I'm buying a Skyline... What should I look for?

[Guest TR34GT]

SAU Members,

I don't know if this is the right place to say this, but in the last three skylines I've purchased (all from dealers), I had a Stateroads vehicle inspection report carried out, and it was well worth spending the money, given the tests they carry out on compression, paint thickness etc. All three cars were perfect, and without problems for a long time after purchase.

http://www.stateroads.com.au/testimonials.asp

http://www.stateroads.com.au/index.asp

These guys seem to give the high performance imports a better overview than say, some of the better know companies who advertise on TV, and cost a pretty penny.

I have nothing to do with, and am not associated with this organisation in any way.

Check them out here.

Regards

Jim

[jukic.j]

this is a really good thread but its making me think twice about buying a gtr

tel me about it :S

[DR-JEKL]

Can anyone please tell me what to look out for on a 2000/1 R34 Vspec besides the usual paint/panel fluid leaks?

Are all the required compliance plates found in the engine bay?

A lot of these cars have nismo 320km/h dashes fitted making the true odo reading anyone's guess, and none of them come with log books.....

For a vehicle inspection is it best to take it to a reputable workshop such as CRD who speciliase in the GTR's or just get a NRMA inspection?

Edited June 24, 2008 by DR-JEKL

[blaizer]

hey

my question if i can ask it here :S

is that im looking at getting into drifting and im looking at skylines.but for some reason people say you can and cant and all this bullshit in skylines.so just to clarify what model(gtr gtst etc) can i or cant i drift in?

thanks heaps

[hqracer89]

Mate, the car doesn't drift. The driver does. Buy what ever you feel comfortable in.

[Cynder]

Thanks for this thread, a good read for the potential buyer. I will be inspecting a R33 GTST this weekend for the GF and these tips will come in handy.

[prattus]

hey guys, im looking for a R32, love R34's, but cant afford one as yet, so im looking to keep the 32 for a few years until i can afford a 34.

should i buy a 32, modify it, without a turbo, obviously as im on my P's, and spend as little as possible on those mods, and still have it running well enough to impress and drift???

budget is about 20k, including price of the car...

or just wait until im off my P's and get a 34???

any cheap mods that can be done with max increase in power etc?

[trel]

i'd stay away from a 32 as they're too old these days.... just wait a little while longer and get the 34 man. looks tougher, is newer and has more street cred

[Neuroglider]

might be worth mentioning something of my experience (old thread I know)

but I just bought an r34 gt-t, at the time i was pondering "why does it have an auto's steering wheel and dash..yet it's manual" some people were saying "maybe theyve mucked around with the dash!"

but it clicked to me, this car has had a auto > manual conversion... now i'm not honestly sure WHEN it was done and what gearbox though it was done in japan, but just look out for that when buying the car, compare pics of manuals and auto's and you'll see interior differences

not that i'm complaining! just my clutch is kinda going, but the gearbox i think is fine hehe

[Benzino33]

get one with all the mods done,(with receipts of major work of course) so u dnt have to spend so damn much on modding it.

[blyl]

wait until you saved enough for r 34, at the end you may spent more money to maintain the 32 then just buy the 34. 32 is r bit old now, you need to re-build engine, new turbo etc

[swilso]

Old thread, but still good information. Thanks to OP.

[RedEmblem]

Look for Arabs, if Habbib or Mohammad is selling it, the car's been flogged beyond fugged.

My 2c.

[boiracer]

as bad as that is phrased hes not wrong. thats why you buy standard cars, not hot pink ones with white leather interiors and 20 subwoofers.

anyways, im thinking an R32, i like the look alot better than the R 33 and the 34's are still to expensive for my likings.( all gts-t's, cant afford a GTR atm)

i understand the different capacity of the RB20 as oposed to the RB25, but what are the main down sides to the 20? if any, is there a big power difference? and how hard is it to put an RB25 in it later?

And does anyone know ig RACQ here in QLD is any good for the vehicle inspection??

[rehab2010]

Excellent topic - definitely helpful for people looking for a decent, straight R34 GT-R. Thanks.

[R34biatch]

holy crap after reading this thread i went and checked that blue plate thing in my engine bay and it has been engraved the two white plugs are there and it doesnt look like it has been removed,this is quite disturbing. i wish i had of read this thread two weeks ago.

[class]

Hey guys,

Very good topic!

get one with all the mods done,(with receipts of major work of course) so u dnt have to spend so damn much on modding it.

This is actually an interesting point. I'm thinking of purchasing a fairly heavily modified R33 GT-R (over 300awkW) for that very reason. I'm not a cheapskate, but I don't feel like buying an almost 15 year old car stock for 25-30k and spending another 30k modding it. I am also weary of potential problems associated with buying a modded up car.

The first question I ask myself is why did someone feel the need to invest ~30k on performance mods? Almost certainly to make use of the extra power! If they drag raced it and did dyno shootouts, that's fine. But if it did serious track work, there's a good chance the engine and chassis are on their last legs.

When I find a car I would like to buy, I will no doubt get someone like StateRoads to inspect it. It is my understanding that it costs extra to have a full engine compression test performed (as opposed to a simple engine balance check), and for a modified car, this may be worthwhile. However, I have a concern regarding that. Suppose you have a highly modified engine with good performance parts, but a cracked/damaged engine block. Would a compression test reveal any potential problems? (I have a feeling it won't, but if anyone knows otherwise, please correct me).

Also, do StateRoads have experience with inspecting the state of the installed mods (eg. is the upgraded fuel pump due to fail or is it noisy by nature), or are they unfamiliar with anything non-standard?

I guess what I'm after is a general consensus on buying modified. Is it a thrifty way of getting your hands on a high-performance vehicle, or a sure-fire recipe for a series of high cost repairs and many weeks off the road?

[WESTWD]

Stateroads are great.

i just had a inspection on my soon to be R34 N/A, 6 page report, very detailed.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

[defari]

awesome thread. kudos to everyone who's contributed, has helped me out a lot!

[WESTWD]

holy crap after reading this thread i went and checked that blue plate thing in my engine bay and it has been engraved the two white plugs are there and it doesnt look like it has been removed,this is quite disturbing. i wish i had of read this thread two weeks ago.

Hey mate,

i think you'll find its "etched" not "engraved".

As far as i know, its just the tool that was used on the 34's build plate as mine is also like that and im quite sure that the 33's had printed with a different tool.

incase your wondering, the best way i can describe etched in this situation is the feeling that there is some roughness on the plate, but no actual depth to it, which would indicate that it is normal, if you can feel depth to it, that may indicate it is engraved and possibly a stolen car.

Hope i made some sense