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Need Advice On Buying R34 :)

a1105274
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a1105274 Rookie

a1105274

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Posted

I've decided to buy a r34, probably gt-t 2 door coupe with manual transmission. My friend told me about this forum so I figured I would check it out. I'm completely new to the whole import scene, never owned an import and don't even know where to start with buying one. What things should I look for when buying one and what's the best way to buy one. I've heard of bad stories about buying from shonky dealers who do all sorts of tricks. Is it common to find dodgey r34s? My mate tells me there're heaps of crash repaired/stolen/rebadged r32s and r33s out there so I was hoping that the r34 being a later model didn't have as many of this stuff happening. Maybe it's harder to get away with it with newer cars? I dunno. Any advice would be appreciated! :D

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PAV34 Mentor

PAV34

Posted
Posted

Where are you from? If we know we can point you in the right direction if you want to but from a dealer....

Theres a thread on things you should look for when buying a skyline.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/bu...e-f-t35129.html

It will tell you things like:

Get a compression test

Check for rust

Check if its been in ac accident

etc..

coOkies Enthusiast

coOkies

Posted
Posted (edited)

it doesnt matter newer model or not.

If it looks appealing to them and you havent got a proper alarm system they're probably try to steal it and sell it for scraps.

'sigh' well you can probably see all the thread stating ppl's cars have been stolen.. its heartbreaking.

anyways welcome and goodluck on finding a car. theres heaps on offer here at the Car sales section.

Edited by Mya
a1105274 Rookie

a1105274

Posted
  • Author
Posted

hi guys! thanks for the quick replies.

I'm from South Australia. I'm mainly worried about how to judge the quality of the mechanical parts of the car. I've heard that it's a good idea to get the car to some tuning place to check whether the car's engine is in good order. Does anyone know how much it would cost and where I could get this done in SA? thanks in advance.

As for the stolen skylines... man that sux... I work at optus and someone's r33 has been stolen twice from the carpark.

RusH_ Veteran

RusH_

Posted
Posted

i will second the searching for rust, i found rust around my rear centre tail light (on the boot lid), but it has only become noticeable lately, so check there...

As was said above, read through that thead of things to look for, i did, its a good read, and outlines anything and everything you could need to watch out for when buying...

other than that, good luck ;)

a1105274 Rookie

a1105274

Posted
  • Author
Posted
i will second the searching for rust, i found rust around my rear centre tail light (on the boot lid), but it has only become noticeable lately, so check there...

As was said above, read through that thead of things to look for, i did, its a good read, and outlines anything and everything you could need to watch out for when buying...

other than that, good luck ;)

cheer dude, still unsure as to whether or not i would go for private sale or dealer/importer. The whole process seems a bit daunting and ive been checking out wrx's as well. argh but my heart is more set on an r34 ;)

Granthem Mentor

Granthem

Posted
Posted
i will second the searching for rust, i found rust around my rear centre tail light (on the boot lid), but it has only become noticeable lately, so check there...

I have heard thats a common spot for R34s... luckily, checked mine, and it still looks brand new! might just be lucky :thumbsup:

  • 2 weeks later...
uncouth32 Community Regular

uncouth32

Posted
Posted
I have heard thats a common spot for R34s... luckily, checked mine, and it still looks brand new! might just be lucky :banana:

YOU ARE LUCKY!! cos my boot has the same rusting problem. :wub: darn!! will just let it rust for now (bank is dry) lol... will look at getting a CF boot or repaint the whole car in around 2 years time... :P

JI34GT Collaborator

JI34GT

Posted
Posted

Hey are u the guy i met at the maccas sau meet last night?

Well in either case.

R34, if ur planning to buy in sydney u have to be careful coz they're heaps of dodgy ones. Definately read the post on wat to check.

Bring a friend who knows cars inside out, that really helps. Check engine, fluids, compliance plates. etc.

Basically check the whole car thoroughly. Also getting a third party checker like state roads also helps alot. They can spot alotta problems for u.

$200 is a small price to pay for the third party check when your making a large investment into a r34.

Pricing wise, haggle a bit, dont pay more than $25000, coz the R34 is not worth that much (its 9-10 year old car now)

Interior should match the age.

Try to get one with import papers/log books.

Hmmm...theres quite a bit...lol it took me 3 weeks to find a good one.

stock is better...

If you do get one, the price u pay for the car will not be the last thing you pay for. Also remember you have to pay for insurance, rego, stamp duty, misc fix up costs etc. often all that will be quite alot. so add about $3k ontop the price you pay to get the car on the road.

I think i've written enough, good luck on ur buy! R34s rock. except the premium petrol costs...thats a killer.

If you got anymore questions feel free to ask :)

  • 1 month later...
Morgs Veteran

Morgs

Posted
Posted (edited)

Pretty much everything has been covered above..... be careful if you're looking at importing as generally they will require maintenance straight off the boat... provided its been looked after the longer its been in AUS the better.

Good choice

(Buy mine) :ninja:

Edited by Morgs
(OO)SKYLINE(OO) Grand Master

(OO)SKYLINE(OO)

Posted
Posted
bump

has anyone had any experience with http://www.prestigemotorsport.com.au ?

These guys are pretty good.

Gota friend who bought a S13 Silvia K's and a R33 GTS-T.

Both in very good condition.

GTR-N1 Grand Master

GTR-N1

Posted
Posted

Hi,

Yeah definitely heed the advice above...

Extra bits can include...

i) since it's an import, see if there's auction papers included & there should be if you are buying from a dealer that's just brought it in. Then on the upper right hand side (besides the Japanese that you can't read), in a square box, there'll be a number from 1 to 5. If it's a 5, you are looking at a very clean car indeed. Most 4s are really good with perhaps some slight blemishes. Mine was a 4 with no rust except around the rear tail-light that was rectified before I accepted it.

ii) log book can prove to be invaluable to decrease depreciation so long as you fill it in with your own regular services (and keep receipts)

iii) auction paper will include the extras under the bonnet. Get someone who can read Japanese kanji (rather than classical) as my wife did with mine, and even then, I had to ask her to stop frequently so that I could work out that I already had a modified cam shaft

iv) auction paper should also include Km travelled so that if you have a Nismo dash instead of a Nissan dash, it would hopefully read the same. Just because the odometer is digital doesn't mean that the distance travelled hasn't been doctored

v) see if the wear on the bolsters, squabs and carpet correspond to the odometer reading if you can estimate with any acuity

vi) stick your finger into the oil opening and feel for any sludge

vii) pull out dip stick and check for colour, smell, gritty feel, clarity etc

viii) if auction paper is showing the number 4 or below, see if you can get it up on the hoist at a place that does 4W alignment and check rust, damage to rails, alignment, uneven tyre wear, seepage, and guess whether or not the exhaust is one of those things you'd like to modify. The standard cat is usually restrictive at each eand + a Hi Flow replacement may then be considered

ix) check radiator water and if you buy it have it replaced with pure Aussie water. Or is SA water still a bit suss?

x) as you drive it, you'll get hundreds of messages coming at you through the wheel and buttocks. So take a mechanic with you who's objective whilst you're still starry-eyed and emotional. He'll drive slowly with subtle accelerations and decelerations as well as full lock left and right. Let him tell you then about diff, box, suspension and drive shafts.

Enjoy one of the most brilliant cars around !!!

Did you know that an R34 GTT has been driven around NZ Targa for the past 2 years & won ???

Cheers,

Terry

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