New To Imports, Need Advice!

[ally_cynfael]

Hey guys!

Okay so I've always loved r32 skylines, and as I'm getting a loan out to buy my second car I thought why not get something I love, I've already searched and found a potential buy.

Only problem is I don't know much about maintenance and if I don't do my research or facts right it would be a disaster! So just have a few questions for you guys, some help and knowledge would be amazing.

And yes these are probably the simplest questions but I thought I would ask or if there is a thread/topic on this site that could answer majority of them for me?

Anyways here are a few:

What type of oil should I use?

With the coolant should I keep using the same as the previous owner or drain the radiator and start again?

Servicing is done every 5000ks? And are there any major servicing or anything big I need to worry about doing if the previous owner hasn't?

These are just a couple going through my mind at the moment, sorry bout the newbie questions but I'd rather be safe then sorry.

Thanks

[France]

all your answers can be found through a search...

[JGTC]

What type of oil should I use?

- short answer: if you drive like a granny - moderately priced ($40-60) off-the-shelf Castrol/Nulon/Mobil/Motul 5w-30/40, 10w-30/40

if you drive like a complete mongrel / enthusiastically - any decent higher tier oils ($60-100) like Castrol Edge, Mobil 1. Amsoil Signature range, Redline, Motul 8100/300V

oil thread - http://www.skylinesa...__fromsearch__1

With the coolant should I keep using the same as the previous owner or drain the radiator and start again?

flush out the old coolant and refill with Nissan's OEM pre-mixed coolant - around $50-60 - failing that any green coolant will do Nulon Long Life etc

Servicing is done every 5000ks? And are there any major servicing or anything big I need to worry

about doing if the previous owner hasn't?

make sure big things like timing belt, ancillary drive belts water pump, oil pump have been changed at least once if the car has more than 100,000kms

other normal service to look out for would be

engine oil / oil fiter every 5000kms

gearbox oil - every 30-50,000kms depending on how hard you are on it

coolant flush - 2 years or 50,000kms

fuel filter -every major service - 50,000 or 100,000 kms

brake fluid - 30-50,000kms depending on how hard you are on them (hard braking)

power steering fluid - every 100,000kms

depending on the mileage, and what you know about the car's history, being an older car i'd change the;

- engine oil / oil filter

- coolant

- gearbox / rear diff oil

- brake fluid

- fuel filter

- air filter

- power steering fluid

These are just a couple going through my mind at the moment, sorry bout the newbie questions but I'd rather be safe then sorry.

i've mentioned some places to buy/what to buy the above products if needed here;

http://www.skylinesa...__fromsearch__1

hope this helps, welcome to the forum - post some pics of your car if you get a chance

all your answers can be found through a search...

mate, about as useless as tits on a bull, our search system for most accounts is crap to use and every one who joins might not be a a complete geek, and as we are always getting new members, they will benefit from these type of posts popping up

Edited November 6, 2012 by squareznboxez

[darksky34]

squareznboxez you sir are a champion. now I hope I'm not stretching too far, but for example If I bought a new 34 (or 33, doesn't matter just an example), and wanted to get all that checked/changed, do you have a ballpark of how much it would cost?

[Grimesy]

I bought mine over a year ago now, R33 GTST, and had all my filters, oils, fluids, etc done, after i had bought it, it cost me roughly $700-$1000 dollars cant quite remember, without the receipt. I had receipts of the previous owner doing the oil pump, water pump, and timing belt. I didn't have to get that done, but the total of that was roughly $1000 on the receipt, but it also had a new radiator put in as-well. All up its fairly expensive get that done, but i does give you some peace of mind.

[t5iv]

Personally, whenever I purchase a car, I drop all fluids and replace them. About that $1k mark sounds right.