Canyon carving and autocross with R32 Skyline in Las Vegas. Review?

"Kanaric" (Kanaric1)
07/19/2014 at 12:24 • Filed to: None

Earlier I made an article about how I imported this car now that i've owned it for over a month i'll give some of my ownership experience. Car, since the picture above, has been registered and received plates.

Update: added a couple of pictures at the end.

Mini Revew

Before I get to any sporty driving regular driving this car is a delight. There is some lag that i'm not used to especially considering my other car is a V8. I used to have a Subaru WRX and off boost it had decent enough torque with this Skyline if you are not in boost you have almost no torque at all. Fortunately it is really short geared so this doesn't turn out to be too annoying. The downside is 80mph on the highway (75mph speed limit) you are at around 3800RPM, stock exhaust is so quiet it's ridiculous and can hardly hear it at WOT. I have a Tomei+Kakimoto turbo back setup I bought from Japan that will be going in when I can get a tune but for now it will remain stock. The stock ~220hp, if it remains as such, is impressive. It feels faster than that number, is it the gearing? Possibly. Transmission feel is exactly how I want it to feel. Rear diff feels like it's working as it should.

Ride quality is a bit firm due to the aftermarket suspension but not oppressively so like it was in my 350Z that I bought used. The seats would be small for fat people or anyone larger than me as even my slender frame is held in tight. Fortunately the steering wheel is fully adjustable so aside from the seats I can imagine most people of any sizes could drive this car.

As far as the electrical my car doesn't have ABS or cruise control however it has digital climate control. The climate control works strange too, it's based on outside temperature so here in Vegas it's always full blast except early in the morning, so it's pretty much useless. In my Subaru it was based on cabin temperature so i dont know how common this is. The radio also doesn't work in the US. Other than that what electricals and gauges are in the car have been solid as expected from 90s/80s Japanese cars that i've owned. Boost gauge is neither in PSI nor BAR but in x100 mm mercury. Only turbo cars i've owned have all been in PSI.

Ive been driving this car to work (30-35 miles 75mph speed limit highway run) about once a week, my intent in buying a 2nd car was in part to keep the miles down on my daily. I only work 4 days a week now due to the weekend schedule so where I put almost 60k miles on a WRX in 2 years that hopefully will not happen with my Mustang.

The Events

I work weekends, it sucks aside from the pay. All local car events are on Friday night or Saturday. Friday you have drag racing and import meets. Saturday you have Cars and Coffee and autocross. I decided to take a day off and have some fun and try and attend as much as I could.

Knowing I was going to do this I bought some tires from Tire Rack. I had some 350Z wheels from when I used to own one of those last 3 years ago and they had the right offset. I bought some Kumho Ecsta XS tires for them per recommendation from Grassroots Motorsports (235/45/17 front 255/40/17 rear).

First thing I did during the week was do a drive up in Mt Charleston. It was a kind of a canyon carving run but not too fast as some people take it. My goal was mostly to see if the car is good to handle long term sporting driving despite it's age before I really bashed it hard at autcross. I was worried about the coolant since when it was flushed there was a lot of corrosion, thermostat may not be in good shape. It did well without any issues, midway through the road was wet from rain and the tires were still surprisingly sticky for a high performance tire. The car is very agile handles probably the best of any car i've owned, previous owner replaced suspension components so it's not riding on 25 year old shocks and this was evident.

Next up was going to Cars and Coffee. Since I learned about it i've been on weekend shifts which has been a few years. It was a neat event with all kinds of cars here, i'm more used to car shows mostly having classic American cars.

Saw one car i've never seen before there next to a Ferrari F12, I believe.

Shelby Daytona, i'm sure it's a replica kit but still cool.

Skyline got a decent amount of attention there and people asking me how I got it, other people there were currently working on importing cars. Most people who wanted to even buy the car from me didn't know they were even legal yet so spread the word. Being that this is a city with 2 nearby Airforce bases there were quite a few military car enthusiast there that had cars overseas waiting on legal date. I am former military myself but never had the chance to be overseas in a country I actually wanted to be in. One guy worked near where I worked and owns two imported classic Minis, one was there which was neat to see don't see too many of those where i'm from.

Autocross

That evening I went to autocross. Registration started at 5:30PM and ended around 6:30 so it was a LATE event. Despite it being late it was still low 100s high 90s and I had first work crew, forgot to bring water... this was a mistake. Skyline put me in modified due to it's not being sold in the US status.

Shared driving with a friend of mine who is a much better driver than me, some people there wanted rides in the car but only one person had the opportunity he was an out of towner from Philly too. My friend posted times similar to what ST* BRZ/FRS cars were getting, mine were a couple of seconds slower. We haven't autocrossed in like 3 years or more so it's been a while, I would like to see what we could do if we went reguarly. I wanted a car like this, lighter RWD, GTS-T because I figured it could be like a more easily modded for power FRS on a used 2nd car budget and it appears I am right. We had fun but the heat was taking its toll, the radiator temp gauge at our final run was near topping out fortunately some helpful people there has a water sprayer to help cool the car down in order to complete the last run. It was still in the low 90s by the point we were running but i'm sure I just need to replace some bits in the cooling system to make sure this doesn't happen again. Car went through about 8 runs total in short order and handled it well aside from that last bit, impressed with the quality of what I got. Handling at its limits were great, better than anything i've owned previously which may not be saying much (350z, WRX, Mustang GT in terms of non appliances) and I can see where this car would be great for drifters but please don't destroy them :).

Autocross at night was hard. My eyes suck so I couldn't see shit but it made for an interesting event, I would recommend it. Despite my lack of vision I hit zero cones but I gave them space because I couldn't see.

Next thing i'll post will probably be what i've done on the car so far, when I put the exhaust on and get the car tuned, as well as fixing the cooling issue. Still waiting on my Power FC controller and Greddy Profec OLED boost controller to arrive from Nengun.

If you have any questions or comments please post them below. This is only my second blog post ever so let me know how I can improve if you want.

Update: Someone said I should have some more pictures. I'm at work when I wrote this so I didn't have many on me.

DISCUSSION (89)

jkm7680 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 12:41

Nice looking car, but if US Customs get wind of it, they can seize it, Is that right?

CAR_IS_MI > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 12:42

HEY another Vegas local! I thought it was just me and Team 5.0 out here.

Looks like you probably went to C&C while I was overseas otherwise I would have been drooling all over the Skyline.

The red Daytona is a kit, I used to live near the guy who owns it when I lived in Anthem. There's also a blue one (that is also a kit) that shows up from time to time.

If you ever need a spare wrench or just want to go cruise (I'm down to pretty much just the Jeep now so I'll go hit the canyons with you but cant really "carve") let me know.

Kanaric > CAR_IS_MI
07/19/2014 at 12:43

Will do.

Kanaric > jkm7680
07/19/2014 at 12:43

No. It's fully legal as it's 25 years old or older. It's been through customs, read my previous post I explain there.

jkm7680 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 12:47

Got it! I quickly read it, and thought the first sentence was saying it wasn't legally imported. My mistake!

Great choice, and good luck with it!

BradAusrotas > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 14:51

Seems like everyone's waiting on the R34 to be legal, but I'll be damned if the R32 isn't the best looking of the bunch. Great post!

JacksonHB > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 14:56

What an interesting read. Being from the UK these cars and many other JDMs (S15 Silvias, R33/R34 Skylines) populate the used car ads frequently. It must be really weird to only just, legally anyway, get a chance to drive one of them in the States. It's almost as if the 25 year rule acts like a time capsule, slowing releasing cool cars from times gone by.

Jameseshepherd > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 14:57

Kinja'd!!!

Probably a Factory Five Type 65 coupe

https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/type-65-c…

Mercennarius > jkm7680
07/19/2014 at 15:14

Nope. Legal to import anything 25 years or older.

Mercennarius > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 15:15

How hard is it to adjust to RHD?

daender > BradAusrotas
07/19/2014 at 15:16

That's why it's key to aim for the R33, R32 are popular because they're becoming legal and R34 is going to be uber popular due to FnF and racing games.

jkm7680 > Mercennarius
07/19/2014 at 15:16

Yup, I realized that after reading the other article. I originally thought it was under 25.

phDiesel > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 15:23

What's insurance cost you?

Angela Pachuau > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 15:26

My last pay check was $8500 working 10 hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out.

This is what I do, www.work-wiki.com

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world...as in being able to remake ourselves.

You'llBeSleepingWithTheFilet-O-Fishes > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 15:31

I need to keep an eye out for your car. What side of the valley are you on?

gwingzer0 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 15:42

Awesome! I'm waiting patiently for the R34's to be legal to import. I REALLY want one!! What do you do for maintenance? Does Nissan carry these parts are do you get them via internet? What about reading CEL codes, or have you even had any?

Kanaric > daender
07/19/2014 at 15:44

Yes R33 are unloved. I'm probably going to get a GTR version of those eventually, that or a Autech Stagea.

Kanaric > gwingzer0
07/19/2014 at 15:46

It's going to be a while, lol. Might as well get a R32 now and trade up to R34 later. Usually people say the R32 and R34 are the best of the "modern" skylines.

Nissan carries parts, most parts are S13 or Z32, at least for R32. They just don't have specific drivetrain things which they have to order. Nissans share almost everything.

Kanaric > Mercennarius
07/19/2014 at 15:47

Not at all. I found myself floating to the left a but on a long highway drive but that stopped once I got used to it.

Kanaric > You'llBeSleepingWithTheFilet-O-Fishes
07/19/2014 at 15:47

North by the I95/Durango exit.

Kanaric > phDiesel
07/19/2014 at 15:50

Good question.

I have a 2014 Mustang GT. Insurance for this, liability only, cost the same as that car for full coverage. However I have a problem you might not have, I had a severe fine earlier last year that prevented me from using classic car insurance. They were going to charge me $~400 for a year to insure this car before they saw that, then they wouldn't insure it at all. I forget which company that was but I had a real problem insuring this car because of that issue. Liberty Mutual insured me in the end.

Kanaric > JacksonHB
07/19/2014 at 15:54

Yes there are a few cars you get over there that I covet badly. By the time we get any of them they are already virtually classics that start appreciating, even in Japan. I imagine the Renault Clio V6 I would like to have or Escort Cosworth will be like that when they are 25 years legal.

This non-gtr R32 even doubled in price over the past year and i'm told in Japan since US legality it's been climbing higher monthly.

ramajastang > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:03

round about how much would you say you invested to get the car, get it transported and get it registered/through customs?

curious as I would love to plop down on an R32, but I may just get an old 240z and build a devil z style freeway cruiser.

not alot of great twisties or hilly roads here in DFW.

Kanaric > ramajastang
07/19/2014 at 16:07

Car cost a total of around $7250 shipped to my door. If I picked it up at the port it would of cost about $650 less. Cost to come here from Japan was $2000. Car was $4000.

If you have a budget of $8000 you should have no problem getting one to you in this condition. I was told before US legality they were $2500. GTR is quite a bit more, probably need like $15k budget for one of those.

Registration here is just a sales tax on what I paid for the car plus very small fees, like $50.

If you want to see everything behind that find my previous oppositelock post I go into detail there including listing all the customs fees. Needless to say I paid a less for a far higher quality car than if I wanted to buy like a MR2 Turbo or something like that stateside. Tried buying one of those for $7000 offer and nobody wanted to take it and it was for beat up cars where this Skyline was like someone's 5 miles to work driver that got serviced like it was someones baby.

Jeff Glucker > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:11

If you ever see a Daytona Cobra in the wild, it's safe to assume it's a kit. They only built six real ones, and if one changes hands it does so for many millions of dollars.

Great Skyline, and great that you're out there really enjoying it.

ramajastang > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:16

wow that's cheap as hell.. I might have to save some pennies and look into it.

Kanaric > ramajastang
07/19/2014 at 16:20

If you take your time to find a good customs broker you could probably save more money than I did. The people I used didn't want to hold the car to wait for a shipper that I wanted to use that was only going to charge me like $250.

http://pacificcoastjdm.com/

That is who I used to import this, I would recommend them.

If you want to save even more pennies you could get a A31 Cefiro which is a mechanically similar car. AWD Cefiros have the full Skyline suspension and GTS-4 drivetrain, RWD versions are S13 suspension I think or at least the front might be unique to them and Nissan Leopards. Cefiros have not gone up in price. However if you want a inexpensive Skyline the GTS-T is the way to go unless you like R31s.

ramajastang > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:22

I do like R31's also. I actually have a cousin with an R32 GT-R.. and I sometimes feel bad showing up to work at Nissan in a Mustang with a really loud exhaust that makes everyone look like "wtf is that dude doing" and I'm just barely moving at like 1200 rpm lol.

SHO & BRZ > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:32

Congrats on the Purchase. I owned a 4 Door GTS-T. I liked it but it could be finicky at times. Coil-Packs seemed to be it's favorite food so look in to the GM Coil-Pack conversion as the OEM coil-packs are pretty pricey. My only issue with the car was the so/so front brakes (Faded incredibly quick) and the cars tendency to understeer with relatively stock suspension. Otherwise, no real complaints. You will be absolutely shocked the difference just a Turbo-Back will make on this car. It really does open things up!

Here's a picture of mine. It was green (No idea of the color name). I still have yet to see one in green, let alone a 4 door 5speed GTS-T in green.

Kanaric > ramajastang
07/19/2014 at 16:32

If you like R31s I would definitely look for one. Since all model years for R31s are legal you could get one for cheaper and have more choice than with R32s. The only disadvantage to R31s I know of is the brakes are not as good, however you could bolt Z32 brakes on when you have time as that's what the R32 uses anyways. Maybe less aftermarket too, haven't looked.

I have a Mustang as well so you would join me in Mustang/Skyline ownership lol.

ramajastang > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:35

well whatever it is, it'll be a while. need to pay some bills off before I buy another toy.

Kanaric > SHO & BRZ
07/19/2014 at 16:36

Nice. There was a great 4-door I was looking at when I first started looking but missed an opportunity on. I'll keep the coils in mind.

My car doesn't understeer much and I can get it to go sideways, it feels fairly neutral. However there are aftermarket sway bars on the car from the previous owner but springs/shocks feel stockish, quite a bit firmer than the usual American car however. I'm guessing if there was a lot of understeer the previous owner tried to dial it out and did a good enough job. The lack of mods on the car other than that makes me think they may of been dealership options or something.

SHO & BRZ > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:57

My car was capable of plenty of over-steer with enough throttle, but turn in was a tad sluggish at times and the car would push on the tighter corners. It's nothing some minor mods and a decent alignment couldn't fix, but I didn't really care. I ended up selling the car for about 2,000 dollars anyways and went on to a few "JDM" Subaru Products for the rest of my tenure in Japan.

phDiesel > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 16:58

If you don't mind me asking. What's a dollar amount for the Liability?

Kanaric > phDiesel
07/19/2014 at 17:05

In the 700s per 6 months. Believe me you wont have to pay that much. I had a problem in court where I wasn't carrying up to date insurance card when i was pulled over for a minor stop sign rolling incident, but was insured. I gave the traffic ticket lawyers my up to date card and they either didn't get the email or failed to bring it and I got driving without insurance. Instant doubling of insurance costs, huge fine, and extreme hassle.

Unless you have a severe penalty like that I wouldn't worry about insurance costs. It would be the same for a normal car.

Darigaaz > Jameseshepherd
07/19/2014 at 17:13

colt45 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 17:20

i thought it was good. Made me want to drive one. New sus. , brakes, tires, freon for ac, and get the horse to 300 and it would be a bad ass ride

phDiesel > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 17:30

Dang that's crazy. 700's is basically what I pay for an early 2000's Chrysler Sebring. Being 20 sucks sometimes.

The prices are so reasonable.

How are left hand turns?

Captain_Spadaro > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 18:10

You gonna do anything about the radio or is that simply not possible?

TommyK154 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 18:19

too many words, not enough car porn

Kanaric > TommyK154
07/19/2014 at 18:46

I need someone with a decent camera to come by.

Kanaric > Captain_Spadaro
07/19/2014 at 18:48

I heard that a converter exists, however it is not the stock radio anyways so it's not worth saving I will replace it with something else eventually.

JacksonHB > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 19:13

For an Escort Cosworth, the wait for you shouldn't be too much longer. I think the first model year was 1992, so only 3 and bit to wait. The crazy fast Clio V6 is only around 10 years old so still some time to go. Wonder what cars will be new, or how far car tech has moved on, when you can finally get one over in the states?

And yes both of these cars are already appreciating over here. A good Escort is now between £20K and £30k ($33k to $50k) and a Clio V6 is anywhere from £12k ($20k) upwards depending on spec.

Vic788 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 19:16

Wait for the former owner of Motor Rex to start. Ok btw just as a heads up wont be able to title this in California unless you go through an RI, last time I checked it was about 7500 for it. Still though koudos for you to get one ligit now. IF you need any info on parts or getting one just message me any time and I can point you in the right direction for it. Just know FYI when someone wants to buy one use a cash secured letter of credit when buying overseas. Good luck.

You'llBeSleepingWithTheFilet-O-Fishes > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 19:17

Thanks

Captain_Spadaro > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 20:05

Ah, okay.

camsmith328 > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 20:05

slammit dammit. jk, sweet write up!

I gave you one job, Porsche. ONE JOB. > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 20:49

Derek is a great guy to deal with, another equally well recommended exporter has to be Mark at www.braveautointernational.jp , just in case the other guy wants options. Prices are pretty well standardized across the board though.

Although thanks to their new-found American legality, R32 prices are experiencing a level of inflation I can only compare to post-WWI Germany. If you're shopping for a Skyline especially, it pays to go with one of the reputable Western-born exporters as well, because for every clean R32 still in Japan there are about 26 rusted out pieces of shit loosely disguised as "clean". Gotta be mindful.

edit: wrong link, fixed

I gave you one job, Porsche. ONE JOB. > Mercennarius
07/19/2014 at 21:03

It's really not difficult at all, to be honest. Just be careful in certain scenarios where your visibility is slightly impaired, a good example is turning left across oncoming traffic, but once you learn "the wriggle" even that's really nothing. Reversing through a drive-thru window is always good for a laugh as well. Oh, and you'll probably turn your wipers on when trying to signal, at least for a little while. Other than it's just like, well, driving.

BobbyMike > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 23:03

Thanks for sharing, beautiful car. Congrats!

nauyop > Kanaric
07/19/2014 at 23:26

What happened to the rims?

Kanaric > nauyop
07/19/2014 at 23:39

I still have them, not going to get rid of them or sell them. I wanted wider wheels for autocross.

NahBroImSweet > daender
07/19/2014 at 23:50

R33 has always been my favorite of the lot.

But have a look at these prices....

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Categor…

daender > NahBroImSweet
07/20/2014 at 00:20

26k$ for a GT-R V-Spec and 20k$ for a normal GT-R? I'll tolerate the price because do want no matter what.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 00:39

That feeling you get when you walk over to it, keys in hand. That is how you know you have your dream car. I can relate.

crash_medallion > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 00:57

Interesting to read a firsthand account of an R32. Looking at the pictures and got curious, you happen to know the alignment specs? You mentioned the aftermarket suspension and it almost looks like positive camber.

balconio > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 01:00

assuming this is an rb20det? Seriously one of Nissan's best engines ever. The exhaust note from that tiny straight six is pure car porn and everything about that car is built to withstand punishment.

86it > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 02:22

why did he put 350Z wheels on it?

NahBroImSweet > daender
07/20/2014 at 03:10

How much are they charging over in Canada/USA for them?

These are NZD too so it's cheaper in USD. You can get a 32gtr for around 17k nzd, modified ones run around 20+

Theres even a nismo edition, #399 of 560 ever made, just 500 were road cars though.

Wonder how much that one would fetch over your way as a collector

JesseLPickett > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 04:48

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go to tech tab for work detail

www.jobs700.com

Saf1 > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 05:48

You must be so proud! Question about the gearing - did the previous owner install shorter gears? Because originally it was a 5spd geared to well over 150mph so it's not what I'd call short...

RadiuM > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 06:37

ahh it brings back memories of my old R32 GTS-t Type M I imported to Australia in about 2000. Since then I've owned a fairly modified R33 GTR and a 135i and the 32 is still my favourite car I've ever owned. So nimble, chuckable, so beautiful *tears*

bariki > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 07:13

You realize that a GTS-T Skyline is the JDM equivalent of a V6 Mustang, right? Why in the lord's good name did you not spend an extra couple thousand dollars and buy a GT-R?

In modern terms it's like buying a non-WRX Impreza with a manual. So close, yet so far.

Also, you are reviewing a car in the worst condition it has ever been. Until you've spend at least 2-3K getting it reasonably close to showroom levels of performance (at the very least in terms of the suspension, if not the transmission and clutch), trying to review it is a worst unfair, and at best a waste of time.

And I can't understand why you would bother with the expense of importing what is essentially a V6 Mustang Fox-body. I mean, besides the fact that you could trick people into thinking its a GT-R with a few mods...

CharlesMOlsen > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 07:59

www.jobs700.com

Oosh > SHO & BRZ
07/20/2014 at 09:54

replied to wrong post.

Oosh > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 09:57

Re: coilpacks. First off you need to remove the cover and leave it off. They cook in there. But make sure to secure ignitor well lest it work its way loose and get beaten to death (learnt that the hard way). But if you're looking to replace them, Splitfires are where it's at, did wonders for mine after having to reducing the gap on my plugs at every change.

Kanaric > Oosh
07/20/2014 at 10:50

Awesome, thanks for the info

Kanaric > bariki
07/20/2014 at 10:56

$4000 vs $15000 for GTR now.... hmm......

GTS-T Skyline is like a Silvia except with a bit more power stock and with superior suspension. Same weight as the Silvia, etc. I wanted to pay $7000 for a minty 240SX or MR2 Turbo. I paid, instead, the same for a car with 80,000 miles as opposed to 130k or 150k+ and a car that was only daily driven and not drifted. So why would I not buy this?

I'm not reviewing the car. The review is more of an afterthought. People are wondering what kind of quality you can get from Japan, i've been asked this numerous times. This car despite it's age drives well and is of very high quality, so quality can be had when you import it. Entirely my point.

I don't plan on "tricking" people into thinking it's a GTR. It's a right hand drive car for $7000 of a model that wasn't sold here, light weight, handles excellent, and would pay MORE for a similar era turbo car or 240sx in similar condition. Also funny you mention it's like a V6 fox body when it has the same power as a 5.0 GT in 1989. It even weighs a few hundred pounds less and has IRS.

Everyone I know that has seen it knows it's a GTS-T and they were still exited to see it and wanted to ride in it, etc. Nobody cared that it's not a GTR except for you so I don't get it?

Sorry I just wanted a RWD enthusiasts car and ended up getting a better quality, lower mile, turbo car from 1989 than anything I could get in the US. Same power as Mustang 5.0, same power to weight as FC RX7, same weight but more power than E30 M3 for $10,000 less, rwd, double wishbone suspension, 50/50 weight balance car. Name me something else that I could get for the same price, turbocharged, similar stock suspension, similar stock power, low miles, that I could obtain in the US for $7000? I looked for over a year for such a car, it doesn't exist. Well... actually it does now, I imported it.

Do you not like Skyline R33/R34 GT-T either? Same car later year. These cars in RWD form have an extremely good reputation in enthusiast circles globally. They are a slightly higher quality Silvia or easier to work on 300ZX or a non-rotary RX7. Precisely the car I wanted to buy.

Kanaric > Saf1
07/20/2014 at 11:05

It's short for what i'm used to. Mustang GT, 350Z, etc. Those were longer geared cars than this.

Kanaric > 86it
07/20/2014 at 11:06

Because those are what I had in the garage and I wanted wider tire for autocross. Wanted to save money. I had a $10k budget for an enthusiast car and I plan to stay under it for now.

Kanaric > crash_medallion
07/20/2014 at 11:07

It only looks that way because of this camera I have. It's almost stuck in like a wide angle mode so everything out from the center is distorted slightly.

Kanaric > bariki
07/20/2014 at 11:18

Correction, it actually has more power and about 200lbs+ less weight than a FC RX7. As well as having a near indestructible engine and more expensive suspension setup.

Drew Foster > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 12:46

I really like the 350z wheels on it!

86it > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 16:07

Makes sense.

86it > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 16:07

Kinja'd!!!

REAR WIPER FTW!!!

SHO & BRZ > Oosh
07/20/2014 at 17:06

Good information. I did not remove my cover. Wouldn't surprise me if that was my issue.

bariki > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 18:29

I'm not saying it's a bad car, buy you CAN find R32 GT-Rs for less than $7,000 if you know where to look. $15,000 would buy you one in mint condition. I was THIS close to buying an two-owner GT-R from a guy I know for $2,500.

No, it does not weigh 200 pounds less than an FC. They weigh roughly the same amount.

I just don't see it as worth spending more than the car costs (you can buy GTS-Ts for around $1000) to import. If it had an RB25 instead of an RB20 I would say go for it, because they have so much tuning potential. That said, if you had got a GT-R the tuning potential would basically be sky-high.

TnF > Kanaric
07/20/2014 at 19:23

Kinja'd!!!

The wheels look really weird on this!

Kanaric > TnF
07/20/2014 at 20:34

Going to be putting on Nismo LMGT2s when I can find a good set in the future. Was going to do autocross and other driving and I had these wheels already, cast offs from an old 350Z. The stocks would not fit the tires I wanted to use. This was purely a functional choice for me. My idea was to acquire a car, fix it up, and do a mild build for a weekend car under $10,000 which was the money I set aside for a car. These wheels cost $0. I'm still under my budget if I bought wheels I wanted now I would be over. I wasn't about to buy Rotas, lol.

TnF > Kanaric
07/21/2014 at 06:58

Volk/Rays TE37 it is i believe :) You won't go back :) Nismo's are kinda rare and probably made by Rays eitherways..new are better but if you want to go with the stock look get the Nismos.

Kanaric > TnF
07/21/2014 at 11:13

One thing I like about those Nismos is that they are period correct for the car, however I would love some TE37s. I see the Nismos for sale a few every couple months for like $1600 I just don't have the budget right now.

PedalHead > Kanaric
07/21/2014 at 12:52

Oh man, the Autech Stagea totally has space in my fantasy car garage.

ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around > Kanaric
07/21/2014 at 14:59

Great article and sweet looking car. I remember those JDM radios from when I was in Afghanistan. Our on-base vehicles were ex-JDM Hilux Surf SUVs that were auctioned off and shipped out of Japan, so anything above 91 MHz (IIRC) was untuneable. Don't do any other visual mods to the exterior. Between the clean paint, the tint, and those wheels, it is spot on.

Roadster Man > Kanaric
07/21/2014 at 15:10

Awesome! More please. Just do a writeup and a few pics after the next canyon cruise. I love to see these cars. I dream of someday owning an R31 and an R32 GTS-T!

Kanaric > ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around
07/21/2014 at 15:42

Funny thing is one radio I can tune in and it's like 86.something. The local NPR station. But if you use scan it wont find it.

ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around > Kanaric
07/23/2014 at 17:39

Yeah, I've noticed that in playing around with those shortwave "survival" radios. Several stations in the normal frequency range are often doubled or simulcast on a frequency outside of the normal FM range. Not sure why, if it's done on purpose or is just some atmospheric thing, but I did notice it.

Watdog > Kanaric
07/24/2014 at 00:26

I didn't realize you were in Vegas. I've been looking at going this route for years. Almost imported one from Ireland as well however, left in February so it wasn't going to happen. I'm starting to look at 335d for the same price now even though my Mazdaspeed 6 is running strong. Hope to see you around town sometime. Would enjoy seeing and talking about your journey with the R32.

gwingzer0 > Kanaric
07/24/2014 at 18:02

yea, i know it will be a while...haha. but im a patient guy. I'm more of a Toyota guy, but those Skylines are sexy as hell!!! ^_^

SeattleSkyline > Kanaric
09/05/2014 at 20:42

All that work and No GTR?! I just picked up a 1992 GTR here in England... see yah in 4 years when I come back!