Nissan Skyline Problems

Fans of V8 Supercar racing should be forever grateful to Nissan. Had it not been for Nissan’s awesome Skyline GT-R V8 Supercar racing may not exist. So dominant was the turbocharged four-wheel drive coupe on our race tracks that it forced racing officialdom to change the rules in favour of home-grown V8s to avert the threat that touring car racing could implode.The GT-R was the last, and greatest car built to the old international Group A touring car rules, the rules adopted by Australia for its premier racing series between 1985 and 1992.Group A was brought in to give imported cars a chance to compete in a championship traditionally ruled by Holden and Ford and their V8s. For the first couple of years the formula worked quite well until, first Ford built its turbocharged Sierra, and then Nissan trumped everyone with the GT-R.Aussie race fans, starved of local success, stayed away from race tracks in the knowledge that their favourites had no hope of competing against the mighty Nissans. Even a range of penalties designed to slow the GT-Rs failed to halt their rampaging run through the local championship.It finally took a wholesale change of rules to the now familiar and highly popular V8 Supercars to put an end to the rein of the GT-R.The GT-R remains an awesome supercar and a favourite of local petrol heads who have imported 100s of them under the Specialists and Enthusiasts Vehicles Scheme (SEVS) which allows for the importation of special interest cars like the GT-R that aren’t available for sale here through the big car companies.MODEL WATCHBefore they could go racing Nissan had to import 100 Skyline GT-Rs and sell them on the local market. That requirement was satisfied in 1991 with the one and only batch imported by Nissan, all cars subsequently landed were so-called ‘grey imports’ brought in under the SEVS rules.That first model brought in by Nissan to dominate local racing was the R32, a rather dumpy plain looking two-door coupe. Without the war paint of the factory race cars the R32 didn’t ooze aggression, until of course the right foot was buried in the carpet.Then it would explode into action. A stock standard R32 would thunder to 100 km/h in less than five seconds and dismiss the standing quarter-mile sprint in around 13 seconds.It was fast thanks to its twin turbocharged 2.6-litre straight six cylinder engine that boasted peak power of 205 kW.All R32s had a five-speed manual gearbox which was packed full of tall gearing that gave it good top end performance, but could make it quite hard to get off the line smoothly and quickly.While that made it fast in a straight line it was its sophisticated four-wheel drive system that allowed it to corner as if on rails. The system was designed to send the drive to the rear wheels until the front wheels needed to be brought in to play which was when the computer sent the necessary amount of grunt forward.Four-wheel discs with ABS provided powerful and safe stopping power while subtle four-wheel steering added to its cornering prowess.The R32 is the lightest GT-R built, they gained weight with each new model after that and for some became less appealing as a result.Nissan chose not to import the R33 leaving the way open for importers to fill the niche.The R33 was more aggressive visually with more body add-ons in the form of a rear wing and side skirts. It was also bigger and a little plumper, but the engine had more torque, which made up for the extra weight.It was also marginally slower than its predecessor, but was still able to cut a sub-5.0 second time for the 0-100 km/h sprint, as well as a low-13s quarter-mile time.The five-speed manual gearbox was improved with new synchros, which made shifting nicer.Inside there was more room, particularly for rear seat passengers who would be quite cramped in the R32 and the later R34.With the best ride and roomiest interior the R33 is widely regarded as the most practical GT-R for use as a daily driver, but it lacks the excitement of the R32 or R34 models.The R34 followed in 1999 and until Nissan launches a new generation GT-R remains the ultimate evolution of the performance coupe.Although it’s not immediately obvious the more aggressive looking R34 is smaller, being 75 mm shorter, and yet it is also some 10-20 kg heavier.The awesome twin turbo six was reworked with new camshafts and new turbos with power pegged at 206 kW at 6800 revs and torque at 392 Nm at 4400 revs.A Getrag six-speed gearbox replaced the old five-speed, although performance is similar to the older models.IN THE SHOPThe GT-R is a very fast car, but it’s also heavy, a combo that will take its toll on all areas of the car over time.Brakes and tyres are the obvious things that take a pounding on the GT-R if driven hard, and you have to assume that GT-R’s are driven that way. Check for disc wear and cracking, these can be quite expensive to replace, pads and tyres will wear out quickly if punished.The engine is generally rugged, but needs to be well serviced. Cam belts need to be changed at 80,000 km and must be changed so be sure to look for evidence of that.It’s also worth doing a compression test on the engine, and listening for odd noises that might point to internal wear. Main bearings can be a problem in engines that are abused.A problem gearbox can be hard to pick until it’s to the point that shifting becomes difficult or there are obvious noises coming from it. A replacement clutch is expensive if needed.Look for signs of crash repairs, inconsistent paint quality and variable panel gaps that might suggest panel replacement. Check underneath for rust and damage, and look closely for extra holes that might give away a competition past.Paint on early cars is likely to be fading as the clear top coat wears thin, particularly on the upper surfaces most exposed to the sun.Early R32 models are known to suffer from leaks around the windscreen and rear window. The screen can be expensive to replace because the radio antenna is built into it.IN A CRASHThe GT-R’s best defence is its ability to avoid a crash through its four-wheel drive, ABS and chassis agility, but it’s a fast car and these things can’t always save a poor driver.Airbags were fitted from the R33 model.LOOK FOR• R32 best performer of the lot• uninspiring looks for such a hot car• exhilarating turbo performance• awesome four-wheel drive road holding• signs of being thrashed• bang-for-buck bargainTHE BOTTOM LINEOne of the most awesome performance cars ever built, but be careful of cars that have been thrashed.RATING75/100

We talk about the big three, Holden, Ford and Mitsubishi, in the traditional segment for big family cars, but there was once another player trying to break in. That company was Nissan, when it was manufacturing cars locally, and the model was the Skyline.The 1980s were interesting, and tough times for local car makers, all of whom were either struggling to stay afloat or scrambling to restructure their businesses to face a future of increased competition as the Labor government of the day moved to remove the tariffs that protected the local carmakers from imports.In an environment in which the government recognised that there were too many carmakers in the relatively small Australian market, and encouraged companies to join forces and produce common models, Holden and Nissan climbed into bed.Holden also found itself in a hole, with a six-cylinder engine that had long passed its use-by date, and insufficient funds to develop the new engines it desperately needed to be competitive.The answer to Holden’s problem came in the form of Nissan’s 3.0-litre SOHC six-cylinder engine, which was shoe -horned into the VL Commodore. It was a well-proven engine in its homeland, but when installed in the Commodore it had a number of problems, all related to the Holden installation.In the R31 Skyline it was a gem. The Skyline should really have won over more buyers than it did, it was a good car that was well engineered and built, but was let down by its very conservative styling.Ultimately the company that fell by the wayside, at least in terms of local production, was Nissan, which quit local manufacture and turned importer.The R31 Skyline was aimed at the buyer of the traditional Australian family car. It was of a similar size to the Commodore of the day, with accommodation for five adults, powered by a six-cylinder engine, and drive through the rear wheels. There was a choice of sedan or wagon.It was squarish in shape, with sharp lines carving out a rather harsh outline when its main rivals were heading down a softer styling path.If it wasn’t the best looking car on the market, it made up for it with a solid mechanical package and build quality the others could only dream about at the time.For power it relied on the RB30E 3.0-litre single overhead cam six. It had two valves per cylinder, and with fuel injection it punched out 114 kW and 247 Nm, which gave it some decent get up and go when needed.There was the choice of a Jatco four-speed auto trans, or a five-speed manual ’box, and drive was through the rear wheels. Later models had a Nissan four-speed auto.The base model was the GX, which came standard with an adjustable steering wheel, cloth trim, power mirrors, power rack and pinion steering, and two-speaker radio cassette sound. In addition the GXE had power mirrors, a remote boot release and four-speaker sound.The sporty Silhouette had a limited-slip diff, alloy wheels, air-con, sports seats, rear spoiler, and a trip computer.It was the Ti that topped the range, and it boasted standard air-con, alloys, cruise, central locking, cloth trim, metallic paint, power mirrors and windows, four-speaker radio cassette sound, and a trip computer.There were two minor updates, a Series II in 1987, and the Series III in 1988, which saw the introduction of the Executive auto.The Skyline is now getting on and many are racking up some quite high mileages so it’s important to shop around, and be very careful in checking cars under consideration. That said, the Skyline is a very reliable car and would suit anyone on a low budget who wants reliable and comfortable transport.Body wise the Skyline has few problems, but it’s worth looking carefully around the windscreen, and open the front doors to inspect around the upper door hinges. Check the boot for signs of water leaks. The paint, particularly the metallic colours, is prone to fading on the upper surfaces.Mechanically the engine is very reliable, but the valve lifters can become noisy at high mileage. They are usually noisiest on cold starts, but are more annoying than anything.Same goes for the diff, which is renowned for developing a howl. Nissan replaced many early on, but there are some still out there that howl like a banshee. If you can put up with the noise, they won’t be a problem, if not find a second hand replacement that should cost no more than $250 from a wrecker.The auto transmissions are generally smooth and stand up well, but can be expensive to fix. Look for harshness shifting from first to second, and flaring when shifting between second and third on cars with 200,000 and more kays on the clock.Although the build quality was good the Skyline’s body hardware is beginning to suffers the ravages of time. Look for brittle plastic trim parts and worn door locks etc.Denise Wythe enjoyed 13 years and 300,000 km of trouble free motoring in his 1987 Skyline. The only complaint was a leaking boot, the result of problem fitting the rear lamps, which would let water in. The steering rack and some noisy shockers were replaced along the way.Tony Jarvis has owned his 1989 GXE for about three years, and says he loves it. Apart from a few minor complaints, he says the Skyline is very reliable and has never let him down. It’s powerful enough and the steering is not overly light, but has good road feel.Maurie French owns a 1988 Skyline wagon with 187,000 km on the odometer and he just loves it. He says the diff and lifters are noisy, and he has blown a number of power steering hoses, but it is a joy to drive.Sixty-year-old John Kidd drives an ’88 wagon and his wife runs an ’88 TI sedan. He says the engine is very reliable and doesn’t generally use oil even with high mileage, but the hydraulic lifters are prone to rattling on cold start, the diff can be noisy, the door locks can fail, and the plastic fittings get brittle with age.Chris Webb has a 1989 Series 3 Executive sedan auto, which he bought second hand in 1997 with 198,000 km on it. It now has 339,000 km, and has been extremely reliable, which he attributes to religious servicing. He says it is very smooth and quite powerful.Don McLean took delivery of his brand new Skyline TI in 1990. It has only done 122,000 km, and has been very reliable. He says its ride and road holding are excellent, but the brakes can be cause for concern. It doesn’t use oil.Steven Weymouth owns a 1987 Series 2 Silhouette manual that has covered 275,000 km, which he says is a fantastic example of Nissan’s efforts to enter the six-cylinder family sized car market in the late ’80s. He says it is a great car to drive, and the only real problem he has experienced is noisy lifters on cold starts.Michael Hente’s 1989 Skyline Series Executive auto has done 248,000 km, and is still going strong. He says the engine is very smooth and strong, and the handling and drivability are excellent. The headroom is good, it’s reliable, has a large boot, good visibility, excellent turning circle, comfortable seats, and the best rear lights on an Australian car.• smooth, powerful engine six-cylinder engine• annoying diff whine• lifter rattle on cold starts• avoid clunky auto transmission• good solid body construction• solid reliable car• great for novice drivers with a modest budgetSmooth, comfortable and very reliable car, which would make a good first car for beginner drivers.