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

[Sidekick84]

Thanks for such a great thread, this will help me a lot

[Sidekick84]

I know this is an old thread but I have heaps of questions and this seems the best place for it

I am looking at buying a skyline but have found local cars to be lemons and simply not enough to choose from. A mecanic suggested buying from a major city ie sydney or Melbourne, but in order to do that I am going to have to purchase a car online and have it delivered. So basically is there any info members can suggest about buying online? I would never consider buying a car without it being checked out first but what other things should I look out for? I definitely don't want to be scammed so does anyone have tips for remaining safe?

Thanks heaps for any replies, and sorry if this is in the wrong place :S

[AshR34GTT]

I know this is an old thread but I have heaps of questions and this seems the best place for it

I am looking at buying a skyline but have found local cars to be lemons and simply not enough to choose from. A mecanic suggested buying from a major city ie sydney or Melbourne, but in order to do that I am going to have to purchase a car online and have it delivered. So basically is there any info members can suggest about buying online? I would never consider buying a car without it being checked out first but what other things should I look out for? I definitely don't want to be scammed so does anyone have tips for remaining safe?

Thanks heaps for any replies, and sorry if this is in the wrong place :S

I would never buy a car online without seeing it in person. but if I was to do it I would only deal with a known trusted business or importer.

There are a lot of skylines out there, and a lot a shit box's. Take your time, don't rush it, look around and you'll end up with a nice car. Make sure you see/drive any car you potentially want to purchase.

Edited December 23, 2012 by AshR34GTT

[Swole]

This was very informative, thanks.

Also is it viable to get a mechanic (e.g. NRMA) to come check out the vehicle during first inspections?

Looking to purchase a Skyline in the coming months, so any advice is highly appreciated.

[mahum]

exactly what i was looking for. thanks to eveyone for their input.

[Will_D]

There is some really amazing information in here so first of all, a big thanks to everyone that has contributed. It makes for good reading and I find it particularly helpful.

I have a quick question: In your opinion, would you pay a slight premium for a mint condition R33 (aesthetically) that is relatively stock performance wise, OR, pick up something for a bit cheaper that doesn't look as fancy, but has been a little bit worked. The price difference is about $10-$12k for a pretty car, vs. $6-$8k for something a little less pleasing to the eye.

I suppose the real question is would you prefer paying to have the performance parts to be strapped on, or to have a working car that just needed a respray here and there. (What are the Skylines like in terms of robustness, I also hear about the old Toyota Corolla that was a tank in sheeps clothing and couldn't be stopped. Does the R33 engine have a similar level of stoicism, or are they a little temperamental?)

I appreciate any input.

Will

[Hadouken]

I would rather buy a mint example bog stock and do the work myself.

[okooko]

agree with above, youll just end up changing the existing mods anyway at some stage. save the money and start from something in good cond.

[thfchayden]

As someone just getting into imports, this thread is incredibly good and detailed. Thanks a lot for taking the time to write all this up.

[bobmustdie]

Signed up to the forums for this thread. It's very informative and hella helpful.

I'm still in the PH but about to move down there in AU around December this year and will be picking up a GT-R as soon as I get my job on lock.