Thinking About A R33 Gts-T

[BrOwnY GT]

Hey guys

Im seriously thinking about getting a skyline and have wanted one for years from the r32 - r34 ive always wanted one being my dream car etc... im 26 not a hoon or kid wanting to be cool because he watched one to many fnf movies.. ive generally always wanted one The only thing that has stopped me for so long is the fear of maintaining such a vehicle is true to replace simple things like water pumps and getting a general serivce is so much higher compared to other vehicles? My prvious car was a vy clubsport which escalated into the thousands for each service... last being a simple service on the brakes (pads and rotors) which was over 1000 bucks... i think i just need some info on the general public of owners of skylines is it really expensive to own and maintain a skyline??? Being that i don't have mechanical knowledge... (as much as a simple oil change yea)

[rondofj]

Its the same cost wise as other Jap cars, but then again I do most things myself - parts are cheap

[stig mick]

Depends also on your mechanic the guy I go to is dirt cheap and does a great job.

I was quoted 1200 for my 100000km derive through 3 different places and he did the whole thing for 650 including parts and labour. Also did my clutch for 600 with a new extreme HD clutch kit

I do all the oil changes myself so that cuts down on cost as it needs to be done every 5000kms

You also need to make sure you pick a good car from the start cause a bad one could cost you a shit load if your not careful. The next one I buy I will definitely take it to my mechanic to look over it on the hoist

[BrOwnY GT]

Yea been looking at r33 gts-t's preferably manual... Problem im from gippsland and there isnt a big variety of mechanics i know of in the area that know or do allot of imports aka (import specialist etc)... most r33's ive seen are around the 130,000kms mark and unmodified as ive been told a majority of modified skylines have been boosted and had the literal crap beaten out of them... so obviously looking for a fresh import(without importing one myself) ... just dont want that same crap bite'n me back on the ass in regards to servicing and maintenance...like the clubsport was... only thing i dont have the misses telling me to buy a crappy holden this time around... lol.... just the fear of getting a mechanic doing somethihng on a skyline in my area is kinda scary i can see the labour costs running high etc... and a skyline in my area would stick out like sore thumb... so generally parts for a skyline are pretty cheap then?? (Without having to go online and source a heap..) but through a standard mechanic

[stig mick]

It all depends where you get the parts from eBay Is ok if you know what your looking for they so have alot of cheap crap but they also have decent parts cheaper. Just jap is a good place to source new parts.

Yeah steer clear of over modified examples my r32 is totally stock apart from coilovers and an exhaust. It may not be the fastest skyline out there but touch wood it's been pretty reliable.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/35129-im-buying-a-skyline-what-should-i-look-for/page__pid__5638911__st__80#entry5638911

This thread is a pretty good start

[BrOwnY GT]

Cheer's for the replies fella's appreciate it

[conan7772]

Hi,

10 years ago I bought my GTS-T for $22400.

It had 40000 kms on it.

Big money isn't it?

GTRs were $45000 and up

Anyway it had a high flowed turbo, front mount intercooler and a Haltech ECU.

Also had a very nice sound system, subs , MOMO steering wheel, full gtr body kit and 17 inch Stern rims.

It had 247 fwkw at the time which is more than the GTR at 228.

So not knowing all the differences I bought it.

It was awesome to drive.

However, it was not tuned right.

So in the end I cracked a piston.

I'd recommend getting one rebuilt with forged internals, one that has been a pride and joy and is probably being sold due to a baby on the way or a purchase to a first home.

Also look for a decent power output, one that you'll be happy with.

If you can avoid sending in the car for work you'll save thousands, maybe even ten thousand.

Anyway, you'll find they are actually very cheap to maintain.

Putting aside an engine rebuild , everything is available second hand by the abundance.

The scope of mods available is massive. There's virtually nothing you can't upgrade.

So if something goes wrong, the options available are many.

One thing I can say is the series 2 gearboxes are stronger than series 1.

Try and source used Brembos off a GTR.

Stock suspension is crap, need's a sports kit/bushes.

Don't go full race if you use it daily.

Small interior trims etc easy off Just Jap or here on the website.

What you need in the end is a good strong car and a good mechanic.

IT'S ALL IN THE TUNE.

Get it tuned right and you're on the way to having an awesome trouble free ride.

[GTR-N1]

The only additional comments to those useful ones above are...

* inspect carefully for rust, a legacy of salted Jap roads & coastal areas

* it is much less likely to depreciate than a vy clubsport...

[Truffles]

There's a lot of common misconceptions about Skyline ownership. One is that they're very hard/expensive to maintain. I don't find this to be particularly true.

They're getting to be an old car these days, with old parts. People think they breakdown more than any other car of that age, but how many 15+ year old cars get driven this hard? They're a high performance car and breaking things will be inevitable.

The best thing you can do is find a nice, clean example and really look after it. Replace worn parts, service it thoroughly, don't over modify it for your use and generally treat it well. Look after you car it it will look after you

[PM-R33]

That's exactly the main thing. They are an old car now. They are only "hard" to maintain because of their age and parts now getting worn and needing replacing. No harder than any other car of the same age however.

Also comes down to what you are like. My car is expensive to maintain because I use expensive tyres, expensive fuel, expensive brake pads, expensive oils, expensive car care products, regular servicing etc.

If I didn't give a crap about that it would be just as cheap as any other car.

[Galois]

+1 for common misconceptions.

You can do the regular servicing yourself, it's very easy (oil and spark plugs etc). But you can get ripped on labour if you take it to an inexperienced mechanic. But with all things get many quotes, and be prepared to travel a little if need be to find a good mechanic for a major service/upgrade. I know a few people who regularly travel from newcastle to sydney with their imports just to see trusted, experienced mechanics.

[Galois]

Another thought, look on the sau classifieds, the prices are sometimes a bit more than on car sales but you're probably getting a car maintained more carefully. Also, don't be afraid of mods, it's far worse to buy from someone who doesn't know a thing about the car and neglected it.

[BrOwnY GT]

*Update* Finally took the plunge and got hold of a stock as nails Black r33gtst sedan 1 australian owner and was a 51 year old lady had to drive far to get her though but was worth it... rwc nothing had to be done cept boots was it ... very happy with purchase and drives like a dream... cheers for the input guys

[Truffles]

*Update* Finally took the plunge and got hold of a stock as nails Black r33gtst sedan 1 australian owner and was a 51 year old lady had to drive far to get her though but was worth it... rwc nothing had to be done cept boots was it ... very happy with purchase and drives like a dream... cheers for the input guys

Sedan

[adamskill]

*Update* Finally took the plunge and got hold of a stock as nails Black r33gtst sedan 1 australian owner and was a 51 year old lady had to drive far to get her though but was worth it... rwc nothing had to be done cept boots was it ... very happy with purchase and drives like a dream... cheers for the input guys

nice mate. how much did you end up paying and any pics you can chuck up for us?

[BrOwnY GT]

6,000 m8 ill add some pics soon and yes a sedan... i prefer sedan then the coupe every man and his dog is driving around in a r33 coupe.. as common as commodores these days...