too. Welcome and enjoy!