Buying An R34 Gtr - Your Advice And Thoughts Needed!

[KR4-GTR]

Hey guys and girls,

I have recently started shopping for an R34 GTR.

I was originally looking for a close to stock example, however I have been offered one which 1 year ago, apparently had a complete engine rebuild with forged pistons, racing valve springs - etc.

Anyway, the owner has not been able to provide me any specifics as to what was actually done as they 'do not know much about cars' and no receipts (as of yet) are available for the work done, just that someone called 'rick shaw' (anyone heard of him / them?) did the rebuild because the owner had further plans for the car - power wise.

However, my worry is - for all I know the car could have had a blown engine? or maybe none of the work was done at all and the internals are still stock? or maybe if work was done - it wasnt done properly? As with any used car, I'd have to get it checked thoroughly before purchasing. But is it even worth the risk!?

What are your thoughts / advice in regards to this? Is this a car you would just potentially walk away from buying? Has anyone here been in the same boat or had any similar experiences? If so, please share your thoughts and advice!

I'm a complete n00b when it comes to R34 GTR's in general. I previously had an R33 GTR and have spent most of my life obsessed with them - so I knew my car inside out, i could pull stuff apart, knew what to expect with wear and tear, costs involved - etc without too much worrying. But is there anything in general (especially given the age of the cars now) that I should look out for with the R34 GTR?

Cheers!

Chris.

Edited October 13, 2009 by KR4-GTR

[R31Nismoid]

Same as a R33 GTR really, different panels and some buttons and a different gearbox... about it.

[M I K E]

does anyone else not find 'rick shaw' to be an amusing name?

my mate has an immaculate bnr34 for sale here, pm me if you want contact details etc

[KR4-GTR]

Lol i've never heard of 'rick shaw' either!

Has anyone else!?

Edited October 13, 2009 by KR4-GTR

[Scottydoo]

I've heard of him, if its the one i'm thinking he specialises in rotary's I thought and has quite a good reputation. Not too sure though if he does anything else.

Try having a search on Ausrotary or:

Ric Shaw Rotary

35 Parramatta Rd, Five Dock, NSW 2046

ph: (02) 97167690, (02) 97985713

Edited October 13, 2009 by Scottydoo

[mxfly]

Rick Shaw Racing are a big name with rotors. That said, I dont know what they're like with GTRs.

The easiest thing you can do is, call them up and ask them about whether they did the work or not.

And there's nothing wrong with buying a rebuilt car as long as the work was done right from the start.

Good luck with it all mate. There's so many GTR's out there for sale that you should go and look for as many samples as you can before you make the big decision.

[KR4-GTR]

Thanks for the info guys, thats a great start and heaps of help!

I will be looking at quite a few examples - i promise! it took me 3 years to find my old gtr, i'm a pretty fussy person - especially when it comes to my cars.

With the market how it is at present, its great to be the buyer - as you have quite a few to choose from, however on the flip side - it does suck to be selling.

Cheers again!

Edited October 13, 2009 by KR4-GTR

[KR4-GTR]

Hey guys,

I've noticed that SOME of the R34 GTR's appear to have a bit of rust around the brake light on the boot lid. Another area to check appears to be around the spoiler.

Are there any other obvious areas on an R34 GTR which are known to possibly have rust?

Or are there any other flaws causing common faults which should be checked?

Cheers!

Edited October 21, 2009 by KR4-GTR

[GTR-N1]

^^^^ they're common rust spots and easily attended to.

Steve at Just Jap recommends that the VIN# be traced to see if the car's background stems from Hokkaido (where the roads are salted) and then scrutiny of rust elsewhere needs to be super-vigilant

[KR4-GTR]

Cheers Terry, great advice mate!

[Iron Chef]

I have to say I always get wary of people who get hazy when mechanical issues are mentioned - "I'm not a mechanic, but..."

There are a LOT of supposedly low-km cars getting around in Sydney that have had the kms brutally wound back. It's got to the point where I joke with my guys in Japan whenever we see grade 4 R34 GT-Rs with 180,000km going through auctions being hotly bidded on, that "that one's going to Sydney"...

[GTR-N1]

^^^^

Because I'm intrigued by what you've just said > eclectic because of cross-referencing from PI > and now a sleuth,

my questions are...

If the Yakuza are behind the bankrolling of auction houses in Japan, would there not be some 'phantom-bidding' at several items at auction just because these cars are going overseas?

If so, is it legal or illegal to carry out this practice in Japan?

Are they the people responsible to fudging odometer readings?

Do they have an active interest in www.skylinesaustralia.com or EVO forums for that matter (yes, incl Indonesia, UK, Thailand etc) to check on market demands & prices?

Because of commission rates, it would be in their interests to keep prices inflated would it not?

I don't mind that these Qs are answered off-air.