Buying A Skyline Advice

[stink]

HI All,

Well i have decided to take the plunge and get myself a performance car, i am heading towards an R33 series2. Now i have done a far bit of searching on the forums and probably have confused myself a bit. The car will be for everyday use to and from work etc which is about a 90k round trip all highway. Here are my questions

1. I have about 20k max to spend and would want a stock standard if possible, there seems to be quite a few around in oz. But is importing something to look at or are the costs to large?

2. I know performance car = bad fuel economy, but if i dry conservatively during the week is it possible to keep the fuel consumption under control?

3. What are the ongoing costs like for serviceing etc? are parts expensive?

4. I am in Townsville so either way i will be buying from a distance, any tips from people who have made a long distance purchase.

Any advice on these things would be great, i thought who better to ask then people who have done it all before i.e You Guys!!

THx Stink

[ATTN]

Yeps series II skylines are very nice I would know cause I own one it'd be the roughly around your budget you have my be with a few breathing mods if your lucky and look hard enough.

1. If your planning to buy a stock one really depends on how hard you shop around, in-regards to importing you also have to consider compliance which would be abit pricey, theres also maybe a wating period for the car to come to oz could take months theres a link to importing cars on this forum.

2. simpile solution don't stpe on the peddal at every single light that you come across. full tank will cost you about $50 for about 400km pending on the petrol prices these days.

3 servicing you need to do if you want your car to be in good condtion pending if you gonna do a simple oil change and oil filter you could save yourself money $50 DIY every 5,000km is ideal.

4 Yep there heaps of people that sell things on the net and deliver straight to your door step pretty much anything ou want, you obviously have access to the internet shop around on car forums or websites but BE SURE to check them out first before you buy so you don't get jipped.

Hpoe it helps abit

tony

[stink]

Thx Tony,

Yeah i have seen quite a few on carsales.com etc that look great in pics and the comments are exactly what i want but its very hard to spend that money based on a photo. i suppose when the time comes i could try and get someone i know to have a look at a car on my behalf. And i always have the local RACQ/RACV?NRMA etc

THanks again

[dezz]

Thx Tony,

  Yeah i have seen quite a few on carsales.com etc that look great in pics and the comments are exactly what i want but its very hard to spend that money based on a photo. i suppose when the time comes i could try and get someone i know to have a look at a car on my behalf. And i always have the local RACQ/RACV?NRMA etc

THanks again

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you'll find he was refferring to parts being sent to your door....not a car. I don't think anyone should buy a car without seeing it for themself...thats why i'd be reluctant to import.

$50 for a tank? keep going. I drive a 1990 TX5 (getting a series 2 R33 when i find 1 i like) and it costs over $50 to fill that up. would be about a 45 litre tank, and thats on regular unleaded. absolute minimum is $60 a tank of optimax! so looking at more like $65-$75 for an R33 i'd say.

my car can get 600+ k's to the tank though, but like any car, you stick the boot in, and you can watch the needle fall!

[**JaR**]

I think you'll find he was refferring to parts being sent to your door....not a car. I don't think anyone should buy a car without seeing it for themself...thats why i'd be reluctant to import.

$50 for a tank? keep going. I drive a 1990 TX5 (getting a series 2 R33 when i find 1 i like) and it costs over $50 to fill that up. would be about a 45 litre tank, and thats on regular unleaded. absolute minimum is $60 a tank of optimax! so looking at more like $65-$75 for an R33 i'd say.

my car can get 600+ k's to the tank though, but like any car, you stick the boot in, and you can watch the needle fall!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sorry to disspoint you bud but.... for us who actually do own skylines and not looking into getting them such as yourself, we have first hand experience and not just a random assumption. $50 to fill the tank sounds about right... as the tanks on the 33's are'nt exactly the biggest fuel tanks out. generally conservatively driving the 33's ( well mine anyways ), gets like... 400-500kms per full tank, as for the other questions the thread starter asked.....

parts are only expensive if you buy them brand new from nissan ( but thats only if you have an accident which you hope to god you never do, btw, im speaking from experience on that part )

and as for the rest i agree with r33zilla.

good luck in your quest for a skyline, and hope ya drivin one soon.

[dezz]

sorry to disspoint you bud but.... for us who actually do own skylines and not looking into getting them such as yourself, we have first hand experience and not just a random assumption. $50 to fill the tank sounds about right... as the tanks on the 33's are'nt exactly the biggest fuel tanks out. generally conservatively driving the 33's ( well mine anyways ), gets like... 400-500kms per full tank, as for the other questions the thread starter asked.....

parts are only expensive if you buy them brand new from nissan ( but thats only if you have an accident which you hope to god you never do, btw, im speaking from experience on that part )

and as for the rest i agree with r33zilla.

good luck in your quest for a skyline, and hope ya drivin one soon.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

what is the tank capacity on an R33. i dont think it would be smaller than my 4cyl tx5. equal to maybe, but not smaller.

optimax, ultimate etc at $1.30. you work it out.

[**JaR**]

what is the tank capacity on an R33. i dont think it would be smaller than my 4cyl tx5. equal to maybe, but not smaller.

optimax, ultimate etc at $1.30. you work it out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

got no idea of the tank size, all i know is.... back when i first got my car around 3 months ago now, it used to cost me about $35 to fill it if the needle was just nearing the E, i never let it run fully out.... coz honestly who does, and now it costs me about $50, sometimes $60, depending on where i fill up.... generally at a caltex or BP, once again though im speaking from first hand experience, not a math related judgement....

[dezz]

got no idea of the tank size, all i know is.... back when i first got my car around 3 months ago now, it used to cost me about $35 to fill it if the needle was just nearing the E, i never let it run fully out.... coz honestly who does, and now it costs me about $50, sometimes $60, depending on where i fill up.... generally at a caltex or BP, once again though im speaking from first hand experience, not a math related judgement.... 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

its not a maths related judgement...unless you get your fuel cheaper than what it costs anyone else to fill up at the pump...

i also own a car, and considering i use normal unleaded, and a 4c discount, and it usually costs me $40-50 depending on price, i dont see how its possible for you to fill a tank of premium for $50, unless u are paying like $1/litre for it

[**JaR**]

yeah so anyways.... the thread isnt about fuel prices, its questions in relation to a new person seeking advice on buying a skyline, so back to it....

[LO_R33]

**Jar*** im with you, it costs me around $50 to fill up from empty, but saying that i dont let my fuel light come on... its usually from a bit below 1/4.

Again.. this is all its ever cost me (and ive had the car for a year)... but with fuel prices it may cost around $55 MAX.

I get around 350k's per tank, but i give it a boot occasionally, and my car is running rich.

Dayne

[akeenan]

it used to cost me more than 50 dollars to fill up my r33.

and that was one and a half years ago.

[dezz]

i'm not trying to start an argument mate...but its beyond me how you fill up for $50.

R33 GTS-T Type M

Fuel Tank Capacity 65 litres (14 gals)

now, lets say that when you fill up, you have 15 litres left (which is quite a lot, probably more than you actually have)

so 50 litres to fill X (i'll be ridiculous here) optimax at $1.10 (dream on)

50 X $1.10 = $55 at least.

now use the ACTUAL price of premium which is at least 10-20 cents more and take away some litres from the 15 i factored in, and its well over $50.

[stink]

well you guys have answered any of my fuel questions :-) Good to see some spirited answers

[**JaR**]

no worries. btw where ru located??? coz i can recommend some good places to look at buying skylines from if your down here in vic.

[dezz]

no worries. btw where ru located??? coz i can recommend some good places to look at buying skylines from if your down here in vic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dealerships or you mean importers?

i'm in melb and looking for a line.

[**JaR**]

yeah i mean importers. one i will recommend is allblitz ( thats where i got my car from )

another is a mate of mine, pm me and i'll send you his details.

[stink]

well i am in Townsville QLD, so the closest dealers for me are probably Brisvegas

[Timbo_auzz]

I have herd that SVI in Virgina are pretty goo. I have not bought from there but have only heard good things.

http://www.svi.com.au

[maxr33]

I'm in Townsville and did the 'are you mad?' thing and bought a sight unseen car from a bloke on the Goldcoast 3 years ago who did me an honest deal. PM me and I can give you some contact details if you want to catch up to have a yarn about anything. Back to the fuel price war! With standard mods but stock computer, engine and turbo I get about 9.5km to the litre round town driving reasonably sensibly (on optimax), almost 11km/l doing the speed limit on the highway on long drives. It does tend to get a bit thirstier when you hit the speed limiter