R32 GTR impression

[deadushki]

a questio for all of you guys who drive R32s. Is it a viable option for someone on a budget? i will have no more then $30k to spend on a car, i am thinking about importing R32 GTR. should fit my budget. but the question is, what is the general condition you get for a 32 model? i mean the car is arount 13-15 years old, so it is ...old! I dont want to buy a car and spend more money fixing it. i know there is always risk of something going wrong, even with brend new cars, but generally speaking. hope my question makes sence!

Could everyone please put down there personal experiences with imported R's?

Cheers, Vlad

[[WLDCRD]]

dont buy one if you havent got extra money lying around incase something breaks on it. Its not cheap. Ask anyone here with a GTR that's had to rebuild or is facing a rebuild.

[BigBlueR32]

Have a "10k around for when something breaks fund"

they will break.. and its not going to be cheap.. awsome car though.. but I just love the R32

[Sumo]

I want an r33 GTR, but finance will be an issue for me too.... I mean, who has $10k just lying around for no intended purposes?

I drive like a grandma tho, So hopefully I would get longer out of it then most others.

[psybic]

Who has 10k spare?? YOU DO!

If you only spend $20K on the car, you have $10K spare don't you?

You can easily get an R32 GTR in the country and on the road for less than $20K. In pretty nice looking condition too. There are heaps on J-Spec for around $17-$18k landed and complied.

Then you get it, compression test it and do what you gotta do. For the extra $10K you got, you could have a nice reliable example. Just don't go for power before making sure its got good cooling and and stuff.

[deadushki]

WLDCRD and BigBlueR32, is that from personal experience? what happened?

post edited

[Morgs]

']dont buy one if you havent got extra money lying around incase something breaks on it. Its not cheap. Ask anyone here with a GTR that's had to rebuild or is facing a rebuild.

:werd:

[[[d a n n y]]]

10K wouldnt be enuff

i spent 26K last year on the car 25K this year on rebuilding it

bought the car had it for 4months bnad engine gone.

and then band turbo went after rebuild and another rebuild.

they are a money pit with no bottom

[[WLDCRD]]

$2500 45 mins after picking up a car that was already here. Clutch died when i went to fill up with petrol. Hadnt even tried launching it. I think the previous owner did some huge launches while the bank cheque was clearing.

Fast forward 3 months and I find out that i have very little compression in the 6th cylinder (about 1/3 of what the others were reading). I am spending 10k for the bottom end rebuild and strengthening.

My car has been off the road since the begining of Jan. Its been out of action longer than its been on the roads. All this because the previous owner was a tight ass and did an el cheapo patch job. He also lied about parts that were on the car.

So, be prepared for worst case scenario. Not all GTR's have problems. Some are in pretty good condition. When you import, its pretty much luck of the draw. I got mine RACV checked (which is a load of crap in my opinion) to find out any and all issues. If you buy one from here (Australia) then you will be paying more but at least you could take it to your mechanic (which is the best way) to get it fully checked out. Compression tests are your friend!

Remember, you dont have to buy 89 models. There are a few later models R32 GTRs for sale for aorund the same price. Just be patient.

[Amaru]

Day I picked mine up (92 model, got it back in 2003) it blew one of the turbos... put HKS 2530's on as they wernt much more than rebuilt highflows at the time. Had it 2 days and the gearbox went bang and one of the valve guides had snapped scoring a piston and bore so it needed a rebuild.

Spent ridiculous amounts of money on the car bringing it up to standard since.

They do require some money and alot of care to keep them in good condition, but are absolutely awesome cars.

[deadushki]

so what should i do? if i do decide to import one, which is a prefered way for me, should i take it to a mechanic right away and get it all checked out? like compression test, maybe take the head off and have a good look, check turbos? would that keep me on a safer side?

man, it is very tempting to get a GTR, but so far only people with more or less painful experiences have replied, so that is putting me down just a bit! :looney:

[djr81]

IMHO you are better off paying a little more for a better car than buying the cheapest R32 you can find. Don't get fixated on a $20 grand mark. $20 grand GT-R's do exist, but by and large they are not pretty. Budget about $25k for a goodun & look after it. Take time finding it & make sure you get it looked at by someone who understands them.

By the way - parts and gear are not necessarily that expensive. Costs rise because people mostly want all the good gear going in when they rebuilt engines etc. You don't for the sake of the argument have to put forged pistons in a rebuilt RB26.

Also, running costs are alot more than for an ordinary car. 98 octane will be about 10% more expensive per litre, you will use much more of it, tyres are more expensive, synthetic lubricants more expensive, as is insurance etc etc etc.

Having said that - a GT-R is probably going to be the best car you will ever own. Certainly mine is. I have had it two years now & no engine rebuilds, no gearbox replacements, just the normal servicing requirements. The only money spent on upgrades/replacements is because I wanted it to go harder.

[djr81]

so what should i do? if i do decide to import one, which is a prefered way for me, should i take it to a mechanic right away and get it all checked out? like compression test, maybe take the head off and have a good look, check turbos? would that keep me on a safer side?

man, it is very tempting to get a GTR, but so far only people with more or less painful experiences have replied, so that is putting me down just a bit! :looney:

Unless you can get one in under RAWS/SEVS you are basically too late to import one. The 15 year rule is gone.

A compression test is not a bad idea.

Don't take the head off it - you don't need to.

Stock turbos are cheap (a few hundred dollars each) so you are better to concentrate on the engine than the turbos.

Not sure why people with good experiences keep quiet about it - but there are plenty out there.

Also, be aware that has been in Oz for a reasonable length of time is likely to have had things fixed. Buying a car like this means you don't have to fix everything yourself - stuff is already done.

[gtrken]

so what should i do? if i do decide to import one, which is a prefered way for me, should i take it to a mechanic right away and get it all checked out? like compression test, maybe take the head off and have a good look, check turbos? would that keep me on a safer side?

man, it is very tempting to get a GTR, but so far only people with more or less painful experiences have replied, so that is putting me down just a bit! :looney:

Once you have imported it, you own it, good or bad.

If your at all concerned about that then suggest you only buy one already here and get it checked by a competent w/shop who are familiar with them.

We are based in WA and see GTR's all the time here and there are still some good ones come in. Not many, but a few. Our price for a full inspection including cylinder leakage and compression test is $180.

BTW, the 89 import rule is closed now and all future ones will have to be near stock plus compliancing will be more expensive.

Makes the ones already here a lot more attractive now.

Cheers

Ken

[slow13dude]

Yeah, plenty of 89 GTRs already in the country, with punks trying to profiteer off them! Try the private sale, but insist on a compression test etc. It's like importing but without the waiting!

[[WLDCRD]]

i agree with djr81....however with mine, I was told that engine was rebuilt, gearbox rebuilt, and had a new clutch. As it turns out, clutch was reco'd, engine wasnt rebuilt but more patched up...which made the problem worse, and so far so good with the gearbox. If they say its been fixed, its not such a bad idea to check where and when it got fixed, then you could simply call the place up and enquire about it. This however is not really neccessary. Its just an extra precaution. You dont need to pull the head off to check what the deal is within the block. Compression and leak down tests are the best ways of finding out if the motor has any issues. Like djr81 said, its better to take the car to a place that knows GTRs than just your average mechanic.

[djr81]

Yeah, plenty of 89 GTRs already in the country, with punks trying to profiteer off them!  Try the private sale, but insist on a compression test etc.  It's like importing but without the waiting!

Not everyone trying to sell a car is trying to profiteer...

There are some, but you only have to ask a couple of straight forward questions to figure it out.

On the other hand there are also alot of people trying to talk down the prices & the desirability of the GT-R's. Their motives are less straightforward...

Buying a Skyline is not inherently different from buying any other car. You need to know what you are looking at and be realistic with your expectations.

[slow13dude]

Not everyone trying to sell a car is trying to profiteer...

There are some, but you only have to ask a couple of straight forward questions to figure it out.

On the other hand there are also alot of people trying to talk down the prices & the desirability of the GT-R's.  Their motives are less straightforward...

Buying a Skyline is not inherently different from buying any other car.  You need to know what you are looking at and be realistic with your expectations.

Perhaps not all are trying to profiteer. But there's far too many 89 GTRs that are *just registered*. Connect the dots. If they bought for themselves they wouldn't be trying to sell 2 weeks after it clears the compliance workshop.

[djr81]

Perhaps not all are trying to profiteer.  But there's far too many 89 GTRs that are *just registered*.  Connect the dots.  If they bought for themselves they wouldn't be trying to sell 2 weeks after it clears the compliance workshop.

I agree. Good questions to ask are:

Why did you buy it?

How long have you had it?

Why are you selling it?

If you elicit honest answers then you are probably half way there.

[slow13dude]

Here's the typical ad I'm talking about (although not a GTR):

Just landed - this r32 GTST skyline has seeminly high klms ( 210K klms showing) but was converted from non turbo to turbo so it is likely that the engine and gearbox have not travelled this distance. car has minor dents and scratches but this is a bargain opportunity to get into such a car for such a cheap price. also has 2 deck CD system and sports exhaust. compliance and RWC not included. no offers.