Help is Needed

[khiyasu]

Hi guys,

I can't get my mind off owning a R32 or R33 GTR AWD but I have a few concerns that are preventing me from going ahead with buying the car. So I figured that I will come to you guys for help since everyone here seems very knowledgeable and helpful. I know it is long but your help is greatly appreciated as I have been a long time fan on the Skyline. Anyway, here are my concerns:

1. From reading the forum, looks like there is a pretty big issue of this RHD vehicle. I used to own a 300zx RHD before but I shied away because it was a hassle to sell and I keep hearing they may be banning the RHD cars. I don't think they should be I guess what is the status of this before I get another RHD car and can't keep it after?

2. how is the AWD on the AWD GTR? Is it driveable in the winter? I do have a company 4x4 and share it with coworkers. We carpool but never know, I may need to use it maybe once a week to drive from Squamish - Van or Squamish - Whistler if the roads are safe. How does the AWD handle in snow/ice as long as I don't push it too hard? Or will you advise just to keep it in the garage? (One of the reasons I want the Skyline AWD is because I love the car and would like to use it in the winter not all the time but for short distances or a bit farther if I have to)?

3. How are spare parts/replacement parts accessible in Vancouver? Are they easy to obtain? Also, are they shops in the lower mainland area that work on Skylines at a decently affordable price? Is the Skyline expensive and tough to maintain? I dont plan on boosting the car too much. I don't mind keeping as stock as possible cause I want the most life out of the car.

4. Also, if I am to get the Skyline, I was thinking of using TyeeImports.com to get the Skyline. Do you know if they are reputable and bring in good condition Skylines or do they just bring in crap? Which car dealer brings in the best condition Skylines?

5. Lastly, how hard is it to pass aircare in the Skylines? I don't need aircare in Squamish but in the case I need to sell my car, I would need to make sure it passes aircare.

Thank you so much and hope I did not kill you with all these questions. I just can't stop thinking about owning one but all these reasons are preventing me from doing it. Also, the awd in winter is pretty big because I would like to have this car as my daily. I know its not the most efficient daily driver but as I mentioned before, I have a company car that I use everyday to work. The Skyline would only be for if I wanted to go to the grocery store, or a friends house, all within 15 mins drive. Might have the occasional trip to Whistler for snowboarding or Vancouver for repairs etc.

Again thanks so much.

Regards,

Yi-khy

[stolenmanners]

They are only expensive and / or tough to maintain if you're poor.

Set aside 20K in loose cash for your first year and you'll be A-OK.... Even more important if you are going to use your 20 year old skyline as a winter beater. Cause we all know they are 4x4. vroom vroom!

Spend it, spend it.

[khiyasu]

will the skyline drive fine in snow?

[gtrjon]

i have driven my r32 gtr in the snow and it handles fine. after all it is awd. as for a reputable shop that will work on gtrs evolution automotive in new westminster in the lower mainland works on 3 local gtrs that i know one of them being mine.if you want more info on the shop pm me. gtrs are expensive to maintain in comparrison to maintain. but its completely worth it. as for finding parts i have never had a problem. you can always order them in and you can find almost anything here on gtrc.

[Nismo_line]

you dont need to put away 20k for repairs unless you are buying a piece of **** that needs a rebuild or breaks down alot like who would keep 20k for repairs all i had to do was regular maintenance and but keep little bit saved up incase something else happens lol hell if something needed to be fixed and it would cost 20k i would just go buy another skyline with that money hahaha

[khiyasu]

Do you know where would be a good place to buy/trade in for a Skyline? The only place I know of right now is Tyee Imports. Their website is tyeeimports.com. They look like they have decent Skylines in good shape. Any thoughts of that place or does anyone know of a better place that sells Skylines around the lower mainland area?

Thanks

[Shane_Sawatzki]

learn how to read the japanese auction sheets before buying off of tyee.

[archaeic_bloke]

1. From reading the forum, looks like there is a pretty big issue of this RHD vehicle. I used to own a 300zx RHD before but I shied away because it was a hassle to sell and I keep hearing they may be banning the RHD cars. I don't think they should be I guess what is the status of this before I get another RHD car and can't keep it after?

2. how is the AWD on the AWD GTR? Is it driveable in the winter? I do have a company 4x4 and share it with coworkers. We carpool but never know, I may need to use it maybe once a week to drive from Squamish - Van or Squamish - Whistler if the roads are safe. How does the AWD handle in snow/ice as long as I don't push it too hard? Or will you advise just to keep it in the garage? (One of the reasons I want the Skyline AWD is because I love the car and would like to use it in the winter not all the time but for short distances or a bit farther if I have to)?

3. How are spare parts/replacement parts accessible in Vancouver? Are they easy to obtain? Also, are they shops in the lower mainland area that work on Skylines at a decently affordable price? Is the Skyline expensive and tough to maintain? I dont plan on boosting the car too much. I don't mind keeping as stock as possible cause I want the most life out of the car.

4. Also, if I am to get the Skyline, I was thinking of using TyeeImports.com to get the Skyline. Do you know if they are reputable and bring in good condition Skylines or do they just bring in crap? Which car dealer brings in the best condition Skylines?

5. Lastly, how hard is it to pass aircare in the Skylines? I don't need aircare in Squamish but in the case I need to sell my car, I would need to make sure it passes aircare.

hey bud, no body answers questions directly any more eh? lol!!

well i'll try to give u some answers based on my opinions and experiences.

1) RHD is banned in Quebec only right now, and its not even fully banned, they just added another 10 year extension to the rule.. so in 2014, we can register a 1989 skyline in QC if we want.. (good luck finding one tho at that time! LOL). The rest of canada I really doubt will ever ban the cars,... QC is the worst province, its like the retarded step brother that no body likes but we all tolerate because the women are nice... pretty sure your safe, and if you buy a RHD now, and then they decide to ban them, you will just be in the same situation as we are in QC.. we still drive ours all the time, and we can sell them to other people. theres no problem, once its registerred they will have a impossible time to force you off the road. this is a non-issue really.

2) AWD is rear wheel biased, meaning its rear wheel drive until the rear wheels slip, then it transfer a certain amount of torque to the front wheels. if you want to make it a full time 4x4 it can be done for about $400... RHD japan sells the Grid TS-Dancer 2, it has the ability to control the AWD system, you can choose RWD only, full time 4x4, or a mix in between. I've never driven a GTR in the snow, I imagine its pretty good as long as the ride height isnt slammed to the floor, and you put some good skinny 225 winter tires on it.

3) keeping the car stock as long as possible is the best way to protect your investment, all of us morons who keep dumping (me including) money into our cars will never see a return on our investment, but we do it for fun, and for obsession. lol, if u keep it stock, parts are readily available, and almost always cheaper than any VW or Audi parts... a lot of parts can cross over too from Z32, or 350Z S13, 14 etc... parts are a non-issue... if u need a part and u can't find it, post in the "want to buy" section of this forum.. somebody, somewhere, has what u need. 100%

4) I would say avoid bringing in any new cars, if u bring it in urself ur gonna be responsible for passing safety, air care, registration, inspection, duties, taxes etc etc.. the list of BS goes on and on. you're far better off trying to find a local car thats already plated and inspected, you will avoid a LOT of cost and headaches this way. also you have the benefit of seeing the car in person before you buy. first you should look within BC, see if you can find something local, if not in BC then check the rest of canada, most people are willing to drive halfway and meet you if it means the sale of a car, or worst case scenario you can have it put on a train for a few hundred, maybe as much as $1000? im not sure..

5) I never needed to pass aircare but most stock skylines I assume would pass as long as they have good Oxygen sensors, and a working catalytic converter.

good luck

[NismoS-tune]

will the skyline drive fine in snow?

it's AWD. I drive a 240sx for a winter car and that's fine. If you can drive, you should be ok.

[Murchie]

parts are readily available, and almost always cheaper than any VW or Audi parts...

Hmmm..

You might also want to think about/factor in labour cost. When you'll need to fix/replace parts..

I'm on this forum for the same reason you started this thread.Hopefully more members will chime inn and school 'us' newbies

[khiyasu]

Thanks

Shane_Sawatzki: any tips on how to read the japanese auction sheets? or know where i can learn to read them?

archaeic_bloke: thanks for answering all my questions! those were about my thoughts too but i guess i just needed someone to confirm it. and yeah i plan on keeping it stock but probably will end up upgrading it a little. hard to not try to upgrade your favorite toy right?

GTRCer: i'm not TOO worried about labor. it's probably going to be more expensive just because its a rhd but i'm sure you can find friends that have good mechanics that will probably help you out too. and it seems like there are members here that are helpful and wouldn't mind landing a helping hand. there is one thread with their contact numbers so i'm sure if you gave them a call they will be happy to meet up and maybe save you a couple bucks instead of sending it into the mechanic for a check up and then having them rip you off!

[archaeic_bloke]

if parts are such a big concern, I will now commence dumping of everywhere I buy parts from for all of you to benefit from my research.... 3...2...1... DUMP!

First and foremost I scan all of the following forums FS sections when i need something:

https://www.gtrcanada.com

https://www.rhdquebec.com

https://www.montrealracing.com

https://www.skylineowners.com

https://www.skylinesaustralia.com

https://www.gtrpwr.com

https://www.nicoclub.com

https://www.gtr.co.uk

https://www.skylineownersusa.com

https://www.zilvia.net

pretty much on any of those forums for sale sections u can find what ur lookin for, usually used,m but good condition, be weary of sketchy sellers tho.

second I used websites:

https://www.rhdjapan.com

https://www.nengun.com

www.yahoo.com (japan auctions)

https://www.upgarage.com

https://www.tunerlab.jp

I also use suppliers:
Adam @ feast
Ben, braden at JNS and tunerlab
joe @ powerhouse racing

and lastly, I visit the local JDM shops in town, you can call any of these place and they will ship things u need:

Company name Phone # address
japan motor import 514-369-3330 4255 met east provencher

Osaka jdm motors 514-382-4333 8155 langelier
Jdm advance motor import 1-866-492-1527 8105 lafrenaie
JDM Racing Motors 514-327-3231 6600 Rue Magloire
Japan Domestic Motors 514-322-4449 8250 Rue Du Creusot
Tokyo motor import 1-866-322-5558 8210 rue creusot
Japan general motor 514-321-2555 8880 champ d'eau
Nagano japanese 514-329-0001 8395 champ d'eau

Jdm auto depot 514-329-1212 10785 Avenue Racette
Jdm nagoya auto parts 514-328-0909 10570 ave ethier
Royal japanese motors 514-324-5780 10758 salk ave.
Sunrise jdm motors 514-324-6444 4610 rue forest
JDM Montreal 514-325-1777 10501 Drapeau Ave
JDM Engine Land 514-325-0888 5734 Boulevard Industriel

theres also Tuner shops and mech shops like:

https://www.autoworx.com

http://www.vagmotorsport.ca/

Automotion

ok and LAST resort... is ANY nissan dealship can get u every part from any skyline... the dealer will be most expensive but its always a last resort if ur stuck.

for part numbers we use Nissan FAST, it's a program than can be downloaded for free from GTRPWR.com once ur a registerred user.

[richard]

hey bud to awnser a couple of questions of yours ill start with the bad. parts can be hard to find and pricy. the good is gtr's are sick in the winter, im driving mine arround whistler bc if your from squam then u know what im driving in. my recomondation is go through rising sun imports out of vancouver, ive dealt with tyee and rs imports and tyee was not a pleasent experience imho. rs is great they got me my gtr bone stock in mint condition for a great price and they can get parts too. i know of a couple reputable shops that can work on gtr's and if not i only live 20 mins away bud and im a ticketed mechanic, in the end dude its all just nuts and bolts any problems you have the guys on this forum are a invaluable reasorce for susing out problems. and there will never be a day rhd are fully banned and if you already own one i cant see them forcing you to take it off the road as long as you got it before the law came into effect. if you ever want to take a drive in one to see whats its all about look me up in whistler

[dah_hunter]

There is so many Skylines available i wouldn't bother looking at Tyee..Also they dont have a good rep..

anyways..

Craigslist is your friend:

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/cto/2095456327.html

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/cto/2071768966.html

There are lots more for sale in the Buysell section here as well.

Parts are pretty easy to get since there is a million skylines in the fraser valley, i wouldnt be concerned about that at all.

[archaeic_bloke]

don't forget kijiji.ca as well!
or autotrader, or even local classifieds