Rev3 turbo to a skyline gtr?

[auzzam]

Hi guys,

Anyone made this jump? What was your opinion afterwards? Are they reliable as the sw20? I'm thinking about an r33 gtr

Is it a big step up in power? (my rev 3 is approx 300bhp)

Thanks

Auzzam

[craig]

PM Jimgts.

He went from an MR2 turbo to an R32 GTR and back to an MR2 turbo.

[C35Rob]

I've never owned an R33 so can't comment from first hand experience (saying that I have owned an RB engined car before) but, if you can stomach the running costs (significantly more than an MR2) then an R33 is a good buy at the minute, in two years time when the first 33's hit 25 years old and become eligible for import to the states the prices will rocket, as they have for R32's

[Race Idiot]

People keep saying about R32 GT-R prices rocketing, but they still .look fairly simillar to a few years ago. Ie about £10k for a fairly standard one.

One of the cars i've always wanted to own, but i'd need a garage first lol.

[C35Rob]

People keep saying about R32 GT-R prices rocketing, but they still .look fairly simillar to a few years ago. Ie about £10k for a fairly standard one.

One of the cars i've always wanted to own, but i'd need a garage first lol.

a few years ago they'd dipped to 7-8k for something average that was already in the UK, I've seen some right howlers up for £10K+ recently, prices for good ones in japan have shot up, for sure.

It's the GTS-t that has benefited most from the hype, it wasn't too long ago that you pretty much couldn't give them away, now something with an mot and sills that didn't come out of a filler can is £6k+

personally I think a nice clean specII R33 GTS-t at around 6k is an absolute steal

[auzzam]

People keep saying about R32 GT-R prices rocketing, but they still .look fairly simillar to a few years ago. Ie about £10k for a fairly standard one.

One of the cars i've always wanted to own, but i'd need a garage first lol.

a few years ago they'd dipped to 7-8k for something average that was already in the UK, I've seen some right howlers up for £10K+ recently, prices for good ones in japan have shot up, for sure.

It's the GTS-t that has benefited most from the hype, it wasn't too long ago that you pretty much couldn't give them away, now something with an mot and sills that didn't come out of a filler can is £6k+

personally I think a nice clean specII R33 GTS-t at around 6k is an absolute steal

I'm budgetting around the 15k mark, I've always had my heart set on a skyline from a young age and would want it to be the real deal (full blown gtr rather than a gts). I'd love a r34 but can't justify paying 3 x as much for essentially the same car underneath! Plus at that price we're talking audi r8/Aston martin cash!

[Angpozzuto]

I toyed with this idea aswell last year but the only thing that put me off is that a skyline is a huge car compared to a mr2 and I didn't think It would be as much fun on B road blasts. But I do think I will own one at some point as it's a bucket list car for me just not anytime soon

[Kiddo]

Ok not quite what you were asking, but I went from a 400bhp R33 GTS-t to (eventually) an N/A MR2. I missed the power of the '33 but not the running costs and not the hit-and-miss will-it-won't-it pass the MOT (emissions!) but I did find it increasingly hard to enjoy the '33 on the roads near me. For a B-road blast, my N/A MR2 was more fun and a lot cheaper to buy/run.

[mister two]

Iv also gone the other way

My 33 gtst was my daily and I now have a mk2 na weekend toy (that I'm always too busy to drive on weekends)

An na had zero power compared to the gtst let alone a gtr. But iv never driven a turbo mr2 and have heard they are quick cos they're so light. Can't compare them myself

Handling- yes the skyline is huge compared to an mr2 but for such a big car it's incredibly nimble on B roads. I was in a 350z before the skyline which was perfect for B roads but the skyline did impress me

They can be pricy to run cos there are more things to go wrong but they also turn more heads than an mr2. They're that bit more special

I bought mine for around 3k in 2011 and 3years later I was paid almost double after it was written off

Here's mine

[ashley]

Mikey just sold his ~600hp R34 GTR and is in a MkII turbo now...the skyline was a huge car, and extremely capable- but I think he's found the mkII more fun to throw around...that and if he does bin it, the repair costs are just a bit cheaper! Sounds like reliability was a huge issue on the r34- either there was always something breaking, or you were waiting for what was going to let go next (and how expensive it would be). The phrase "chocolate engines" seems to get banded around a lot with these cars- that was one of the reasons Jim gave up on his r32 from memory.

It's a shame- I have always dreamed of an r34, but no longer...if I had a millionaires garage then it would be in there, but I don't so it's had to come of the list

[pbmr2]

Years ago had a R32gtr, it was great on the larger roads and easy to live with for space and comfort. However you never drive past a petrol station without filling up.

Only had exhaust, filters and boost hike and it never let me down. Service items were not too bad for it.

As a GT car it was perfect, fast and effortless on the A and M roads but it was squeaky bum time on the more narrow B roads. Leaving it in carparks left a feeling of doom.

They are so easy to drive and cope with whatever you chuck at them. The stock setup is quite lazy revving but you don't need to spank it most of the time as it was very fast.

The worst part of the car for me was the 4wd system. most of the time the car is rwd (mine had an LSD) and the fronts only kick in when needed. in the R32 this kick-in always came half a second too late. You learn to predict it and drive around that.
The R33 corrected this and was much better, never driven a 34.

If you have always wanted one then you will love it, but it's a GT car not a little sports car like the MR2. Drove it all the way round europe in utter comfort and loved every second behind the wheel. The MR2 is more of an everyday car but only really because of the size. This would depend on how you use the car.

These days I'd rather have a 2, for the every day use advantages and the lack of worrying about where it's parked when not at home.

[auzzam]

Years ago had a R32gtr, it was great on the larger roads and easy to live with for space and comfort. However you never drive past a petrol station without filling up.

Only had exhaust, filters and boost hike and it never let me down. Service items were not too bad for it.

As a GT car it was perfect, fast and effortless on the A and M roads but it was squeaky bum time on the more narrow B roads. Leaving it in carparks left a feeling of doom.

They are so easy to drive and cope with whatever you chuck at them. The stock setup is quite lazy revving but you don't need to spank it most of the time as it was very fast.

The worst part of the car for me was the 4wd system. most of the time the car is rwd (mine had an LSD) and the fronts only kick in when needed. in the R32 this kick-in always came half a second too late. You learn to predict it and drive around that.
The R33 corrected this and was much better, never driven a 34.

If you have always wanted one then you will love it, but it's a GT car not a little sports car like the MR2. Drove it all the way round europe in utter comfort and loved every second behind the wheel. The MR2 is more of an everyday car but only really because of the size. This would depend on how you use the car.

These days I'd rather have a 2, for the every day use advantages and the lack of worrying about where it's parked when not at home.

I totally agree, mine would have to be kept in the garage. My biggest concern is the mr2 feels rapid (due to it weighing next to nothing) I dont want the skyline to feel any less rapid, but im afraid that it will due to the size of them.

I'd only be using it as a weekend car (the same as my mr2) but have been seeing they can become unreliable the moment you want a little bit more power out of them. (forum posts, anything over 400bhp)

I love the way the mr2 accelerates, but would like something with a little bit more umph up top end

[synXero]

I still love the GTRs, but I've driven a 500+hp stroked GTR33 and it was fun for about half an hour on a twisty road. After that it just became a bit dull. The power delivery is savage and its plenty nimble really, but it's just not a sensational car to drive, IMO.

That said I still love them, and in a multi-car world I would have one for sure.

[MikeyB571]

I went from a 600hp R34 GTR to my MR2, and to be honest I have more fun in the MR2.

Plus the RB26 engine can be very unreliable, the lable "Engine made of chocolate" is commonly used

[gmac90]

Oooft this a good thread. As I was looking at getting a R34 GT and do an engine swap but as I have read the RB engine are pretty unreliable.

Then I saw someone do the unmentionable a 2JZ engine swap in a R33 skyline.... Looks of the Skyline reliability of the 2JZ!

[JD]

I dunno if you guys are referring to oiling issues in the RB26 but as I understand it, it's knowing how you will use the car, and then getting the work done accordingly first, which will probably be pretty expensive, but will save you down the line.

(Probably) helpful pages here:

https://sites.google.com/site/tyndago/rb26dettoiling

https://mrbizzle.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/84/

[C35Rob]

The old internet myth of unreliable RB's....

Yeah they aren't totally bomb proof like JZ's but they're no worse than a stock 3sgte in terms of strength, reliability etc (actually quite a bit better to be fair) An rb25 - the absolute worst if you believe the Internet - will still do 450bhp on stock Pistons, only needing a decent head gasket to be safe.

The 'oiling issue' can be solved too.. Head drains, oil way restrictor, upgraded oil pump and drive collar - all basic upgrades if you've got the engine apart for a big power build anyway.

If RB's were absolute Garbo like the Internet would have you believe there would be no 1000+ bhp rb26's.

I gave my RB25det death, it didn't melt a piston, smash an oil pump, throw a rod or anything else. To brand them as junk because parts need to be upgraded to make huge power reliably would be the same as saying all 3sgte's are junk because some people crack blocks.

JZ's are super stout though.. But they have their own set of problems... Have you seen what you need to pay for a used V160 gearbox?!

[JD]

I thought the restrictor mod on RB25s led to insufficient oiling for the hydraulic lifters, which the RB26 doesn't have so can get away with. Is it better to fit a 1.5mm restrictor on the 25? I realise I've been in a cloud of much internet pub talk about this from various sources, with useful info from some. I really like the idea of an RB-engined car so my Cefiro plans are in the works - only RB20 but I'd be chuffed with 300whp.

[thomp1983]

I had my brother in-laws 400bhp r33 gtst when he was out in Afghan for 6 months. They make you feel special but I found the same issue as I had with my old gt4 and that's there too competent at sensible speeds, you needed to be into triple figures before it feels like your really using it, at 60-90 it felt no different to a decent eurowagon like a 330ci etc.

[jimGTS]

PM Jimgts.

He went from an MR2 turbo to an R32 GTR and back to an MR2 turbo.

And I don't regret it.


Modded R34 gtr's yesterday at the pod where running 14s!
You really need something in the 450hp+ area to 'feel' fast.


Personally I should have got a nice nsx. Maybe I wouldn't be back in a mr2

Skylines are big heavy and bulky. Nissan quality is not the same as Toyotas. Seating position doesn't make you feel like your in something special.
Lots of plastics
They don't feel particularly sporty what so ever. I didn't have much luck with mine, oiling and turbo problems. 3 blown engines in a year. Few options for specialists who charge a 'Gtr' tax. Not cheap by any means.

They are not a car for uk country b roads IMO. Probably great in the US or Canada, but our small roads are not suited.

It takes a lot of work to get the rb26 reliable IMO. steel turbos. Crank collar (engine out work), oil pump (engine out). Engine management to remove afm's. Basically engine needs to come out for any work to make it reliable IMO. £600-1000 for an uprated oil pump gives you some idea.
Turbos are a nightmare to remove, double of everything, vac and oil lines.

Visually mine was awesome, but in the end I didn't trust it and I grew to hate it given the problems I had.

Street cred factor is only reason to get one. It doesn't excite like the mr2.