Buying a Skyline ... advice?

[DarkCoupe]

Hi all,

I am currently researching more information on buying a R34 Skyline GT-T. I have a few questions I was hoping you all can advise me on.

1) For those who actually own an R34 (and also may have driven / sat in an R33) ... what are the best things about this car from a driver-experience point of view? (What are some of the best things about this car?) Also, any quirks or issues you have come across that you wish you'd known about before (wether it is mechanical or otherwise)

2) I have been quoted $40k+ for this car from dealers. However, from import agents (such as Prestigemotors or J-Spec), these cars sell for at least $9k-10k less! So, is it really worth paying 10 grand extra just to be able to inspect the car visually / drive it yourself before you buy?

3) I am told the process of using a import broker is long and painful (but in most cases it's well worth the wait). Is this true? Any stories about this you guys want to share?

Thanks

[CGB_R32]

There is a thread about this sort of thing called "baby on the way".. i myself havent been in a 34.. but one of the guys had to wait 17 weeks for his line to make its way to our shores... I myself am looking into importing somthang aswell and my personal view is that, that 9- 10 K less in relation to importing could be money well spent with mods.

Michael

[Abo Bob]

I bought mine from a dealer because I felt better having seen and driven it. Also was a good dealer so when things went wrong with it, and they did go wrong, they fixed them all free of charge. To my knowledge they have spent about 10 or so hours on it and put in new splitfire coils (somewhere between $700 and $1000) and new platinum plugs (over $100 at least).

Now this isn't 10 grand but I felt a lot safer doing it this way. I would say that I would import my own next time, if there is a next time, but only because of the things I've learnt from this experience. So I would say that if you do it yourself you will save some money but you will pay for it with anxious moments along the way.

Mine is an auto and heaps of people like to bag me out for it but the fact is that I live in Sydney so it's worth the power loss for the convenience and comfort. The auto box takes a while to warm up and shifts very slowly when cold but once warm is lovely. I always use the tiptronic buttons on the steering wheel to change gears.

Can't advise on comparisons re 33/34 but I just couldn't bear the thought of selling a 99 model car to buy an older one.

[CWest]

I went from a Series 2 R33 GTST to a non turbo R34 GT. I cant really comment too much on the performance side as the turbod car is faster but in general things like seats, dash, steering wheel and so forth the R34 is nicer.

I bought mine from a dealer at the time only because at the time there werent many private sales around. Next time round i would definately buy 1 private or import 1 myself because i understand the import process a lot better from reading a lot of ppl posts on this forum. SAU rules. BTW there a few nice r34 for sale no need to buy of a dealer, just look in the for sale section.

[Topkart R33]

Importing not to bad if u have the cash!! Banks sometimes don't like the process as they reguard it as unsecure, But the import company I used was Very Good with all the organising, he even shopped around and saved me $1600.00 on compliance with tyres. Like anything 'Good things come to those who wait'!! imho. Cant help u on a R34 as i'm still a newby to a R33. p.s Make sure you get plenty of quotes on insurance. There's a thread on it for insurance companies contacts.. Cheers

[predator]

personally i reckon importing wouldn't suit the "first import" buyer.. as you probably wouldn't know what to look for or what questions to ask. But I am sure plenty have gone this route.

Just look for a private sale if you ask me. Best way to do things. If you look on here sellers, there are plenty of advantages:

a) the person is unlikely to rip you off, especially if they have been a regular member and post regularly on here.

B) you can email them questions and request photos before even looking at the car. Saves both of you wasting each others time beforehand.

c) you know they love skylines as much as you do, and have probably taken care of the car.

d) you might be able to find some of the past history of the car and any problems they might have had with it.

[paulr33]

ok ill put in my $2 worth

i went from vl auto to r33 gtst manual the main things i noticed

1) it drove like a hovercraft, smooth handling, smooth gears, nice feel, no bodyroll

2) when giving it stick it handled it awesome, stock brakes are great, no bodyroll when going sideways, the camber is really sweet so when u do fang around a corner or stick it at the lights rather than it just tliting to one side and almost loosing control it actually tames the power you put down and handles it

3) the r34 and most of the r33 series II (and some series I) have active lsd and lsd slip which is great when u dump it at the lights, the computer controls torque so u dont just spin, but rather grip more

4) the standard features are great, aircon is good, stereo aint too bad, map lights or interioer lights are good, power windows and stuff work good, power mirrors etc, stock abs. the r33 series II had stock side intrusion bars. most of the stock stuff on skylines wasnt stock on the aussie equivalent ford/holdens till a year or two later. ie my 1997 has more standard stuff than a 1999 holden commodore.

5) the seats and general comfort is great comparred to most aussie cars (no offence). the console is aimed towards the driver on about a 25 degree angle so when your driving your in the zone and the passenger can just relax

6) the build quality of the car itself (exterior and interior) is really nice and smooth finish., stuff lookks good, operates well and generall is designed with good intention vs crappy looking dash buttons etc on other stock cars

7) the engine power is generaally considered more then stock v6 or v8 models. most skylines turbos will beat a lot of stock v8's and destroy stock v6's. even the non turbo v6 skyline will give your average v6 a good run and come up on top

8) general wear and tear doesnt seem to hurt the skylines series as much as compared to other aussie based cars, compare a 1995 r33 to a 1995 vn/vs (unsure of exact model) (the vn will be facked and show more wear, well at least thats what i tend to notice)

9) parts avaiablty generally isnt a problem and really just an urban myth among non import owners

10) you get tons of "ooo look at the skyline" when driving around

ok things that are bad

1) fuel eneconomy

2) insurance prices

[DarkCoupe]

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. I am now going to also consider a late model R33 Series II as well as a R34 (although personally I like the 'look' of the R34 better, the R33 seems like such a better value for money choice)

The more you guys talk ... the more you make my decision more and more solid towards getting rid of my 4-banger and getting a Sky ...

I am starting to look forward to this .... Now I've just got to sell my car (hopefully the person who came and looked at it tonight will buy it on the weeknd)

[Duncan]

I reckon a late model r33 is a great choice If you're coming to the Show and Shine on Sunday have a look at mine

[paulr33]

yeah the series II is good and the r34's still seem fairly pricey. go for a ride in an r33 series II gtst, its very nice

[PTR33]

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. I am now going to also consider a late model R33 Series II as well as a R34 (although personally I like the 'look' of the R34 better, the R33 seems like such a better value for money choice)

I have a '98 S2 R33 GTS25t and while I also like the 34 GT-T, I don't feel that they are worth the extra coin.

I imported mine and the cost on the road was $21k. 66000km, "B" interior, couple of scratches but nothing serious. Dead Stock so probably less chance of being "pre-thrashed".

Took 17 weeks from buying at auction to driving it away from the compliance shop but it is a BL00DY nice car.

All the creature comfort things are high quality and they ALL WORK. Build quality is tops.

Economy is not that bad, I have a K&N panel filter, HKS Super Drager exhaust and run std turbo at 10PSI and I average 12L/100km with "normal" driving .

I can live with that from a 165kw at the wheels (estimated) vehicle.

[DarkCoupe]

yeah the series II is good and the r34's still seem fairly pricey. go for a ride in an r33 series II gtst, its very nice

I drove a modified Yellow R34 GT-T last year at Powerplay (man that was the best 10 minutes I've had for a while ) and my friend (who introduced me to this forum :wavey: ) recently bought a R33 GT25-T Series II, and I drove it ... and I've got to say ... man that car is smoooooooooth as silk!! I was in love within 2 minutes!

I've been driven many Hondas (owned three so far) and also had a V8 once upon a time ... but this car was the silkiest thing I have put my paws on. Awsome. I definatly want one. If I can get an R34 for late $20k, I might think about it. But I am starting to already think that I'd rather get a R33 Series II and spend the extra on some mods (performance, with a splash of doof-doof and bling-bling) LOL

[DarkCoupe]

One question though ... I went througha total s***fight trying to get finance for a 'private' purchase. Am I going to go through the same crap for an import?

Also, someone mentioned that I should probably just buy one already here, rather than go through j-spec or prestigemotorsport for my 'first import buy'. What do you all think? From what I've read, you all feel that the best route to take is going through the pain of waiting for your personal import, only to reap the wonderful reward at the end. Any thoughts?

[Abo Bob]

Given what I've seen around recently on this forum in particular, you should definitely check out some of the private 34 sales. You get to see and drive the car, no import worries, but you might have to travel around the country checking a few out. At least you are in Sydney which is going to help.

[DarkCoupe]

Thanks for all your advice guys. Much appreciated

[DarkCoupe]

A followup question guys ...

still deciding which way to go:

a) go to someone like Powerplay Imports, who seem to have a good reputation (not sure, anyone buy from them? what's your experience like?? I feel better because I am told that if the car turns up and it's not what was discussed, I get my deposit back.

B) anyone every deal with Edward Lee on Parramatta road? what's your experience been like?

B) go to someone Prestige motorsport. Sure, I save a good amount of money, but there's a lot more risk. I know a lot of people have bought cars though him. Has everything always turned out ok?

For a newbie like me... what do you recommend? I have the money but I am ... I guess still afraid / unsure about forking over a wad of cash without knowing more about the two above people?

[Duncan]

Hey DarkCoupe,

I've done all three of the above, and my personal experience is:

a) is the way to go if you are not *sure* about what you want and what you are going to get. I bought from them 3 years ago and they are selling the car for me again now. I have always found them to be knowledgeable and trustworthy

B) i didn't end up buying there, but others have made negative comments about their experience.

c) is the best option if you are *sure* what you want and are confident about your ability to fix problems. Also, you need to be patient about the wait....it will be up to 6 months from when you first sign them up to when your car is registered in Aus....but it can save you money.

Or.....just buy mine

[DarkCoupe]

Thanks Duncan.

I guess I am a bit nervous about which way to go (to some, this would be understandable). Deep down, I really want a R34 GT-T, but I can't afford to pay $40k for one (even though I get the assurance and safety of going through someone like powerplay).

I am trying to decide if I am confident / comfortable enough to go with Prestigemotorsport, which is a totally different process and different level of risk. The benefit it of course, I can potentially end up with the same car for $10k less, but how do I really know if the car is okay? Powerplay offers the condition that if the car has been misrepresented, they will refund your deposits. So it safer. But if the personal import gets here and theres 1001 things wrong, I am pretty much stuffed.

I know exactly what I want as far as the car is concerned. I am also happy to be patient to be later rewarded But what do you mean by 'fix problems'?

I just can't decide which road to take.

[paulr33]

private import thru prestige motorsport. much cheaper howver with sevs now im not sure its still as feasible vs local buy

have you considered private sale locally?

[Topkart R33]

Being a newbie to importing a car I had the same thoughts about the process. My car is about to depart Japan on Friday and everything has run smoothly to date. The company I used have bidders in Japan which can go over the car u r interested in b4 bidding(think that is common with most companies) so they let me know if it was a decent car. Also you get sent Auction sheets on the body and interior via e-mail. Ring John from www.importcars.com.au in Melbourne if you want to try importing. He saved me a lot of money on compliance and has been most helpful with any questions.Not long to go and I will be in Skyline heaven :devfu: Good luck!!