Questions On R34 Gtr - Local Purchase Vs Imported

[HIRISK]

Hi Guys,

So I am about to get the ball rolling on an R34 GTR and want to take my time, look around and get the right car.

I am looking at spending $55 to $60k.

I am still in two minds as to whether I would rather a 99/00 V-spec with some mild mods, wheels, suspension etc or go for a 01/02 V-Spec II with few or no mods (this is probably my preferance).

Anyway, my questions are....

• Do people feel they get a better car at a better price by going through an importer?
  
• Or is buying local just as good? (as their are usually 20 to 30 R34 GTR's for sale at any given time)
  

I guess I am swaying towards a V-Spec II moreso and as their are only 4 or 5 for sale at the moment, thought that using an importer may open this selection up more?

Thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[GTR-34A]

I would say go local if you cant find what your looking for... if you cant, import one, as you will have a better shot at getting what you want with a larger selection, you will also get a better idea of genuine kms.

I had the same thoughts when purchasing mine, came very close to importing one but ended up finding a very nice example locally.

the biggest problem for me when weighting up importing or not was the price.. because of the strong yen it is pretty much (in most cases) cheaper to buy locally at the moment, and you get to feel/drive/see it with your own eyes.

As for choice of spec.. vspecII would be great, i was searching for one of them, but in the end bought a series 1 non-vspec as it was the cleanest one i found after searching for 3-4months...

in the end it depends what your after, a car for a bit of fun and to play with and not too concerned about condition, or if you want a mint condition one (in this case in my experience they are few and far between, so i wouldnt get caught up in the specs otherwise your search may take a very long time unless your lucky)...

Either way, goodluck

[HIRISK]

Thanks for the reply.

For me, condition will be very important as it will only get driven once a week and I am very particular when it comes to how clean my cars are.

Also, interesting to see you say it took 3 to 4 months to find the right car.

I was not sure how long it would take, but thought it may be a while.

I know there are 30 plus 34 GTR's on Carsales right now (aust wide) but only a handful would suiot my needs.

If it is going to take that long I better get looking!!

[GTR-34A]

no prblem, Sounds like you are looking for the same thing i was... the search can be very painful, maybe more so for me as most i looked at were in sydney which was a 2-3 hour drive depending where etc.... came close many times to giving up, but worth it all in the end for me..

as for search time, i know people who have searched for alot longer... in all i propbably looked at about 30 34r's.. there were about 3 decent ones in that bunch, 1 of which i bought.. but this is just in NSW.. there might be better selctions else where?..

Go have a look at some and see how you feel, the reality is that most of them are and look like 12 year old cars that have had plenty of use and fun, not all have been maintained perfectly and stored for half there life and in showroom condition (i kind of expected every GTR to look immaculate when i first started looking ha, being such a sought after and enthusiast car etc), and they say 50k kms or less but evidence shows otherwise, and the price tag is still around the 50k mark...

sounds all doom and gloom but i am very picky when it comes to spending that amount on a car ha...

[HIRISK]

Sweet,

Thanks again for your time and info.

Any advice on what to look out for?

Any good websites etc I can reference for buying tips?

[GTR-34A]

Ahh there's probably plenty of advice on here but don't know if there is a specific thread for the 34r.

One of the first things I would do is stick my head under every part of the car, the under body is one of the first spots rust will start forming, and the cleanliliness can give you an idea of Kms sometime also... Or how hard a life anyways.. Pull out boot carpet and inspect body..

Seat bolster wears badly, but mine shows very little wear and my car has 40k Kms onit for reference.. But seats can be removed etc..

MFD can decrstalise, that shouldn't happen I would expect under after 100k Kms.. Depending on its history of course.

Little metal pieces around the engine bay tend to show oxidation/rust with age, so that can also be an insight into its past etc..

Rust around the boot brake light,

Also check all front guard bolts for wearing if they have been removed etc... For accident damage/repair

And apart for it running smoothly, and mechanical pieces looking good (no big leaks anywhere etc) I left all the mechanical stuff up to a professional, get a hoist inspection including a compression check.. Cylinder 6 starves and can cause dramas so this is very important...

You should get the idea after you have looked at a few though.

Any other questions let me know, happy to help mate

[iwanta34gtr]

First thing I check -

Chassis rails. You dont want one which has had them painted black.

[iwanta34gtr]

Out of interest, do you have a colour preference?

[HIRISK]

Out of interest, do you have a colour preference?

Not really, but would probably be...

Bayside Blue

White

...then anything after those two.

[iwanta34gtr]

You have great taste.

I couldnt bring myself to commit to any colour other than bayside blue, but i must admit I do have a soft spot for pearl white vspec II's.

[iwanta34gtr]

Ant has already covered the main points above, some other things that come to mind -

- Check the gearbox shifts smoothly and there is no resistance or crunching (no whining or synchro issues).

- Make sure the car drives straight and doesnt pull

- Check your clutch doesnt slip (Negotiation point?)

- Do the standard check for rust (as Ant said - common for R34's around brake light) but also around spoiler, doors, wheel arches, windows - etc

- Check the tyres have healthy tread (Negotiation point?)

- Check the bottom of the boot for any accident repairs, and make sure theres no water in there too. (If so - why the leak?)

- Check out the paint thoroughly. Does the texture match? Any paint runs or drips? Look for over spray on the rubbers and masking lines. Look for blending marks. How picky are you? Check it both, in the sun and shade. Will you be able to live with what you find?

- Do the standard history checks, make sure there is no money / loans associated with it and that there is no previous accident history

[10 4]

Why not buy Stephen's one, lol

[iwanta34gtr]

^ Cant remember his username, but I do remember having discussions with Stephen about his GTR late last year.

Very nice guy and the car did look very clean.

If its still available, I'd say its worth pursuing.

[10 4]

Mickey is his username.

I would buy that car without test driving it.. (if I had the funds obviously lol)

[GTR-34A]

- Check the gearbox shifts smoothly and there is no resistance or crunching (no whining or synchro issues).

Ha just to avoid confusion for perspective buyers, dont get the very mechanical/notchy feel of the gretrag confused with a bad gearbox, they are designed that way, it should shift smoothly as no clunks when engauging and disengauging gears etc but will feel abit mechanical and notcy on the gear stick... just tring to clarify this as if someone told me before i drove my first 34r the gearbox should be smooth, i would have said that every gearbox was f##ked haha.

and Chris is spot on with whining or syncro issues.. i believe they can be costly. also same sounds for diff and transfer etc...

[HIRISK]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the input and feedback.

I have decided that the only way I will get a good car is to not compromise.

So, for me, this means I have to stay firm to exactly what I want and just wait patiently for the right car to come up.

I have decided on a 2001 / 2002 Bayside Blue V-Spec II

Lets see how long this takes.

[maclarenf1]

Ha just to avoid confusion for perspective buyers, dont get the very mechanical/notchy feel of the gretrag confused with a bad gearbox, they are designed that way, it should shift smoothly as no clunks when engauging and disengauging gears etc but will feel abit mechanical and notcy on the gear stick... just tring to clarify this as if someone told me before i drove my first 34r the gearbox should be smooth, i would have said that every gearbox was f##ked haha.

and Chris is spot on with whining or syncro issues.. i believe they can be costly. also same sounds for diff and transfer etc...

i was also going to comment on the above,

when i first took my R34 R for a drive after importing.... i also got bit of shock on the "mechanical -ness" of the 6 speed box... when cold specially.. they can be very mechanical in nature .....

also i would say a compression check is necessary for any GTR purchase.....

[GTR-34A]

i was also going to comment on the above,

when i first took my R34 R for a drive after importing.... i also got bit of shock on the "mechanical -ness" of the 6 speed box... when cold specially.. they can be very mechanical in nature .....

also i would say a compression check is necessary for any GTR purchase.....

Ha yep, not the easiest gearbox that's for sure...

Although comes into its own and performs perfectly when driving with abit of spirit... Got to love it..

[dkbcleaner]

the first gtr i looked at I knew I was going to buy it. I looked at another two after that just to make sure I was buying the best one and nothing came close to the first one. I got it all checked out, hoist, compression check ect... Process took 2 or 3 weeks and then the car was in my drive way It all depends whats on the market and how much you want to spend. The third one I saw however was a perfect bayside blue vspec which the owner was asking for around 46k. All depends whats on the market at the time. At the start of last year you had matts nur for sale and there was a black one as well with all the bells and whistles. At the time I bought mine (end of nov start of dec) there was another black 99 gtr heavily modded and sold within a month. I ended up with my dream car at the end of the day. I wasnt looking for anything standard as ive been down that road and I cbf doing that again so I was looking for modded and built right. I got my nur with a tomie 2.8 kit, lmgt4, all suporting mods and the sweetest titanium exhaust system you will ever hear good luck with your search, be patient, be 100% clear with what you want to buy, have fun and you will be a very happy individual!

[PewPew]

Mickey is his username.

I would buy that car without test driving it.. (if I had the funds obviously lol)

Stephen took me for a drive when I was looking for my GTR and it was a very nice car. Full papers from Japan including purchase documents! Bone stock too mechanically down to exhaust.