Nissan Skyline buying guide

By Ben Barry

First Official Pictures

24 October 2007 05:50

A Skyline buying guide? Since when were you an authority?

We’re not, which is why we’ve roped in Andy Barnes from Skyline experts Sumo Power to give us the lowdown on the last generation GT-R: the R34. Barnes pinpoints a 2001 Japanese V Spec edition (the most hardcore Skyline) with stage one modifications to around 400bhp as his ideal purchase. Find a mint car that’s been meticulously maintained to this specification by a GTR specialist, and it’s worth £30,000. And while you might not want a modified car, you’ll probably end up with one. Skyline power outputs were artificially limited by an agreement between Japanese manufacturers, so the 2.6-litre twin turbo RB26DETT is more than happy to produce more than the 320bhp or so if left the factory with – although that’s still 40bhp more than the agreement stipulated. Few owners will have resisted the urge to fettle.

The RB26 engine goes on and on if it’s serviced regularly and fed good quality oil. Problems start when shoddy tuners and cash-strapped owners get involved. So check for obvious signs of oil leaks around the turbos and lower block areas. Check the state of clips and brackets on standard-looking engine bays– are they damaged? Do they look new? – to see tell-tale signs of major repairs. Warm the car up and let the oil thin out. Once it’s hot the oil pressure should always be over 4bar using half the available revs. Most R34s suffered from porous engine blocks and therefore many have had major engine re-builds. This is by no means a bad thing, but do try to establish who carried out the work. Do they have a good reputation?

By Ben Barry