GT-R buyer's guide

[acediac]

Hi all, I'm thinking of buying a GT-R, preferably R33, but I'm having a hard time finding a good buyer's guide. Specifically I want to know:

1) What are the problem areas/ things to look out for or test when I'm looking at one

2) How to tell the difference between a REAL GT-R and one with a body kit!! I don't want to be ripped off into buying a fake! I know a little about engines and stuff, but am not at all familiar with a skyline's engine bay, anyone got some good detailed pictures of STOCK engines, since modified engines can look quite different?

3) How do I tell the difference between a V-Spec and non-Vspec, and one with a V-Spec body kit!! I dont mind either, but obviously dont want to pay V-spec price for a non-V-spec.

Any help / links appreciated

[GT-Rmgedon]

Try these two articles....

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=0556

http://www.jbskyline.net/R33/GTR/

[akeenan]

do a search! on all these questions..especially the vspec vs non v spec.

[Rezz]

Quote from Autospeed Article: Although we've said it's a supremely flexible engine, if you're pottering in a cruising gear, don't expect to be sucked back into a GT-R's seat - no matter how hard you put your foot down. The 2.6 litre six makes peak torque of 355Nm at 4400 rpm, so it still has to be driven like a true turbo car - if you wanna go hard, you need to row the gears. In contrast, what about the Toyota Supra's 3 litre 2JZ-GTE? With 431Nm delivered at only 3600 rpm that's an engine!

Bollocks. I can`t stand it when "experienced" journalists can't see the car for what it is: in this case, a shit hot race car. The engineers at Nissan designed the BNR32 to do one thing... win races.

So whats all this about you need to "row the gears"? Is using the gearbox not what DRIVING is all about? If I wanted to get in a GT-R and not have to change gears, I would`ve bought shares in Nissan and then developed an AT option.

Sounds like he drove a 5.7 V8 to the GT-R test location...

[Mini Me]

with an over square engine, the RB26 is always going to be less torquey, especially compared to a sqaure, sequential turbo setup supra.

maybe its a little exaggerated (i havent driven either car) but with the figures posted, the supra is going to be a more driveable car.

[fatz]

just buy my r32 then save you haveing to get a buyers guide

peet

[acediac]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I already saw the jbskyline article, I think I know a little about what R33's and V-specs are about, I just need more details about the "known problem areas" to look for when scouting one out, and how to tell if it's REALLY a GT-R, not just one with a GT-R body kit and stickers. I guess the twin turbos should be a tell-tale sign eh? And I suppose driveshafts to the front wheels means it's a 4WD...

Is there like a step-by-step article someone has put together on taking the engine apart or something? That would be informative.

What about how to tell the V-Spec from the non-V-Spec though? Anyone can put a V-spec sticker on it, but how do you tell which Atessa is the REAL thing?

Oh, and I agree the Autospeed article is complete bollocks. Talking about WRXs beating GT-Rs with an exhaust mod is ridiculous. He obviously does not know about the fake 280ps rule in Japan, and the fact that WRXes are front-biased AWD pieces of shit that understeer like a pig without a lot of work. Oh well, less people know about GT-Rs, more for me

[Rezz]

I DO remember an old "High Performance Imports" article that dealt the differences between an R33 GT-R and a 33 V-Spec... aaah, I could be wrong, but I think theres a different main connector to the ECU in the V-Spec... and the rear diff housing has ribbing or something on the V-Spec... stuff that you can identify at a glance, like that. FOR GODS SAKE DON'T QUOTE ME!

Does anybody have that article? It must have been a '99/'00 issue.

[Airzone]

A few things I'd look for (correct me if I'm wrong)

- ABS brakes: No ABS = no GT-R. Look for a bunch of brake lines going over to a control box somewhere in the engine bay :-)

- If the intake pipes stretch over the top of the engine, it's not a GT-R (a front facing plenum won't stretch over the top of the engine either)

- Look under the front wheels for a drive train / front diff :-) (GTS-4 is supposed to be 4wd as well)

- 2 turbos could be an indication also :-) (that should be a giveaway)

- The boost solenoid on a GTST is on the passenger side of the engine bay. I believe the boost controller on a GT-R is on the right-hand side(?)

- Look at the engine number... It'll probably start with RB26 instead of RB25. Down on the passenger side near the flywheel.

Doesn't the v-spec also have an active limmie? Perhaps you could look for control wires coming out of the rear diff...

[Parag0n]

Ok mate its simple to tell the difference between a GTR and a GTS/GTS-T

Basically, if it goes fast it is a GTR.....

:D :D

[AkEaKe]

The one thing you can check if it is GTR or not....... just only check the chassis no. If it's "real GTR" the no of chassis is "BCNR33......" unless it is like that, you can garuntee it's fake GTR.

[WazR32GTSt]

someone could get a GTS4 and drop in an rb26 as well so just because its an RB26 doesn't mean its a real GTR.

the best thing i would say to look for is that the GTR has flared front and rear guards. These are expensive to change and would probably be a giveaway as to whether or not its a real GTR.

[Airzone]

What's the likelyhood of an rb26 gts4 being sold as a gtr? They're all indications, not absolute proof. The more indications acediac has the more able he is to tell real from fake. But no one indication can provide proof.

[Guest Oz Elitesport]

the autospeed editor owned a gtr r32 some time ago. So he is very aware of the cars abilities. If the supra was AWD, it would be more impressive than the gtr.

[acediac]

Great suggestions guys!

I guess the flared guards, RB26DETT, chassis no. and front driveshafts should tell me that it's probably a GT-R, although as Airzone and WarR32 said, nothing is a guarantee.

However, I still don't know how to tell a real V-Spec from a non-v-spec... Airzone you said a V-spec has an active LSD, but I thought so do normal GT-R's, its just that V-Specs have it tuned more aggressively (the LSDs I mean)? Anyone know if the ribbed rear diff housing is a key?

BTW, what is the "C" in the chassis number? Why are R32's BNR32, but R33's BCNR33? I believe R34's are BNR34 again (no C) What is the difference in the numbers between a non-GT-R chassis number and a GT-R chassis number?

[32godzilla]

Here's the article from HPI, hope the guys don't mind. Just click the link.

[Timmy G]

my first check for an r33 gt-r are the rear flared guards. i dunno why anyone would bother having their gts / gts-t rear guards flared.

[Rezz]

Originally posted by 32godzilla

Here's the article from HPI, hope the guys don't mind. Just click the link.

 

Brilliant work 32godzilla! Thats the one I was talking about.

[acediac]

Bloody brilliant, 32godzilla! Just what I was looking for!

Just out of curiosity, where is that Attessa computer? Looked like it was behind the rear seats?

Looks like those fins on the rear LSD is what I should be looking for.

[32godzilla]

Glad I could help guys, the ATTESSA computer is mounted underneath the parcel shelf. You can see it by pulling the cover away that (on a R33) hides the battery.