WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN a R32 GTR

[TiNTiN]

im in the process of buying a r32 gtr 1990 or looking for one there are a few around what should i look for when buying a 32 gtr ? signs or damage ?

what should i look for in the engine bay ? etc...

[DJ984]

look for rust in the sills and the rear wheel arches.

look for fading, rubbing and burning in the seats / interior

look to make sure any mods in the enginebay are done properly not a cheap-o solution...

run your finger down where any pannels join / where ther's a gap in panels (ie door to guards etc) and make sure the gap is flat and consistant

[djr81]

Have a search - you will find a fair bit on this topic.

Engine bay:

Look for burnt paint (particularly on the intake manifold) & general signs of heat stress.

Look for service stickers on the airbox.

Ask if the timing belt has been changed. (Should be a sticker on the cover)

Interior

Be aware that alot of GT-R's have had their odometers tampered with. So have a good look at the interior & decide whether or not the wear is compatable with the claimed kms. Particularly look at the state of the steering wheel (be wary of aftermarket wheels) & the seat fabric, particularly around the bolster. If these are stuffed & the car is claiming <100,000kms, run.

Gearbox

Check for worn synchros (mostly third & fourth)

Brakes

Check the rotor thicknesses & the pad condition.

General

Make sure everything works.

Check the state of the panels & paint.

Stick your head underneath & check for damage from forklifts. (Most will have some)

Don't buy it because of shiney addons. Buy it if it is a good car.

Question the owner & find out whyhe bought it, how long he has had it & why he is selling it.

[TiNTiN]

anything else in the engine bay i should look for ???

[dan_the_man]

If you find a car your seriously interested in then take it to a workshop thats known for working on imports and get them to check it out

[TiNTiN]

If you find a car your seriously interested in then take it to a workshop thats known for working on imports and get them to check it out

thats to much time and hassel for me to do somthing like that id prefer if i could check it through myself. i do know stuff about the RB26 but just looking if theres anything else i should check over when purchasing the car

[Amaru]

thats to much time and hassel for me to do somthing like that id prefer if i could check it through myself. i do know stuff about the RB26 but just looking if theres anything else i should check over when purchasing the car

Id seriously consider taking it to one of the major workshops who have alot of hands on experience with GTR's. If its too much time and hassle to get a GTR checked out, dont buy one as its obvious you probably wont be able to maintain it because its "too much hassle".

Taking half a day of your time to get it properly and thouroghly checked out could save you $10,000+ in 1/2/6 months time.

[JCMarshall_Law]

thats to much time and hassel for me to do somthing like that id prefer if i could check it through myself. i do know stuff about the RB26 but just looking if theres anything else i should check over when purchasing the car

I'd say that is not a great call, R32 GTR's are generally "to much time and hassel" just owning one, so I would say you will save a LOT of "to much time and hassel" if you get a GTR checked out by a KNOWLEDGEABLE mechanic before you buy it.

[djr81]

Id seriously consider taking it to one of the major workshops who have alot of hands on experience with GTR's. If its too much time and hassle to get a GTR checked out, dont buy one as its obvious you probably wont be able to maintain it because its "too much hassle".

Taking half a day of your time to get it properly and thouroghly checked out could save you $10,000+ in 1/2/6 months time.

It is worth getting an idea of what to look for - even if it is just to sort out the wheat from the chaff nbefore taking to a specialist & shelling out $100 or $200 dollars.

Things to look for are:

Burnt paint on the manifold - an RB26 that has had a hard life will have almost all the paint scorched off the induction manifold. One with an easier life will still have some missing.

Look for the usual oil leaks etc.

Look for dodgy/low rent/badly done engine mods. The Japanese are renowned for installing equipment & not tuning motors properly.

Ask if/where the car has been dynoed and/or serviced.

Check for a replacement cam belt (about a $500 job, so better if it has been done)

Check for service stickers on the airbox (if it still has one)

Talk to the owner & see if he actually knows what he is on about.

Also it is better if the plug cover is still on the motor - replacements are $600 ish from Nissan.

Check to see if the boost restrictor is still in and for EBC. If it is an old school boost controller chances are the motor has been running at higher boost for a while.

[pentae]

Nothing pisses me off more than people ask for advice, they get given fantastic advice and decide to keep doing what they where going to do in the first place.

idiots.

(not talking about anyone in particular or anything..)

[djr81]

Nothing pisses me off more than people ask for advice, they get given fantastic advice and decide to keep doing what they where going to do in the first place.

idiots.

(not talking about anyone in particular or anything..)

That is a bit harsh. The bloke is trying to find the best way of doing something, not looking to be told by others not to do it.

[lang]

Nothing pisses me off more than people ask for advice, they get given fantastic advice and decide to keep doing what they where going to do in the first place.

idiots.

(not talking about anyone in particular or anything..)

yes your completley right, but the way i look (in general terms with advice) at it is that people take your advice onboard as part of the collective information they use to decide what option is the right one for them. You shouldnt expect people to do what you say even if you know its the best way.

[pentae]

djr81: as I said, wasnt talking about the poster. He just REMINDED me of people like this.

lang: Agreed. But when you've got 5 experienced people sitting around who own these cars and know what their talking about and your too stupid to take it in, well you deserve a grilling, man.

Anyway, back on topic: The fact is if you dont take the car and get it checked out by an import/gtr specialist, or a decent mechanic, its really your own fault if you get burned!

:innocent:

[2fardown]

You are taking one hell of a risk not getting a 15 year old GTR checked out. Think about why there are so many of them for sale.........

[djr81]

You are taking one hell of a risk not getting a 15 year old GTR checked out.  Think about why there are so many of them for sale.........

More of a risk than, say, importing one from Japan?

[slow13dude]

More of a risk than, say, importing one from Japan?

Same risk, unless you get it checked out by a pro.

However if you had imported yourself you would not be charged the premium by the people who are selling them in Oz.

[2fardown]

More of a risk than, say, importing one from Japan?

Full mechanical inspections are available in Japan. It's not like you pick a car and hope like hell there's nothing wrong with it.

[psybic]

Full mechanical inspections are available in Japan.  It's not like you pick a car and hope like hell there's nothing wrong with it.

I see... thats where I went wrong... :confused: