R33 Gtr V-Spec: Good For Starters?

[WRRR]

You know what i mean though right, GTR being AWD and all? You know what they say about the new R35 GTR..

Not really. Being AWD means you drive them differently to get the best out of them. The GTR being a RWD biased car has to be driven differently to say a Rex or Evo. Ditto for a FT FWD or RWD. Different challenges and driving styles for each and for each car individually for that matter.

I have found out the hard way that they have their limits (albit relatively high) and it gets pretty exciting when you fall over the edge at a speed much greater than you would most likley have been in a RWD car. That's the fun of it. Getting the most out of the car you have for the budget you are willing to spend.

IMHO a RB26 based GTR is a car that takes a fair bit of work to get the best out of them on the track. They are heavy for a track car, F/R weight is not ideal and they are relatively complex. But we all know it can be achieved and their racing record proves it. A bit of knowhow and quite a few $ can go a long way.

The R35 is a car I have very little experience with. All i can say is they go like stink out of the box and for what you get for the $ is outstanding. If someone gave me one I would be a very happy camper.

In the meantime i will have to stick with the 33 and see where that can get as a compromise street/occassional track warrior. Hell, I have even fitted cruise to reduce the speeding fine risk. If I was going all out track car I am not sure what I'd play with - lots of choices with lots of pros and cons.

[zehffro]

IMO, 33gtr is quite a street warrior itself. anyway nice post you've got that WRRR! just a question for you. now that you've gone to the 33gtr route, will you ever hop onto a 34gtt? just curious

[WRRR]

IMO, 33gtr is quite a street warrior itself. anyway nice post you've got that WRRR! just a question for you. now that you've gone to the 33gtr route, will you ever hop onto a 34gtt? just curious

Dan - R33 GTR was a decision i made a long time ago (prior to the R35 coming out). I could have brought pretty well anything the safe side of 100k back then and looked at R32/33/34 GTR, BMW M3, HSV, FPV, Evo's, even an AMG Merc. A friend took me for a ride in his R33 GTR (+500rwhp) and I was sold on a GTR. I personally like the R33 shape as i think it will age well and it was more roomy than a R32 (I'm a reasonably big guy) and it was a fair bit cheaper than a good R34 at the time, leaving room for mods I knew I would make. Hence R33 GTR it was. My biggest regret with the 33 was declining an opportunity to buy a low km 400R because i had already sunk money into my car and it was already faster than a 400R. Hindsight - damn silly decision.

As for a R34 GTT, not my cup of tea. I can appreciate the appeal as for what they are they are far better than the local product even if they a re nearly 10 years older. Bang for buck and a compromise - why not. I am lucky to be in the position of having several cars so I can keep the fun to the GTR and daily duties to something more mundane. Need to put a smile on my face - go home, change cars.

GL with the decision.

Edited October 21, 2012 by WRRR

[thychiz]

I've heard a lot of horror stories about the R32 and R33 GTR AWD system, to an inexperienced driver it could be dangerous. From what I understand if you lose traction at the rear, the system will send a shitload of power to the front wheels, and if you aren't prepared (IE - Going around a corner) it could launch you into a tree or possibly a small child ("Because that's what skyline owners do, we kill babies.")

I could be very wrong, but have heard this on many occasions, and having owned one myself. That said, if you're smart, a decent driver and careful they are amazing cars, and A LOT of fun. I wish you all the best!

[zehffro]

Dan - R33 GTR was a decision i made a long time ago (prior to the R35 coming out). I could have brought pretty well anything the safe side of 100k back then and looked at R32/33/34 GTR, BMW M3, HSV, FPV, Evo's, even an AMG Merc. A friend took me for a ride in his R33 GTR (+500rwhp) and I was sold on a GTR. I personally like the R33 shape as i think it will age well and it was more roomy than a R32 (I'm a reasonably big guy) and it was a fair bit cheaper than a good R34 at the time, leaving room for mods I knew I would make. Hence R33 GTR it was. My biggest regret with the 33 was declining an opportunity to buy a low km 400R because i had already sunk money into my car and it was already faster than a 400R. Hindsight - damn silly decision.

As for a R34 GTT, not my cup of tea. I can appreciate the appeal as for what they are they are far better than the local product even if they a re nearly 10 years older. Bang for buck and a compromise - why not. I am lucky to be in the position of having several cars so I can keep the fun to the GTR and daily duties to something more mundane. Need to put a smile on my face - go home, change cars.

GL with the decision.

Thanks alot for the input. Appreciate it much! Love the way you say. Need to put a smile on my face - go home, change cars. Exactly what I'm thinking. Prolly I'll get a 33GTR. and then get a cheap daily.

[zehffro]

I've heard a lot of horror stories about the R32 and R33 GTR AWD system, to an inexperienced driver it could be dangerous. From what I understand if you lose traction at the rear, the system will send a shitload of power to the front wheels, and if you aren't prepared (IE - Going around a corner) it could launch you into a tree or possibly a small child ("Because that's what skyline owners do, we kill babies.")

I could be very wrong, but have heard this on many occasions, and having owned one myself. That said, if you're smart, a decent driver and careful they are amazing cars, and A LOT of fun. I wish you all the best!

Moral of the story is never to play on the streets! haha. thanks for the advice mate. the other drivers can boo at me or what but i keep strong to what i believe in, never to do streets. maybe yes the occasional take off from the traffic lights but yeah, these crazy stunts can be left for track!

[10 4]

I found with the my mostly stock 33GTR that you can just throw it anywhere and the power sent to the front corrects it for you. 32s were different cause they liked to understeer (sorted eventually with a whiteline rear sway).

[markus_]

dude if you've got money and can afford the couple of mods needed for the track then go for it.

But they are a bit pricey to fix because of the 4wd system and to keep the front and rear going you need to be on the accelarator..

[zehffro]

am now a proud owner of a 98 R33 GTR V-Spec (:

[10 4]

Who's car did you buy? Pics!

[L33SH]

grats zehffro!

[WRRR]

Aaanndd - details, pics.

[zehffro]

hey guys! my apologies for the late reply!

pictures will be up at a later date because i'm so busy with stuffs now that i've yet to find time to wash this baby up. anyway i've got a 98 R33 GTR V-Spec S3. Everything is stock except for air intake (apexi twin pod CAI) and Nismo catback exhaust. inside the car i've got a blitz VIT type 2 and also a hks turbo timer.

so what's next for the car... i guess a good tune because it's running damn rich right now. am lucky to hit 400kms on a full tank and also bloody baby driving. looking into getting a boost controller because it's stock boost i don't wanna screw up the ceramic piece. looking to keep the car as stock as possible. possibly may upgrade to a full HKS turbo kit but that's another story for another time. have got a hks bov inside the boot from the previous previous owner. just wondering if i should change it. shouldn't make much of a diff except for the sound i guess.

[zehffro]

and also insurance is a bitch. always been with shannons but now they require me to have at least a year's exp driving a turbo car before they are willing to accept cover me. so i've gotta turn to just cars now.

[zehffro]

i've got a question guys. im running on stock turbos. so i gather it shouldn't exceed .9bar however when i was taking the car out for a little fun earlier, i've accidentally revved it too much. the meter was stopped at 1kg/cm2 for about a second or two. so what's happening and will my turbos be damaged? what do you gather would be a safe kg/cm2 limit for this car?

[32godzilla]

Hi mate, general rule of thumb is don't boost past 1bar (approx. 15 psi) on stock turbos. Don't be overly concerned if it occasionally goes over but don't make a habit of it. I ran 18psi for 3 years on my 32R and never had a problem, but I was probably lucky. Also, the laws of diminishing power come into play at higher boost levels due to extra heat and the efficiency of stock turbos etc.....

Anyways, pics??

[zehffro]

eternal condemnation to the cheap workshop who did a head gasket replacement on my car (from the previous previous owner apparently). now i'm starting to see oil in my coolant. coolant levels are going down. car doesn't overheat when its been driven unless the weather gets crazy hot. flushed it thrice but still seeing traces of it.

tell me what do i do with my car now. 1. engine rebuild set me back by $10k or 2. just get the head gasket done professionally $4-6k wtffffffffffff

[PewPew]

Who quoted you 4-6k to replace head gasket??

[zehffro]

won't comment on the company name. but it's from one of the bigger companies. mostly the cost is used to cover labour

[Hadouken]

Well that sucks then. Still want pics of car.