Nissan R32 GT-R
 

I've been joking around with my friends for the past few years about getting one of these, but recently I've been getting alot more serious about it. I know the only way for it to work would be older than 25 years..and finding one will take some time (suggestions on where to look is always appriciated as well)

What I want to know is if anyone has had experience with the early R32 generations, and if theres any big sore thumb problems.

I would really not like to label this thought under "well that was a good idea while it lasted" catagory lol.

I've been around a few r32 gtr's. From clean minty to beat to hell.

It's a 25 year old sports car. Expect shit to go wrong. Stay away from anything 89 to early 92. The early generation of rb26dett had the oil pump crank collar issue where only a tiny footprint of the crank was responsible for turning the oil pump. Late 92+ cars had this issue addressed with enlarging the area where the crankshaft makes contact with the oil pump to give more strength and less wear. That's the major issue with the r32 or rather earlier production cars.

Expect to pay a lot for one in excellent condition. I wouldn't look at anything lesser. Again, this is a 25 year old sports car you're talking about. Expect them all to have had a hard life unless you're looking at something grade 3-4 with low mileage.

They're pretty solid cars though. You might want to think about parts availability though. This reason alone is what keeps me away from these cars.

...double post

Entirely depends on how much you want to spend.

A friend of mine has an original MotoRex R32 GT-R, street legal and super clean with less than 4000 miles in the last 13 years of ownership.

I'm guessing he wants more than $40k for the car, since he turned down several offers around that price range.

There's nothing majorly wrong with the R32, you just have to be aware of the fact that it's a 25 year old car and live with that fact.

The engine and chassis are only as good as how you maintain it.

-alex

I would only buy a super mint one, or if you have a lot of money on the side, you can buy a beater and restore everything on it.

Other than that, i wouldn't suggest it, unless you plan to drive a work in progress for the rest of your youth life cause i had many friends who bought expensive cars that had high km's and beaten up and to this day...the ones who still have them to this day are are still repairing them and fixing them constantly lol

Why not a GTS-T?
Just bc AWD and the RB26?
Just curious
Like the others said, the main problem was the oil pump. The dash is notorious for bubbling up and cracking on passenger side, rust under the spare wheel in the trunk, and the Japanese like to powder coat the whole chassis underneath for 2 reasons. Either protect it from rust, or hide rust, or both so be careful. again being that old shit like that is expected. Mechanically is just oil pump if mint, next would be the transfer case being rebuilt.

While more of an expert in snark, here is a recent account of someone importing an R32:

http://jalopnik.com/i-imported-a-nis...les-1698000720

This is the company he used. They seem to be the go-to importers at the moment, and keep an inventory on-hand. If nothing else, this should give you an idea of prices you can expect to pay:

http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/inventory.html

I know this guy personally, and have for many years. He charges a flat-fee for import expense and you pay whatever the car goes for at auction. It is a bit risky since you can't investigate the car in-person, but you also know exactly what you're paying for. If nothing else, he is a great source of information:

http://streetlegaljdm.com/

Other points to consider:

• Many insurance companies won't insure the car, and especially not for whatever you're going to pay for it. Expect to have to go through a collector insurance company, which often comes with annual mile limitations and is generally more expensive.
• Don't expect a bank to finance you. At least for now, many banks have no way of properly assessing the value of these cars. Getting a loan can be difficult to impossible.
• If you buy from another importer, make sure the car is titled. The two importers I linked will take care of that for you. If it isn't done, the process can be very time consuming if you're not experienced in it, and cost quite a bit of money. (I can probably get the exact cost if you want, but don't buy an imported car without a title)

Edit: This is more for importing any car as opposed to just an R32, but hope it helps anyway...

That place makes me sad that I don't have more money. They've got some awesome non-JDM stuff on there too. There was a Lancia Fulvia on there for a while that was totally sweet.

http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/l...via-green.html

There's little stuff to think about if you're importing and plan on driving the car a fair amount. Powertrain parts are relatively easy to get since every HELLAJDMYO importer probably has a line on RB26s, but stuff like windshields and interior parts can be hard/expensive to come by if you don't have a good importer local to you.

but... but... Homy: http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/1...my-100615.html

More seriously, seeing as how that Lancia was sold without a description, my guess is that someone contacted them and said "You import a lot of stuff, I want this," and they found a way to make it work. That person happens to have good taste.

Thanks guys. The R32 has been one of my dream cars for a while now. I was mostly curious about insurance too, so that'll factor in as well. Looks like I do have to file it under "well that was nice, back to reality". Ill save owning one of these until a few cars later.

Its the car itself, the heritage and when I wad younger I came to a conclusion; become obsessed with attainable things. Not many people in their lifetime had the expendable income to buy the countach on their wall when they were 13. Later on in life, I most certainly will have the funds to finally own one of these.

I know the main guy here personally.

http://www.importavehicle.com/

I'll say this...

Getting the car is the easy part. It's everything else, incredibly difficult. From insurance to even a ball joint, unless you like waiting months on end and have incredibly deep pockets, forget it! You're almost better to buy two of them keeping one as a parts car.

Where are you located OP?

Local regulations on certifying cars for the road can tack on thousands of dollars to the expense of getting a non USDM car in your driveway legally. I looked into doing a BMW import and it was a minimum of $1,500+??? to get the car emissions tested, and that was after doing an engine swap to US spec engine including all the electronics and emissions equipment. This may be an exclusively Californian problem but I believe several states have their own quirks when it comes to importing gray market vehicles.

And after googling, this post was more helpful than the hours I spent trying to figure it out on my own last year:
http://forums.nicoclub.com/emissions...a-t589291.html

I believe the idea is to capitalize on the smog exemption rule for older vehicles.

California does not have rolling smog exemption and OP hasn't specified his location. Yes many places have a exemption of X number of years (I think I've seen anywhere from 15-30 years old) for emissions compliance, California is not one of them. There are a few counties that ignore the regulations but they're usually in the middle of nowhere.

All vehicles produced 1976 and later must comply to emissions regulations and go through regular testing every 2 years. Even cars built as far back as 1968 must have emissions equipment (that's why there's no USDM 1968 Porsche 911S), however unless they're being imported and registered for the first time nobody will check after it's been registered.

1976 BMW 2002, Datsun 280Z, Lamborghini Countach? Smog every two years. Brand new LS engine and Chevy OEM ECM in a 1989 Miata? Smog every two years after you've received referee certification. If my FA20 doesn't last I'd love to go rotary, a nice little 13B. Nope, engine older than chassis.

Show up to a California DMV with a vehicle imported from overseas built after 1975, they'll take one look at the VIN and require a CHP inspection and to get CARB/BAR emissions certified. Lots of stories on the internet about it, the guys with EDM BMW's seem to be the most thorough about detailing the process online.

Source:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/html/master_fa...t_cars_faq.htm

I just tried to google and see if anyone has a legally imported and registered R32 in California under the 25 year rule and came up blank. Wouldn't mind seeing some success stories if they do exist.

Edit: I've heard whispers of California street legal R32's existing but I think they were brought in by Motorex, maybe Mav's buddy is one, maybe he "lives in florida" which seems not to give a flying fuck about what you drive.

His car is a completely legal MotoRex car, hence the reason for the absurd offers he gets.

The car just sits there though.

-alex

My local performance shop has an R32 that has been sitting there for months waiting for certain parts. You just have to buy one knowing that it can be a pain sometimes and it can't be your primary vehicle unless you don't care about being stranded for weeks when/if something goes wrong. Seems like a big hassle to me unless you have money and space for a project.

Most people that have owned older Japanese cars from the 80s and 90s know that there are several items that tend to go bad over time.

TPS, IACV, even things like vacuum hoses and others need to be replaced on a regular basis, especially on cars of a certain age.

Cars are only as reliable as they are maintained. The only way to truly get a good R32 is to fly to Japan yourself, and find one and buy it. All others will either be "market price" and require work, or be a mint condition car and be above market price.

-alex

Yep. Sean is definitely the guy to go to. My Dad and I actually assist in doing the vehicle appraisals for him.

For those who didn't know, it is possible to get financing for these cars, provided the paperwork is all in order and an appraisal has been done on the vehicle.

Im in Washington, so the 25 year old rule applies.

I thought all R32s and R34s by Motorex were no longer valid, even if they once were. Only the R33s.

Just fyi, it isnt only the boonies. My parents are thirty minutes north of santa rosa and dont have to smog in cloverdale.

What cracks me up is seeing the outrageous prices people Stateside are paying to import these things. When I arrived in Japan in 2011, R32 GT-Rs were typically selling for.....~$8k. The prices in Yen have appreciated considerably in the last 2 years but due to the exchange rate, they are still only about $10k USD.....but when they arrive on US shores they sell for $20k+ plus. LOL.

If you really want to pay that much to inherit a 25-year old maintenance nightmare that will get spanked by a C5 Corvette, be my guest. I can kinda understand the emotional attachment. I have my mind set on owning a Gallardo someday in the distant future, even though a C7 w/Z51 package is probably a FAR better way to spend my money.

Totally, the car is a beast but an outdated beast. Other option is to bring a c10 gtx sedan and swap the rb26 in there. Make Paul Walker proud.

R33/34 were the problem cars because of OBD-II issues.

To each their own... there's a huge market in Japan for the Astrovan, of all things.

Just because it's shit over there doesn't mean it's shit over here.

-alex

I really wouldn't rip on anyone for wanting to pay a reasonable amount of money to drive their dream car.

Still, considering that I live in California, I could never obtain an R32 unless it is a legal Motorex car or it was obtained through illegal means. Hopefully, Drazic is lucky to live in a different state to have that option.

Some would consider Santa Rosa the boonies.

C5 Z06 is one of the best performance bargains out there right now, they can be found cheaper than a new 86.

Now why would anyone buy a 4-banger Toyota when you can have a 400+ horsepower Corvette for same money?

It isn't difficult at all to own and register an R32 here in California.

Hum because then youre stuck owing a corvette and everyone will know how tiny your engine is.

I would love to see evidence of one, I looked and couldn't come up with anything.

What Strat said. Granted, I have seen a fair amount of R32s roaming around the street. However, I do wonder how many of those are actually (if at all) registered legally.

I suppose it's based on how good the importer is at paperwork?

If you live in the States, good question!

Living here in Japan:
1. Corvette is LHD only. Will get annoying (drive thrus and whatnot).
2. The lighter and smaller 86 suits Japan's tight, narrow, and twisty roads better.
3. There's far fewer places to make good use of the 400+hp on the street. Very little highway driving here.
4. Annual taxes on a 5.7L engine is something like $750. For over 6L it's ~$1000. Every....YEAR.

That's the main reason I'm looking at getting another used Evo X for my next car instead of an early IS-F. I'd love an NA V8 but taxes + general driving conditions mean anything over about 3.5L or 350hp just isn't worth it.

Not to threadjack or anything.....:threadjacked:


In terms of sourcing spare parts for an R32....see if you can get a Japanese-speaking friend to setup a Yahoo! Auctions Japan account for you. You can sometimes find engines for cheap, but getting an RB26 shipped internationally is probably a pain. I tried to put my 1JZ and 1.5JZ up on Ebay but every Japanese shipping company refused to ship an engine overseas, even palletized, or by sea.

Don't know the exact hoops to jump through. However, on my way into work (Santa Clarita), stopped at a Shell station and a pristine blue 90 R32 GTR pulled in right behind me packed with 5 teenagers. Wanted to chat about the car but after starring in awe/envy for a while, had to get to work to pay for my sad FRS. Had Cali plates on it.

Wish I would have had time to talk to the kid.

My point was that I don't think the ones that are here came in under the 25 year rule.