lwells

For an Australia delivery AE86 with 4AC, that cheap but not all that fantastic (depending on condition, particularly rust). LW.

"Sludge" eh? This a technical term that mechanics use these days? Don't spose he had a few local delivered cars to sell you too A compression and leakdown test is about as close as the average joe can get to checking the health of an engine without ripping the whole thing about. With oils and lubricants replaced and driven reasonably softly for the first few days, an import should not be any less reliable. Slow city driving is not good for any car (compared to highway miles), but you would have much the same issue buying a car in Australia. Oh, and from what I have read, a lot of Japanese have a very liberal interpretation of their speed limits Lucien.

The stock plenum seems particularly prone to peeling. Personally I would look at the cam covers as well as see if there is any sign of them being removed. Not really a sign of "health" per se, but should give you an indication if someone has frequently been removing them to meddle with timing, etc. Lucien.

Serious-Seven: As I said above, the insurance is only for damage to the car in shipping and doesn't cover theft of loose items. As there is no inventory of the items in the car, its easy for people to steal stuff and claim you have no proof the car was shipped with it from Japan. Hence the need to get someone good to get to the car ASAP Lucien.

Personally I would go with something that is mechanically a bit simpler than a GT-R -- between 4WD, twin turbo, HICAS, ABS, etc, etc there are lots of bits that can go wrong and will cost you a fortune to buy bit-by-bit. I would look either at an older Skyline (you could always copy Duncan, the luck bastard) or perhaps something else with a strong community. Personally I have always wanted to do an AE86 to truely worship the rice boy within me -- "LW say, follow the path of Takumi-san: AE86 for you" (Although I am being a little silly, I am quite serious though..) Lucien.

Prank: I see someone has been watching too much Pimp my Ride Leave it as is IMHO -- looks great. Lucien.

Thing is I have heard (and not just a mate of a mate of a mate of a friends cousin ... etc) of people having wheels lifted out of their cars. In fact wasn't there an SAU member who had this happen to them about two months ago? Luckily my car is so stock all they could steal is the 15 year old original stereo. Wish they would: would save me the effort of removing it (No boost gauges, etc either) Lucien.

The problem with chrome paint is that it looks flat (and, quite frankly, like fake chrome), and when it dries hard it tends to be easy to chip/flake bits off. LW.

Hi All, Thanks for all the feedback -- really appreciate it. Looks like GCL are not a bad bunch at all (the guy a spoke to a few months ago was quite jovial and helpful [can't remember if it was colin or con]). Blitz: that reminds me, must get in touch with that compliancer you recommended. dairyboy: Normally I would do the paperwork myself, but its likely to fall during exams at Uni plus the only other person authorised to deal with it will likely be even busier, so rather than have the car sit around on the docks its just easier to pay what is a small sum anyway ($150 last time I checked) and get it done ASAP. raz0r$harP: Can you just expand on how you/they managed to avoid these Hobbs guys, since they sound like they are worth ... err.. avoiding Thanks again guys Lucien.

JaFF: $1240 (w/ hand controller) is about the right price. Aussie dollar is pretty crappy at the moment so prices are slowly rising as places order new stock. oofoofoo: $850 for just a PFC, second hand, is more than I would pay since they are about $900-950 new last time I checked. For $100 I would rather the warranty..? Lucien.

Version with big pictures: http://search1.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/search...cale=0jp&mode=1 http://www.worldlingo.com is your friend (or Babelfish, when it works).

fatz: well, crime rates are seriously lower in Japan than Australia, so I would trust a Japanese wharf much more than an Australian one Either way, it sucks that people take advantage. Lucien.

Mr_G: I guess a chain could put them off, but bolt cutters are not exactly rare and would deal with that problem very easily (its also the sort of thing I would expect is available on a wharf). Sorry, just to check this again, you had to organise quarantine yourself -- CGL didn't do it for you? Cheers, Lucien.

All the usual Skyline forums and workshops/stores, plus: http://search1.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/sea...cale=0jp&acc=jp Lucien.

Face it Merli, you cars colour is sooooo passe LW.

Yeah, I am sure even if you copied exactly what is listed on the Mines website (or listed in the BMI video) it wouldn't be as responsive as their car, but that's no reason not to try because you would still end up with a damn responsive car IMHO. LW.

This thread has a lot of good information on the Mines Response R34 and the kind of mods that will make you car more responsive: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/sh...ead.php?t=33247 You can find a complete rundown on the parts in the Mines car at their website although the sum of the parts does not equal a responsive car: so much of it has to do with the magic tuning http://www.mines-wave.com/Demo-Car/R34gtr/index.html meshmesh: that carbon mob was probably Custom Carbon -- http://www.customcarbon.com.au/default.html I think you would have a heard time with the ADRs if you replaced the doors... What I want is a carbon fibre prop shaft. Lucien.

Shipping insurance covers damage to the vehicle, not loss of property AFAIK. The bastards can get away with it because no where on the shipping documents are items travelling in the car listed (unlike, say, if you sent items in a container) so you can't "prove" the items were there. LW.

Mr_G: The problem is that a number of people have reported items being stolen by dock workers (rather than people of the streets). I have thought Control Global Logistics would have organised quarantine (ie. is that partly the point of getting a customs agent, so they take care of this kind of thing). Anyway, cheers for the feedback. If anyone has negative experiences, PM me Lucien.

aznboy711 = seller on HIDForum See: http://www.hidforum.com/forum/showthread.p...=&threadid=6083 Because that's the price Philips charges retail customers. OEM pricing is an entirely different matter. Lucien.

Damo: Yes, I have personally bought from aznboy before -- a set of brand new original Philips D2S bulbs (part no. 85122) which I have sitting in front of me. Total cost was US$65 shipped (so about $90). Those globes you bought are, I am afraid, likely crap. For starters there is no such thing as "D2C": its a marketing gimmick. Moreover, the bulbs are likely to have been rebased in Korea or (worse still) China, meaning they may only last a few months. If you can, I suggest you take them back... If you are buying HID globes, only buy Philips or Osram originals. Everything else is not worth the money. If you don't believe me, check out: http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/ <-- the bible on HID http://www.hidforum.com <-- checkout the numerous threads on bulbs Edit: Also, never buy anything that is rated higher than 4100/4300 or at the most 5000. Anything higher and your wasting light output for "coloured" lighting. Lucien.

Spray paint looks crappy IMHO: if you going for the chrome look, go the whole hog. Lucien.

Yeah, personally I would go with more normal looking skirts. With the exception of the skirts, the kit is rather restrained (which in my books is a big plus). LW.

Not that it really matters for interior bits, but remember that chroming does add signifcant weight (and it can also blind you with its bling-bling looks) LW.

SS8_Gohan: Because the AFMs on RB25s run out of resolution quickly, and the Z32 AFMs are reasonably easy to source and work with the PFC and other engine management system (including stock I believe? Anyone confirm?). LW.