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Hello everyone I'm new here, and I'm from America. Since we can't get skylines very easily here I decided to buy an R33 GTST front clip, and swap the engine into my 89' Nissan 240sx SE :) So far it's been a great choice, but the RB30 bottom end sounds very appetizing. I've seen a few bottom ends for sale here in America for $1000-$1500 USD. That price seems a little excessive. From what I understand they come from R31 Skylines and Commodores. Are they common engines to see in Australian junk yards ? I'm trying to figure out if $1000-$1500 is a justifiable price to pay here in the states. I understand shipping would be pretty pricey, but I still think these companies selling RB30 bottom ends are grossly capitalizing on these. Some one please fill me in :D

Thanks,

Joe

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You could try a Canadian supplier for an RB30. It would be much easier to just get one in the US in my opinion. While you can source RB engines, anything worth buying wont be a bargain price and would probably work out too expensive.

*looks at my job*

...sounds like i'm in the wrong business.

What do you mean by that?

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I would say $1000-$1500 is about right. sure they are only a few hundred $$$ here but you need someone to buy one, (and they aren't going to run around for free) and have it shipped, pay whatever (if any) duties/taxes apply when it lands, have it cleared through customs and delivered to you. at the end of all that you may still end up with rubbish and then what? chase some bloke in australia who sold you an engine with no guarantees anyway? for a one off just pay the bloke in america selling them for $1000-$1500. at least you are dealing with someone local and you can hope that if they are going to the trouble of buying up RB30s in aus and shipping them out that they would have gotten some good ones so as not to waste their freight money etc. if you wanted 20 of them it may be worth trying to do it yourself but as a one off..... no way.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When I was looking on eBay for engines only sold in US markets, they sell for about $500-$800 without a gearbox.

So I figure $1000 for a 30 bottom end is actually a good deal.

Given that cheap RB30 blocks here are in shit condition, you'd need to rebuild them anyway when you put 25DE heads on it, soo add a little more cost/time on top of that.

Shipping just the bottom end wouldn't be super expensive...doesn't weigh alot, two person lift (two REAL men), couple of hundred bucks via sea + customs taxes/import duty fee's.

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  • 1 month later...

hmm - you know what i forgot to mention earlier?

you COULD get an RB30 bottom end and custom fabricate the mounts and shoehorn the 25 head onto it and all that

or

you could leave it how it is. and keep your money... and play video games instead.

i'd go option 2

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yeah but you're gay Eps

yeah RB30 bottom ends are worth about 100 dollars at the local wreckers but as was mentioned before it could be a pain in the arse to ship one to the US. RIPS in NZ sell built RB30 bottom ends for pretty good prices overseas fyi

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