R34 Gtr

[wrxhoon]

Ah to hell with all this crap - it will cost you a bundle to own and drive and repair.

Just buy your self a brand new 3 series bema they cost about the same and plus you will have a nice brand new shiney car - that as far as im concerned looks so hot, you will know all is good because its new and won't have to deal with the hassels of a second hand car.

Final Comment:

New is New

It will save you alot of troubles just to get a new car. And I mean for that price you can even get those hot ass new lexuse's i think they the IS250's.

What you say is very true and you can even buy several corollas for the same money but not everyone wants to drive a rolla or a boring 318 BM for that matter .

Brandon: I bought mine in 2004 she is still going strong and the only work I have done on her is mods or routine maintenance . Ok I don't drive her much but I know someone that has a 34 R with almost 200k k's and no issues with her at all just the normal things like brake pads , rotors , one clutch at 120 k k's , drive belts , timming belt etc, normal things that you will do to any car with this age k's.

Buy a good example with average k's 50-100 k k's ( genuine not clocked down), make sure its stock and always has been ( catback exhaust is fine ) and don't worry, everyone drives them hard . If you think you will find a "one old lady owner, only driven to church on sundays" they don't exist , you buy a GTR to drive it hard . I would only buy a V-spec if I was you and no they are not more expensive because they are later models, they are exacly the same age , from 99 to 2002, they more expensive because of the extra stuff they have in them , front and rear defusers, carbon bonnet on series II, more features on the MFD etc... and the V-spec itself ( just the name) is worth some money and better resale value.

If you find a good example and a rust free one ( not easy ), buy it, leave it alone ( no mods , exhaust is O.K) drive her hard and she will last you , you won't break anything .

Don't expect a 8 yo clutch to last you though ( who knows the treatment she has , like 8000 rpm launches ) so expect things like that to need replacement , like brake pads , rotors , drive belts , timmimg belt etc...

You would be doing the same to any 8 yo car , even the rolla and the 318 ... Good luck with your search mate .. who knows if you wait until the 35 is sold here, I may even sell mine ..

[Brandon]

wrxhoon: Ah. Thats exactly what I meant by maintenence. All cars need their regular servicing etc and I'm aware that its gonna be more pricey as compared to a standard car but my question was will it always die on you and having major problems. And now I have an answer from someone who owns 1 and at least I know what I've thought is realistic. As I have said early I dont intend to push it that hard as to the limit and the car would be around grade 4 and above, which is why I dont it'll have any major problem unless I'm like so freaking unlucky... (fingers crossed). Anyway thanks for your comment, really appreciate it.

[sewid]

Buyer fees in Japan are typically 90,000 - 100,000 yen not 160,000 yen.

For 160,000 yen they would need to be doing more than just buying for you they would need to be giving an inspection worth a damn which a LOT of them don't and won't and can't.

As for reliability, my 34 GTR (stock and after modifications when it was making 300awkw) was the most reliable car I ever owned and was never once off the road for repair. It had a genuine 74,000 km's on it and presented a lot better than some of these cars coming in these days with "30,000kms" inside and out.

[fieds83]

Subscribe to the following site, they show you the auction lists from all the major auctions late every evening the day before the auction which is nearly every day. They are an agent in japan that charge 80,000yen if payed within 48 hours of the vehicle purchase or 100,000yen thereafter. They will organise shipping de-reg and all the usual and they physically inspect the vehicle at the auction yard beforehand. Extras you may have to pay for are transport to pick the car up from the auction yard and back their compound. They will inform you if there are any defect and give you a price on fixing though i would leave it and fix here.

www.auto.co.jp

Once you have purchased the car get the bill of lading sent to your shipping agent here in oz( i used DHL). Your shipping agent will bill you for his service, wharf charges, import duties, shipping, epa inspection and GST on the lot once the vehicle is ready to be picked up and give you the necessary paperwork to pick the car up from the wharf. Pay him, organise a tow truck to pick up your car up and take it to your house or place of storage so you can inspect it. DO NOT have it sent straight to your compliancer as they can say and do whatever they like if you dont inspect the car first. This also gives you the opportunity to replace any parts that need replacing at a competitive price as you can shop for bargains.

Take it to your compliancer with full confidence that their is nothing to be picked on your car.

This is how i did my Aristo, its an easy process and saves you the Australian agents fee which he does nothing for. These guys are honest and reliable and contactable 24/7eg the first aristo i was going to bid on they warned me against as the car was blowing blue smoke on their inspection. They have a good relationship with most of the auctions and actually get to drive the cars at some. I founfd theior reports to be very honest and i have not seen a cleaner aristo on the road in sa to date. I found their reports on the vehicles to be very honest and consistant as my mate has bought several car through them also with great results.

The importer you are speaking to is trying to rip you off.

If you need any more info or help along the way pm me if you decide to import. Keep in consideration that the r35 is being released in december in Japan and may force the auction prices of 34's down a little.

Edited October 25, 2007 by fieds83

[carizma]

yeah, fieds83 is right about the agent fees in Japan, 80,000 - 100,000 is usually the norm.

BUT, since we're an importer...I'll list some reasons why it is SOMETIMES better to buy with an import agent here in Australia:

1. We've been in this business 10 years. Both Jon and I have worked in Japan (7 years between the two of us, Tokyo = me, Osaka, = Jon) in this and related businesses. We're not going anywhere, you know where to find us. (7 York st, Richmond, VIC, drop by anytime)

2. I personally have seen private customers get ripped off by Japanese agents who knew the customers were 'green'. If someone does send you a piece of junk, are you really going to fly to Japan and track this guy down?

3. Our fee for an import service is $1100. I guarantee you I can buy the exact same car cheaper than a private customer by at least $500, usually even $800 - $1000. There, you've almost saved your entire fee right there. Sure, dodgy dealers might try to tell you they bought the car at a more expensive price, so ask to see the invoice and bill of lading, or offer to pay for the car directly to Japan. (we offer all these options)

4. We have a buyer on the ground that we've worked with for 5 years. He starts up every car we buy, he's Japanese, and he knows his stuff. He doesn't want to piss us off, so he's not going to send us a clunker.

5. We do our own compliance. In other words, we guarantee your car will get complied. There's always a small risk (maybe 1%, but still exists) that your car will have some unforseen problem and can't be complied. So if you buy a $10,000 car, you're exposing yourself to $100 worth of risk just for that alone.

I'm not defending the dodgy guys out there, please understand that. I'm just trying to defend dealers out there who do work hard and who do (in my opinion) provide a valuable service for people looking to import a car. There could be other reasons, but I haven't had my morning coffee yet so not working on all cylinders yet.

Subscribe to the following site, they show you the auction lists from all the major auctions late every evening the day before the auction which is nearly every day. They are an agent in japan that charge 80,000yen if payed within 48 hours of the vehicle purchase or 100,000yen thereafter. They will organise shipping de-reg and all the usual and they physically inspect the vehicle at the auction yard beforehand. Extras you may have to pay for are transport to pick the car up from the auction yard and back their compound. They will inform you if there are any defect and give you a price on fixing though i would leave it and fix here.

www.auto.co.jp

Once you have purchased the car get the bill of lading sent to your shipping agent here in oz( i used DHL). Your shipping agent will bill you for his service, wharf charges, import duties, shipping, epa inspection and GST on the lot once the vehicle is ready to be picked up and give you the necessary paperwork to pick the car up from the wharf. Pay him, organise a tow truck to pick up your car up and take it to your house or place of storage so you can inspect it. DO NOT have it sent straight to your compliancer as they can say and do whatever they like if you dont inspect the car first. This also gives you the opportunity to replace any parts that need replacing at a competitive price as you can shop for bargains.

Take it to your compliancer with full confidence that their is nothing to be picked on your car.

This is how i did my Aristo, its an easy process and saves you the Australian agents fee which he does nothing for. These guys are honest and reliable and contactable 24/7eg the first aristo i was going to bid on they warned me against as the car was blowing blue smoke on their inspection. They have a good relationship with most of the auctions and actually get to drive the cars at some. I founfd theior reports to be very honest and i have not seen a cleaner aristo on the road in sa to date. I found their reports on the vehicles to be very honest and consistant as my mate has bought several car through them also with great results.

The importer you are speaking to is trying to rip you off.

If you need any more info or help along the way pm me if you decide to import. Keep in consideration that the r35 is being released in december in Japan and may force the auction prices of 34's down a little.

[fieds83]

Carizma, i cant speak for all importers but Brandon has PMed me the prices he was being quoted by SVI and they should be shot. Double shipping, double agents fee, nearly double compliance, double brake pads and double service fee. Thats right, twice your service fee and everything else and all up it was a quote nearly 6k more than industry standard. You and i both know its not called for and is a misrepresentation of the norm, businesses that operate that way make it hard for the rest of the industry.

Carizma offer fair and competitive pricing in fact probably one of the cheapest in the market for compliance and the extra services included, clearly your experience is an asset and as you state you have people you can trust working for you. Its just a case of some getting greedy and taking advantage of the inexperienced. For those lacking in time or those who dont trust themslves to go through the process your service can be valuable.

Edited October 26, 2007 by fieds83

[carizma]

Thanks for that vote of confidence, fieds83.

As for other dealers, to be honest, I would love to be on these boards warning people about ABC dodgy dealer and such, but we also offer compliance on 17 different models so we have a lot of these guys coming to us for compliance. Plus, it's a small industry here in Australia, everyone pretty much knows everyone else.

Luckily, this board is filled with past customers from all sorts of dealers, so it's great that this resource is available, a much needed resource actually. I'd definitely recommend anyone considering a purchase to get as much information as possible beforehand (and SAU is perfect for that)

Still, if anyone has any import / Skyline related questions, questions about dealers, the process, etc., we're always willing to help people out, whether or not they're a future or past customer. Plus, on the phone, we can be a lot more honest about other dealers, haha.

Carizma, i cant speak for all importers but Brandon has PMed me the prices he was being quoted by SVI and they should be shot. Double shipping, double agents fee, nearly double compliance, double brake pads and double service fee. Thats right, twice your service fee and everything else and all up it was a quote nearly 6k more than industry standard. You and i both know its not called for and is a misrepresentation of the norm, businesses that operate that way make it hard for the rest of the industry.

Carizma offer fair and competitive pricing in fact probably one of the cheapest in the market for compliance and the extra services included, clearly your experience is an asset and as you state you have people you can trust working for you. Its just a case of some getting greedy and taking advantage of the inexperienced. For those lacking in time or those who dont trust themslves to go through the process your service can be valuable.

[Brandon]

wrxhoon: Just 1 last question for all, do you guys think i should import 1 or get 1 in aus (dealer).

[wrxhoon]

wrxhoon: Just 1 last question for all, do you guys think i should import 1 or get 1 in aus (dealer).

If I was you I will look at local cars first , dealer and private sales. Be prepared to pay a $5k premium ( at least ) because you can see the car , you get it now, its registered and no risk getting damaged not able to register ( there is a small risk that you not be able to comply it ) . If you cant find the car localy then sure the only option is to import .

Don't go on the calculators that import agents use to much, it will cost you more than they say.

[Brandon]

Anyone have any comments on International Motor Group in Sydney? They seem to have a few GTRs in stock. After calling them up, all they ask for is just $500 deposit before the car is landed and complied. Meaning they've won the bid or have a car shipping into Australia before they have a buyer for it. The price includes compliance and 3mths rego too.

Pros:

no money up front.

warranty

Everything else is pretty much like getting it off from an importer.

[mxfly]

Brandon,

I know the guys at IMG pretty well. I've used them to comply my cars in the past and have no issues. Whenever I go there, they are very welcoming and lets me check their new stock all the time, freshly off the boat and before being detailed. And they have just landed a black non Vspec as well. very nice car and imo, very well priced at about $50k. The interior is immaculate, motor like new. The paint needs a good detailing but it should buff up very nicely. Overall, a really good straight car.