scathing

I'm a big fan of GOR, and indeed most coast roads. The run from Cairns up to the Daintree is also a nice piece of windy road. I should be down in Melbourne around F1 weekend - I'll find time to take the GOR again. But yeah, the amount of idiots who can't operate a motor vehicle (whether it be a car or bike) on that road astounds me. Whether its tourists who want to look at every last rock and leaf, and ignore the turn-out lanes, or amateur targa racers that can't stay in 1 lane......I wonder how these people have stayed alive for so long.

Caveat emptor. I don't know how the Department of Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs are going to help you when the seller isn't a trader.

What are the Pilot / Pilot Sports then?

The only thing I don't like about the auto coupe is the foot operated e-brake. Give me a hand brake any day. The travel on the foot e-brake is just too far up, so you have to lift your left leg a lot higher than you would with a clutch.

Yeah, I was about to say that the CVT auto only comes in the sedan. I was having a chat when I drove the Pilkington's, and he thought he was getting a CVT in his coupe. Turns out there isn't one, which confused his Japanese contact when he was asking if they'd bought the "8 speed or the manual" and the guy kept replying, "No, auto!" It wasn't until he'd bought and paid for it that he found out it was only available in the 4 door.

DS series pads squeal. Its part and parcel of using a proper (semi) race pad. Its like complaining about how loud a 3.5" straight-through exhaust is......

In my current situation (i.e. I want a very quick street car that I can do track work and motorsport with) I'd take an R34 GT-R. But if I've gone off motorsport and going on high speed cruises through national parks and country or coast roads, I'd take the V35 350GT. The car's fine for rapid drives on said public roads, but its not something you're going to fling through Galston Gorge or the tight inclined sections of the Nasho.

The market's looking pretty good so far. There was enough interest at the BBQ day. And I think the guy who was importing it said he was getting a fair amount of enquiries. When I was at Peter Pilkington's garage getting stuff done to my car he had 2-3 people coming in to ask about the one he had parked out front. The guy who repaired my Brant today is also doing auto electrical work on V35s for Compliance, and he's seriously thinking about buying one. And if they're popping up in showrooms as "mainstream" as the used car yard in Artarmon (which sells Peugeot / Citroens and used cars) it mustn't be too bad.

What does the tricky auto in the coupe do?

The Monaro costs less in the US than it does in Australia, and considering its made in Australia that's quite impressive. Now that's not fair. But in this case the cars have to be shipped by relatively low volume means, have customs and duty paid on them, and then complied. And that's before you even factor in the importer's profit margin to keep their company afloat. How much are they in Japan for one in decent condition?

Just sell it to a CA18DE-equipped Silvia owner. You won't get much for it, since the only guys who install RB20's into S13s are people who think that it'll cost them less than an SR20, but at least you'll get something.

Works = good Doesn't work = bad You're going to have to be a bit more descriptive over what you're experiencing. There's way too much to get into when it comes to determining an engine's condition.

CRD had a set of those rims ages ago, and they hadn't sold in months. They ordered a set, but not in the size shipped so they got stuck with them and had to order another set. I think they were 19x9 front and 19x10 rear or something. They looked hot, but I couldn't afford them.

I see your car parked on the road every day as I head home from work.

How is it a rip-off? Its a relatively new car (compared to the R3x series of Skylines), which will probably have low kilometres, and its a luxury GT with all the mod cons. Its hardly the target market of a GT-R owner, and so you shouldn't compare it like that. Its a lot better, interior-wise, than a 350Z which starts at over $60K new. And unless you're a brand Nazi its a much better luxo tourer than any sub-$100K car on the Australian market. I'd take one over a 325Ci / CLK280.

Artistic license is the euphamism people give for their mistakes.

Cheers Cowie. Beats me having to look through several editions of Wheels spread over 3 locations to find the latest pat-on-the-back they gave themselves over the name.

Just curious as to why you'd have both an M5 and RS4, and use the bigger of the two cars as the daily driver. I'd probably amalgamate both of those and get an RS6 Avant

I test drove a 350GT today. The auto. Only had 8000kms on the clock, I believe. It was imported by the Pilkingtons. Absolutely lovely GT. I'd love to take a Soarer for a test drive to compare, but if I wanted a luxury coupe, I'd have one in a second. Everything closes with a reassuring solidity. The car responds well to steering, but of course the slushbox dampens throttle response. The engine feels nice and strong, of course. The VQ35 always does through the midrange. I didn't really get to rev it out or take corners at any high speed, driving through the CBD and all, but its just firm but cushy. Reminds me of my dad's 3 series BMW, but just with power. Its not something you'd enjoy throwing around a track or down a tight touge road (its a little too heavy and soft), but on a more open flowing road it would be so stable and plush to drive. The best part was the seats. Electrically adjustable. A velour or alcantara (can't remember which) centre with leather bolsters. They're supportive and so comfortable. People rave about the 350Z seats - they've got nothing on the 350GT seats. And the rear seats look about as usable as on any Skyline coupe, which is a plus.

Ironic, isn't it? But yeah, you can thank Nissan Australia for the failure of the Australian delivered R32 GT-R. "Godzilla" or not, no-one that wasn't filthy rich in the early 90's was going to pay $107K+ for a Japanese car. And they could have gotten the car a shitload cheaper if they hadn't foisted the Maxima upon us.

There's a slight difference between mistyping 90/91 instead of 91/92, and saying that "Godzilla" refers to the RB26DETT or that its the ATTESSA's fault.

I'd probably suggest a defensive driver training course first. Skid pan work is great for working out how to bring a car back once you lose control, but a defensive driver training course would hopefully stop you from getting into one in the first place.

As I said in my original post, its actually on the cover of the Wheels magazine that the R32 GT-R was reviewed in. Back in 1989. They made mention of it in the last half a year, with the GTR Proto release. I'll see if I can find that page and take a photo of it (I don't have a scanner).

So many wrong answers, and people ignoring the right ones.

I hope your car's not lowered or running stiff suspension. Its choppy and broken in a lot of places. If the run was smoothish I'd love it, but I always bottom out somewhere.