R34 Gt To Gtt Engine Swap

[NZ-GTT]

I started with a GTT and replaced A,C,D,E,F,G, only kept B the transmission which can be purchased new from Amayama for  $4500 delivered to my door. 6+ years ago It was better to buy a GTT as I did but with current GTT prices this is definitely a viable option now if you intend to modify the crap out of it as I have. I have had my GTT for 7 seven years now and it was good fun to drive though while I acquired all the parts I wanted to modify it over the first 4 years.

[GTSBoy]

14 minutes ago, NZ-GTT said:

this is definitely a viable option now

But is it really? Just because prices have gone up, doesn't make these cars any better. They're still the same dirty old Nissan shitbox they were 6 years ago. There is nothing "magical" about a factory turbo Skyline. There;e never been anythign magical about an NA shitter that has been converted, even if absolutely everything on the car has been swapped to turbo spec.

The fact that the cars are worth more right now doesn't mean that dropping a bunch of cash on turbo converting an NA has become a better idea. The car hasn't improved, only the market's perception of what it's worth, which is close to meaningless.

 

[NZ-GTT]

Well I definitely did not do this for an investment but rather for what I want. Buying a N/A GT and then modifying to what you want it to be rather than paying extra for GTT and then modifying it is a viable option IMHO.

[Unzipped Composites]

Eh, personally I think it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. I 'converted' my GT to GTT years ago (years before this thread was even started, I can feel the weight of my own swag) and wouldn't say I ever really regretted it. Would I do it again now? Probably not. There were headaches along the way that were 100% a result of the car being a GT. Realistically if it had been a GTT from factory, it probably wouldn't have been such a big deal when it got stickered and it would still be on the street. There are probably loads more headaches to come now that it is a full time track car.

 

But then again, maybe I would. Sentimental attachment plays a big role. As does knowing my car like the back of my hand. Where the rust is, where the dents in the chassis rails are, where the paint has a bug in it from when I resprayed it in my garage. I think once you've owned a car for a length of time and you have genuine attachment to it other than finding the cheapest car you can and making it faster, then it takes a strong stomach to sell it for the sake of getting a turbo model. All the logic and reasonable thinking regarding investment etc doesn't change that.

 

So end of the day - who cares right? Modifying cars is not an investment game, so just do what you like.

[NZ-GTT]

40 minutes ago, Unzipped Composites said:

So end of the day - who cares right? Modifying cars is not an investment game, so just do what you like.

Totally agree, and that is what makes this forum awesome for me,

[Antony Logan]

The biggest issue with buying a GTT over a GT is the price... GTT's are going for about 20-25k NZD whilst GT's are about 8-15k NZD depending on the condition. However I've been quoted 4k NZD to import a mint, low km's ER34 sedan 25de auto from japan. I might be getting a bit ahead of my self but throwing in a 25/26det would make me a very happy man 😁. So any links to threads with info would be much appreciated.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Antony Logan

[Kinkstaah]

Re: 4k NZD GT (if actually real, I suspect there's hidden costs here that will come out to very similar total costs of GT's in your area...)

Thing is, if you had all the parts, all the know how, and all the experience to do an engine swap, you'd definitely pay the 20-25k NZD and get the GTT.

Parts availability and Prices are shit now. What's your time worth, too?

Be better to buy that cheap GT then put something else in it entirely. Like a LS.
Then you could also just buy my LS converted car, and save money.

The sensible options have been laid out for ages, from years of people exploring these avenues with experience
Listen to them lol

Or don't, and make the same mistakes they/I did.

[Unzipped Composites]

16 hours ago, Kinkstaah said:

Parts availability and Prices are shit now. What's your time worth, too?

 

 

So much this. So much this.

 

I paid $4000 for the donor car I used, including importing it from Japan. That included everything, engine, gearbox, driveshaft, diff, brakes, some of the interior including matching dash cluster with the correct*** kms, etc. In the end it was a very simple job just to swap everything over out of the one car and into the other. All I needed was a radiator and a front mount due to the front impact on the donor car. I sold my DE Neo engine for 250 bucks, and the DE gearbox including clutch for $200. The rest went in the bin.

 

Try and get that value out of any donor car these days, you'd likely pay atleast 10k for it. Collect the parts individually and it will probably take you 2 years and still cost 10k. Jesus Christ, these days people are paying $1500 just for a DE Neo motor, and the same again for a DE gearbox. Crazy sauce. These cars just aren't good value anymore, they are expensive to own and modify now for sure. If you're going to do it, it shouldn't be because of prices.