Buying A R32, Please Give Advice.

[dickie]

Hey all,

Thought this will be a good place to post and get some good information and some advice.

I've had my heart set on a R32 for my first car, and I'm ending towards getting my provisional drivers licence sooner by each lesson. I live in S.A. so 32's or 33's don't come very often especially in my price range. But finally I found one.

It's a 32 GTS-T 4 Door and done 150,000kms. It's an auto but it doesn't bother me that much would like a manual but seeing they don't come very often I happily to take this one. Basically it's all stock got R33 wheels on it and has got a sub and a head unit put into it, it is turbo and in S.A. you are aloud to drive a turbo car on your P's so it's all good there.

Downer is that he had coilovers on it seem to have bung out on him, so which means I going to have to put in some dosh to get them replaced he got quoted $1,200 for all 4 to be done which is re-gas and re-sealed. But the sealer has been very helpful and nice with me and which I appreciate.

I manage to get him down to $7,000 seeing it's and auto and not many modification are done on it, I would like to get it for 6,500 and I would be happy but seeing I have to get the coilovers done I think he should budge down to $6,500. And money is hard for me to come by I'm going to have to save to get them done.

Basically I would like to know some information on these type of cars,

What should I look for when inspecting the car?

How good are they on petrol?

I heard 4 doors are lot longer then 2 doors, and everyone seems to love the 2 door, what does every think about them?

How reliable are they, will I have to do DIY all the time to keep it maintained?

How hard and cheap are spare parts to come by?

How to convince the seller to budge down to 6,500 or lower?

Just basic stuff on them, I want to know as much as I can before I go into buy and find out I got all these problems, I want to make sure I know what I'm going into and that I'm not going to get screwed. So tell all you know about them I want to know as much as possible.

Hope to hear some good replies

Thanks in advance

Edited May 10, 2008 by dickie

[__PhaseShiftDown]

You should really take it to a work shop and have it checked out by a qualified mechanic that knows about skylines. But I wouldn't expect it to be in perfect condition being a 7k R32 that has done 150k(possibly more). Unless the turbo has been replaced already. It'll go bang anytime soon now.

But when you are personally inspecting a car initially, from the top of my head, you should do.

Body

- Check uneven panel gaps, which maybe from accident repair.

- Check paint on all panels on the body, and stand a few feet away to see if they all match.

- Stand a few feet away from the car, and look down the side of the car and check whats in the reflection, if the car has been repaired with bog, you can usually see large wave in the reflection.

- Look closely on all panels and see if you can spot any pin size bubbles, which is an indication of poor respray

- Look closely on all panels and see if you can spot any LARGE bubbles, or paint lifting up, which is a sign of rust underneath

- Lift up top of of the windscreen seal(where it meets the roof) with your finger nail and see if the paint underneath is the same.

- Check all wheather strip and see if there are any rips or cracks

- Check under the body and see if there are any sign of major rust. Stay away if the bottom has been painted black. Also check if the rail is bent badly or missing and if there are any oil leaks

- Check all 4 wheel well with a flash light and see if you can spot any rust, crack.

- Check the boot and the spare tyre well and see if you can spot any major rust, small surface rust is ok.

- Stick your hand into the side, where the jack goes, and when you touch the bottom, check if it is wet or even has water collected in there.

- Check in the engine bay for any sign of repair, such as parts with miss matching color.

Interior

- Check all air vents

- Check rips /wear on the seats in general

- Lift up the carpet if possible and see if it is damp

- Check seat belts and make sure they work

- Check if the dash has lift up.

- Check the window electric and make sure they all work.

Engine

You should get a qualified mechanic to check it out. But in general

- Check dip stick and see if the level of the oil is good.

- Get compression and leak down test done

- Crank the engine when its cold (if possible) and see if it starts easily

- Crank the engine when its hot and see if starts easily

- Listen to any unusual sound such as rattle

- Give the engine a few revs and see if responds nicely

- Check exhaust while engine is running and see if there any sign of smoke (do this when the engine is cold and hot)

- Drive the car around small road, and high way and see how the engine responds.

Transmission and drive line.

Auto boxes will be more expansive to repair, so keep that in mind.

- Check break and clutch fluid.

- Drive the car around and floor it every once in a while and see if the clutch slips.

- Test the breaks, and see if they work properly

- Put in reverse and see if it works.

- Drive it onto the free way and goes at around 100, and see if the steering wheel shakes.

- Drive without your hands on the steering wheel for a brieft moment on a flat straight road and see if the car drives straight by itself

- Test out all the gears and see if they repond positively

- Turn left and right and do a full 3 point turn and see if you can feel any clicking, which happens when the CV joint is on the way out.

Hey all,

Thought this will be a good place to post and get some good information and some advice.

I've had my heart set on a R32 for my first car, and I'm ending towards getting my provisional drivers licence sooner by each lesson. I live in S.A. so 32's or 33's don't come very often especially in my price range. But finally I found one.

It's a 32 GTS-T 4 Door and done 150,000kms. It's an auto but it doesn't bother me that much would like a manual but seeing they don't come very often I happily to take this one. Basically it's all stock got R33 wheels on it and has got a sub and a head unit put into it, it is turbo and in S.A. you are aloud to drive a turbo car on your P's so it's all good there.

Downer is that he had coilovers on it seem to have bung out on him, so which means I going to have to put in some dosh to get them replaced he got quoted $1,200 for all 4 to be done which is re-gas and re-sealed. But the sealer has been very helpful and nice with me and which I appreciate.

I manage to get him down to $7,000 seeing it's and auto and not many modification are done on it, I would like to get it for 6,500 and I would be happy but seeing I have to get the coilovers done I think he should budge down to $6,500. And money is hard for me to come by I'm going to have to save to get them done.

Basically I would like to know some information on these type of cars,

What should I look for when inspecting the car?

How good are they on petrol?

I heard 4 doors are lot longer then 2 doors, and everyone seems to love the 2 door, what does every think about them?

How reliable are they, will I have to do DIY all the time to keep it maintained?

How hard and cheap are spare parts to come by?

How to convince the seller to budge down to 6,500 or lower?

Just basic stuff on them, I want to know as much as I can before I go into buy and find out I got all these problems, I want to make sure I know what I'm going into and that I'm not going to get screwed. So tell all you know about them I want to know as much as possible.

Hope to hear some good replies

Thanks in advance

[dickie]

You should really take it to a work shop and have it checked out by a qualified mechanic that knows about skylines. But I wouldn't expect it to be in perfect condition being a 7k R32 that has done 150k(possibly more). Unless the turbo has been replaced already. It'll go bang anytime soon now.

But when you are personally inspecting a car initially, from the top of my head, you should do.

Body

- Check uneven panel gaps, which maybe from accident repair.

- Check paint on all panels on the body, and stand a few feet away to see if they all match.

- Stand a few feet away from the car, and look down the side of the car and check whats in the reflection, if the car has been repaired with bog, you can usually see large wave in the reflection.

- Look closely on all panels and see if you can spot any pin size bubbles, which is an indication of poor respray

- Look closely on all panels and see if you can spot any LARGE bubbles, or paint lifting up, which is a sign of rust underneath

- Lift up top of of the windscreen seal(where it meets the roof) with your finger nail and see if the paint underneath is the same.

- Check all wheather strip and see if there are any rips or cracks

- Check under the body and see if there are any sign of major rust. Stay away if the bottom has been painted black. Also check if the rail is bent badly or missing and if there are any oil leaks

- Check all 4 wheel well with a flash light and see if you can spot any rust, crack.

- Check the boot and the spare tyre well and see if you can spot any major rust, small surface rust is ok.

- Stick your hand into the side, where the jack goes, and when you touch the bottom, check if it is wet or even has water collected in there.

- Check in the engine bay for any sign of repair, such as parts with miss matching color.

Interior

- Check all air vents

- Check rips /wear on the seats in general

- Lift up the carpet if possible and see if it is damp

- Check seat belts and make sure they work

- Check if the dash has lift up.

- Check the window electric and make sure they all work.

Engine

You should get a qualified mechanic to check it out. But in general

- Check dip stick and see if the level of the oil is good.

- Get compression and leak down test done

- Crank the engine when its cold (if possible) and see if it starts easily

- Crank the engine when its hot and see if starts easily

- Listen to any unusual sound such as rattle

- Give the engine a few revs and see if responds nicely

- Check exhaust while engine is running and see if there any sign of smoke (do this when the engine is cold and hot)

- Drive the car around small road, and high way and see how the engine responds.

Transmission and drive line.

Auto boxes will be more expansive to repair, so keep that in mind.

- Check break and clutch fluid.

- Drive the car around and floor it every once in a while and see if the clutch slips.

- Test the breaks, and see if they work properly

- Put in reverse and see if it works.

- Drive it onto the free way and goes at around 100, and see if the steering wheel shakes.

- Drive without your hands on the steering wheel for a brieft moment on a flat straight road and see if the car drives straight by itself

- Test out all the gears and see if they repond positively

- Turn left and right and do a full 3 point turn and see if you can feel any clicking, which happens when the CV joint is on the way out.

Wow !! good post, thanks so much when looking it will do that, do you think i should go buy or do you think it will break on me??

Once again thanks for the good post.

[CeJay]

Also check out this thread. http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/bu...e-f-t35129.html

edit oops forgot link.

[dickie]

Also check out this thread. http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/bu...e-f-t35129.html

edit oops forgot link.

Another good find i will take these things on board when looking at it, i hear a lot of people bag 4 doors, this is a 4 door how good are they??

can you find many body kits for them??

can people post picutres of a 4 door with a kit on them so i can see what they look like??

Plus how can i get the seller to budge down to 6,500 for it??

Thanks all for the good posts.

[__PhaseShiftDown]

- All comes down to if you like it or not.

- You can get body kit for them

- Just look for gts-t boykit images using google

- You need to bring $6500 in cash and wave it in his face, and I'm sure he'll say yes.

Another good find i will take these things on board when looking at it, i hear a lot of people bag 4 doors, this is a 4 door how good are they??

can you find many body kits for them??

can people post picutres of a 4 door with a kit on them so i can see what they look like??

Plus how can i get the seller to budge down to 6,500 for it??

Thanks all for the good posts.

[CeJay]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/To...drs-t87081.html Pics of 4 drs some with kits, some without. I've got a 4dr, just as good as the two doors, I think. Mechanically pretty much the same as the two door.

Rear seat room is a bit of a joke, especially with recaro seats. There are kits around for them if your after some.