I'm glad you weren't being malicious but the way you started your post by saying "I don't know why you guys buy these cars sight unseen" wasn't the best way to get the point across and just sounded like you're being patronizing. I'm appalled by the way this shop treated Wildtraveler myself so I posted his story on my blog to help spread the word and serve as a warning to other buyers.whitetiger777 wrote:It wasn't meant to be an attack in any way. Its more a frustration as to the problems we're all dealing with as a growing community. I was trying to suggest a course of action for future buyers since I'm sure a large number will read this thread. I do honestly believe that a large number of these importers, to increase their profits, buy the cheapest car they can and sell it to us at a jacket up rate. Now I'm not against people making a profit, but at lease bring in decent car. For the 20k to 30k we drop on these cars we could get brand new cars, so why buy one that's going to require thousands to even get it on the road
+1whitetiger777 wrote:Also as a community we need to be very vocal about the shops that sold rusty/malfunctioning cars. A lot of people will say "an importer sold me a bad car" but not list the name. Perhaps as a sticky we should have a don't buy from list. Yes it is a sellers market right now, but we still hold the power, if we don't buy then the loose a lot of money. If we exercise a little patience and self control we could better control the quality of cars coming in. Would an importer bring in a cheap rust bucket if no one will buy it?
Agree with you 200%.GSX-R35 wrote:Oh, I also should mention that you're looking for a Skyline only now in August of 2015 while Wildtraveler paid for his in August of 2014. In other words, he was looking for his car a full year before you and in a time when the cars had just started being legal for import and there was precious little info out there about where to source them and how to bring them in. You've had the benefit of more info being proliferated and more importers popping up since then (in other words - 20/20 hindsight) so I think it's unfair to criticize Wildtraveler for his purchase.
Were you able to figure out your HICAS issue or did you just get rid of it?
Wildtraveler wrote:Well, I finally got all of my hoses and intake gaskets and knock sensor and engine harness installed. There were lots of broken connectors on the old harness so that was a good buy. I will say replacing all of them dang hoses under the intake sucks. Not fun at all. The coolant lines that go behind the head were not to bad since I already had the harness removed. I highly recommend if you are taking off you plenum just freshen up everything you can while it's off because it ain't that fun. Most of it your doing with one hand with your eyes closed and praying you don't drop what ever it is in your hand at the time while for me from the front of the car all bent over hoping your knees don't go the wrong direction. I also replaced all of the gaskets to all of what ever is under there. I have no more hesitation. I am still running rich though. After warm up I am between 13.8-12.0 afr. I'm not seeing black soot out the back though. No smoke nothing while I am in boost(afr is 11.2 in boost so that's ok). I would expect to see something if I were running that rich while putting around. May just be my wide band. I guess the next step is a new batt, hicas delete or fix, fix 4wd, tune. might take me a few weeks for these new goals lol. Oh and I need to replace the rear diff seal as it leaks a tad now and then. I figure I would do the while I fix the hicas. Any way have a good...
Good stuff Wildtraveler! Nice to see you take on the adversity and go all out on your car.Wildtraveler wrote:Well, I finally got all of my hoses and intake gaskets and knock sensor and engine harness installed. There were lots of broken connectors on the old harness so that was a good buy. I will say replacing all of them dang hoses under the intake sucks. Not fun at all. The coolant lines that go behind the head were not to bad since I already had the harness removed. I highly recommend if you are taking off you plenum just freshen up everything you can while it's off because it ain't that fun. Most of it your doing with one hand with your eyes closed and praying you don't drop what ever it is in your hand at the time while for me from the front of the car all bent over hoping your knees don't go the wrong direction. I also replaced all of the gaskets to all of what ever is under there. I have no more hesitation. I am still running rich though. After warm up I am between 13.8-12.0 afr. I'm not seeing black soot out the back though. No smoke nothing while I am in boost(afr is 11.2 in boost so that's ok). I would expect to see something if I were running that rich while putting around. May just be my wide band. I guess the next step is a new batt, hicas delete or fix, fix 4wd, tune. might take me a few weeks for these new goals lol. Oh and I need to replace the rear diff seal as it leaks a tad now and then. I figure I would do the while I fix the hicas. Any way have a good...
I took off the Y pipe and welded it in a few inches past the collector at about the 1:30 position. I ran the wires accross the transmission mount to the driver side break lines and followed them up to the booster and into the wheel well where there is a handy plug to run wires threw. I shoot a pic if you wantsevenscars wrote:
Good stuff Wildtraveler! Nice to see you take on the adversity and go all out on your car.
I was curious where you mounted your wide-band sensor for the afm? Did you remove one of the narrow-band and wire it in parallel to the other sensor? Or was it mounted farther back?
Thanks!
Personally I have made up my mind to go with Nistune. But until I fix my leaky ABS unit I won't be doing anything else...Wildtraveler wrote:Ran some injector cleaner threw the fuel system and it is running where it should as far as afr goes now. Took it to cars and coffee the other weekend and on the way part of the highway was covered with rocks. Well I got some good sized scratches and new nicks in the windshield. There was a Ferrari behind us that cracked his windshield so I got lucky. Really hate the new scars though. The front was really clean too. Stripped and repainted my wipers because someone brushed on something at some point and it looked like crap. Still waiting on tuning. Can't figure what I want to tune with. To many options and opinions out there.
okay I need to make sure not to drive in front of you.Wildtraveler wrote:I don't like brakes and brakes don't like me. We have agreed to just not talk about it until it is absolutely necessary. I am going to need new rear discs for sure. I don't think they have ever been changed. The groves in them are absolutely astonishing. They have to be at least 1/8 inch thinner than new. I'll take a pic once I find new ones? Have you considered deleting the ABS? It may be easier and cheaper. Plus it will free up some room on the passenger side. I've thought about it a few times then realize I hate brakes so ... Yeah
Here is picture of my wife's 90 GT-R with abs delete. It actually stops well with this set-up.M35Squirrel wrote:okay I need to make sure not to drive in front of you.Wildtraveler wrote:I don't like brakes and brakes don't like me. We have agreed to just not talk about it until it is absolutely necessary. I am going to need new rear discs for sure. I don't think they have ever been changed. The groves in them are absolutely astonishing. They have to be at least 1/8 inch thinner than new. I'll take a pic once I find new ones? Have you considered deleting the ABS? It may be easier and cheaper. Plus it will free up some room on the passenger side. I've thought about it a few times then realize I hate brakes so ... Yeah
Actually deleting ABS is really simple and easy and doesn't cost much (only need a coupler and a tee for the brake lines). I am trying to keep everything as OEM as possible, and right now I am experimenting with the ABS unit came off a Z32.
Did you keep GTR's master cylinder or did you swap it with one from a non-ABS chassis?sevenscars wrote:Here is picture of my wife's 90 GT-R with abs delete. It actually stops well with this set-up.
I have not posted them. I will take a look when I get home and see what I can find. I have not tuned yet and there seems to be more lag than I would like. I'm hopping it will get better when I get around to tuning it.nismo1118 wrote:Did you post the new part number of your turbos? I didn't see it and am interested if the change reduced the response of the -5.
Interesting info on your car running better straight off 93. Your car really has come a long way knowing the state it was when you received it.Wildtraveler wrote:Yeah it's doing great. Now that all the little kinks are gone. I did notice that running on 93 the AFR is where it should be. When I mix 3 gallons of 110 to 14 gallon 93 is runs richer and seem to not perform well. If I stay just using 93 it's smoother and I get better gas mileage.