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Hi I'm looking at purchasing an R33 GTR Vspec. Car looks arnt aesthetically pleasing but great little number. Only problem I have is a weird humming/grinding sound coming from what sounds like cyl 1, the front cyl. While the car is idling you can hear the sound, but as soon as any load is on the car or you touch the throttle it disappears. Will post a video to go with, any ideas at all would be a great advantage.

trim.hmSn5q.MOV

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55k windback km? That engine bay doesn't look too flash.

The whirring noise sounds like timing belt. Either the cover is bent and rubbing on the pulley, the belt is rubbing somewhere or the belt is tensioned too tightly.

But at that price for a R33 (assuming everything else is good), I wouldn't worry too much. Just budget a replacement engine or a rebuild.

To the best of everyone's knowledge the k's are legit. Was imported, purchased and used on 5 occasions, 3 inc getting the shopping. Will be doing a more in depth look in a couple of weeks and taking a gtr owner with me, so he can let me know of anything else to look for. Will pop off some covers and have a snoop on the next visit.

It could be as easy as an accessory belt idler or accessory bearing, or as potentially sinister as a timing belt idler or even a worn harmonic balancer. Bit hard to tell with just a video though.

To the best of everyone's knowledge the k's are legit. Was imported, purchased and used on 5 occasions, 3 inc getting the shopping. Will be doing a more in depth look in a couple of weeks and taking a gtr owner with me, so he can let me know of anything else to look for. Will pop off some covers and have a snoop on the next visit.

They aren't legit, unless you mean 255,000kms.

Edited by BuuBox

55k windback km? That engine bay doesn't look too flash.

The whirring noise sounds like timing belt. Either the cover is bent and rubbing on the pulley, the belt is rubbing somewhere or the belt is tensioned too tightly.

But at that price for a R33 (assuming everything else is good), I wouldn't worry too much. Just budget a replacement engine or a rebuild.

i have to agree

the belt on my 32 was too tight and sounded very similar to this...

but judging off that clip motor doesn't look like its got 55 xxxkm i wouldn't be trusting what people have to say about the kms

The car isn't really in a local area, it's about 400km return. When I return l'll be doing a more in depth look, will do a compression test inspect the heck out of everything. In the cars defence, it was parked in an open sidded shed, out on a farm over a year ago. There is wasp nests and mouse/rat crap everywhere and urine scented interior. The video was taken after the car had been started for approximatly 5 mins. This is the first time it was started since parked in the car. I have heard from a few sources that due to it sitting so long the lifters could dry out which could have been the noise. Unfortunately after the test drive I didn't pay attention to whether the noise was still there, (shake head). Unsure at the moment of the cars history, the owner and knowledge of the vehicle wasn't there at the time, it was only his son, (there's the car, over in the shed) knew it was a gtr and black? That was really all.

Consider the expression "Dont buy other people's problems". Ignore the kms when considering it because they're regularly dodged, and there's always a story around why its so low. Buy based on condition, and by the looks of it that thing is a high kms pile of crap. So only buy if its really cheap and you want a fixer upper/something to restore. If you want something to just get in and drive, get something else.

  • 2 weeks later...

I read through this whole thread before watching the video in the OP - There's no way that car has only done 55,000km, regardless of how 'neglected' it was. I'd run in the opposite direction, unless it was sub 10k, then maybe.

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