Buying R34 Gtt (Private Seller)

[kl85]

Hey guys just went to see 2 r34 gtt today in Melbourne. One of them really caught my eye and is still fully stock.

Couple of qns:

This black gtt's owners does not have any of the Japanese import papers with him as he's the 2nd owner... So will I meet with any problems registering it with vicroads or have any trouble with cops/authorities?

Also this gtt has a red flick switch with a button to press just under the drivers air vent, looks like a NOS switch zzz... But owner says if I push it it gives the turbo boost, is that even possible? To push a button and ur turbo kicks in... I Tot u need turbo timer/gauge to do that..

Great thanks in advance !

[Jay11]

I didn't have any trouble registering mine in QLD even though the previous owner didn't have import papers.

Not sure what it's like in VIC.

The switch may be a dual stage boost controller, e.g. with the switch up it may be set to 5psi, and with the switch down it may change it to 10psi.

So it may just turn the boost up.

A turbo timer will allow the car to keep running even if you turn the ignition off with the key so that the turbo can cool down and the oil can circulate through the turbo as it cools down,

if you don't have a turbo timer then it's best to keep the car running at idle for a bit before turning it off if the turbo has had a bit of use.

Also I suggest reading over the buying a skyline topic in the for sale area, it will give you a heap of hints and tips of what to look for.

Hope that helps!

Jaylon

[Truffles]

Provided the car has been previously registered (legally, of course), then it has been complied and should be treated the same as any other car in regards to obtaining the correct transfer information/safety certificates ect.

How many second hand Australian delivered cars have you seen that don't come with factory log books? The import papers and japanese logbooks are much the same. Not imperative, but it's always a bonus when the seller has them as it means they're pretty meticulous. Not to worry. Give the car a good visual and mechanical inspection and when you own it look after it well. They're an aging high-performance sports car, so they should be treated accordingly.

Edit: Also, as suggested above; The switch, being a flick switch is most probably a high and low boost setting. It doesn't make the turbo "kick in", it adjusts the pressure that is allowed to build up before the wastegate is opened. More pressure means the air is more dense/compact, which means you can add more fuel at the same time for a bigger combustion and therefore more power. If you can, look behind where the switch is attatched to and see if there's any 8mm rubber tubing or wiring and see where it leads. Chances are it will be to a vaccuum line near the turbo/wastegate.

Edited April 10, 2011 by Truffles

[Galois]

I put one of those switches on my r34 back in the day. The stock boost controller had failed and was allowing 12-13 psi boost, so I connected a switch in series with the power line for the boost controller which meant I could switch between 7 and 13 psi.

Turbo timers aren't really needed for normal driving, esp as most people spend a few seconds parking which is enough. It's more for if the car is worked hard, it'll give it a chance to cool down properly.

[kl85]

Is it possible to turn off the turbo on a daily drive?

Both skylines i saw, both owners had minimal ideas bout cars, asked them bout coilpacks etc and they didnt know much bout it.

I saw this R34Gtt Black that i really want but so hesistant as he doesnt have import papers..haha (i know its not imperative, just wanna check the auction paper to see whether its Grade 4/3/R)

Anyways, when u drive a stock GTT, can u hear the airbox sucking air in? I could hear that in his car and got me worried haha (sorry i'm a 1st time car owner, so have minimal knowledge bout sports cars)

[stig mick]

No you can turn the turbo off,

I'm not 100% on this but I think you'll find more import don't have the import papers than do.

Personally I wouldn't be buying an import from someone who claims or actually knows nothing/very little about the car they own, unless YOU know exactly what your looking at.

I haven't owned any turbo that's still running an airbox but I imagine you would hear the turbo spoiling obviously not as loud as a POD though

Edited April 13, 2011 by stig mick

[Galois]

Is it possible to turn off the turbo on a daily drive?

Both skylines i saw, both owners had minimal ideas bout cars, asked them bout coilpacks etc and they didnt know much bout it.

I saw this R34Gtt Black that i really want but so hesistant as he doesnt have import papers..haha (i know its not imperative, just wanna check the auction paper to see whether its Grade 4/3/R)

Anyways, when u drive a stock GTT, can u hear the airbox sucking air in? I could hear that in his car and got me worried haha (sorry i'm a 1st time car owner, so have minimal knowledge bout sports cars)

You can't make a turbo non turbo.

Critically, turbo engines have lower compression, so when you take away the turbo the engine has no power. So even if there was some way of magically turning off the turbo (for example by keeping the wastegate open somehow), or just taking off the turbo, you's be out dragged by everything you can see on the road.

Owners not knowing about cars isn't necessarily a terrible thing, but it does mean there's probably stock coilpacks, a shitty no name clutch, poor tyres, either poor service history or the wrong grades of oils etc used in the car. All that happened to me when I bought my gtt from someone who didn't even know it's power output.

Unless you're buying the car from the importer, it'll be unlikely the newer owner will have the import papers. As long as it's registered (do a revs check), it's fine for aussie roads. As to the auction grade, it can change a lot between when imported from Japan and when the current owner comes to sell it.

And yes, you can hear a sucking sound. Love that sound, miss it terribly.

Edited April 13, 2011 by Galois

[kl85]

Thanks alot guys! Your info helped alot. I am probably gonna order a state roads inspection before I buy it as I am not an expert at eye balling cars n finding their faults yet...

Will ask more qns in the future when they arise.

[Galois]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/360304-buyerssellers-beaware-of-stateroads/

Not much of a problem for the buyer though, but if everything turns out fine but the car is left there in a dismantled state you'll be in a tricky spot.

ALWAYS be careful who you let fiddle with or work on your car, plenty of people will take a job on an import assuming they can do it, after reassuring you they've done it many times, then you find out to your cost and heartbreak they don't know what they're doing.

[kl85]

Hey guys got a few more qns before I get a 34, i have noticed that some dealers with 34s have their engine cover painted full silver, I.e the neo and turbo red words are now silver, is there any significance to this? Just afraid that they might fiddle with some shit n trying to cover up

[Galois]

Weird. Just sounds like paint though. I'd be very careful about buying from a dealer though. Many are out just to rip off the person the car comes from and the person it goes too, and will say anything to get a sale. Had some dodgy characters each time I've bothered to look at a dealer car.

Buying privately you can find some nice "low km (on the clock anyways) cars for 15k

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/results.aspx?Qpb=true&keywords=&SearchAction=N&sid=12EB904BE740&Nne=15&tsrc=allcarhome&Ns=pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|0||pCar_RankSort_Int32|1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282%204294963846%204294963593%20898%204294950656%204294932023

[Truffles]

Hey guys got a few more qns before I get a 34, i have noticed that some dealers with 34s have their engine cover painted full silver, I.e the neo and turbo red words are now silver, is there any significance to this? Just afraid that they might fiddle with some shit n trying to cover up

Could be any number of reasons, but I doubt you'll get a straight answer.

As said above; dealerships aren't always the best places to buy. They tend to buy a car for the lowest possible amount and sell it for as much as humanly possible.

Generally, most people whom have looked ater their skyline will opt for private sale. A clean and well maintained skyline will always fetch more money if the buyer knows what the goods are.