hi and welcome. you've come to the right place for info. you already seem to have a bit of a head start from your mates so all is good. but hang around here for a while and you'll be teaching them a few things.
one bit of advice, wait as long as it takes to find the perfect car for you. no point in compromising and having to live with it. there is a "what to look for" thread in the diy/how-to section i think. really helpful when buying a skyline