Hey all, not sure how active SAU is anymore but will ask away anyways.

Just wanted to get some experience on the 2008 model GTR CBA model.  I've hit that age in my life (43) where I'm like fk it time to get my dream (midlife crisis) car.

Looking at importing one in and seeing if these can be reliable if the main flaws are fixed up.

Plan is to keep money aside to do the following straight off the bat to future proof it:

* install a stage 1 rebuilt trans with all new bits and pieces. 
* install a new Bellhousing from the later model GTRs. Or potentially an upgraded stronger version like MAD or ATR.

Besides the above two things and typical maintenance items anything else you'd recommend doing.

 

Been speaking to a few people and the engine on these are very reliable apparently. But keen on the view of the community here.

Hoping to find a nice grade 4.5 with low mileage in Grey. I'd go black but swirls too easy.

Look forward to your responses and feedback.

Cheers

 

 

The usual gamble is the usual gamble. Hawkins bought one last year. Very nice, found in Japan via the usual mates.

Blew it up just driving it around. It's just roulette.

How do our rules work in Aus with importing one, since they were sold locally here?

40 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

How do our rules work in Aus with importing one, since they were sold locally here?

You can bring them in from the first model until Nissan Oz sold them, and then again since Nissan Oz stopped selling them (I think, on the second)

35 minutes ago, Duncan said:

You can bring them in from the first model until Nissan Oz sold them, and then again since Nissan Oz stopped selling them (I think, on the second)

Ahhh! My silly brain was thinking Nissan started selling them straight away, but they waited w or three years didn't they?

 

Maybe Duncan should build an R35 race car over the V37... There's a cheap yellow one on car sales Duncan, would only need your splash of purple added...

Edited February 9, 20251 yr by MBS206

On 09/02/2025 at 11:27 AM, GTSBoy said:

The usual gamble is the usual gamble. Hawkins bought one last year. Very nice, found in Japan via the usual mates.

Blew it up just driving it around. It's just roulette.

Yeah saw that video on YouTube. But he got a R grade (repaired) high mileage model and proudly advertised the fact it was super cheap and no doubt with issues.

I wouldn't be going the cheap and nasty route.

I'm a strong believer that old sports cars should be reserved as weekend cars and owned by mechanically inclined people. The risk-reward ratio is only acceptable under those conditions. 

9 hours ago, TurboTapin said:

I'm a strong believer that old sports cars should be reserved as weekend cars

Bah. I daily mine. ~60km per work day, 10-12 thousand km per year. What's the point of having a dirty old Datto and leaving it in the shed. It needs to be driven and enjoyed while the govco allows us to do so. It will only be a few years before we're forbidden to even start up internal combustion engines.

Am I correct in assuming that the R35's are getting the classic skyline haircut off the odometer? 

Quick search on carsales, there are 33 08 and 09 GTR's for sale, only 2 of them have more then 100,000km's on them (116,075 and 110,000 respectively). 

And somehow there are about 25 for sale with around 60,000kms? Looks like the classic skyline haircut to me =/

2 hours ago, Murray_Calavera said:

Looks like the classic skyline haircut to me =/

Could be. Could also be that they sit around broken more.

To be fair, you almost never see one driving around. I see more R chassis GTRs than the Renault ones.