Skyline Running Costs

[DJ_On_Ice]

Hey guys,

While looking through some of the other forums etc. I stumbled accross this really good idea whereby another SAU member has posted up how much his car costs him in the interest of saving younger people getting into too much debt because they went out and bought a lemon or whatever, which is quite... . The idea of the thread is to allow current and perspective Skyline owners to post up what it costs to maintain their car to the level that they maintain it too, factoring the modifications done to the car and how they treat it.

Here's the info or template if you will:

Car make/type/model: Nissan Skyline R????

Year: ?

Overall condition of car: 1/10 (broken and undrivable) to 10/10 (showroom)

How is the car treated: 1/10 (I drive like a grandmother) to 10/10 (I circuit race and drive like a Stig on speed and my name is Reece McIntosh (Turismo))

Maintenance level: 1/10 (I put fuel and sometimes oil in it) to 10/10 (I am a majority shareholder of Nissan... A.K.A. My name is Reece)

Modifications: Stock/bolt on's only/Internals/full house

Insurance: None/3rd party/Full comprensive/Other

Estimaged power: ?

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: ???KM to the ??L tank

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: $xxxx per annum / $xx / month (NOT COUNTING UPGRADES or Registration)

So my reasoning is to give local peeps an idea of what they are up for in a local market place with Canberran conditions in mind. Also, in the original thread there were a HELL of a lot of people who posted stats on R33 GTS-Ts and I know that there is a pretty strong 32 culture in ACT so I would be curious to see the difference.

Pat

[gtrgsxr]

Car make/type/model: Nissan Skyline R33 GTR

Year: 1995

Overall condition of car: 6/10 off the road only for a couple of days until i get new tyres though (new tyres = $1000+)

How is the car treated: 5/10 Good, i give it a bit sometimes but usually drive it like trozzle (grandma)

Maintenance level: 7/10 Serviced every 5000km or 3 months, Oil is roughly ($130 for the 5L plus everything else)

Modifications: Stock

Insurance: Full comprensive, being young doesnt help on this one , im 21 and am paying $3100 p.a

Estimaged power: stock 180kw maybe

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 400km to 65L filled with 98 cost me bout $85 a tank

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: $800 a month roughly

[zebra]

I dont even want to think about how much my 33 has cost me

[Sir Lord Van Von Vader'ham]

Car make/type/model: Nissan Skyline R31, RB20DET

Year: 1989

Overall condition of car: 9/10

How is the car treated: 8/10

Maintenance level: 8/10

Modifications: zorst, cooler, neo turbz, 11psi

Insurance: Other

Estimaged power: 180?

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 500KM to the 60L tank

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain:$3, its a 31 (dunno say $200, not including fuel)

[Data-Cain]

Car make/type/model: Silvia S13 with RB20DET + 5speed Manual

Year:

Overall condition of car: 7/10;

Mechanical - rubber and plastic parts perishing (water hose burst on the back of the engine - that was a real pain). Gearbox is getting a little crunchy, mainly 1st to 2nd and now a little on 2nd to 3rd. Engine wise, she's been on a couple of dyno's for diagnostics and always come back with a gold star.

Cosmetics - paint fractures (only on body-kit), stone chips, a few tiny dents from people banging my car with their doors, fabric on drivers seat is worn, carpet is worn through under drivers feet.

How is the car treated: 6/10 - I give her a fair bit of stick quite often, however tacho does not match the engine (it reads higher than engine sounds) so don't know how high I've actually revved her, but at a guess only rev to 5.5k - I plan to have the tacho fixed soon though.

Maintenance level: 5/10 - at first I neglected it a bit and didn't change oil very often (and I think I'm paying for it now with a little power loss), but now I'm pretty good - use good oil and change it more often, and do my sparkies, etc.

Modifications: usual bolt on's - FMIC, 3" highflow exhaust, POD, JUN Tuned stock ECU

Insurance: Full comprehensive - 1600$ a year, excess is 600$ (over 25now)

Power: 150rwkw @ 12psi (I generally run 14psi and feel a pretty big increase, but don't have a dynograph for it)

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 350KM to a 55L? tank (I use to get about 400-450, with the powerless I seem to have lost efficiency too)

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: with the issues I've had it's probably around 7k over the last 2-3 years. This includes a few mistakes with bad mechanic workshop choices - without thoes mistakes probably.... 5k?

Tip for keeping costs down;

Do jobs your self if you can.

I saved between 600-1200 (quoted) on replacing the water pump with the help of my dad.

If you can't do it yourself, try to find a good mechanic with reasonable hourly rates!

I use to take my car to a place recommended by a mate (and a lot of people on here) but they charged to much. Doesn't help that my experience with them is soured by the fact that they didn't really do much for the amount of money I paid them and to top it off they made a mistake that almost cooked my engine.... anyway, there area few more details to that story but mostly I've forgotten them now - it's a shame though because I quite like the guys working there.

For mechanical stuff I now take my car to a place around to corner from them. The guy does good work for a good price and he's an honest bloke.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Data-Cain

[Trozzle]

Car make/type/model: R33 GTS-T

Year: 1993

Overall condition of car: 8/10

How is the car treated: 8-9/10

Maintenance level: 8/10

Modifications: FMIC, high-flowed turbo (11psi), 3.5" turbo-back zaust, pod filter

Insurance: 3rd party+fire/theft, $542/year

Estimaged power: 168rwkw

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: ~450kms/57L, works out to about 11.5 - 12.5L/100kms

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: Only owned it a few months, so far only had to replace the filter setup ($179) and one oil change ($175 to get it done, otherwise $75 for oil and filter DIY)

About to have a whole heap done to replace wear+tear parts and transmission fluids, won't be cheap. lol

[DJ_On_Ice]

Insurance: Full comprensive, being young doesnt help on this one , im 21 and am paying $3100 p.a

I hate insurance LOL

[rossco_01]

Car make/type/model: R33 GTS-T S1

Year: 1994

Overall condition of car: 7/10

How is the car treated: 9/10

Maintenance level: 10/10 fix everything as soon as i find something need fixing

Modifications: FMIC, high-flowed turbo (18psi), Apex-i PowerFC + Apex-i boost controller, 3.5" turbo-back zaust, pod filter

Insurance:full comp $164 a month

Estimaged power: 260rwkw tuned by AutoTech

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 500kms/65L, works out to about 12.5 - 13.5L/100kms

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: $5000

[Greekos]

Car make/type/model: Nissan Skyline R33

Overall condition of car: 4/10 gearbox and diff is just about gone, alot of dodgy things to fix

How is the car treated: 7/10

Maintenance level: 8/10

Modifications: Stockish

Insurance: None

Estimaged power: ?????

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 350KM to the 50L tank

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: i dont want to know.

comments: i bought this car for a little under the market value over a year and a half ago, my skyline gets abused or should i say molested hahaha, since my ownership i have never had a moment when i wasn't fixing or replacing something mainly (dodgy work from Sydney workshops from the previous owner) i never get a dull moment and i have traveled over 40k in my ownership but i have never broken down my skyline keeps on going 'touch wood'.

[tridentt150v]

Car make/type/model: Nissan Skyline R33 Gtst

Year: 1998

Overall condition of car: 7.5/10

How is the car treated: 5/10 I give it some but it is on the road and used as a touring car

Maintenance level: 7/10 I do what has to be done and don't skrimp on it

Modifications: Bolt ons

Insurance: 3rd party at $300pa

Estimated power: 300+rwkw by dyno

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 550KM to the 65L tank on 95 plus WMI

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: I don't do big miles, i have a 4wd, plus a work 4wd, plus a motorbike so around$2K, upgrades and retunes for each step up in power keep me poor

[noakespg]

Car make/type/model: R32 GTR

Year: 1989

Overall condition of car: 5/10 Paint is fair, some of the bushing needs replacing, as do some of the power steering hoses.

How is the car treated: 6/10 I give it a fair flogging. After spending so much on it I have to make the most of it

Maintenance level: 9/10 It has spend more time over the last two years being worked on than on the road.

Modifications: not quite full house but getting there.

Insurance: Full comprensive $1100 p/a Shannons.

Estimaged power: 360kw atw

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: 300KM to the tank

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: Impossible to calculate. My only warning would be that the R32 is an old car, get ready to be forking over some cash if your interested in buying one.

Edited August 15, 2009 by noakespg

[GTRKat]

Sorry off topic, Pete let me know when you're ready to order power steering hoses as I need to do mine too. See if we can get hooked up with a good deal somewhere!

I don't even want to begin to answer some of these questions...

Especially the money spent per year to maintain. Haha most people can afford to buy the car but it's whether you can afford to maintain it that makes up the big difference!

[noakespg]

Sorry off topic, Pete let me know when you're ready to order power steering hoses as I need to do mine too. See if we can get hooked up with a good deal somewhere!

I don't even want to begin to answer some of these questions...

Especially the money spent per year to maintain. Haha most people can afford to buy the car but it's whether you can afford to maintain it that makes up the big difference!

Sounds good Kat! Im pretty much ready when you are. Although I will wait until my next service to put them on.

[GTRKat]

Sounds good Kat! Im pretty much ready when you are. Although I will wait until my next service to put them on.

No worries matey, I'll call some places this week and get back to ya!

I won't be putting them on yet. Car going to inline tomorrow and I don't think it's going to be a cheap visit.

[33Sedan]

Car make/type/model: Nissan Skyline R33 sedan gts25t

Year: 1995

Overall condition of car: 7/10 Everything works, paint is good, interior is good, engine is good...

How is the car treated: 5/10 Give it a squirt, but mostly driving like a granny

Maintenance level: 8/10 Serviced every 5000kms with full checkups, parts are replaced when needed etc

Modifications: zorst, gtr cat, pod filter

Insurance: Full comp: NRMA = $1014 being a sedan with ($600 excess + $400 age excess (under 25) for claims)

Estimaged power: 160ish at the rw

Estimated to the tank fuel usage: I don't run mine empty, I get 400kms comfortably and fill up with usually 45 - 48 L of 98 octane

Estimated $ spent per year to maintain: $500 / month (NOT COUNTING UPGRADES or Registration), couting petrol, services, and avg fixes. Some times more...like this last month I have spent well over $2500 on it due to replacing parts etc.

Best advice is to listen carefully to it lol, if it makes weird noises - TAKE IT IN TO A SHOP. And make sure you try a few places untill you feel you found the best place. I think when it comes to checkups and services, if you know they are doing a good job, its worth a little extra. Make sure you talk to your mechanics, not just about your car but be nice to them etc, this has saved me alot of $$$

[Trozzle]

Just thought I'd put a little update into this thread with some screenshots

And in the morning it goes to Autotech for another $1400+ job.

I hope the little bastards read this thread and know what they're doing when they get a Skyline during college, lol

[Glenieboy]

Car Make/Type/Model: R33 Series 2 Year: 1996 Condition Of Car:Very Good How The Car Is Treated:Bloody Good I reckon Maintenence Level:10/10 Modifications:FMIC, Garrett GT30R Turbo, 700cc Injectors, Splitfire coilpacks, Apexi Power FC,Greedy elec Boost Controller, Z32 Air Flow Meter, HKS Super Drag exhaust & Hi Flow cat, HKS Rev Controller, Irridium plugs, Bosch 023 Fuel Pump, 3 core Alloy Radiator, Pod Filter, P1 Buddy Club Wheels 10s on the rear 9s for front. The Bottom End has also been done to hold the high boost. As the old pistons decided to say goodbye. A Heap of Truck Hose Clamps(Probably the best mod I've done) Insurance: Yea right. I Wish. I should. But I Dont. Estimate Power: Dont Actually Know. I'd love to put it on a dyno and Find out, I'm Running between 18 to 20 pounds pretty much every day, Estimated spent.: Well I cant even afford Insurance, Put it that way. But ya Cant put a price on something ya love to do. It just sends ya broke is all ,He He.

[Trozzle]

Another update:

$1393.06 for the final (touch wood) thing I need to fix on the 33 before I can build on it.

wow.