RE: PH Heroes: R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R
Discussion
Bizzle said:
A lot of R32GTR's these days are still in fairly good nick if you get then straight of the boat from Japan. Unfortunatly those that have been in the UK a while don't get undersealed and get maintained by people who don't have a bloody clue what they are doing
I'd disagree - the majority which have come into the UK in the last two or three years have been junk.Prices for decent ones are often higher in Japan than over here now.
Bizzle said:
and are piloted by people who can't drive stright into curbs, lamp posts or motorway bridges.
I drove one into a a tunnel wall - any use?
Trommel said:
Bizzle said:
A lot of R32GTR's these days are still in fairly good nick if you get then straight of the boat from Japan. Unfortunatly those that have been in the UK a while don't get undersealed and get maintained by people who don't have a bloody clue what they are doing
I'd disagree - the majority which have come into the UK in the last two or three years have been junk.Prices for decent ones are often higher in Japan than over here now.
Bizzle said:
and are piloted by people who can't drive stright into curbs, lamp posts or motorway bridges.
I drove one into a a tunnel wall - any use?I have seen some really shabby stuff being sold for £9-10k.
If you get a good one keep it.
I had an R33 GTST which was running 400rwhp which was a right laugh! I think there might still be some pictures around of it. Mine was stickered up and it was an event taking it out each time, people wanting photos etc..
Edited by The GMan on Wednesday 5th March 16:32
Trommel said:
Bizzle said:
A lot of R32GTR's these days are still in fairly good nick if you get then straight of the boat from Japan. Unfortunatly those that have been in the UK a while don't get undersealed and get maintained by people who don't have a bloody clue what they are doing
I'd disagree - the majority which have come into the UK in the last two or three years have been junk.Prices for decent ones are often higher in Japan than over here now.
Bizzle said:
and are piloted by people who can't drive stright into curbs, lamp posts or motorway bridges.
I drove one into a a tunnel wall - any use?I would be very tempted to get one if i hadn't just bought one of the very few UK registered 4 door R34's <huge grin>
I live in Japan and lots of R32s are on the roads, in fact i see one most days. The R32 is probably the most numerous skyline, the only one that is fairly rare even here is the R34.
Might be the case that lots of shabby ones abound in the UK but over here there are some lovely examples too.
A tendency exists for foreign buyers to get the cheapest cars they can at auction in Japan and then wonder why they dont look or drive like the road test cars in the magazines.
The reality is that a good R32 will cost a fair bit if its unfettled and if its tuned well and by a big name tuning house then it will add value to the car.
Luckily they still dont cost a huge amount of money and they are worth every penny.
Its better to go to a through a dealer with this type of car than an auction house.
Might be the case that lots of shabby ones abound in the UK but over here there are some lovely examples too.
A tendency exists for foreign buyers to get the cheapest cars they can at auction in Japan and then wonder why they dont look or drive like the road test cars in the magazines.
The reality is that a good R32 will cost a fair bit if its unfettled and if its tuned well and by a big name tuning house then it will add value to the car.
Luckily they still dont cost a huge amount of money and they are worth every penny.
Its better to go to a through a dealer with this type of car than an auction house.
silly chap said:
I live in Japan and lots of R32s are on the roads, in fact i see one most days. The R32 is probably the most numerous skyline, the only one that is fairly rare even here is the R34.
I agree to a point, in Japan the R32 is the GT-R that is seen more often, however there are lots of lower spec 2 and 4 door R33 models driving around.The Japanese auction houses are very reliable, if they say it is mechanically sound, then it is going to be fine. There are plenty of unspoiled R32 GT-Rs for sale and they are hardly expensive
for example
http://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/detail.php?STID=C...
five grand. 20000 miles.
Actually that looks a little too cheap..
In a way, I would rather buy a car from an auction than a dealer, I don't have any trust for dealers in Japan and wouldn't feel to confident about bringing a car back to them once I bought it.
Japanese consumer laws are not that great.
But then again, I am not a trader, and Japanese auctions are trade only as far as I know..
I am about to buy my own car in Japan (company car at the moment) and the entire process is a pain in the ass.
In a way, I would rather buy a car from an auction than a dealer, I don't have any trust for dealers in Japan and wouldn't feel to confident about bringing a car back to them once I bought it.
Japanese consumer laws are not that great.
But then again, I am not a trader, and Japanese auctions are trade only as far as I know..
I am about to buy my own car in Japan (company car at the moment) and the entire process is a pain in the ass.
Just found this on the Skyline owners forum
http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/showthread.php?...
I'm thinking about seeing how much the insuramce would be for it
http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/showthread.php?...
I'm thinking about seeing how much the insuramce would be for it
Having owned a R32 GT-R for 2 years (and now a 420hp R33 GTS-T) I would say 2 things:
1) Spend a LOT of time talking to people and reading stuff on gtr.co.uk and skylineowners.com
2) Buy a car in the UK with known, documented history from someone on the forums.
R32s from Japan often have rust problems (rear arches are common now), and the ones from 4-6k are typically rough and tired examples that will cost a LOT of money to put right. There is NO SUCH THING as a 'bargain GT-R'! I bought an apparently mint example from a well regarded importer with a perfect auction sheet, under-sealed before being driven in the UK and STILL had rusty arches a year later.
Something that people don't consider when buying an R32 GT-R is that you may be getting genuine supercar pace for 10k, but Nissan's part prices and the cost of getting these cars fettled and repaired in the UK is in genuine supercar territory too. I've paid SIGNIFICANTLY LESS to keep any of the Porsches (old or new) on the road than my GT-R.
They are good cars, but if you think you can 'just' afford the sticker price and insurance, you can't afford it. No, seriously, you can't. They have a drinking habit worse than Oliver Reed, and their electronics and hydraulic systems are complicated enough that they are expensive to fix (4WD and 4WS). You need to put aside money for an engine rebuild, because problems with the oil pump, rod bolts, oil galleys and crank are well known.
You need to put aside more money for bodywork, and 2k/year for servicing and general maintenance is VERY conservative (I spent more than double that). Tyres are big and will cost you, and as the car weighs 1600+Kg it will eat disks and pads if you work it hard, and you have to really, or why bother at all?
Upgrading fluid and pads AT A MINIMUM should be done as soon as you get the car, as the article mentioned: the standard brakes are plain SCARY. The race cars had proper brakes, the road cars had brakes straight off the cooking models.
Read points 1 and 2 gain, put in the homework time and buy a well known UK car, put a good chunk of money aside just in case, and buy the best cared-for example you can find, and you will not be disappointed.
1) Spend a LOT of time talking to people and reading stuff on gtr.co.uk and skylineowners.com
2) Buy a car in the UK with known, documented history from someone on the forums.
R32s from Japan often have rust problems (rear arches are common now), and the ones from 4-6k are typically rough and tired examples that will cost a LOT of money to put right. There is NO SUCH THING as a 'bargain GT-R'! I bought an apparently mint example from a well regarded importer with a perfect auction sheet, under-sealed before being driven in the UK and STILL had rusty arches a year later.
Something that people don't consider when buying an R32 GT-R is that you may be getting genuine supercar pace for 10k, but Nissan's part prices and the cost of getting these cars fettled and repaired in the UK is in genuine supercar territory too. I've paid SIGNIFICANTLY LESS to keep any of the Porsches (old or new) on the road than my GT-R.
They are good cars, but if you think you can 'just' afford the sticker price and insurance, you can't afford it. No, seriously, you can't. They have a drinking habit worse than Oliver Reed, and their electronics and hydraulic systems are complicated enough that they are expensive to fix (4WD and 4WS). You need to put aside money for an engine rebuild, because problems with the oil pump, rod bolts, oil galleys and crank are well known.
You need to put aside more money for bodywork, and 2k/year for servicing and general maintenance is VERY conservative (I spent more than double that). Tyres are big and will cost you, and as the car weighs 1600+Kg it will eat disks and pads if you work it hard, and you have to really, or why bother at all?
Upgrading fluid and pads AT A MINIMUM should be done as soon as you get the car, as the article mentioned: the standard brakes are plain SCARY. The race cars had proper brakes, the road cars had brakes straight off the cooking models.
Read points 1 and 2 gain, put in the homework time and buy a well known UK car, put a good chunk of money aside just in case, and buy the best cared-for example you can find, and you will not be disappointed.
Killer2005 said:
Just found this on the Skyline owners forum
http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/showthread.php?...
I'm thinking about seeing how much the insuramce would be for it
Reading the For Sale thread linked above it says: "some rust on both rear arches as is normal" - ahahahaha. That brought tears to my eyes. Steer clear unless you own a bodyshop.http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/showthread.php?...
I'm thinking about seeing how much the insuramce would be for it
Pentoman said:
What is the condition of the bulk of those available for sale these days like? Hopefully nothing like the yellow import mk2 MR2 I followed uphill the other day expecting it to give my old Merc a run for its money, but when he downshifted and floored it there was only smoke, lots of noise, but it couldn't pull the rice off a pudding (or whatever) and held up both me and the Civic behind me. I fear this MR2 is representive of at least 50% of mk2 MR2s for sale, sadly 
. Likewise most of the old cossie Mercs are nails, long past caring ownership and servicing.
Also do the lesser models drive anything like the GT-R? I don't mean in terms of power so much as the rest of the experience. I do like the idea of lots of steering feel!
ETA: That R33 in the pic 2-3 posts above looks absolutely stunning! I have to ask why do 99% of them look bloody awful? Is it standard?
Why would a MR2 be like a skyline?. Likewise most of the old cossie Mercs are nails, long past caring ownership and servicing.Also do the lesser models drive anything like the GT-R? I don't mean in terms of power so much as the rest of the experience. I do like the idea of lots of steering feel!
ETA: That R33 in the pic 2-3 posts above looks absolutely stunning! I have to ask why do 99% of them look bloody awful? Is it standard?
Edited by Pentoman on Wednesday 5th March 15:49
Was the MR2 a turbo? If it had been sound then I doubt you would have been held up, most MR2 turbos would have no problem with a 190e cosworth.
All performance cars can be abused and you have to be carefull about all when buying used, I wouldnt say japanese would be less reliable, and in most cases probably more reliable.
I have some pics of my old skyline on facebook but dont have the energy to figure how to just post the pic.
It was a R33GTST - I will never forget that car and the experiences I had driving it. There is nothing like the sound of a well modified Skyline and nothing I have ever been in gave me the same distinctive noise or feeling.
The R32 GTR was the next step beyond that for me, but sadly my poor experiences and eventual accident in the GTST stopped that plan.
It was a R33GTST - I will never forget that car and the experiences I had driving it. There is nothing like the sound of a well modified Skyline and nothing I have ever been in gave me the same distinctive noise or feeling.
The R32 GTR was the next step beyond that for me, but sadly my poor experiences and eventual accident in the GTST stopped that plan.
Fiddlemesticks said:
mylesmcd said:
i am probably gonna get destroyed for this, but, i think the new gt-r not be AS successfull, as some might think, for the same reason this car wasnt huge in the uk - the badge - the type of guy that buys a 60k car wants some badge qudos to go with it and this is where the nissan lacks, badly. also if you decide to put some after market bits n bobs on it, the only admiring looks the car draws are from teenagers.
I actually disagree on this as the new GT-R is such a bargain, and already has that wow factor because there is literally nothing like it out there and the only thing will limit its presence is not the number of people who want to buy one, but rather the limited numbers available.I think it will sell by the bucketload, have instant classic status and be revered by all. It will turn heads like no current Ferrari or Porsche and for that it already has the right image.
RobCrezz said:
Pentoman said:
What is the condition of the bulk of those available for sale these days like? Hopefully nothing like the yellow import mk2 MR2 I followed uphill the other day expecting it to give my old Merc a run for its money, but when he downshifted and floored it there was only smoke, lots of noise, but it couldn't pull the rice off a pudding (or whatever) and held up both me and the Civic behind me. I fear this MR2 is representive of at least 50% of mk2 MR2s for sale, sadly . Likewise most of the old cossie Mercs are nails, long past caring ownership and servicing.
Also do the lesser models drive anything like the GT-R? I don't mean in terms of power so much as the rest of the experience. I do like the idea of lots of steering feel!
ETA: That R33 in the pic 2-3 posts above looks absolutely stunning! I have to ask why do 99% of them look bloody awful? Is it standard?
Why would a MR2 be like a skyline?. Likewise most of the old cossie Mercs are nails, long past caring ownership and servicing.Also do the lesser models drive anything like the GT-R? I don't mean in terms of power so much as the rest of the experience. I do like the idea of lots of steering feel!
ETA: That R33 in the pic 2-3 posts above looks absolutely stunning! I have to ask why do 99% of them look bloody awful? Is it standard?
Edited by Pentoman on Wednesday 5th March 15:49
EDLT said:
RobCrezz said:
Pentoman said:
What is the condition of the bulk of those available for sale these days like? Hopefully nothing like the yellow import mk2 MR2 I followed uphill the other day expecting it to give my old Merc a run for its money, but when he downshifted and floored it there was only smoke, lots of noise, but it couldn't pull the rice off a pudding (or whatever) and held up both me and the Civic behind me. I fear this MR2 is representive of at least 50% of mk2 MR2s for sale, sadly . Likewise most of the old cossie Mercs are nails, long past caring ownership and servicing.
Also do the lesser models drive anything like the GT-R? I don't mean in terms of power so much as the rest of the experience. I do like the idea of lots of steering feel!
ETA: That R33 in the pic 2-3 posts above looks absolutely stunning! I have to ask why do 99% of them look bloody awful? Is it standard?
Why would a MR2 be like a skyline?. Likewise most of the old cossie Mercs are nails, long past caring ownership and servicing.Also do the lesser models drive anything like the GT-R? I don't mean in terms of power so much as the rest of the experience. I do like the idea of lots of steering feel!
ETA: That R33 in the pic 2-3 posts above looks absolutely stunning! I have to ask why do 99% of them look bloody awful? Is it standard?
Edited by Pentoman on Wednesday 5th March 15:49
This MR2 clearly was as badly maintained as I feared, that was my point!
Love the Mk2 MR2 but so sad to see what they have become.i own a standard r32gtr so i just thought i'd give my opinions/experiences!
if you're going to buy one or even thinking about it the main thing i would say is do your research. this is a car that at best is going to be 14 years old (mine is 15) so you are buying an 'old' car to start with.
i spent over a year looking at r32's and r33's and even thought about getting an r34 (that would have been stretching my budget to the max tho) but i always wanted an r32.
one thing i can say is that you don't get a cheap gtr.if you buy one for 5 grand you're gonna spend that again getting it good.i could be wrong but this is what i have found from looking at around 8-10 in a year or so.there are loads of buying guides around. read them all!! look at the chassis rails underneath,as long as they're straight anything else can be fixed (at a price!)i honestly never noticed much rust on any of them.
when i got this car it had bilstein suspension and 17inch wheels with 255/40/17 tyres all round and handled like a pig.tramlined, skipped over bumps and ripples in tarmac, if this was the only skyline you ever drove you would never buy one, but i knew from others that i drove, that this was down to the suspension and wheels.
now i have it back to standard spec its the best car i have driven.some think the suspension is too soft/high but i think its perfect, the way it handles bumps, ripples,uneven tarmac is fantastic it feels like a rear wheel drive car with just the most awesome traction.steering feel is like no other i've driven before and that includes a mk2 golf gti i had years ago the feel through the wheel is that good.you can drift it around roundabouts, through corners with ease and when you want to straighten it just floor the throttle and you're straight again.its not just as easy as that, you can't be totally stupid but after spending a day out driving it you know what to do.
in reply to neon fox's comments i would have to agree with most but as for putting aside 2 grand a year for servicing and maintenance i guess he must have had a very highly tuned example as from my personal experience for 2007 my costs were;
£120 engine/diff/gearbox oil (engine twice , diff/gearbox once)
£128 uprated brake pads (ferodo, v good)
£30 filters (air/fuel/oil)
£100 extra bits and bobs
£? fuel. it does like super unleaded. i try not to work out mpg as it would break my heart!!
if you need new tyres you can double that sum but that goes for any car.
i covered 7,000 miles last year but i have a little fiesta as well which does about the same miles and costs around a quarter to maintain!
the car weighs 1430kgs with fluids no driver.(i put it on the weghbridge at work)
the brakes are not too bad.if you go to a trackday take a fire extinguisher cos after the first lap they'll be on fire!! but on the road they are just about acceptable. i really want originality but even so i'm thinking of upgrading. AP do some that fit inside the standard 16 inch wheels so maybe i'll do it.the reason for the dodgy brakes is that when it was released groupA regulations said 16inch wheels.they were relaxed a few years later so the Vspec had 17's and brembo's.
insurance is £374 fully comp with A-plan. brilliant, cant fault them. i'm 36 years old full/protected no claims.really nice people.
i paid £9,000 for mine.people say thats dear but to have such a capable car i think its cheap.
beware though, a lot of cars in japan can't pass the japanese MOT after having an accident so the cars get auctioned and shipped here. LOOK AT THE CHASSIS RAILS. i would say half the cars for sale here are accident damaged and are only good for spares.these cars feel crap on the road but if you've never driven a good one you wouldn't know and still think its a good car.
sorry for ranting on, but i love this car. (you can probably tell!!)
if you're going to buy one or even thinking about it the main thing i would say is do your research. this is a car that at best is going to be 14 years old (mine is 15) so you are buying an 'old' car to start with.
i spent over a year looking at r32's and r33's and even thought about getting an r34 (that would have been stretching my budget to the max tho) but i always wanted an r32.
one thing i can say is that you don't get a cheap gtr.if you buy one for 5 grand you're gonna spend that again getting it good.i could be wrong but this is what i have found from looking at around 8-10 in a year or so.there are loads of buying guides around. read them all!! look at the chassis rails underneath,as long as they're straight anything else can be fixed (at a price!)i honestly never noticed much rust on any of them.
when i got this car it had bilstein suspension and 17inch wheels with 255/40/17 tyres all round and handled like a pig.tramlined, skipped over bumps and ripples in tarmac, if this was the only skyline you ever drove you would never buy one, but i knew from others that i drove, that this was down to the suspension and wheels.
now i have it back to standard spec its the best car i have driven.some think the suspension is too soft/high but i think its perfect, the way it handles bumps, ripples,uneven tarmac is fantastic it feels like a rear wheel drive car with just the most awesome traction.steering feel is like no other i've driven before and that includes a mk2 golf gti i had years ago the feel through the wheel is that good.you can drift it around roundabouts, through corners with ease and when you want to straighten it just floor the throttle and you're straight again.its not just as easy as that, you can't be totally stupid but after spending a day out driving it you know what to do.
in reply to neon fox's comments i would have to agree with most but as for putting aside 2 grand a year for servicing and maintenance i guess he must have had a very highly tuned example as from my personal experience for 2007 my costs were;
£120 engine/diff/gearbox oil (engine twice , diff/gearbox once)
£128 uprated brake pads (ferodo, v good)
£30 filters (air/fuel/oil)
£100 extra bits and bobs
£? fuel. it does like super unleaded. i try not to work out mpg as it would break my heart!!
if you need new tyres you can double that sum but that goes for any car.
i covered 7,000 miles last year but i have a little fiesta as well which does about the same miles and costs around a quarter to maintain!
the car weighs 1430kgs with fluids no driver.(i put it on the weghbridge at work)
the brakes are not too bad.if you go to a trackday take a fire extinguisher cos after the first lap they'll be on fire!! but on the road they are just about acceptable. i really want originality but even so i'm thinking of upgrading. AP do some that fit inside the standard 16 inch wheels so maybe i'll do it.the reason for the dodgy brakes is that when it was released groupA regulations said 16inch wheels.they were relaxed a few years later so the Vspec had 17's and brembo's.
insurance is £374 fully comp with A-plan. brilliant, cant fault them. i'm 36 years old full/protected no claims.really nice people.
i paid £9,000 for mine.people say thats dear but to have such a capable car i think its cheap.
beware though, a lot of cars in japan can't pass the japanese MOT after having an accident so the cars get auctioned and shipped here. LOOK AT THE CHASSIS RAILS. i would say half the cars for sale here are accident damaged and are only good for spares.these cars feel crap on the road but if you've never driven a good one you wouldn't know and still think its a good car.
sorry for ranting on, but i love this car. (you can probably tell!!)
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