joshuaho96

R34 engine is not a problem, it looks like they actually modified it to fit the original R33 harness, you can see the power transistor/ignitor pack on the back of the spark plug cover. As far as BAR is concerned you just broke the original engine and put in replacement parts to fix it. As long as the engine has all the same parts as the original 1995 car it will pass for emissions purposes. They won't spend a ton of time hassling you because you put a different CAS sensor and repinned the CAS harness. Their primary concern is stuff like making sure you have a factory downpipe, the right cats, factory PCV, intake, turbos, ECU, etc. Sean Morris is the one that actually goes and discovers what happens when you try to register a car. If you read the CARB site page on direct import they mention a limited exemption for people that own their car a full year or more before moving back to California, but they actually quietly changed the regulations there to close that loophole back in 2017. Sean follows these regulatory changes closely. It is looking like even though CARB claims an equipment exemption for OBD compliance on direct import, the DMV will not register a 1996+ car that is missing OBD2. There is no procedure to smog a 1996+ car with no OBD2 connector so you can't pass the smog referee. The FTP-75 test is a drive cycle test, so it is about how much NOx, HC, and CO the car emits per mile over a ~23 minute temperature controlled dyno run. So the R34 engine is no problem as long as you don't have anything problematic like a low temperature thermostat or faulty evap canister. The 1995s spiking in price is entirely related to US demand, they're by far the most common and arguably the least desirable for those outside of CA. Series 3 has the HIDs, a better airbag setup, better ABS, trunk rigidity reinforcements, and a different front lip that looks better to most. Also a different front bumper with oil cooler cutout. If not for CA's inane emissions laws I would get a series 2 or 3 VSpec instead of faffing about with a series 1.

The R33 is supposed to be more refined in a number of ways. Less front heavy, less rotational inertia, more chassis rigidity, less front lift, lower drag coefficient, etc. ATTESA is less on-off in its behavior, it starts applying more FWD earlier on to help make the car more progressive. But it's a bigger car. It's pretty long, almost exactly the same dimensions as a BMW M4, just not as wide. The R32 and R34 are more compact, but also means that the two seats in the back are vestigial. The R33 is probably the most unstable under trailbraking from what I've heard though, especially the series 1/2 which have different ABS compared to series 3. The engine and transmission are basically identical to the R32, nothing to write home about there. Interior is pretty similar to the R32, just slightly modified. Seats are basically identical too. Only difference is driver side airbag is standard, passenger side optional in 1995 and standard 1996-1998. If you're after a raw experience the R32 is the most wild of the 3. If you find that you want more space and more refined tuning then R33 is a lot cheaper than the R34 while delivering most of the driving experience, if you can overlook the MFD and some aero bits.

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n362292896 Garage Yoshida posted up a new R33. This isn't very stock though, it would take some work to get it ready for CA emissions.

What do you feel is missing from the R32?

R33 is going to drive more like the R34, the chassis is better laid out, more rigid, better aero. The R32 is really its own thing. At low speeds it will be the most tail-happy of the three, at high speeds it will understeer a lot. Also, the R33 is American sized because the coupe and sedan are about the same length. Or if you're Japan-sized, 4 real adults will fit in the car.

Yeah when I got a PPI I had to pay 800 dollars to make it worth someone's time. Also helped that a friend of his was willing to make an introduction.

If you want an R32 that might be ok, there are a ton more options out there for R32s if you want one. If you want an R33 that Garage Defend one might be ok if you revert the critical parts back to stock. Do a detailed inspection though. I'm still a little skeptical. The VIN plate looks like someone blasted it badly with something, that's pretty questionable. Get a proper auction sheet and vehicle history to make sure it hasn't been in an accident, check the car out properly, etc...

Why the AC controls are in the center armrest is a real mystery... I honestly would not be afraid of 200,000 km+ cars, the one I ended up buying was at 280,000 km on the odometer, verified mileage as well. But the condition was decent and a good starting point for what I have planned. https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/700056070630190222001.html Have you looked at this one? Seems mostly stock. Even if there is a bit of rust starting on the strut towers, as long as it isn't visible from the bottom in the wheel well or on top in the engine bay you can save them by pulling the engine, cutting open the strut towers along the welds, cleaning it off, coating everything, and rewelding. No new metal is needed. But if you let it get too far the strut tower strength is compromised. It's going to happen to pretty much every R33, just a question of when. I checked GTNet and they had better photos on their site, the strut towers are 100% rusting. If you want, one approach is to get that car and drive it immediately to a place like Garage Yoshida to start the restoration process. https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/19/700110075030170328002.html This one is basically flawless. https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/18/700130031930190716001.html This one seems like it might be ok? Mostly stock, sounds like they have service records. The center console surround piece has clearly been shoddily repainted, the texture is totally off as is color. I'm guessing it was peeling/melting like half of these cars I see.

I think you linked this one before. Just factor in the cost of repairing the pinch weld or maybe just clean up the rust, treat with primer and pretend it never happened. It's not really that the pinch weld itself matters outside of the factory scissor jack, just that bending it causes the corrosion to start there. Generally speaking you need to engage the flats next to the pinch weld with jack stands/etc, just dropping the car on jack stands without an adapter is going to end poorly. I think if you really want a flawless car you're just going to have to bide your time and be prepared to drop quite a bit of money on it. I also found this in Australia, has anyone checked this one out? Could be a good candidate: https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/fawkner/cars-vans-utes/1995-nissan-skyline-s1-r33-gtr-lp2/1215952275

For R33s at least there's nothing out there I think that really meets what you're looking for so the answer is to just wait and see if you want one of those. Auctions are closed right now but they'll start up again soon, there are a number of brokers like garage defend that inspect auction cars. Toprank is another option, I think they're probably hoping to get rid of that QM1 R33 but with known accident damage that price is kind of hard to justify. I think if you press harder they will be willing to look at auction cars as well.

Use the VIN listed from the site and use CarVX to get your own info. They will pull auction sheets + photos and you get a much better idea of the life the car lived. Also, for some reason the blue VIN plate is removed. I wonder why. Driver side door is not matching color of the fenders either. Passenger side near the bottom of the door card you can see the frame exposed for some reason, not sure if that's normal, the latch is also missing the surround piece on the door card. Pinch welds are not crushed super badly near the jacking points but visible rust. If your heart is not set on the R33, Toprank has R32s already landed in CA and they can do CA compliance as well: https://www.importavehicle.com/vehicles/311/1992-nissan-skyline-gt-r

If you're still interested in the R33 this might be worth checking out: http://jdm-expo.com/vehicle-inventory/659-skyline-gtr-sale.html

You likely have a problem with a driveshaft out of balance. Generally speaking these kinds of speed-dependent vibrations are a balance issue.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/nissan/skyline-r33/r33-gtr-v-spec---tasteful-extras-lovely-example/9899804 Could be good, just in the UK. Get a PPI, that price is low and not a lot of photos.

The trouble is he needs to get a stock 1995 for registration purposes. Only allowable changes are air/oil separators/catch cans which do not vent to atmosphere, catback exhaust. Anything from the air filter to the last catalytic converter/O2 sensor cannot be modified. ECUs cannot be modified except for emissions compliance purposes. Also, big cams will certainly fail emissions, they do the full FTP-75 drive cycle test and you have to stay within CARB 1995 emissions limits. FTP-75 drive cycle: https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/cycles/ftp75.php CARB emissions standards: https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/us/ld_ca.php#lev The current CA compliance package is a set of precats welded to the downpipe/front pipe, new main cats that are all CARB certified, and a number of other mystery changes that are a trade secret. Ignition timing changes are definitely a part of it. You also need to have the car completely stock before you bring it in and in good condition. They inspect the car for modified vacuum lines, stock ECU, etc. After registration modification gets easier, especially if you know someone that will pass anything. Just don't get pulled over for street racing and you'll never have to revert back to stock.

What is your chassis code? Should be basically identical across all R34s.

ID1050x is nothing to write home about if you aren't running some crazy low voltage from a weak alternator/battery on the injectors or super high fuel pressure. The spray pattern is a narrow 5 degree cone, right into the intake valve divider in the head. I would get the Bosch 040 ~980cc injectors. Run ~3.5-4 bar of fuel pressure and you should be fine. 30 degree cone works better than the 5 degree cone, most of it will go towards the intake valves instead. Make sure to get them properly matched or tuning will be a pain.

Haltech Elite ECUs have OBD2 port function over CAN but the functions are highly limited, it just sets the CEL based on the same logic as the Nissan OEM ECU such as open circuit/closed circuit detection or maybe storing momentary faults at most. When CARB says they want OBD2 compliance they really mean you need to have full drive cycle monitoring. So you need to be able to detect the catalytic converter efficiency and report when it is below the specified standard. You also need to be able to detect if the vapor recovery system has a leak exceeding a certain flow rate. These kinds of test cycles need to happen for every single emissions control system, misfire detection, etc... Also, you cannot have a programmable ECU. Aftermarket ECUs are programmable so that's not a workable solution. Needless to say the CA emissions problem is a huge pain in the neck. Most people have tried the easy solutions. Most people give up and register in another state with more lax emissions regulations but if you go that route you will live in fear that a police officer will make your life very difficult during any given traffic stop.

Yeah, you missed a KN6 VSpec that was pretty clean. Interior was a bit munged but pretty solid otherwise. HJA had a super clean MNP R33 that was 100% stock as well. If I wasn't a weird obsessive person about having the VSpec suspension + A-LSD I would've gone for it. The issue he's having is that he wants to register the car in California, which mandates OBD2 compliance for all cars 1996 and above. Phase-in began around 1994, my dad has a 1994 Camry that has both the OBD1 Toyota DLC connector and OBD2 for this reason. For 1995 R33s, CA emissions compliance is 10k USD. For 1996+ R33 and R34 compliance is projected to be ~50k USD, OBD2 requires replacing a bunch of emissions components for monitoring purposes and also an entire piggyback ECU that does all of the monitoring, sets CELs, and has the OBD2 port + protocol. It's all entirely useless because early OBD2 cars often did not follow the standard correctly so only MY 2000 and above are subject to the OBD2 emissions tests. Everything older needs to use the traditional sniffer test anyways. Needless to say this is why many Japanese sports cars were discontinued or gimped in CA after 1995.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWiaxBl7kM&feature=youtu.be http://topranktrade.jp/stockdetail/14384 Toprank has this QM1 R33 listed for sale. At first glance I don't see any signs of trouble, could be worth checking out further. Toprank is also partnered with IVI in the US so you will have someone that already has a working relationship with CEE for California emissions. Frankly George Gemayel is hard to reach and he's aware of his unique market position as the gatekeeper for California registration so having someone that can help the process along and is frequently there for R&D + delivering and collecting cars is helpful.

When it comes to jacking points people often screw it up horribly because of a few reasons: 1. They use a forklift to recover a car on the track. You are not supposed to put pressure on the edge of the pinch weld. When the forklift raises the car it folds the pinch weld over and crushes it. Paint flakes off and then the corrosion starts. 2. They used a floor jack on the pinch weld. You should never do this regardless of what floor jack you use. 3. They weren't careful when lowering a car onto jack stands and did not use the proper pinch weld adapters for the jack stands. You should always use a rubber U-block that uses the flat portions around the pinch weld, not the edge of it. If you look at the scissor jack included in the trunk this is how they work. They also have a very slow action to reduce the odds of excessive force crushing them in. Generally speaking the 4 pinch weld jack points are only safe to use on a 2 or 4 post lift with the appropriate adapters and for the scissor jack. Otherwise only use it for jack stands. I have talked to multiple body shop workers about what you have to do to fix bent pinch welds and the answer was not a good one. It is a pretty painful feeling to screw those up as they are formed through the merge of multiple panels and sealed up in a way that is almost impossible to replicate.

That one is ok, as you can see in picture 38 someone mangled the jacking point and it's rusting out but I couldn't spot anything else super obvious. Pretty honest seller to include that in there. So you will have to price the repair of that in. Toprank was relatively low pressure all things considered. I put down a deposit and they gave me a full two weeks to mull it over and a ton of time to organize a PPI, get a lot of photos + video, etc. And they do have quite the operation out there, if you go to the PDI center you'll often encounter a car stripped to the frame for restoration if a customer requests it. Another source of cars to consider is Global Auto or HJA. I believe HJA is one of the best importers in the UK, they are extremely thorough in documenting the cars with photos so you can assess condition pretty well even remotely. Helps that most of their cars are already good to go to begin with.

I'm no mechanical engineer, anyone care to weigh in on the differences between something like the Nitto spline drive vs Supertec?

On that silver R33 you linked the shift knob has been replaced, if you look at a car with actual ~160k km you will see quite a lot of wear and tear on the steering wheel and shift knob. I will PM you a link to the car I got with links of the auction listing vs the condition when sold. Also, for some reason part of the PCV hose seems to be like a garden hose or something, you need to fix that and get rid of the pods if you really want to do CA registration. I would also make sure to inspect carefully, the hood does not look like it has an even gap relative to the fenders on the left and right side. Might be accident damage. As others have mentioned the plenum has 100% been repainted, a car with any substantial amount of miles is going to have a lot of paint flaking off the plenum. A lot of importers clean this stuff up to make it more presentable. You do need to go out and PPI these things, never buy a car sight unseen. That KN6 R33 has really poor strut tower repair, a proper repair will be very hard to perceive. If you follow Garage Yoshida at all, a ton of their work these days is strut tower repair and you can see what a proper repair should be: http://www.garage-yoshida.net/process_strut.html If I had to choose between the two honestly I would go with the KN6 R33, and even then I would tread carefully, absolutely need to get these cars on a lift and see what's going on underneath, stuff like pinch welds are often mangled and rusting out. And if the strut towers and pinch welds are rusting out, a real horror show is awaiting when you take off the front cowling which is another common rust point. A lot of these companies are counting on people to buy sight unseen and not really know what to look for.

Those kits are very popular in Japan right now. Haven't heard any complaints yet.