hoskib

iTrader: (1)

very tempted to have one last blow out purchase before getting all sensible and growing up always said i wanted an evo or GTR, but i can't see the point in getting an evo for what is basically the same sort of car. the GTR however is more of a tourer?

so would the car live up to my expectations? looking around the budget would see me in a car at least 9 years older than mine and this is the main bit i'm not too sure about, i look back on my classic days through rose tinted glasses but sitting in one the other day made me realise how dated they are now (sorry!)
power wise it'll be about the same although i guess a different sort of delivery? the looks of the R33 are standing up to time IMO and as much as i'd like a R34 that just won't happen

so, anyone lived with one recently? any tips on specs and what to look out for?

cheers,
Paul

NotoriousREV

I bought one nearly a year ago and I still absolutely love this car. The spec of mine is:

HKS Silent Hi-Power catback system
Abbey De-cat section
HKS filters
Apexi AVC-R set @ 1 bar (limited by the fragile ceramic turbos)
Apexi PowerFC
Tein Super Sport coilovers
Rays TE37s in bronze
Nismo twin plate clutch
Dyno'd @ 375bhp (standard are about 310)

The first thing that's different between Scoobs and GTRs is the power delivery. Below 4000rpm they are a big, soft, lazy straight 6. Above 4000 they fly. Add long gearing into the equation (3rd is good for almost 120mph, 4th for 145mph @ 8000rpm) and they can feel a bit slow if you're caught off guard. Think of them as being a bit like a VTEC motor but with more power.

The handling is amazing. They're a big car but with the 4 wheel steering, it shrinks around you and is very, very chuckable. They are much more tail-happy than Scoobs but they deliver so much feel through the steering, you know exactly what's going on so any slide is very controllable (and never as big as it feels in the car). Having said that, mine has tried to kill me on 3 occasions where the back just snapped out, but I'm a rubbish driver

Daily use, I get 18mpg and it used about half a litre of oil a month (which it deposits nicely on my rear bumper).

Idiots in Corsas/Saxos etc. don't try and race you at every opportunity, but blokes on litre bikes do.

They're even pretty practical. I even have a child seat in the back of mine which sees regular use and it's been 100% reliable in the year I've had it.

The interiors are a nice place to be (much higher quality than a Scoob) and comfortable for long journeys.

Currently sat in my garage are a pair of HKS GT-SS turbos, HKS step 1 cams and other bits and bobs which will hopefully raise power to >500bhp and improve low down response.

I say go for it, you won't regret it, but prepare to pay the Skyline tax if you want to do some work on it. Buy one at the spec you want, because it costs a fortune to get it done yourself. I bought a standard one for £9k and spent £3k on bits. I could have bought a monster for £12k already done.

Finally, the obligatory picture:

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

cheers for that REV skyline tax?? is that a bit of only a few people work on them and charge quite alot?

interesting way you describe the power delivery, i was thinking the engine would need a bit of revving to get working but thought the 1st of the twin turbos would give a bit of low down grunt to compensate. or is it that it feels a bit more refined than the wham in the back of scoobys?

i don't mind a bit of a cruiser but don't really rev the life out of engines, it's what's put me off vtec in the past.

would you say the boot was about the same size? i frequently have 2 sets of golf clubs in the scoob no worries, would be a shame if one had to end up on the back seat! one other thing, why does yours lose so much oil, or is that and spitting it out the back normal?

NotoriousREV

You're correct on the Skyline tax Shop around though and you can get some good deals.

The turbos aren't sequential (like in a Legacy) they're parallel so they both kick in together and are equal sized. It's a big kick in the back

To be honest, it's a lot more of a cruiser than a Scoob, but still not really a cruiser, it has more "intent" than that.

You won't get 2 sets of clubs in the boot, I'm afraid. A lot of space is taken up by the battery, ATESSA (4wd) and HICAS (4ws) ECUs and hydraulic reservoirs/pumps etc.

I think my oil problem is down to the age of the turbos. It doesn't smoke or leak, it just "uses" oil. Mine's worse than other I've seen and hopefully the new turbos will cure it.

EVOVI

I am now into my 7th years with a R33 GTR and that gives you an idea of how good they are.
I will admit over those years it has cost me a small fortune but now I have very well sorted 500bhp monster.It was pretty standard when I got it so I know what has been done and who did it which is one of the things you need to look out for when buying one..You may get a tuned bargain from japan but you will be lucky if you know exactly what has been done and your bargain may cost you..
Even at 500bhp with a twin plate clutch I managed to use it as a daily driver with no problems but I will tell you it can be hard work at times if you sit in alot of stop start traffic.They are big but they do handle well so you wont notice much difference from a subaru..Power will feel different especially a standard car but even though it may not feel it you will be just as quick as a scooby or evo.Get a 500 bhp car and once those turbos kick in you just hang on for the ride..The noise and power just does not let up and it pulls and pulls all the way up to the redline.
Best advice given to me was keep a few grand spare just incase cause as already said parts cost a fortune and it soon adds up.
I am selling mine at the moment although I dont really want to,the reason being I will be getting a car through work and the skyline will hardly get a run out so will be sat in my garage collecting dust.You can have a look at it here Nissan : Black R33 GTR 500bhp
If you want to ask anymore questions about owning a skyline let me know

exvaux

iTrader: (1)

thats just car ****

astraboy

I agree, I dont really get 4wd cars, but I have to say the R33GTR would be very nice to have.
astraboy.

Mike123

I must admit that after seeing and following Rev's car through Wales, it's really made me want one - it did seem very wieldy for the size and it seems to do everything I'd want in a car - it's only the cost that discourages me really. Rev's is a lovely example as well

The Zohan

Agreed, i love that car.

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

many thanks guys EVOV1 i think i'd be dead within a couple of days in that monster!! thanks for the link though, brutal looking car that

i think i'll have to take a long practical look at the ownership as a whole, rather than just wanting the car in the picture if you get my meaning. things like the boot size will be a factor and i wouldn't really want a car with higher running costs than my sti. but i do like the idea of a cruiser as that's the sort of miles i seem to be doing now.

i'll have to put the sensible head on and have a look around
thanks again

skoobidude

I keep looking at Pistonheads myself in the Skyline section. Some lovely motors in there - inc EVOVI's above.
On the one hand I think of the cheaper tax (not much difference in a year given the other running costs), performance, rareness..
On the other hand can I bring myself to selling my 3yr old car for one over 10 yrs old...

Hoskib this is killing me too!

Nick

EVOVI

I dont think you will find a GTR practical..The boot is tiny for the size of the car, the rear seats are for 2 people only and if you have anyone tall driving then you will have bugger all legroom and running costs can be high if you need parts.
If you can you should get out and drive one cause they really are nothing like a scooby...

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

i think you're spot on with the practical comment, it would be my everyday driver and quite often i lug around work tools/bits and pieces. i assumed the boot would be a huge thing
i do have these flights of fancy, was looking at caterhams the other day

lol, would probably turn into me buying it with my heart as usual instead of my head

subaruturbo_18

do you mean they are so much better than scoobies?


have to say if i was to get any car other than some sort of impreza it would be a skyline!

NotoriousREV

They are "better" in terms of pure handling, steering feedback etc. but I don't think they have as much mechanical grip.

They are very different and they're not a car most people "get" instantly. I spoke to a few guys I knew that had them before I bought mine and they all told me it would take about 6 months of driving it regularly to get the best out of it and they were right. After coming from the understeery Impreza and jumping into a car that has a tail-out attitude (even if not actually sliding) does feel strange.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed the first time I drove one but once you drive one properly, you'll never look back.

Daft Lad

Absolute filth. Is the Soarer in the background yours too?

MooseRacer

Nah, that's Mycroft's

NotoriousREV

Yup, that's my 4.0GT Limited "project". It makes the GTR seem cheap to run

Our old Forester is in that pic too, 3 white cars That's now been replaced with a black Civic.

jjones

looks like your car is obstructing that corner

NotoriousREV

Nah, these days I park it on the pavement :LOL1:

rob2006

iTrader: (1)

Ahh, the GTR. heres my beast an abbey built 575 bhp car... total build cost of engine alone... 18k The motor was capable of 750bhp+, turbos were good for 700, ecu and injectors were the limiting factor.

Would i have another... not a chance.

I'm pretty dam good mechanicaly (engineer) and dont have a problem working on any car but these are so complicated. If you dont know anything about them which i assume is the case since you started this thread then your in for a large reduction in your bank balance.

A rebuild, even at its cheapest is thousands. Fresh imports are a scary prospect as cars can be clocked and wound back.

Tuning these cars will take every penny you can make, steal or borrow! dont however be put off by the fuel econmy as mine even in its high state of tune would do 25mpg+ without a problem... on boost is a different story.

It was an easy 190mph car... if you have the stones and the private road to do it.

Sadly my GTR came to its demise on a winters night.. on the up side i made near 18k out of breaking it and theres still another 3k+ left in the car to shift on.

Heres some prices incase you kiss a wall with one....

Intercooler £2250
Headlights £600 each
Bonnet £1300
Front bumper £1100
Wings £550

It wrote my car off with a 13k repair tag.. That was a 35mph impact.

Seriously mate, if you have 6-10k in your bank account doing nothing and you have no plans to touch it then fine.. buy one as they are amazing. But by one that has had the same owner for at least 2 years with specialest service history and in a mild (350+bhp to 500bhp) state of tune. If you dont have that money sitting there.. FORGET IT.. seriously a clutch alone is a over 1k never mind fitting!

wiley

iTrader: (63)

didnt kno it was so costly to run a gtr
this has made me think twice before saving up for one
wiley

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

cheers for the input rob, reading those potential costs does really confirm my fears of running a 10odd year old high performance car as an everday run-a-round.

i expect if you find a pretty much standard one and keep it as such it wouldn't be too bad, but last thing i want to do after 10 years of trouble free scooby ownership is buy a money pit!!

cheers, Paul

NotoriousREV

I'd say that while the costs can be high, you don't have to use the big name (expensive) tuners. My Nismo twin-plate clutch rated to 590ps was £650 including fitting, for example.

The prices above are presumably from Middlehurst or somewhere similar. For example, why on earth would you pay £2250 for an intercooler when you could get an aftermarket HKS, Greddy etc. uprated one for less than £1k?

There's a whole industry built on the myth of complexity around GTRs but at the end of the day, they're a cast iron blocked straight 6 with a pair of turbos, a truck gearbox and chain drive to the front wheels and a 4 wheel steering system that can be replaced with a steel bar if you don't like it.

rob2006

iTrader: (1)

£650 for a nismo clutch and fitted.. was that the copermix one.? I really cant believe that sorry.. my HKS twin plate was £1250 on its own.! The nismo clutch is regarded as one of the best.

Prices for the intercooler, bonnet etc were from Abbey and Middlehurst. When your dealing with an insurance claim the insurance company dont do like for like unless its insured in that manor. They will only accept GENUINE nissan parts quotes, those prices will write a car off as it did mine.

You can make anything sound simple... but in reality a GTR is not simple by any means

NotoriousREV

Beleive what you like but it's true. You have to know where to buy your parts and who you choose to fit them. The big name tuners are not the place to go.

These cars are not complex!

EVOVI

It is pretty easy to find cheap parts but you have to source them in Japan and the companies I have heard of are not always the fastest of suppliers, can take 7 or 8 weeks to deliver but if you have the time then you can save alot of money..
HKS GD twin clutch £566
Nismo coppermix twin £740
You have to add shipping to that but that is not going to cost that much on a part like a clutch..
If you want the parts asap and you buy in the UK you are going to pay the premium..I had to pay £1250 for the HKS clutch as my car had been off the road for months and was on the dyno when the old clutch gave up..I was not able to wait a couple more months for a cheap clutch...

NotoriousREV

New Era are great for parts at cheaper than UK prices and reasonable delivery times e.g. my TE37s were about £1400 and took 3 weeks from order to delivery and they were out of stock when I placed the order.

It's worth keeping an eye on the for sale ads on the various forums. I got my HKS turbos for £900 delivered, second hand but unused after the owner decided he wanted more than 550bhp.

exvaux

iTrader: (1)

so running one with 700 bhp wouldnt be a cheap business then,i know of someone who has just bought an ex garage saurus demo car and im expecting his backside to collapse when something breaks,im guessing the gearbox wont be standard on that level of tune?

EVOVI

An ex garage saurus demo car will probably have a long list of top quality parts especially if running a geniune 700bhp..If your mate wanted to swap like for like then yes expect his **** to start twitching when he gets prices..
I would say you are right and it wont be running a standard gearbox but it depends on what it is to how much a new one would be..Some are as much as £6000..
It will probably be an amazing car but getting it to stay like it will not be easy...You cannot really use a 700bhp car as a daily driver and if he wants track it or drag it then he will need some deep pockets..
You only have to look at the for sale ads and you always see GTRs for sale with a fresh built engine with £1000s spent..To start with I always wondered why spend that only to sell it but I eventually worked it out...Lots of people want the GTR but in reality they cannot afford to run one...