GTR 101: The Basics - The Common Issues

GTR 101: The Basics - The Common Issues

Like all things, Skylines age. Over time, things fall apart, break, and don't function like they did from the factory. In addition to wear and tear items, Skylines also have some typical failures. While these aren't detrimental to the performance of the car, they can be bothersome to replace and we also recommend that people look out for them when shopping for a Skyline to gauge on the condition of the car. Most of these apply specifically to the R32 and in some cases we have seen them on the R33's and R34's.

Interior
Skylines are not lavish high quality clad machines when it come to the interior. The interior of the car is where most Japanese manufacturers concentrate on less to keep production costs low. The interior of the Skyline is not bare by any means, but its also doesn't feature high quality materials and build. Here's a list of the common issues inside the car:
Broken Air Vents
Bubbling Dashes
Falling Headliner around the c-pillar
Misreading Gauges
Broken Radio

Broken Clock 

Engine & Powertrain 

The Skyline's powertrain is quite strong from the factory. If driven in stock form, the components can be quite durable. But lets be real, 99.9% of people are not going to leave it stock. For R32s the turbos are easily maxed when extra boost is applied, and the factory base oil pump is less than adequate. Along with our items from the first four parts of GTR 101, here are some additional stock items to look out for: 

Oil Pump
Turbos
Driveshaft
Air Flow Meter 
Ignitor

Speedometer Cable 

Chassis, Body, & Suspension
Rust is the biggest enemy for these cars. Cars that have seen some time outside in Japanese weather will be prone to rust. Especially for the R32, the chassis is also weak through age. Panels eventually don't align and they sag. The chassis flexes and creak when tension is applied in certain areas. Check out these common problems areas:
Pinch Rails
Trunk Channels
Rear Windshield Wiper
The whole underside of the car
Sagging Doors and Bumpers
Misaligned Headlights, Hood, and Trunk
Suspension Bushings

Differential Bushings 

That's it for our GTR 101 series. We hope that the information we gave you throughout this series was helpful and we thank you for reading! Up next we begin our GTR buyers guide so if you're in the market for a Skyline, best sure to check the blog.

Words: @jaygiatien
Images: @spaceh1ppo
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