rtune

well I did it. I needed first to get a QLD short-term (up to 7 day) CTP , which you can get at a suncorp bank branch with minimal details (vin number, your license). Cost about $60. It isn't called CTP up there, or green slip, it is called class something or other insurance. then you go to queensland transport with your filled out permit form, and the above-mentioned CTP receipt, and you have to write on the form exactly where you will be each day of the proposed trip. That gets you a hand-written white paper you can stick on the windscreen. then you drive back, and cops stop you in byron bay, and get all excited and puffed up until they radio it in and find out everything is legal (byron was written on my proposed route). Finally, you drive through the E tolls into sydney, and give a finger to the camera on the way past. You can also laugh at the speeding cameras en-route (but I was a good boy, helped by the fact that I didn't notice my speedo was a full 10% optimistic vs the GPS unit).

I just got confused reading this .. http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/St...st-t212629.html What does a stock r34 boost to, either typically as displayed on the MFD (the max line marker) or in real life, if there is a difference? I just picked up my newly complied car and the MFD seems to top out at 0.70 (kilopascals) that is just over 10psi or the same as kpa in bar (0.70) .. so, I'm wondering whats up with that. second question, unrelated.. can you buy a replacement LCD panel for the MFD? mine has the nismo logo on it, but a vertical row of pixels lights up in different random colors. If I buy a new MFD then I'll loose the cool nismo mod

I know you can get a permit to drive an unregistered car for purposes related to getting it registered. What I don't know is if the car is to be picked up in brisbane, and taken to sydney.. a) do you need two permits, one NSW RTA and one QLD RTA?, or just one state is enough? b) can you drive it home, rather than mascot motor registry, if your trip means you arrive at night? In the car, you need ..? - import papers - unregistered driving the car permit(s) - compliance paperwork - third party insurance cover-note? is that it? TIA.

If anyone has changed their mind about an R34 prop shaft, then lemme know, I'd take the spot.

Ok thanks, to be more specific, I am pretty sure my car (in compliance) has two GT2860R-7s on it, or at least the nissan oem version of this turbo. The specs I can find match the GT2860R-7. Nismo pdf quote 260ps each, but garrett and pages like this http://www.theboostlab.com/products/GT2860R.html quote "up to 310" for the "-7" (and 360 for the "-5"). So it should be possible to hit 400kw (536hp) at all four on a 2.6, or is that dreaming? best way? * boost to 1.4bar * water meth injection? * port/polish? * hiflow the turbos

I have a dumb question to do with compressor maps.. http://www.ztechz.net/id6.html they appear to be the basis for those charts we all see that list type of turbo and minimum to maximum HP operating range for the turbo.. So my question is, what is that max? a best-case max? or a max assuming a stock engine? If you are at the documented max, is there anything else worth doing apart from buying bigger turbos? eg, this little table is quoted sometimes: GTSS 46.6mm 60.1mm 0.60 0.64 280ps 2510 47.7 60.1 0.60 0.64 300 2530 47.7 60.1 0.60 0.64 320 2540 51.7 76.2 0.60 0.64 350 GTRS 51.2 76.2 0.50 0.64 400 so those numbers at the end: 280ps, 300ps, 320ps, 350ps, 400ps .. (per turbo) are they the absolute max, the sweet spot, exceedable with engine work?

You forget the other drawbacks: there is like only 100kms of freeway and if you cross into Malaysia for a decent drive expect surprise chickens and other things in the road, malay customs find any excuse to shake you down, and so do malay cops. Did the bridge fix the traffic? I remember queuing for an hour in either direction to leave / return. Most of the busy parts are behind a congestion zone pricing system. The traffic is bad, unless you want to drive aimlessly in the small hours. the only point of having a cool car is to drive it the 5 minutes from your condo to one of the dozen or so western hotels, so you can double check that the car is still nice enough for the valet guys to leave out front. I think it is possibly the worst country in the world for a car enthusiast to live in. any prestige cars are 100% trinkets for denoting relative wealth levels: thats all. true memory: some kid in an mr2 once tried to chase me at 7am, and 360'd at the merlion, blocking the bridge. Clogged up the entire morning commute for over an hour. I didn't even notice until my colleagues arriving late told me of the fuss and i realized why he had suddenly vanished from my mirror

done the coast road several times, byron, nimbin and all that jazz but is an inland route worth doing? mountains forests .. ? how about max octane fuel en-route

I'm sure everyone is on the edge of their seats on this one so I'll wrap it up with a semi-happy ending: $180 spent on the above-mentioned german fellow traced the fault to the nissan factory immobilizer .. which was beaten back into shape somehow, and now the car runs as it should have to begin with! I should be able to get my hands on the thing by next week now after compliance finishes up. Tossing up whether to drive it down sans-plates to sydney, or ship it down..

thanks mate, I really appreciate it. The immobilizers (factory and clifford) keep getting blamed but the clifford is 100% off/disarmed/inactive.. so that just leaves the factory nissan alarm. Presumably it indicates its state via the red light on the dash, and is a lot simpler than the clifford.. you press unlock, and hear the door locks chunk.. starter motor wouldn't even turn over if the factory alarm was getting in the way. And the clifford guy points out that when the clifford arms nothing lights up: no dash, no starter, nothing. So I really don't see how it can be an immobilizer unless its a third secret hidden one. I look forward to what today brings. So far we've had Barry, an alarm expert, Warren (another alarm expert but with all the clifford software) and someone else with a nissan consult interface, now this german guy and probably you as well. This car is turning into a serial killer of experts ... I am scared of seeing the final bill for "compliance", lol.

My car (r34 vs2) is stuck at the compliance shop. I get different stories but basically it barely starts and if it does it doesn't hold. Initially they said the injectors were getting pulse but now they say they are not. Runs for two seconds, they said. Plugs checked and not fouled. ECU is nismo, not stock, but must be close. No check engine light. Alarm disarmed. I call tuning shops and they are all backed up, and/or need the car flatbed to them and back. I'm having trouble with the idea that it is a major problem as the car came from zele and they don't have cars in their showroom that can't even be started. Anyone here know someone who can do a visit (south brisbane) to diagnose the problem at least to the point of being sure it needs to go to a tuning shop? please PM me.. running out of options. If it won't start, it can't get complied -- I'm trying to avoid more flatbed trips, charges mounting up. thanks!

did anyone mention the SMH article mid august? "the sun rises again" "Serious car collectors find gold in cars from Japan" (sorry you have to pay fairfax $2.20 to read it now) The early skyline was mentioned and the guy said he thought a couple of other skylines would attain that "collectible" status in the next 10 years, that means price stability or even price rises over time. But then he is biased.. will all R34 unmolested be collectible? I doubt it. MX5 is one of the most recent appreciating cars - as long as you kept the first model that came out. I got one of the first in australia. Sold it two years later. If I had perfect foresight & kept that car in a climate controlled garage from 1989 onwards its increase in value would probably not cover the cost of the storage, and maintenance, and insurance. The sad part about it is even if you are lucky enough to find the right example of the right year of the right model, and you don't wreck it, modify it, or sell it, then any future rise will probably just apply as a discount to it its running costs.. and thats amazing, for a car, but it isn't making you money. The only thing I've been blessed with $ appreciation on is watches. By some stroke of luck I got the right model of panerai at the right time, and the right vintage rolex, both have gone up over 50% over the last 4 years. I couldn't believe it. But the vast majority of watches (and anything else) do nothing but decline in value!

same rims and weldina exhaust is all i want to have on too, so thats great .. I'll give it a go.. perfect thanks. ..at a wild guess the tires definitely have to be oz purchased ones at inspection..

I'm not sure a typical dash in a LHD viper looks in that great a shape either.. like the vette, and the GT40, interiors aren't their strong point.

nm

roll on roll off is definitely cheaper fees & charges wise. But I still feel like some of my charges are taking the mickey.

I have no doubt ... but was your import a container?

We got it figured it turned out to be double-click clifford button then hold down unlock or something complicated like that.. but the car still doesn't catch, so now the guy is gonna try the scan tool on the port.. hopefully the computer says something.. If he can't get it today I may take you up on that (I'll pay) its in brisbane. Not a nur, however, an r-tune.

This is a long shot but perhaps someone knows. My car from Japan came with a clifford G5 alarm, and the compliance shop can (they said) unlock/lock arm/disarm it etc, but the problem is the hood (bonnet) release lever is not connected, and he said the engine hood has a solenoid. They can't open it. Also, the car doesn't start, it cranks but doesn't catch. The battery was flat when it arrived but that has been fixed, obviously. At this point they are stuck and I don't want them to break anything to open the bonnet. Anyone know anything we may have missed? Can an engine scan tool be attached anyway without access to the engine bay (just to see why it doesn't start?)

It isn't a nur I picked that name before the car.

It isn't a regular R34, but I'm not going to jinx anything by bragging.. not until at least I have it registered and insured and safely tucked away for the night.. there are too many things that can go wrong still.

Hey you're one step ahead of me, so I have to ask .. do you know if the inspection processalso verifies the car is stock (as in, aussie tires and stock exhaust) or is just to inspect for matching numbers and paperwork. The reason I ask is I don't know whether to get the compliance shop to put back on the nismo exhaust and anything else they removed in complying, before I go through this RTA process, or tell them to keep everything on and ship me the JDM bits so I can add them later. Obviously least hassle = former .. if they are just inspecting to match numbers I don't think they'd recognize a slightly non stock car?

1. Identify a skyline I want to buy .. May 24th 2. Email an importer and discuss options .. May 25th thru May 29th 3. $1200 (inc gst) Payment made for importer fees .. May 26th 4. 500,000 yen deposit paid by importer to hold car .. May 29th 5. Wired full payment in yen @ current exchange rate .. May 30th 6. Funds received in Japan by intermediary .. May 31st 7. Discuss shipping options, Decide on container from Nagoya on APL .. Jun 1st thru 5th 8. Car purchased, and moved to ship (unknown dates) .. Jun 1st thru 25th 9. Loaded onto Seaway ship .. Jun 26th 10. Manuals for car arrives in australia .. Jul 11th 11. Container arrived in Brisbane .. Jul 24th 12. Got a call from APL saying they have a container languishing on the docks .. Jul 29th 13. Seaway gets container .. Unknown date 14. Seaway in Brisbane advise me storage and container fee charges building .. Aug 11th 15. Import papers arrive at seaway .. Aug 14th 16. Waiting for customs/quarantine and seaway to unpack .. Aug 14th to 24th 17. Container is unpacked etc, inspected, ready for shipment to compliance .. Aug 24th 18. Got Bill from Seaway .. Aug 25th The bill is: LCT/Duty (not gonna disclose that), $1698 shipping, and $2068 in many fees, and $195 in GST (10%) The biggest of the fees is $231 "storage at wharf", and $423 in "wharfage" fees, unpacking $265, 9 days "storage at depo" $180 (see attached picture) 19. Paid bill to seaway, car is shipped to compliance shop in brisbane .. Aug 27th 20. Compliance shop advise battery is flat but looks fine otherwise, they are having trouble with car alarm and can't pop hood as its on a solenoid .. Aug 27th 21. Yet to be paid: compliance fees, shipping to sydney from brisbane, any RTA costs here to get it registered. Total Duration: 3 months (assuming it gets here in a week). 1 month to get to ship, 1 month in transit, 1 month to get to compliance Total Fees without import duty and LCT: $6163 (1100 importer fee, 2068 brissy wharf fees, 1698 container shipping, 195 GST, 2500 compliance, 300 to get it to sydney).. Obviously this importation process was slower than it had to be in Japan (paying for and getting the car into a container) and slower in brisbane (where it sat on the docks and then in the depot waiting for import papers). It was also slower than a direct ship, to save money on the container shipping costs. The brisbane port handling fees (see screenshot) were also like getting pecked to death. A RoRo would have less fees. I'm hoping the compliance process will be swift and capable.. they sound like good guys.. (crosses fingers). Conclusion: Not worth the headache unless you can get the car no other way.

I just imported a car with a container, and it came to $1700, but there are a PILE of other charges relating to getting the container off the ship, getting it unpacked, etc etc. The $1700 was via Hong Kong, and took about twice as long as direct, which would have been a good deal more. It went to brisbane but I doubt sydney was any different. I'm going to post another topic with full details on the time line, costs, and so on, so look out for it.

I was hot for it. then it got delayed and delayed some more, then the price went up (despite the aussie dollar strength) and now paying so much more than they charged for the 9 to get an X seems silly. Especially when you can pickup an evo 9 from a kid who has lost his license for less than 40k with nothing on the odo and probably coilovers and a boost controller. Or you can get an 8MR, which is faster out of the box, for 30k imported.. car magazine put the evo x against the new sti, and the sti won .. but then it said the shame is they would both have lost against an evo 9, they have both become too soft and lost their focus.