I Didn't Think It Was Going To Be This Hard!

[Fanta pants...]

Hi everyone,

After abit of thinking early in the year I decided save up and purchase a R33 GTR. At the beggining of the search I was specifically after a R33 GTR V-Spec in midnight purple, I am now at the point where I am after one that is actually decent. I don't no if I am being to picky or there isn't any good R33 GTR's about, I have spent atleast $1800 on travelling to see cars and having them inspected. To put in politely, i am starting to get the shits wasting my dorras on shitty cars.

Here is a list of some of the cars that I have inspected myself/had inspected for me!

R33 GTR V-Spec midnight purple: Lots of bad rust, boot, front gurads, underneath, inner guards, strut towers, firewall. Tyres falling apart.

R33 GTR V-spec White: Alot of under body damage, Sills and chassis rails. Rims scraping against brake calipers.

R33 GTR V-spec white: Alot of surface rust underneath, sill damage, interior pieces missing.

R33 GTR V-spec white: Alot of surface rust underneath, sill damage, inner guards surface rust.

R32 GTR: Way to clean for age of car. Under body had been sprayed black, Exterior of vehicle had been resprayed.

R32 GTR: K's weren't legit, rust holes in floor pan, front bar re-sprayed, Chassis and sill damaged. Pretty average condition

R32 GTR: K's weren't legit, pretty straight car, rust in rear and in engine bay.

R32 GTR v-spec: K's werent legit, rust in floor pan, sill and chassis rail damage, pretty average paint, interior very average.

R33 GTR V-spec White: Nice and tidy car, R/H rear quater had be repaired/replaced.

R33 GTR Midnight Purple: Previous repair in rear, Rear quater panels Repaired, Vehicle had been resprayed.

R33 GTR V-spec: Nice Car, Previous front end repair.

Some cars are dealers cars, and others are private sales

Rant over. Any one else having similar issues???

On a side note, I didnt think that repaired cars where allowed to be imported. Correct me if I am wrong.

[GTR-N1]

It took the buyer of a former R33 GTR of mine, 13 months of searching.

I guess the real rants will come from the very people who buy those cars you've inspected.

I must in the same breath praise you for your due diligence!

If the history of the car &/or the stamps in the Japanese log books reveal the car's ownership to be in Northern Honshu or Hokkaido, there will be rust manifesting from underneath.

Even cars stored along any coast shall probably show surface rust to some extent - and coastal fringes are legion.

[Fanta pants...]

Yeah, I also worry about these cars being purchased by un suspecting buyers. The thing thats is worse is the dealers who are importing these cars and selling them.. I suppose it does pay to do your research.

[BakemonoRicer]

I have been scanning the local R33 GT-R market as well....

Most people have bought their vehicle via a dealership, so given certain (or should I say most) import dealerships like to make a healthy profit by importing vehicles which go for next to nothing at auction in Japan (for reasons such as those you've pointed out), now you understand why you can't find a good one, even on the private market. I have been told an absolutely mint grade 4.5 R33 GT-R at auction in Japan will set you back ~30-40k landed.

It will be next to impossible to find an immaculate example of an R33 GT-R on the local market.....your only hope is to import in my opinion, and even then it's a bit risky.

[Hadouken]

I would say that it is a combination of luck and patience. It took me 6 months to find a clean mnp 33 with service history and it was definitely worth the wait.

[Fanta pants...]

Well, I didn't no a mint 33 gtr would be 30-40k landed. I wasnt expecting a perfect one for 23k (current budget) but I was hopeing to get a decent one, which looks like that won't happen either. I had thought about getting an evo 7, only real plus being they are newer.

[Fanta pants...]

I would say that it is a combination of luck and patience. It took me 6 months to find a clean mnp 33 with service history and it was definitely worth the wait.

Did you find one locally or did u import?

[ZRBE]

Yeah, don't be an idiot like me and buy the first overpriced skyline you see haha..

Hope you find what your looking for

I just know next time I buy any car, I am going over it with magnifying glass.. Chassis rail pushed back, so much bog & rusty as all crap..

I am paying for it now

Edited August 18, 2013 by Zrobe

[Fanta pants...]

Ah, that's not good. Hope everything works out for you!

[Hadouken]

It was a purchase from a private importer. he did it out of home as a hobby. Haha interesting hobby.

It was stock as a rock, factory paint, straight, and it cost me 20k. Could not have been happier.

But like you have said, I looked at alot of cars from import car yards, as I wanted a freshly imported car. And they were absolutely atrocious. Rust, doors not lining up ans just absolutely shocking! It started doing my head in aswell look8ng at the same cars on carsales!

[fatz]

I paid extra to get a non vspec s3 r33 gtr

I looked at about 15 and they were all shitville express

[Cherry Racer]

Have a chat to some of the reputable brokers to see what is out there and an idea of price. I got a feeling you might need to pay more for a really nice car.

I simply couldn't have gotten the car I got in Australia. Price wise it was more than cars in Australia but I believe it was better value as the car is near on perfect. Good Luck