Skyline Reliability Reputation

[Youssef]

Hello,
So I'v been on the forums for a little now. I am getting even more interested in Skylines, I currently own a MK4 Na Supra. Ya im non turbo lol. The main reason keeping me away from a skyline is their reputation for breaking down and no parts available. I don't know if this is true or not but this is why I am asking the forum and specifically the western forum to see if you can get parts fast in Alberta. So if you can enlighten me on how reliable your skyline has been and if it has broken down, how hard is getting parts. If it is truly reliable then I dont have to worry about parts too much.
Thanks Everyone

[Fred-R]

no problem getting parts. Problem is, getting money for parts....

[Youssef]

no problem getting parts. Problem is, getting money for parts....

How about reliability?

[amnash]

if you can get a stock one and leave it alone there fine. they seem unreliable because everyone one of them has work done to it/tuned etc. and most are DIY projects with people making mistakes here and there.
find yourself a clean unmolested skyline with minimal mods like just exhaust/intake and youll be good.

parts are easy to find and nissan can actually get most of them for you. only thing is you have to supply them with a part number. for example i just got a timing belt off them for under $60 cant beat that anywhere online.. just tricky finding the part number.
theres pages of part numbers on various forums.. and when i get home ill post the list ive put together over the last couple years on here for ya

[hozer]

The main reason keeping me away from a skyline is their reputation for breaking down and no parts available.

I believe you've answered your own question.

20 year old imports aren't a reliable vehicle.

[Skym]

They are reliable if you service them properly (don't follow the factory recommendations), at least half the time they mention if car is modified for street use (this applies to any car that's modified). If track use, replace fluids, etc before and after trackdays.

Other things that fail on them are due to age (bushes and there are stronger factory, aftermarket bushes, hub bearings, wheel bearings, auxiliary bearings, CAS bearings, etc), thrashing, which it would be hard to find a Skyline that hasn't been thrashed. They are out there, but hard to find. Only thrashed Skylines that are usually serviced correctly are racecars, as is refreshed every 3500km or so.

[Youssef]

I believe you've answered your own question.

20 year old imports aren't a reliable vehicle.

My supra is 20 years old, been my daily driver for a year almost give or take. Never failed me. Only major maintenance was timing belt and fixing small oil leak that's it.

Thanks for everyone's replies it makes sense to find one as close to stock as possible. I guess their reputation for always failing isn't true. This leads me on to my next question, a lot of gtrs running around for 8K and advertised as no problems. Is that the usual price for them? Maybe cuz it winter.

[bobbo]

Here...

http://forums.gtrcanada.com/general-skyline-discussion/54960-gtr-faith.html?highlight=GTR+faith

An $8k R32 GTR wouldn't be a wise move. If you want a good clean, well looked after example I'd be expecting to pay closer to $15k.
A good clean R33 GTR would be closer to $20k

[MarusGTR]

Here...

http://forums.gtrcanada.com/general-skyline-discussion/54960-gtr-faith.html?highlight=GTR+faith

An $8k R32 GTR wouldn't be a wise move. If you want a good clean, well looked after example I'd be expecting to pay closer to $15k.
A good clean R33 GTR would be closer to $20k

PS to OP: Bobbo's is on the pricer bracket if you hadn't caught on.

An $8k R32 GTR wouldn't be a wise move.

[bobbo]

PS to OP: Bobbo's is on the pricer bracket if you hadn't caught on.

Do you mean "pricier" bracket?
You get what you pay for and it takes so little for an $8k GTR to become a $12k GTR. The cheapest way to get into a good car is to buy one that someone has already poured their heart and soul into, worked the kinks out of and done the R&D.
I paid $10g for mine and 6 months later there was another $4g+ and that didn't include wheels & tires.

Sorry to hijack but again if you love Skylines dive in. They're an amazing car even today but its a 20 year old complex car. Common sense dictates that there is an increased risk of problems with such a machine.

[amnash]

can get a clean GTS for under 10k

[MarusGTR]

Do you mean "pricier" bracket?

Yes the 'i' slipped by :P.

10g, wow dude for a car like that, you just keep impressing me.

And for the sake of the thread, I had a speadsheet with budget and ladeeda... it kinda started losing track once I had hit my car's value in parts/insurance :P

[cooke24]

buy the newest gts25t you can find like a 1997 or 1998, leave it stock excluding exhuast intake, change oil every 4000km, tune up every 12,000km and it should last your a few years

[Fred-R]

When I bought mine, she was almost stock (air intake, exhaust, turbo control&timer, thats it). Turbos have blown a year later and spun a bearing a year after...

Compression test it and check if it happened to miss oil anywhere in its life...

[burton160]

As skym said, maintance is key! I tracked mine and daily drove mine all summer with no issues. Did maintance on it after every track day.( all Fluids were changed). Just depends if you have the money to upkeep it.