Fgy33 cima?

[captainkratz]

For the last half a year I have been looking into getting a jdm Y33 (cima). But, before I buy one I want to see if I'm crazy to do so or not.

My reason for wanting a y33 is as follows
-they can look very good
-I need something all weather capable (works well in snow)
-I need something more practical/reliable
-I want to make it vip

I currently drive a 30 year old porsche 924 (yes, it's my daily) and it does not fit any of the above criteria.

What I'm looking for is:
-4.1L v8
-under 100 k km
-black leather interior
-minimum auction grade 4

What I need to know is:
-how reliable are they?
-how hard are they to work on? (accessibility, availability of parts)
-cost of ownership over a year?

How reliable are they:
From most what I've read, the VH41de is pretty well bullet proof, more so in the jdm version than the usdm. Is that true? And how are the transmissions for reliability?
And the biggest problem with luxury cars, the electrics. I would hope they are better than that of a bmw or anything british, but do they generally last long?

How hard are they to work on:
I consider myself to be somewhat mechanically inclined having repaired any and all mechanical issues that have arisen with my Porsche.
As for parts, how easy are they to find/order? I understand that being a jdm car, they will be harder to come by. But are parts still available from the dealership if necessary?
And for modification, are there air suspension kits availible for it?

Cost of ownership:
Insurance I have already checked into, and it costs double what my Porsche does, and fuel millage is about the same as what I get right now (~7L /100 km (20mpg)?) With those factors aside, what does regular maintenance cost? And how much do parts cost?

How fast are they? I'm not expecting gtr performance, but what would they be comparable to?

My goal is to turn it into a vip cruiser car, that can be driven all year long. (hence me wanting to put it on bags rather than coils)

[BadQ45t]

Where are you based, in Japan, US???

Start off with that. So as for snow, this car would be about the worst choice for a snow car. Big, heavy and rear drive, my Q has never seen snow nor will it.

Performance is decent, I still love the way my V8 revs up and the car does feel zippy, but that said a good V6 Altima could give me a good run for money and probably 0-60 is faster.

Reliability, the motor is very solid. The run and run, transmission is also solid provided that the owner did at least a few fluid changes.

Parts are hard to find and not cheap. There are few aftermarket alternatives for most of the car, suspension for example is just a few choices past OEM which are coil overs which are spendy and make the car into a race car.

VIP-wise and luxury wise this is a good choice, as cheap as they are if you can find one owned by 1 owner or just 2 and garaged with a fistful of receipts then this could be a great place to start.

http://s1089.photobucket.com/user/badq4 ... 3.jpg.html


I have lowered mine with coilovers, makes it handle like a go-cart but the ride is rougher. M45 2006 Sport 19" Wheels with 22mm spacers, Michelin Pilot Sports 245/40 19 YR tires and fresh rubber all around. At 108k I have the original motor never touched and transmission also never touched. If I drive it another 15-20 I will probably have to thrown down on coil packs, Knock Sensors and probably value cover gaskets. I will probably move on in 2 years.

So there you go, are you in US or Japan. Either way there are not many of these in great shape but you might get lucky and find one.

[captainkratz]

I'm from Canada, and I have been looking through the Japanese car auctions. There are a few of these every month with under 80k kms for between 600 and 1800$ (looking at sold car records) at auction grade 4 (very good condition, 5 is brand new). So that's about $7-8k cdn by the time I have it in my driveway.

[BadQ45t]

Ah, Canada. You think you can get a Japanese JDM into Canada? I would try to find a US model.

But these are not speed demons, but they are great.

[captainkratz]

Ah, Canada. You think you can get a Japanese JDM into Canada? I would try to find a US model.

But these are not speed demons, but they are great.

In deed I can get them into Canada. Our only law is that they are 15 years old. There are a couple in my city already. I believe first year f50s are legal right now.
Also I've read that the jdm versions have slightly more power than the usdm ones due some better engine parts, (intake, headers etc). And does anyone know an accurate power figure? It's listed as having the typical 280hp like many jdm cars.

[maxnix]

On some JDM VH41DE Nissan used the octopus plenum like the VH45DE.

But wrong side driving is just not fun nor safe.