[R32_Dreams]

Hello everyone, I'm currently considering an R32 GTR, and I was wondering if anyone could tell me the main things to look out for like problems and such. Thanks in advance guys!

 

[illpayne]

When considering buying a 25-27yr old car, of course it's going to have some issues. Some might range from rust to engine. Ideally you would want to stay away from a car with rust. If you have the funds to fix it, it'll probably cost around 3-6k to fix for rust that's not eating away the body with holes. As far as engine goes, it's really rear to find an unmodified R32. A lot of them have been modded. Oil is one of the main weak points when racing, but can be fixed with a few things ie oil pump, accusump, or dry sump.
I'm sure others will chime in soon. Here's the thing, once you start, it'll never end.

 

[configt]

Known issues with R32 GTRs:

• Oil pump and crankshaft oil issue: Basically the early R32s (until 1992 IIRC) had a shitty design which could cause oil starvation. Read more about it here: http://www.skylife4e...6-oil-pump.html
• HICAS failure: HICAS is a piece of shit technology and I wish the guy at Nissan who designed it in the earlier R32s was never hired. It leaks and fails all the time. Just have it removed. I am blown away that mine still works correctly.
• Timing belt tensioner and timing belt: Sometimes idiots who do service on these cars tighten the timing belt tensioner too tight and weaken or break the bolt. Eventually the unit fails and you have a ruined head. Have seen this several times. Try and find ARP bolts instead of OEM.
• Stock rotors crack: The stock cross drilled rotors are prone to crack. Have seen this on many GTRs coming from Japan
• Ceramic turbos are not good for more than 1 bar. Keep it under 1 bar. You are playing with fire otherwise.
• Stock BPV leak after awhile
• There are a billion freaking vacuum lines on this car, so lots of potential for vacuum leaks. Do a smoke test on the car.
• 6th Cylinder runs lean due to the design of the intake manifold. Check compression on this cylinder.
• Speed cable going to speedometer commonly fail or break.
• 3rd and 4th gear will grind at higher RPMs on cars with higher mileage. This is because the throw is direct and when people power shift hard it fucks them up after awhile. But some good fluid in the tranny and diffs like RedLine heavy duty or synchromesh or something.
• Dash bubble.

Shit dude, this list can go on forever haha. Honestly, buy the car, build the engine to fix all these issues and you will never have to worry again. Owning an R32 GTR can be a pain in the ass, but its a freaking special occasion every time you get in and go for a rip.

 

[GSX-R35]

If you want to know what it's like to live with an R32 here in the US, I've posted a lot of info on my blog based on my experience owning my Nismo R32.

http://23gt.blogspot.com/

Here's my post that contains info about how to inspect one and issues to watch out for:

http://23gt.blogspot.com/2015/05/buying-r32-skyline-just-tips.html

As illpayne mentioned, be aware that it's a 25-year old car with the resulting 25-year old problems. I suggest you do a lot of research before taking the plunge to make sure it's a good fit for you.

 

[R32_Dreams]

Thanks guys for all the help! So basically build the engine, do a hicas lockout, replace the turbos or just the ceramic compressor, would that be a good start to then start modifying the car?

 

[masssrt]

To add to what Configt posted (and thanks for that, I learned a few things being a new R32 owner myself), some get coolant leaks, and I have personal experience with this as I picked mine up aware there was a coolant leak near the rear of the engine.

As we went in, it was obvious all the hoses should be replaced.

If you research this, you'll find many threads, and many are outdated with pics expired, but basically it is usually quite the job, as you need to remove the intake manifold/plenum, and there are tons of bolts and clamps that are hard to get at.

After seeing this done (I actually paid someone to do the job), I seriously think lifting the motor out could be possibly easier.

But for peace of mind, I would just get a full hose set. I got a heater hose set which was the suspected culprit, until we dug in and found it was a hose way in the back that you couldn't get to without removing a bunch of stuff.

We waited for a set from Japan, and in the interim, I found a US based company that has parts. I ordered the full top end gasket set, since there are a bunch of gaskets, having individual throttle bodies etc.

Then we ended up using hoses from Advanced for the actual leak, and replaced all that we could.

Now I see some power steering fluid leaking, so when I get around to it I'll be looking into the HICAS delete.

I have to agree with Configt here, it is a special occasion every time you go for a rip.

Good luck R32_Dreams, and post up when you get one. This was a long time dream of mine also, and well worth the wait

 

[Doofus]

I heard that it has a weight problem at the front that can wear the brakes and tires, so it would be quite hard to control if you don't change the brakes or re-tread the tires