The Skyline is a Yobbo's Car

"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
08/09/2016 at 20:23 • Filed to: SKYLINE

The Nissan Skyline has a near godlike status in some crowds. This is your Oppo PSA from the future: you’re wrong.

At least they kept the wheels stock #sleeperspec

The Skyline is a complex beast. For a world in the late 80s/early 90s that was on the brink of properly realizing what turbochargers and computers could do for performance, the Skyline was a near myth. I remember rumors swirling around the schoolyard of this Japanese sedan that could outpace Ferraris and Porsches with just 6-cylinders. I was growing up a Holden fan in a country where performance was measured in cylinders and displacement more than anything else - the idea of a 6-cylinder Nissan doing such things was near-unbelievable. Remember, this was a world largely without internet. We couldn’t just bring up information from across the globe in a heartbeat, what we knew of the Skyline was learned from things like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that took advantage of ur naiveté, and from the few video games like Gran Turismo that gave us Nissans and Mazdas instead of Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

Definitely not a GT-R

It was not a car you could simply buy either. The car was sold new in Japan but difficult to find elsewhere, and mostly only via grey imports. And who would import such a thing when nobody even knows it exists? Japan has always been its own little snowflake of a country, with a language barrier to the rest of the world and an unusually small population of foreigners. In such a world, news of the Skyline was slow to spread. Sure, other cars brought the joy of turbos. We had our turbo 300ZXes, and our Supras and whatnot come 1993, but while these were more widely available none combined quite the same mix of turbos, cylinders and AWD.

And this gave the car a reputation. The Skyline was equal parts performant, mysterious and rare. And here we are in a world where every sports car has 400hp and can 0-100 in 4 seconds, yet the stigma prevails. Young people, weaned on destroying everything in a Skyline in Gran Turismo, think it’s amazing. Children who think speed and specs are everything do too. But I’m here to tell you, it won’t last.

All these cars are actually for sale right now in Australia

I come from the future. From a land called Straya where we’re unburdened by silly bumper requirements, silly import restrictions, silly headlight and taillight rules, etcetera etcetera. The land of the free, if you will. For example, we’re free to import Skylines. We’ve got GT-Ts, we’ve got sedans, we’ve got R31s, we’ve got R34s. We’ve even got a few GT-Rs! And if there’s something they all share in common it’s this: they’re all in terrible condition. Or maybe it’s that they’ve all got fake GT-R badges and bodykits. Or maybe the biggest thing they have in common is the fart cannons. Or perhaps the terrible aftermarket rims.

The Skyline in Australia is like a cross between a Mustang and a Civic in America. Their owners occupy that golden mix of lust for cheap power and lack of skill, but like the Civic they’re a younger crowd, a more JDM tyte yo crowd. And alas, like the humble Civic they’re too often riced. And not in a good way. The kind of rice where a poorly painted and curb-rashed bodykit is considered better than a good condition stock bumper.

The abundance of aspirational Nismo badges is actually depressing

This is coming, America. As we get deeper into the 25 year rule and the wonders of 90s Japan become available to you at long last, prices will drop and volume will take over. There will be nice GT-Rs, sure. But for every nice GT-R there are 100 people who will buy a thrashed one, to get 3/4 the prestige at 1/4 the price. And for each of those there will be 100 more who buy a base model with a poorly affixed GT-R kit, for 1/4 the prestige at 1/8 of the price. Your surprise and delight at seeing a Skyline will turn to ashes, disdain at yet another noisy piece of crap made from a respectable (if plain) Skyline coupe. And no amount of built not bought stickers, or contrarian articles about respecting someone else’s ruined, devalued race car will ease the pain you feel from having your childhood idol’s fall from grace rubbed in your face every second day.

Ask me how I know.

DISCUSSION (21)

S65 > Nauraushaun
08/08/2016 at 00:17

Ask me how I know.

Kinja'd!!!

Sam > Nauraushaun
08/09/2016 at 20:54

I dunno. Europe and Straya got a lot of them first, so most of ours will be coming straight from Japan at much higher prices. Most people won’t rice out a $40,000 collector car. At least, not the first owners.

96Formula6spd > Nauraushaun
08/09/2016 at 21:15

Years ago I thought these cars were cool. The used to be 5-8k for a r32 gtr about 10 years ago. I was thinking of bringing one to Canada as I am Canadian. But there are other things I would rather have. I have talked to many people who were in Japan when these cars came out. They said they were fun but its the Mustang of Japan. That plus some were fine but many were not reliable. One guy I talked to said he got his new and it broke down a to many times. He was doing track day stuff and went to a s13 instead and said he never looked back.

My opinion its a 25 year old car. Good ones are out there but I would not buy a 20-25k R32 with R33/R34 prices just going up. Personally there are many other things I would buy from Japan and then I would skip them all and buy a C5 or C6 Corvette. The skyline is just a boy racers dream.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Nauraushaun
08/09/2016 at 21:24

So basically it is a combination of a Civic and a WRX.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Nauraushaun
08/09/2016 at 22:20

And who would import such a thing when nobody even knows it exists?

That’s exactly why some people would. I love me some Skyines but damn do I hate when they get, basically, murdered by body kit and nitrous hungry Fast and Furious wannabes. Side thought: I rather dislike those people on principle, not specifically for what they do to their cars.

Having said that, while Skylines maybe, maybe, should not be god-worshipped, you have to admit that it is a special line that has produced some special cars and should be appreciated.

I am not ashamed to say that I love Skylines and should I ever own one, I will certainly not be one of the many as “awesomely yo dawg tyte dawg yo” or whatever the those people say.

Nauraushaun > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
08/09/2016 at 22:48

My point was that if nobody knows about them nobody can import them, because nobody knows about them :P I love the uniqueness angle though, I’m with you. There’s a guy around here who drives a Levin coupe. I’m not sure why, but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen and nobody on the internet talks about them. The uniqueness is off the charts:

Kinja'd!!!

I also find that generally people who do that aren’t my kind of people. Some of them are really nice though. Once I was at a 300ZX meet where the police showed up because one member was doing donuts on the grass near the meeting point. Afterwards he was seen respraying his bumper lip with a rattlecan in the parking lot. In the group photo, he was standing on the roof of his car. Asshole right? Actually he was a real character and the nicest guy ever. Not my kind of guy, but not an asshole to be sure!

Yeah, they’re special. But maybe over-rated. Hondas get a bad rap for the same reason - they’re good cars, especially the Type Rs. But they’re ruined by all the owners of haggard old Civics that think they’re in a race car.

Nauraushaun > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/09/2016 at 22:49

I did say combination of Civic and Mustang, but I suppose WRX can fit. But WRXs also have that weird rally sub-culture that’s exclusive to them. People fitting foghorns and roof-racks for some reason. That’s just a Subey thing.

Nauraushaun > 96Formula6spd
08/09/2016 at 22:50

I think the R32 is schedule to rise more than the R33, the R33 seems to be a bit of a black sheep.

But I’m with you. There are many other things I’d have. We don’t have ‘vettes over here, but I’d rather anything RWD with t-tops. A nice Japanese market 300ZX turbo, purple with t-tops would go down alright...

Nauraushaun > Sam
08/09/2016 at 22:51

That’s a good point, and a nice though. I hope it goes that way.

I think that will apply more to the GT-Rs. The plain-old non-turbo coupes and sedans won’t get the same price hike, so the higher GT-Rs go the more of them you’re likely to see.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Nauraushaun
08/09/2016 at 23:56

Gotcha, I comprehended it in a different way, but I see what you’re saying. It makes sense.

Um, that Levin?! That’s something I can fully support! That guy honestly sound like quite the character. I try not to judge people before getting to know them to some extent, even if minimally, so I didn’t mean to sound as if I stereotype all of ‘them’ into one group. I’ve come across a few people who I thought would be major assholes, also in the ‘ricer’ crowd or what have you, but that turned out to be really cool and just liked to try and be unique with their rides.

I do love a good Honda too. Preludes have always been high on my list, something about them (particularly the first and fifth gen) just rubs me the right way!

Nauraushaun > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
08/10/2016 at 02:34

I’m a fiend for stereotyping, but I know it’s wrong. And it is nice having your stereotypes smashed. Like the guy who posted on here the other day about seeing a well-dressed black lady driving a ‘Vetta ZR1.

I’ve always liked Preludes too, particularly third gen. I don’t know what it is you like about the 1st, it’s never appealed to me for some reason. Have you ever thought that the 5th is like an updated version of the 3rd? The lights, front and back, are similar shapes, and the body holds a similar profile with less of the soapbar-ness of the 4th gen and more straight lines.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Nauraushaun
08/10/2016 at 09:40

Something about the front end of the first gen is really what I like about it. That’s true, the 4th gen wasn’t bad but didn’t really do it for me. I like that they went back to a more angular profile with more straight lines on the fifth. It definitely is the next step from the 3rd, the fourth to me was kind of an anomaly. Not that it was bad, just seemed out of place in it’s design language being a Prelude.

96Formula6spd > Nauraushaun
08/10/2016 at 17:09

Yeah, If getting things from Japan a nice Evo 6 would be nice or a wrx sit of the Gc8 kind. Granted I am more of a Rwd kinda of guy. My cars have been mostly rwd. Granted out of my four cars right now, three are rwd and one is awd. But right now there is not much in Japan. I have thought about being bad and getting a FD Rx-7 but prices have gone crazy. Why spend 10k on a car that I would just rip the rotary out of anyways. Especially when on the local craigslist there are many many rx-8 for $1000. Plus its LHD which makes it easy to drive over here. But spending money on a V8 is fun but at the end of the day a base C5 with a 6spd can be had for $10,000. C5 z Start at $15,000. So that would be the easy button.

Nauraushaun > 96Formula6spd
08/10/2016 at 18:30

RWD guys, the both of us.

But think about the future prices! 10k for an FD, seriously? Get one with a bad engine maybe, do a clean LS swap or get it done somewhere reputable...that will be a solid seller down the line. And you know the 8 never had the same love :P

You’re right about the LHD thing. Not a problem here, but that’s a big drawback in America, especially for a car that was available locally in LHD (assuming the 7 was available locally).

The cheap ‘Vette makes all those arguments invalid though doesn’t it :( You’re lucky you’ve got those things over there. If I were American, I’d probably be considering one for my next car. We don’t have a cheap, awesome, targa-topped performance coupe like that in Aus.

Nauraushaun > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
08/10/2016 at 18:31

That front was more or less shared with the Civic of the era wasn’t it? I suppose it is kind of neat.

It was a bit out of place the 4th, the front was a bit of a pig. That dash though!

96Formula6spd > Nauraushaun
08/11/2016 at 23:07

Yeah you get the RHD import and its not issue. Matches the road and gets the Kilomoter speedo. Where I need Miles. So JDM can work. Heck buddy who did an STI swap into his 2.5RS used the JDM cluster. He just modded it to an 180mph speedo.

As for the FD a roller in the US is about 5k. They can be had for less but you have to look hard. Bringing a JDM one in would be 10k or so. That being said its a small car and I really don’t fit. Why I was looking at the Rx-8. Loved them since they came out and I fit nice in one. The fact that they are cheap makes it very attractive. Yeah its not loved but if you get one with 400whrp and loads of torque for under 10k it would be a very fun car.

Granted this is the new car for the DD

Kinja'd!!!

Nauraushaun > 96Formula6spd
08/14/2016 at 23:28

Eclipse?! Turbo? AWD? We don’t have those in Aus.

96Formula6spd > Nauraushaun
08/15/2016 at 14:55

The rarer sister car. 1997 Eagle Talon Awd. So yes turbo. The $400 project for a Daily Driver.

Nauraushaun > 96Formula6spd
08/15/2016 at 22:40

I see, I remember those from an old V8 Supercar game on PS2 :P Not bad for $400!

96Formula6spd > Nauraushaun
08/16/2016 at 11:40

Yeah I had a 91 Eclipse GSX years ago and I actually think its for sale currently. To bad the looks of the 1g don’t beat the 2g suspension design. I got this car when a friend said his neighbor wanted the car gone. I showed up expecting junk and found a diamond in the ruff. Hopefully It will be running soon.

Nauraushaun > 96Formula6spd
08/16/2016 at 18:24

And hopefully it’s as good as you think it is, because that’s a big win :D