Any Nissan Skyline Gurus Here?

[RODSCALIP5]

I just wanted to know if there are any subject matter experts on the Skyline on the forums?

[djarkitek]

i like to fake like I am ..but i just love the cars....i know a little about them though.

[mountjonas]

are you gonna get a skyline while you're in japan?

[RODSCALIP5]

Cool, maybe you can help me out. What is the potential of the R32 Type M and is it AWD?

[RODSCALIP5]

are you gonna get a skyline while you're in japan?

No.......................(laugh). I am thinking about it. The only thing that is keeping me from getting one is the fact that I might not be able to bring it back with me.

[RODSCALIP5]

This is what I am looking at getting:

1994 Skyline Type M 50K miles for $5,000:

http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skyline-gts-t.JPG
http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skygturbo7.JPG
http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skygturbo6.JPG
http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skygturbo5.JPG

[winty87]

My friend just said that the U.S. has stopped all imports like that due to the companies not following the laws on making them "safe" or some shenanigans like that.

[mikeyb]

^^I heard the samething for one of my customers who was trying to import a 07 BMW M5 Touring.

[winty87]

^^I heard the samething for one of my customers who was trying to import a 07 BMW M5 Touring.

AHhh HAH! So it must be semi-truthful...Unless you wanna move to canada and import your car. Then your SOL.

[RODSCALIP5]

I thought it was R33 and R34 you couldn't import. I am still getting the car since I will be in Japan for 3 years. I just want to know what kind of tuning potential it has.

[smo0f]

yea i read a lot about shit like that on the FL nissan forum (when that thread about the idiot hitting on the HIN model with the supra surfaced for a few weeks). maybe you can get a chevy impala and hook it up with a nice body kit and some badges, most people won't know the difference :)

[RODSCALIP5]

yea i read a lot about shit like that on the FL nissan forum (when that thread about the idiot hitting on the HIN model with the supra surfaced for a few weeks). maybe you can get a chevy impala and hook it up with a nice body kit and some badges, most people won't know the difference :)

LOL!

[orlandomsp]

As far as I know, the GTSs were RWD. The AWD was reserved for the GTRs.

[RODSCALIP5]

As far as I know, the GTSs were RWD. The AWD was reserved for the GTRs.

Thanks.

[Pirana]

right, and RB25 still has lots of potential!

[bumpin_p5]

If I am not mistaken, importing a high powered car from Japan and the like, is a very hard process and ends up costing you loads. not only are you going to have to pay for it to be "americanized", but you have to have a racing license and a racing schedule from your particular racing group. I know that sounds weird, but I actually looked into this, because I was pretty serious about buying a skyline from there about a year ago. things may have changed by now. look into the laws that are out now.

[Shadow102]

This is what I am looking at getting:

1994 Skyline Type M 50K miles for $5,000:

http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skyline-gts-t.JPG
http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skygturbo7.JPG
http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skygturbo6.JPG
http://www.okicar.com/upload/admin_skygturbo5.JPG


BTW thats a R33 not R32

[kickniteasy]

If I am not mistaken, importing a high powered car from Japan and the like, is a very hard process and ends up costing you loads. not only are you going to have to pay for it to be "americanized", but you have to have a racing license and a racing schedule from your particular racing group. I know that sounds weird, but I actually looked into this, because I was pretty serious about buying a skyline from there about a year ago. things may have changed by now. look into the laws that are out now.

aren't there ways around it? like having it as a nissan maxima on the registration or something like that? Also, shipping the motor, body, tranny, and everything else separarate and putting it back together here? Shady ways.....but ways non the less.

[bumpin_p5]

aren't there ways around it? like having it as a nissan maxima on the registration or something like that? Also, shipping the motor, body, tranny, and everything else separarate and putting it back together here? Shady ways.....but ways non the less.
pulling the car apart is about the only way you can do it safely that I know of, but still check on the laws. There is a place in Florida that does that. That is how they can sell authenic skylines.

By the time you actually spent all money required to get it over here and what not, you could just track one down here in the US and buy it. There are some pretty nice ones out there for 20-30k.

[kickniteasy]

By the time you actually spent all money required to get it over here and what not, you could just track one down here in the US and buy it. There are some pretty nice ones out there for 20-30k.

truth......I'd just be really worried about how the previous owner had treated it and why they'd want to let it go. Kind of like buying a used subie or mitsu, I just always feel like before they gave it up they'd beat it to hell

[FlyinHawaiian]

Here's the trick guys: You can import any car to Canada over 15 years old. That includes most R32s and in 2 or 3 years, will include the R33s, which are my favorite of the last 3 gens. So if you can find a way to register it in Canada, and then bring it over to the US, either keep it under Canadian registration, or make friends with someone at your local DMV and get it registered here.

Easy I tell you! (crazy)

[Scott]

Actually, the Canada method is a bit more difficult than that. I've looked into it before, and realized how much work it requires. For starters, you have to be a legal citizen of Canada to register an imported car in the country. To be naturalized, you must be a resident for at least 7 months a year for 7 years. Then you can take the test (which I understand is harder than the test to become an American citizen).

There are a few other loopholes which you can use to legally drive the car here. Importation is easy. Like others have said, as long as the drivetrain is not IN the car at the time of shipment, it wouldn't be a problem to load it on a ship and bring it over. However, the problem arises if you want to drive it on the street.

In some states, you can register it as a kit car, if you can prove the chassis and drivetrain were shipped in seperate containers (easy enough to do). However, most states with such kit car laws generally limit the amount of miles you can put on the car in a year. Obviously, this is easy to get around if you know how to disconnect and reconnect the odometer.

In Florida, the way a lot of people originally got Skylines in the road was by taking advantage of our very lax DMV. Cars are not inspected or emissions tested. All you must do to register the car is show a DMV employee the VIN number when you bring it down to get a plate. Most DMV workers wouldn't know a Skyline from a Maxima from a 240SX from anything else. So if you can grab a VIN from a busted 240 and swap it out for the Skyline's, registration should be pretty painless. Technically, this is illegal, and lying on a government form is considered perjury. But the odds of getting caught in such a scam is very unlikely.

There have been a few people that have successfully legalized a car by bringing it to USDOT crash and emissions standards, however, this requires a lot of paperwork, and usually a friend in high places.

[FlyinHawaiian]

Actually, the Canada method is a bit more difficult than that. I've looked into it before, and realized how much work it requires. For starters, you have to be a legal citizen of Canada to register an imported car in the country. To be naturalized, you must be a resident for at least 7 months a year for 7 years. Then you can take the test (which I understand is harder than the test to become an American citizen).


Yeah, I was mentioning the Canada thing with tounge-in-cheeck srcasm... The kit car thing is definitely the best option for anyone and relatively easy to pull off. Its the shipping costs that will kill you though.

If I had the money, I'd go to Japan, buy a nice stock R33, take the drivetrain out, box them up seperately, and see them off on the boat. Then I'd fly to California and chill out until it arrived. When it did, I'd put it back together, get a transport permit and drive it back across the country to Maryland where I'd get it registered in any of the previous ways mentioned...

If I had the money...

-Jeff

[KronixKid22]

Yea, it's really a pain in the ass to get one of these. I've done A LOT of research and decided it's really the easiest route to find a legally registered one in the U.S. that someone has already imported. It will have a VIN issued to it and be able to be registered in most states. R32's and R33's are the easier to get and cheaper models. Finding an R34 already in the states and registered is going to cost quite a bit of money, I'd guess over $75k. Search around as you won't find Skylines just anywhere! :)

[Black_Protege_5]

BTW thats a R33 not R32


Why would that have to be an R33. The type M is a 32 and all awd versions have the RB25det. The RWD has the RB20DET which is still an awesome motor and the V-Specs have the RB26dett's. No matter which version you get they all have potential. Hey is a nissan haha. Come on. The R32's stock are nothing spectacular. I think its the name that gives the hype and the drive kills it. I have driven one but noneless after you had an EH drive when you get out its still a skyline and a great car.

But if I went to Japan I would get a 00 S15 before anything haha. God I love that car.

[bumpin_p5]

just buy a 240sx and build a silvia. They can be just as nice. Seen quite a few around here in my area.

[Shadow102]

Why would that have to be an R33. The type M is a 32 and all awd versions have the RB25det. The RWD has the RB20DET which is still an awesome motor and the V-Specs have the RB26dett's. No matter which version you get they all have potential. Hey is a nissan haha. Come on. The R32's stock are nothing spectacular. I think its the name that gives the hype and the drive kills it. I have driven one but noneless after you had an EH drive when you get out its still a skyline and a great car.


the car pictured is a R33 GTS. google search the R33 GTS25t and it will come up with similar pictures of that car. The R32 had different front end and rear end styling than that car pictured

[Black_Protege_5]

What car pictured?

[Shadow102]

What car pictured?

the one in the original post and the pics on the post you quoted me from

[Black_Protege_5]

ahh I couldn't see it before. My firefox didn't load them up properly. And yea that is an R33. And if that says gts25t in the back then that is rwd not awd, but noneless it will be better.

[Boosted03MSP]

A friend i knew from B15sentra.net purchased an R33 legally from Evolutionimports in Florida. It was a terrible experiance for him and took almost an entire year for him to get the car. It was legally registered in WV and shipped over in parts from the bahamas to FLorida, then reassembled. The only downside is that it can not be re registered to another driver in the US. So when he sold it, it was to a shop owner who wanted a track car.

[djarkitek]

my friend just got a 100% stock jdm silvia imported from japan in cali, ti took him 8 mo ths but he did'nt have to many problems getting it here.

[mikeyb]

I'm thinking about this this 99 S15 Siliva Spec R. Its here with all the correct pages and deregs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JDM-S15-SYLVIA-SPEC-R_W0QQitemZ220092916757QQcategoryZ6392QQssPageName ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Shasta]

Canadian importation of Skylines requires the car to be 15 yrs old or older. R33's and R34's are too new to import here. Refer to this site for more info, excellent source for someone interested in those cars. Lots of legal information. I believe US importation is nearly impossible now with the closure and lawsuit pending against a California importer and if imported can not be registered for the street, show or track car. Canada has the headlight issue due to right hand drive Skylines and it has to do with the Canada Standard Regulations and how our alignment of the left light is aimed.

http://www.gtrcanada.com/