Do Skylines Really Suck Your Wallet?

[SEB88Y]

I am in the process of making goals for my financial future. I am wanting to buy a Skyline by the age of 25. However, one of my key concerns is from what I've heard over and over again on these forums - Skylines suck your wallet dry. How true is this statement? How much of your paycheck usually goes towards your baby? Does having a Skyline really hinder your saving or regular spending ability? Or is it a misunderstood rumour which I've gullibly accepted?

Help me out here

Seb

Edited September 10, 2008 by SEB88Y

[GTR-N1]

Hiya Seb,

It depends really on car-to-car & person-to-person +...

i) road or track

ii) initial choice of a good 'un

iii) regular servicing

iv) low Kms at purchase

v) who you get it serviced with, and if they know their stuff

vi) sourcing help from SAU

vii) your decision to modify eg. exhaust only, stage I, II etc.

My car has been owned for 2 years (so now it's 8 yrs old).

It's mildly modded with intakes, exhaust, ECU, DSBC, RMS, etc which is how I bought it. Suspn. & cosmetic changes were additional. Turbos are std. Still has original RE01 tyres.

Other than servicing every 4000Km (currently at 28000Km), it has had 1 oil pump replacement & 1 drive shaft boot at a cost of >$3K.

I've owned my Honda 'lude for the same period and it has cost me (besides servicing) an extra $1K in repairs to new CV etc.

I'm happy with 2 relatively strong cars. I don't do launches; just spirited driving with some hard cornering on select roads.

Hope This Helps,

Tez

PS Oh yes, I've just bought new slotted rotors & pads to go in soon

[33drifter]

Most definantly, i had no idea when i bought mine, but i learnt very quickly. all worth it though

you have the standard costs, i.e. insurance, rego

then the extra fuel a turbo uses.

once you start the mods, there is the initial cost of that mod, then you will need 2 more mods to support/compliment it.

In most cases it will induce some underlying problem to show up, so that will have to be fixed. and thats just one basic mod.

do that a few times and you very quickly pass the $10k mark

[Adz2332]

I see what your getting at 33drifter....

BUT it only cots a fortune if you let it!

Lets face it a standered skyline costs little more to keep then any other car. It only starts to cost more once you start to mod it. Do you have to mod it? No.

Only then does a skyline cost you any more then any other car.

I have found near stock skylines to be reliable, plenty of parts around to fix if needed so not that expensive.

But once you start to build it up... catch the modding bug yes for sure it becomes expensive...

But it doesnt have to be.....

[33drifter]

if you have the will power to not mod it, then i salute you. But if you buy it, id like you to PM me in 12 months and tell me its still stock. I promise you it wont be. once that pod filter goes on, its game over.

[HEKT1K]

SEB88Y i reckon you will easily be able to not mod it.. trading up from a peugeot 206 you will be like FARRRKKK when you hit boost for the first time in a skyline. [happened to me after i got rid of my old v6 commonwhore] Just don't go for drives in any fast cars before you get it.

i often ask this same question myself, im lucky enough to have found a really strong example, and i dont drive it every single day so even after 4 months the novelty still hasnt worn off, puts a smile on my face everytime i get in it.

my wallet is stil surviving, so i don't think youll have much to worry about.

my 2c

Ric

[SEB88Y]

I appreciate the replies guys. I should have specified that I am planning to modify the car. And it would only be a weekender, whilst I would ride my bike to and from work.

I know I will catch the modding bug, but I need to have the knowledge that if you're disciplined with the money it won't have a major affect on your budget etc. That you can still live a fairly secure financial life. Without sounding wanky or anything, does this make sense haha?

[.:: GimpS-R34 ::.]

like a $2 hooker yo.. lol

they can.. but as others stated only a big amount if you let it.. of course you pay the extra price for the premium.. and then the more u turbo it.. the more it costs.. drive like a granny (most of the time )and you will find the difference isnt that much

[Modena]

I am in the process of making goals for my financial future. I am wanting to buy a Skyline by the age of 25. However, one of my key concerns is from what I've heard over and over again on these forums - Skylines suck your wallet dry. How true is this statement? How much of your paycheck usually goes towards your baby? Does having a Skyline really hinder your saving or regular spending ability? Or is it a misunderstood rumour which I've gullibly accepted?

Help me out here

Seb

Skylines and financial future should not be put in the same sentence together.

Seriously, if you want to have minimal car running costs buy a Toyota Corolla or Yaris/Echo.

If you want a quick weekend car that gets driven occasionally and not everyday then a turbo skyline is fine, more exp if GTR.

If you are a regular track goer and do want to push the car to the limits, then your wallet will take a big hit. Can you fork out a few grand if your engine goes capoot? What about changing tyres? you need to know that you have enough cash on the side for emergency situs.

If you want to buy a Skyline for around 14 K and thats all you have, but you also want to modify it and cane it, Id save up more dough before buying it.

[SAM916]

the modding bug is expensive, the other thing i've found expensive is insurance, however thats more due to my age. Just another thing to consider though.

[erwin_skyline]

it like a atm machine that you cant witdraw.

[Habler]

No, skylines don't suck your wallets dry.... It's the evil car clubs who arranage track days, the low life companies that sell quality products at affordable prices, my idiot mates who cox me into long weekend cruises through curvy mountain roads, beer companies sucking money out of me for a 6 pack while I help work on my car/mates car and worst of all skylinesaustralia making me have a huge internet bill!

My car is an innocent bystander

[Modena]

Hiya Seb,

It depends really on car-to-car & person-to-person +...

i) road or track

ii) initial choice of a good 'un

iii) regular servicing

iv) low Kms at purchase

v) who you get it serviced with, and if they know their stuff

vi) sourcing help from SAU

vii) your decision to modify eg. exhaust only, stage I, II etc.

My car has been owned for 2 years (so now it's 8 yrs old).

It's mildly modded with intakes, exhaust, ECU, DSBC, RMS, etc which is how I bought it. Suspn. & cosmetic changes were additional. Turbos are std. Still has original RE01 tyres.

Other than servicing every 4000Km (currently at 28000Km), it has had 1 oil pump replacement & 1 drive shaft boot at a cost of >$3K.

I've owned my Honda 'lude for the same period and it has cost me (besides servicing) an extra $1K in repairs to new CV etc.

I'm happy with 2 relatively strong cars. I don't do launches; just spirited driving with some hard cornering on select roads.

Hope This Helps,

Tez

PS Oh yes, I've just bought new slotted rotors & pads to go in soon

Hey mate, you got two nice cars, but what about the bricks and mortar?

[GTS4WD]

the bottom line is what do you want to do with your skyline?

General maintanence and insurance isn't impossible at 25 with a decent steady job.

When when you start to modify your engine, thats things become difficult. Once you begin to modify a car our essentially changing the way it works so that it works to a way wasn't designed to.

If your power hungry and want to to build a power car.. your in trouble.. modifying engines is very expensive.. maintanence is high and things frequently go wrong which means even more money to spend

If you want a track car.. thats even more expensive.. transport.. track days.. tyres.. petrol as well as the modifications

if you want to modify for bling.. then its not a big deal.. the only thing to worrie about is defects.

I warn you now.. once you begine.. your up shit creek..

[SLEEPR85]

I have a second job to pay for my mods!!! But she keeps me happy so its worth it lol

[money pit]

Bet your arse it will suck your wallet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only had one for a couple of months; decent tune & service + brake master & pads =$1200, tyres =$800+, timing belt & h2o pump =$350 and the list goes on. Whatever you spend on the purchase make sure you hold at least $2k back no matter how good the car looks there is ALWAYS something that needs doing. But it feels fantastic when that little turbo kicks in.

The user name is no joke .

[SEB88Y]

the bottom line is what do you want to do with your skyline?

General maintanence and insurance isn't impossible at 25 with a decent steady job.

When when you start to modify your engine, thats things become difficult. Once you begin to modify a car our essentially changing the way it works so that it works to a way wasn't designed to.

If your power hungry and want to to build a power car.. your in trouble.. modifying engines is very expensive.. maintanence is high and things frequently go wrong which means even more money to spend

If you want a track car.. thats even more expensive.. transport.. track days.. tyres.. petrol as well as the modifications

if you want to modify for bling.. then its not a big deal.. the only thing to worrie about is defects.

I warn you now.. once you begine.. your up shit creek..

I hope to do some these modifications to the car. I.e. Rims, Brakes, Tyres, Tinting, Possible paintjob/detailing, Sound System, Suspension, Interior, Air Intake, Intercooler, Exhaust, Dump Pipe etc

What would those mods be defined as? These would all be done steadily over a couple of years I imagine.

I'm not planning to touch the engine internals. Like pistons, crankshafts..

Driven on the weekend; maybe not trackdays for a couple years after I buy until I've got the dough. I plan also to save up for a motorbike to drive to combat fuel prices and to lower the mileage and running costs of the Skyline over time

Edited September 11, 2008 by SEB88Y

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

Any high performance car will cost you.

For starters petrol will cost you, cuz you will need to run 98 RON. (BP Ultima) for example.

Insurance = Rego is a biggy. Tyres, brake pads, it all adds up.

General maintance like oil and oil filter changes, if you can do it yourself you can save on that but its b!tch of a job to get the oil filter out.

Cuz the car is over 10-15 years old, things will need changing / replacing. So find a good condition R32 but also be prepared to fix things cuz they can be quite costly.

But with the right type of maintanance, a RB26 will go for a very long time.

[Bakes]

Once you start modding you want the whole catalogue, thats the biggest problem

[GTR-N1]

Hey mate, you got two nice cars, but what about the bricks and mortar?

Very intelligent question M! It's about $$$ & security right?

To answer it as best I can, I'm not too fussed about $$$ anymore whilst at my age <60 (barely) I'm mortgage free.

(Jim Richards is >>60 lol)

Happy to have a roof over my head - and no mortgage chasing my tail.

Security? Some people regard Family as more valuable - and for the next life (as well as this one) the relationship with God is higher still...

Me? Yeh, these are most important to me...

Since 1998, (ie a 10 year period), if anyone told me back then that my youngest would get a tumour, my house would get white ants,

my eldest would pass away (at 25) and then my wife would get breast cancer, I would have told them to nick off.

Now that 10 years have come and gone, all of that s**t makes a person get closer to God or further away.

I know where my investment lies between God and Godzilla.

That's why I actually am glad that you popped that Q mate!!

Sorry to go slightly off the thread guys!

Tez