Hey, I'm in need of some help! please ;)

[Roots82]

Hey every one, :wave:
My name is Ian, i am thinking of buying a S15 very soon and have found one at Torque GT, i have read many good things from owners on this site but i still have a few reservations:

The car i am interested in has no service history? is this a normal for a Japanese import?
They are supplying the vehicle with a bitma certificate to prove the mileage but no original auction sheet, i have read before that this is something you should look out for as it has the cars grade and if it has been damaged repaired, should i worry about these things?
Also the mileage is at 69,000 miles which i no is low for the age of the car (1999) but it seems higher than most of the cars you already have

Any help or advise would be much appreciated and apologies to anyone if i am asking dumb questions!

Thanks again

Ian

 

[Pazz]

Hi :wave:

Not a dumb question.

69,000 is average I would say for a 9 year old jap car. Dont worry about it being "higher" than others on here.

Mileage is only one indicator of the condition of a car. A 80,000 mile S15 in good condition (bodywork and interior wise) is a better car in my oppinion than a 34,000 crash-repaired (and possible clocked) S15. How I see it, if a dealer/importer whether in Japan or England is willing to hide the fact it has been in an accident then they are surely willing to chip a few miles off the odo.

You are doing right though to ask for an auction sheet. This would help you search for any niggles big or small with the car that may not be obvious on first inspection. And help identify atleast some of the cars history.

 

[Roots82]

Thanks for the reply! So if the car looks nice inside and out and has been looked after then the car its self would last many more years if it has the proper attention? i have never owned a nissan before

So torque GT are a safe garage to buy from you think? i have wanted an S15 for a long time and they have the spec i am looking for! They have emailed me saying they are expecting the history soon and they might be able to email me the auction sheet sooner.

What sort of niggles should i expect with a fresh import?

Thanks for your help

 

[DeanS15]

some minor repairs may show up on the report, its just up to you if they worry you or not. a car that has had good quality repair work imo isnt bad as long as it still looks and drives right then whats the problem? besides, apparently perfect s15's are very thin on the ground and very expensive.....

i think that the auction sheet shows a top down picture of a car and has circles on the panels where there are pin dents, repairs etc. each thing circled is given a rating as to how bad it is. i've no doubt there are loads of people on here who know more about it than me so may be worth waiting for them to come along

 

[Nicely]

Even if you had a full service history, how good are you at reading Japanese? And have you got some way of verifying that its true? Don't worry about service history before it arrives in the UK. Trust in the BIMTA report, and auction sheet and a reputable importer such as Torque

If you ask for a service to be done, most niggles should be covered. If there still is something, Torque are very good about sorting them.

 

[Roots82]

Its good to hear that the guys at Torque are so good, i have been very impressed with the communication i have had with them so far! I didn't realise that japanses cars rarely came with history and i guess it slipped my mind that it i wouldn't have a clue what it said anyway haha

Thank you for all your help thou guys! i just need to convince my self that paying alot for a higher mileage car is the normal thing to do in the case of an S15!

Thanks again!

 

[LuPix_S15]

Like a few others on this forum, I bought my S15 from Torque. They are great guys as you'll see from peoples' comments - was sooo glad I went to them and the communication plus service I received was excellent

You could be lucky and find lower mileage examples but you'll definitely be paying a hefty premium - mine is currently at 68k miles. The reason S15's, even with near average mileage fetch so much from auction sales is that it's popularity with drifting continues and they are still pretty rare so that always adds value. Look at the state of import FTO's and Scoobs - prices have well dropped cos the UK is now flooded with them!!

I understand what you mean - Evo 6's I noticed recently with about the same mileage and age are sometimes cheaper than the S15's and surely the new price tag was pretty different between the two (Evo being much higher)...?! But it's all about the market and various other factors.


You won't be disappointed since there are many positives for owning a Silvia: lower insurance, reasonable MPG, reasonable running costs, tuning potential, performance from standard and the fact that it's so damn beautiful and everyone will keep asking 'what's that car you got...??'

Go on, you know you wanna!! :thumbs:


James

 

[Roots82]

I do want to! haha this is the problem at the moment i drive a 2004 civic type r so i will be jumping up in mileage and dropping 5 years in age so it kinda feels un-natural progression haha

But at the same time i will be gaining one of the best looking cars made and gaining allot more power haha! i am viewing the car this friday and i think i will know doubt fall in love with it but we'll see, thanks to all that have replied!

What sorter mileage do you guys get from a tank of petrol in these cars? i get around 240miles to a tank in the civic am i looking at getting the same or less in the silvia? what are they like to live with as a car? easy to park etc? boot space? alot of attention from racers and police? haha

Thanks again

Ian

 

[slammedmind]

hi mate, as for fuel i usually get 420-450 kms per tank of juice thats as a daily driver and a bit of dori dori . Lovely car to drive on a daily basis. What i can tell you is ive had scoobys,evos,starlets,sir civics and this is the only car that ive hung onto this long. I cant see myself selling it unless something goes wrong financially .

 

[Pazz]

Just looked at Parkers and it says Civic Type-R manages 31mpg combined. I would say a stock S15 would manage that if not better. My first ever tank (which I cant remember the mileage) managed 34mpg and had a good mix of motorway/town driving. Decat helps things

I can understand how you feel about going for an older, higher mileage car in comparison to what you drive currently. This was the one thing which very nearly swayed my decision to get something like a 350Z or basically something a bit newer. But I struggled to find an alternative which had the same fuel consumption and performance and yet was in my budget.

 

[Nicely]

Well, let's just say that my 330bhp custom mapped S15 returns consistent 27mpg figures from fairly hard driving

I hardly get any attention from the police. But then mine looks fairly stealth from the outside and doesn't have a stupidly loud 100+dB exhaust, a BGW, graphics and a fooking annoying bass beat...

 

[LuPix_S15]

Well, let's just say that my 330bhp custom mapped S15 returns consistent 27mpg figures from fairly hard driving

I hardly get any attention from the police. But then mine looks fairly stealth from the outside and doesn't have a stupidly loud 100+dB exhaust, a BGW, graphics and a fooking annoying bass beat...

true Nicely but I'm sure yours has those shiny blue-light jet washers... :rotfl: :rotfl:


IMO, the Silvia is one of the best all rounders. Think it's fair to say it's not as raw and track-ready as an EK9 or DC2 but standard suspension (mine are still pretty standard apart from Koni shocks) is good with UK roads - not too harsh and works well. You have the option to mod it how you like it as well as leaving it alone if you want a bit of comfort.

There's enough room in the back for kids or small sized adults Boot space is pretty decent for a coupe. Don't forget the enjoyment you'll get from driving a turbo car - the 350Z might sound nice but it's fat, NA (which in my books lowers the fun factor) and you see too many around!!


About the attention thing, like Nicely, I don't get anything from the coppers - they don't know what it is and it's not in your face like Liners, Scoobs and Evo's. And don't forget, the insurance will certainly be cheaper than other high-end Jap performance imports. Oh yeah, the parking thing - since it's an import, you get folding mirrors which is always a little feature that I like hehe

 

[Nicely]

true Nicely but I'm sure yours has those shiny blue-light jet washers... :rotfl: :rotfl:

My washers are standard. My fcuking expensive headlights aren't though...

 

[Roots82]

Ok so from what all you guys are saying i am pretty sold its the car for me, i have wanted one for ages anyway so i guess i will find out how it drives tomorrow and see what i think.

You say about insurance being cheap, i just got a quote and its cheaper to insure with all mods listed than my standard EP3 CTR! haha i was gob smacked!

It seems the perks of having an individual great looking car can out way the high price tag for the year and mileage! and i am guessing they are not going to depreciate as fast as other cars because they will always be in demand.

Oh does anyone know if the nismo pro spec exhaust is loud? i'm not so keen on noisy pipes and i am sure the neighbors won't be either :rotfl:

Thanks for all the advice guys! i will post up here what i think of the test drive and if i leave a deposit or not

 

[LuPix_S15]

My washers are standard. My fcuking expensive headlights aren't though...

Was only joking about them washers mate :wack:


Ian - no idea about Nismo Pro-spec zorst but if you're worried about noise levels then have a look at the HKS Silent Hi-Power. Great bit of kit which is well behaved when idling and at low revs but starts to scream and sounds boootiful when the right foot goes happy A very good compromise...

You should be able to get one for £350 to £400 (cat-back only) so suggest you budget for it if you really don't like the Nismo item. Don't forget you can try and flog the Nismo one on here or eBay should you decide to change it.

 

[Roots82]

hey guys,

i'm back from the 6 hour round trip to Torque GT and i'm so impressed, not only do torque seem to be a very professional and a friendly buisness but the cars they supply seem to be top notch.

obviously every car has its issues and this one is no exception, but with a little work i think it could be up there with the forums nicest
looks like there will be a weeks wait to have a few issues sorted so i can have another proper test drive to see the true performance of the car.

What things am i likely to need to spend out on after a purchase? i have bought 2nd hand cars before but none that are exclusively Japanese. am i looking at large amounts in the very near future, obviously everycar has individual problems but i am asking in genral terms haha,

thanks again guys, you've all been a great help!!

p.s. i wish the Japanese wouldn't smoke so much in their cars!! i just quit and the smell in the Silvia is like eating an ash tray! haha hopefully the vallet will sort this :rotfl:

 

[Roots82]

Oh also guys, how much is a 12 month tax disc for this car? i have heard it depends on the registration date and can be the highest tax band??

 

[Nicely]

It depends on HOW its registered rather than when. If Torque have registered it the 'preferred' way , you should be paying £185. If its falls into a banding, you'll get wacked £400.

 

[LuPix_S15]

Yeah mine's at the lower end of the annual Revenue robbery spree so hopefully yours will be the same...


One of things to keep on top of is servicing. I try and get mine serviced every 4k but most owners do the recommended every 6k service - don't skimp on this as keeping engine oil fresh means less bills later!!

Not teaching to suck eggs but since it's your first Jap import, you know you've got to run 97RON or higher fuel so it's always Shell V-Power, BP Ultimate, Tesco 99 etc...

Yep, a valet will help but after a few weeks the smell will prob come back a bit. I had the same although not so bad in mine - more like a musty, old jacket whiff lol :wack: Try installing a car freshner - will prob mask the smell more than anything and drive it with max airflow (both windows down) if we get a another run of nice, dry weather

 

[Roots82]

Ok thanx guys! Fingers crossed Torque will get it on the cheaper tax band as £400 is a massive amount just for road tax haha and i was planning on running it on v power as thats wht i use in the civic i have now

As for servicing i didn't realise it would be so often but this isn't a big problem, i downloaded the service sheets from this forum (Big Thanx) which will help, i do have another question thou... As the milage is around 70k and i have no idea on history, will i be needing to get a cambelt replaced? as this is aroung the normal time in other cars isn't it?

Can't wait to see the car again and take it for another test drive!

Cheers guys

Ian