Nissan Skyline R33 GTR... How ruinous?
Discussion
I'm not in a position to buy one at the moment, but would like to think I could be in a year or two. I'd have an estate as our family run around and my OH just cannot leave our Mk1 Golf Cabrio in the garage so an R33 could be a potential 3rd car.
Just how ruinous would one be doing less than 5k miles a year? I'm sure fuel would be astonishingly bad and I have no doubt servicing and other general costs would probably make me want to cry but, I don't know, I just really cannot stop looking at them recently.
Just how ruinous would one be doing less than 5k miles a year? I'm sure fuel would be astonishingly bad and I have no doubt servicing and other general costs would probably make me want to cry but, I don't know, I just really cannot stop looking at them recently.
GTROC is a good, busy community who will be better to advise than PH, but the RB26 is supposedly a pretty reliable lump, but things to be mindful of a car like that are how well the car has been looked after in its past. The car won't have been driven by Miss Daisy all it's life and they were built to take abuse, providing it was cared for properly.
I'm the West Mids rep for the GTROC, the gtr.co.uk website/forum is actualyl seperate from the GTROC.
Alot of people do that kind of mileage a year, I've had an R33 GTR & R34 GTR and varous GTS'T's, looking at around 16/17 mpg and it's very addictive
, anything you want to know specifically? Would advise doing a search on the gtr.co.uk forum, there are also a few buyers guides there and alot of infomation regarding the 3 "Series" of R33 GTR's, they've nearly come down to their lowest level price as pretty soon you can break them for parts and make your money back if the engine is sound
Alot of people do that kind of mileage a year, I've had an R33 GTR & R34 GTR and varous GTS'T's, looking at around 16/17 mpg and it's very addictive
, anything you want to know specifically? Would advise doing a search on the gtr.co.uk forum, there are also a few buyers guides there and alot of infomation regarding the 3 "Series" of R33 GTR's, they've nearly come down to their lowest level price as pretty soon you can break them for parts and make your money back if the engine is soundCheers for the replies. I am actually browsing the GTR forum now. Unfortunately, I've got caught up in a wheel thread already!
I'm not sure on specific questions, I just wondered in general what they were like to live with. I'm no mechanical expert but have improved massively over the last few years. I just wondered how ruinous they are on general, routine maintenance?
I would love to turn one into a 600bhp monster, but can't see me managing that, fairly standard or stage 1 would do for me I think.
I'm not sure on specific questions, I just wondered in general what they were like to live with. I'm no mechanical expert but have improved massively over the last few years. I just wondered how ruinous they are on general, routine maintenance?
I would love to turn one into a 600bhp monster, but can't see me managing that, fairly standard or stage 1 would do for me I think.
There is a 4dr R33 GTR known as the Autech R33, they're about £20k last I saw in Japan and then all the fees/taxes on top 
- As far as I know there aren't any in the UK nor in Europe as well if you wanted to be different!
They're great cars,between the family we've owned 9 Skyline's and none of them have had an engine trouble, the only issue we have was faulty MAF's (quite common problem,soldering joints dry out) and a turbo exhaust wheel letting go soon after we brought one (fixed by me and had partial funds given by trader.
As long as you buy a good one you should be fine, i'd recommend doing a compression check if you were to be serious, the compression value changes on its spec (cams,bore etc) but at 400bhp looking at fairly standard, as long as it's around 140 or above and within 4/5psi of each other should be a good one.
Alot change their engine oil/filter at 3k and tend to replace the gaerbox/diff oil when they purchase a car unless proof it's been done recently.
The gearboxes can get a bit iffy and using thicker oil (Redline shock proof) tends to eliminate crunching etc, not sure if this is because it masks the problem or you have poor oil in there only way to know would be to strip gearbox apart but some fluid and labour be an easy way to test first? The later R33 GTR's (Series 3) have a different gearbox internally and are stronger than Series 1 & 2 GTR's
Alot of the work can be done DIY, I did it all myself apart from a few things where I couldn't be bothered, but have removed exhaust manifolds/turbos etc to replace gaskets.
Most common problem now on R33 GTR's is rust, the struts at the front are dual layered with a bottom and top layer, water very often gets stuck inbetween these layers and it rusts from the inside out, if you can see surface rust your to late already,though it's about £350 to repair depending on how bad it is properly, garages cutting out old metal and welding in/painting and making it look like new.
I'd also recommened one that hasn't been in country long to avoid rust underneath, though old car's can be fine if wax oil'd regularly, I judge cars on condition and not on age.
I've driven dozens of Skyline's and betweem me and a friend we've owned/driven over 60 I think, also been out in the Top Secret R33 GTR on a track before,google it and you'll see which car it is
They're not to bad to run,as long as you know the right places to look for cheap parts,been in the scene 9 years going on for 10 so built up good knowledge on them, know my R33 GTR's quite well espically
- As far as I know there aren't any in the UK nor in Europe as well if you wanted to be different!They're great cars,between the family we've owned 9 Skyline's and none of them have had an engine trouble, the only issue we have was faulty MAF's (quite common problem,soldering joints dry out) and a turbo exhaust wheel letting go soon after we brought one (fixed by me and had partial funds given by trader.
As long as you buy a good one you should be fine, i'd recommend doing a compression check if you were to be serious, the compression value changes on its spec (cams,bore etc) but at 400bhp looking at fairly standard, as long as it's around 140 or above and within 4/5psi of each other should be a good one.
Alot change their engine oil/filter at 3k and tend to replace the gaerbox/diff oil when they purchase a car unless proof it's been done recently.
The gearboxes can get a bit iffy and using thicker oil (Redline shock proof) tends to eliminate crunching etc, not sure if this is because it masks the problem or you have poor oil in there only way to know would be to strip gearbox apart but some fluid and labour be an easy way to test first? The later R33 GTR's (Series 3) have a different gearbox internally and are stronger than Series 1 & 2 GTR's
Alot of the work can be done DIY, I did it all myself apart from a few things where I couldn't be bothered, but have removed exhaust manifolds/turbos etc to replace gaskets.
Most common problem now on R33 GTR's is rust, the struts at the front are dual layered with a bottom and top layer, water very often gets stuck inbetween these layers and it rusts from the inside out, if you can see surface rust your to late already,though it's about £350 to repair depending on how bad it is properly, garages cutting out old metal and welding in/painting and making it look like new.
I'd also recommened one that hasn't been in country long to avoid rust underneath, though old car's can be fine if wax oil'd regularly, I judge cars on condition and not on age.
I've driven dozens of Skyline's and betweem me and a friend we've owned/driven over 60 I think, also been out in the Top Secret R33 GTR on a track before,google it and you'll see which car it is
They're not to bad to run,as long as you know the right places to look for cheap parts,been in the scene 9 years going on for 10 so built up good knowledge on them, know my R33 GTR's quite well espically
JapFreak786 said:
There is a 4dr R33 GTR known as the Autech R33, they're about £20k last I saw in Japan and then all the fees/taxes on top - As far as I know there aren't any in the UK nor in Europe as well if you wanted to be different!
They're great cars,between the family we've owned 9 Skyline's and none of them have had an engine trouble, the only issue we have was faulty MAF's (quite common problem,soldering joints dry out) and a turbo exhaust wheel letting go soon after we brought one (fixed by me and had partial funds given by trader.
As long as you buy a good one you should be fine, i'd recommend doing a compression check if you were to be serious, the compression value changes on its spec (cams,bore etc) but at 400bhp looking at fairly standard, as long as it's around 140 or above and within 4/5psi of each other should be a good one.
Alot change their engine oil/filter at 3k and tend to replace the gaerbox/diff oil when they purchase a car unless proof it's been done recently.
The gearboxes can get a bit iffy and using thicker oil (Redline shock proof) tends to eliminate crunching etc, not sure if this is because it masks the problem or you have poor oil in there only way to know would be to strip gearbox apart but some fluid and labour be an easy way to test first? The later R33 GTR's (Series 3) have a different gearbox internally and are stronger than Series 1 & 2 GTR's
Alot of the work can be done DIY, I did it all myself apart from a few things where I couldn't be bothered, but have removed exhaust manifolds/turbos etc to replace gaskets.
Most common problem now on R33 GTR's is rust, the struts at the front are dual layered with a bottom and top layer, water very often gets stuck inbetween these layers and it rusts from the inside out, if you can see surface rust your to late already,though it's about £350 to repair depending on how bad it is properly, garages cutting out old metal and welding in/painting and making it look like new.
I'd also recommened one that hasn't been in country long to avoid rust underneath, though old car's can be fine if wax oil'd regularly, I judge cars on condition and not on age.
I've driven dozens of Skyline's and betweem me and a friend we've owned/driven over 60 I think, also been out in the Top Secret R33 GTR on a track before,google it and you'll see which car it is
They're not to bad to run,as long as you know the right places to look for cheap parts,been in the scene 9 years going on for 10 so built up good knowledge on them, know my R33 GTR's quite well espically
Thank you very much for all that! - As far as I know there aren't any in the UK nor in Europe as well if you wanted to be different!They're great cars,between the family we've owned 9 Skyline's and none of them have had an engine trouble, the only issue we have was faulty MAF's (quite common problem,soldering joints dry out) and a turbo exhaust wheel letting go soon after we brought one (fixed by me and had partial funds given by trader.
As long as you buy a good one you should be fine, i'd recommend doing a compression check if you were to be serious, the compression value changes on its spec (cams,bore etc) but at 400bhp looking at fairly standard, as long as it's around 140 or above and within 4/5psi of each other should be a good one.
Alot change their engine oil/filter at 3k and tend to replace the gaerbox/diff oil when they purchase a car unless proof it's been done recently.
The gearboxes can get a bit iffy and using thicker oil (Redline shock proof) tends to eliminate crunching etc, not sure if this is because it masks the problem or you have poor oil in there only way to know would be to strip gearbox apart but some fluid and labour be an easy way to test first? The later R33 GTR's (Series 3) have a different gearbox internally and are stronger than Series 1 & 2 GTR's
Alot of the work can be done DIY, I did it all myself apart from a few things where I couldn't be bothered, but have removed exhaust manifolds/turbos etc to replace gaskets.
Most common problem now on R33 GTR's is rust, the struts at the front are dual layered with a bottom and top layer, water very often gets stuck inbetween these layers and it rusts from the inside out, if you can see surface rust your to late already,though it's about £350 to repair depending on how bad it is properly, garages cutting out old metal and welding in/painting and making it look like new.
I'd also recommened one that hasn't been in country long to avoid rust underneath, though old car's can be fine if wax oil'd regularly, I judge cars on condition and not on age.
I've driven dozens of Skyline's and betweem me and a friend we've owned/driven over 60 I think, also been out in the Top Secret R33 GTR on a track before,google it and you'll see which car it is
They're not to bad to run,as long as you know the right places to look for cheap parts,been in the scene 9 years going on for 10 so built up good knowledge on them, know my R33 GTR's quite well espically
I agree with regards to condition rather than age. Our 22 year old Mk1 Golf is doing pretty well and that was bought due to its condition.
I'd read about the double skinned struts and how they are pretty much a moisture trap, doesn't sound like a deal breaker though.
I know they are getting on abit now and rust is bound to be an issue on many cars, but that goes for many cars.
I will read this many times and I have finally found the buyers guide on gtroc, it isn't for now so sorry if I've wasted your time, but when I'm ready I'm sure all this will come in very handy!
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