# who fix your skylines?



## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

hi peeps. ive been thinking about this for some time. im not a professional mechanic but knows a little about fixing minor probs with cars, might be some of other member(s) here is/are same as me. im new to skylines so a bit afraid of touching the engine even replacing the air box with an induction kit! :GrowUp:

do you fix your own skylines or you have it done by a professional skyline tuners?

i have a mate who is a specialist in tuning evos and imprezas but he doesnt handle skylines much. im now wondering if skylines are like any other performance cars (especially japcars) that can be tuned by a non-skyline specialist or ONLY skyline specialist can do it?

the nearest skyline specialist to me is about 2hrs drive so its a bit of a pain to me going there specially now im starting to up my horses.

sorry for asking this, but just wana know how people here do it. many thanks for your inputs in advance.


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## Boosted (Jun 5, 2008)

If you can work on a Fiesta you can work on a Skyline. Turbo or NA, all the engines are the same. Forced induction has a few extra bits though. They all have cranks, rods, pistons, and so on, and they all do the same job. Some better than others. Don't be afraid to work on your car, get a manual and you'll be surprised at how much you can actually do *yourself*. Having a garage full of the right tools helps though, and if you have a ramp, then Bob's your dad's brother :thumbsup:


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## Marky_GTSt (Dec 31, 2005)

Im a qualified mechanic with years of on the job experience, and completely agree with everything Boosted says there..

Just take your time, be carefull, dont be afraid to ask if your not sure 

Im a computer programmer now, but I still tinker


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

thanks for the input. im actually planning to replace turbos now for more horses obviously. ive read some threads here about having their skylines fixed and rebuilt by a motorsport garage but then didnt work well. ill try my best fixing minor things, thanks for your encouraging words bro.

but do you mean any tuner can tune a skyline?


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## Austrian GTR (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm doing all work on my GTR myself. Got plenty of experience over the years and whilst building my DC2. As Boosted said, a Skyline is just a car like any other to work on 

The mapping work is done by my mapper as he's got plenty of experience in programming Haltech ECU's. But I'm currently learning from him and I'm sure one day I'll do my mapping too 

And I think yes, any tuner can tune a Skyline as long as he'll prepare himself well enough to know all the things you have to think about and take care off when it's about tuning this car.


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## Boosted (Jun 5, 2008)

nightcrawler said:


> thanks for the input. im actually planning got replace turbos now for more horses obviously. ive read some threads here about having their skylines fixed and rebuilt by a motorsport garage but then didnt work well. ill try my best fixing minor things, thanks for your encouraging words bro.
> 
> but do you mean any tuner can tune a skyline?



Motorsport garages are like any other garages, there are good ones and bad ones.

By tuner, do you mean the guy doing the engine building with tuning parts or the guy doing the actual mapping? 

Some mechanics/tuners can do both, and some are great engine builders but they leave the mapping to a guy they trust.

I can build an engine to the same spec as any car listed on this site, but I'd never consider myself a tuner. I call that parts fitting, and that's what mechanics do. There is a world of difference between a mechanic and a *proper* tuner. Tuners have to do far more studying to become *qualified*, than we do going through our city & guilds to become mechanics. Like Marky, I don't do it for a living.


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

thanks guys. really appreciate it.



Boosted said:


> Motorsport garages are like any other garages, there are good ones and bad ones.
> 
> By tuner, do you mean the guy doing the engine building with tuning parts or the guy doing the actual mapping?
> 
> ...



i got your point. yes, i mean a tuner who can remap ecu.

my mate is indeed a very good mechanic and a tuner as well. he does remapping on imprezas and evos. i just think, that skylines might have a special screws, bolts, bleeding valves, etc. etc. that a evos and imprezas or any other japcars might do not have. thats why im a bit cautious on having it rebuilt, upgraded and remapped by a non-skyline specialist.


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## Boosted (Jun 5, 2008)

It's up to you if you want to go to a specialist, but any good mechanic can rebuild a GTR motor, same as any other motor. It sounds like your mate is more than capable


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## RadoGTST (Jul 5, 2010)

I had all my work done by Abbey, some small bits like induction kit, new exhaust I fitted myself


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

Boosted said:


> x x x x x It sounds like your mate is more than capable



yes i do believe he can. just had doubt when i had my suspension checked when one of the bushes (or whatever you call that) has an oil leak, he said somebody nasty put oil on it :chairshot lol was really funny. he was just probably tired, or in a hurry, or whatsoever thats why he didnt bother to check properly. bless him! :bowdown1:


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## speedr33per (Apr 19, 2007)

nightcrawler said:


> yes i do believe he can. just had doubt when i had my suspension checked when one of the bushes (or whatever you call that) has an oil leak, he said somebody nasty put oil on it :chairshot lol was really funny. he was just probably tired, or in a hurry, or whatsoever thats why he didnt bother to check properly. bless him! :bowdown1:


suspension bushes on skylines have a form of oil/grease in them and once perished they do seem to leak oil mate so dont worry about that lol

im a mechanic and work on my own and a lot of the scottish members cars skylines or otherwise and any garage can work on a skyline as its just another car but there are some that have not got a clue about cars whatsoever but you can weed them out mate


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## blitzman (Mar 14, 2006)

I'm not a pro mechanic by any means but working on the car is not magic.
You just need time to gain experience,
take advice from those with more experience than you.
I'm up for learning new tricks like mapping etc.
Some people think it's some kind of special art to spend money on and feel proud to have a Guru "Tuner" work on their car and boast about it.
Surely it's better to do it your self?
Why boast that you don't understand tuning but you have the money to have some herbert bugger about with your pride and joy?
I don't get it.:flame:


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

speedr33per said:


> suspension bushes on skylines have a form of oil/grease in them and once perished they do seem to leak oil mate so dont worry about that lol
> 
> im a mechanic and work on my own and a lot of the scottish members cars skylines or otherwise and any garage can work on a skyline as its just another car but there are some that have not got a clue about cars whatsoever but you can weed them out mate



thanks buddy. for 5yrs, ive dreamt, looked, turned my head everytime i see skylines, and now ive got one for myself, not only a skyline but a GTR. owning it for 5months is absolutely astounding, extremely, exquisite, magnificent car! im just being careful on my pride and joy. now that it has to be serviced or maintained at some point, im thinking how can i do it in a practical and sensible way. there are tuners and motorsport garages here but the nearest skyline specialist to me is miles miles away. now i believe my pro tuner/good mechanic can do my rebuild and of course i will start fixing minor things for my car :clap::clap: (pardon to be sound like an 8yr old boy).

thanks


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## WillRobDon (Jul 29, 2006)

It says you're in Hampshire so how can a specialist be 2hrs away from you?


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

willrobdon said:


> It says you're in Hampshire so how can a specialist be 2hrs away from you?


i live near bournemoouth buds. i think nearest is risingsun which is approx 1.5hrs away from me. correct me if im wrong


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## WillRobDon (Jul 29, 2006)

Not even close mate. It takes me 2hrs from Taunton to get to Rising Sun. For you it shouldn't be more than an hour I wouldn't have thought? Maybe 2hrs up to Abbey. 

For the thread though, for me I try and do as much stuff as is humanly possible to do on the car myself. The car probably sees a specialist bi-annually if it's lucky!!! There's plenty of info here to get you started on whatever you need.


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## tarmac terror (Jul 16, 2003)

Well, at least I WAS a pro mechanic back in the day, now an Air Traffic Contoller but still get my hands dirty!!. I'd still leave the mapping to the experts though. I doubt if theres very many mechanics who would feel comfy doing that themselves. Obviously I know the theory behind it but its all in the practice IMHO.
Always said I would LOVE to have kept a record of all the jobs I've done myself. Then applied an average hourly rate to it so I could see just how much money I've saved over the years. Must be a pretty penny!! When you consider some folks go to a garage for the slightest thing, its no wonder owning costs mount up when you dont have the knowledge/skill/confidence to do your owen work.

TT


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

I try to get jobs done where I have the tools and facilities to do so. I don't have a lift so jobs like the transfer case etc are a real bugger for me. It's no different than a piece of ikea furniture, but a really intricate piece !


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## ShaggyR32GTR (Feb 29, 2008)

Hi Ron hope yr good?
I agree with most the replys, there is alot of stuff that can be done yourself so its deffo worth a go. As for the mapping side of things i'd stick with someone who knows a skyline inside out. There are a few good ones about but will involve travelling.
If theres anything u want a hand with pop over my lil workshop an say hi. Oh the cars all good at mo so pop round for that ride before i strip her down for a refresh over winter lol


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

thanks for the feeds guys. will do fixin it myself as possible as i can. i know cars are only man-made so any man with confidence can fix it with help of tools.



ShaggyR32GTR said:


> Hi Ron hope yr good?
> I agree with most the replys, there is alot of stuff that can be done yourself so its deffo worth a go. As for the mapping side of things i'd stick with someone who knows a skyline inside out. There are a few good ones about but will involve travelling.
> If theres anything u want a hand with pop over my lil workshop an say hi. Oh the cars all good at mo so pop round for that ride before i strip her down for a refresh over winter lol


hi nice to hear from you bud. good to hear about your car. havent seen you for a while. i know you were busy, and for that reason i didnt bother you. yes i will pop in sometime if needs help, thank you very much. my upgrades will soon start and very excited, so might be lots of askin questions, ideas, do's and dont's. will ring you sometime for a pint


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## mr mugen (Jan 11, 2007)

i'm a mechanic myself so would tackle all jobs,


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## rb26 (Aug 29, 2004)

I am just a happy hobby mechanic and try to do as mutch as i can myself.
For bigger jobs, and when i am stuck i use a good mate who has been a Datsun/Nissan mechanic for over 25years.


Terje.


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## AlexH (Aug 17, 2008)

i have been a mechanic for 18 years and i do most of the repairs to my GTR, however when it comes to the mapping and such i take mine to MGT racing.
i suppose it all depends on what needs doing, if it is just a simple job, brakes, service or suspension i will do it but if it is a engine repair job or a rebuild gearbox id rather have mark do it for one reason only, he has all the spares and specialist tools and equipment, not to mention years of experiance with skylines


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

AlexH said:


> i have been a mechanic for 18 years and i do most of the repairs to my GTR, however when it comes to the mapping and such i take mine to MGT racing.
> i suppose it all depends on what needs doing, if it is just a simple job, brakes, service or suspension i will do it but if it is a engine repair job or a rebuild gearbox id rather have mark do it for one reason only, he has all the spares and specialist tools and equipment, not to mention years of experiance with skylines


+1 here. u travelled 365miles just to get to MGT. that makes me feel lazy to drive and not loving my skyline as MGT is only 2 to 2.5hrs drive from me :chairshot

off topic, hows your MGT rebuilt car now. what power u running with those turbos? what turbos u running? very nice car indeed


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## AlexH (Aug 17, 2008)

nightcrawler said:


> +1 here. u travelled 365miles just to get to MGT. that makes me feel lazy to drive and not loving my skyline as MGT is only 2 to 2.5hrs drive from me :chairshot
> 
> off topic, hows your MGT rebuilt car now. what power u running with those turbos? what turbos u running? very nice car indeed


it's a beast now lad, i still dont have it back yet as im having troubles at home so getting away for the weekend is a bit tough, but mark has told me it flies, it has a gt4094r tubby and some headwork with cams and not to forget one of MGT's special bottom ends
im still not sure about power as mark is teasing me, he has told me it made 500hp at 6000 rpm, so i dont know what it will make, he said ill findout after i drive it.
flamin southern shandy drinkin bam...................

i will be updating the build thread when i get it back though

soz, now back to topic


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## Boosted (Jun 5, 2008)

AlexH said:


> it's a beast now lad, i still dont have it back yet as im having troubles at home so getting away for the weekend is a bit tough, but mark has told me it flies, it has a gt4094r tubby and some headwork with cams and not to forget one of MGT's special bottom ends
> im still not sure about power as mark is teasing me, he has told me it made 500hp at 6000 rpm, so i dont know what it will make, he said ill findout after i drive it.
> flamin southern shandy drinkin bam...................
> 
> ...





I've got a few days spare so I'll collect it for you if you like?







:chuckle:


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## malcs-skyline (Oct 1, 2010)

i fix mine as im a mechanic buy trade and work for my dads business in swindon


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## AlexH (Aug 17, 2008)

malcs-skyline said:


> i fix mine as im a mechanic buy trade and work for my dads business in swindon


yes, but would you feel comftable fitting a single turbo or rebuilding the engine?


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## malcs-skyline (Oct 1, 2010)

yes im in the process of fitting the main bearings and big ends so i guess thats answererd your question as i say im a qualifyed mechanic


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## AlexH (Aug 17, 2008)

im not disputing your skills lad, im mearly asking if you would feel comfy MODIFYING the motor?
remember once you strap on big turbo's, injectors etc it will need mapping, do you know how to mapp?
also do you have the equipment to do the job?

most dont, i know i dont and as i have already said ive been a mechanic for 18 years now too
i wouldent feel comfy doing it, would you?
or
would you have someone who knows what they are doing mapp it?


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## stevegt1 (Nov 30, 2009)

I fix/maintain & modify my cars with the help of a good friend & my dad if i need it. Ive been to collage & got the papers, worked at acouple of backstreet garages so i have i believe some no how on how cars tick. I will never take my skyline to a specialist. For one they other charge or should i say bend you over lol.

I reasontally perchased a gtr32 witch came with invoices that added up to over agrand.

A £1500 to be exact, one invoice was for an oil change including oil filter, secondhand aftermarket down pipe & a boost controller fitted. For this reason i will not be using skyline specialists.


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## malcs-skyline (Oct 1, 2010)

yes i would get an expert mapper to map my cars


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## AlexH (Aug 17, 2008)

i had done just the same as you lad, took it to a so-called mapper (ex F1 tech of many years) and from what i got back from him was just rediculouse. honestly it was!!!
there was no injector delays table filled in, the ignition timing was set at 36 deg btdc, the car didnt even last 100 miles before it deted it's self and ruined a full set of rods and pistons, not to mention scrapping the crank in the process.

please be carefull if you use some mappers, thats why i took mine to MGT, they are very far away so i just had them do the lot. besides i needed a indipendant report as i am sueing the previouse mapper for damages

there are some seriouse cowboys out there, please be carefull

Alex


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## souroull (Jul 21, 2008)

started working on my own cars a few years back. its quite easy if you know how things work

what i found the hard way is... you need decent tools or else things get exponentially harder :chairshot


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## rob wild (Jul 30, 2007)

After years working on my own Supra, I've taken to working on the Skyline quite well. I've just had to strip it down to change the turbo kit and jun intake and all seems to be well.

For anything major I would take it down to RB motorsport that are only 5 mins from me and they are brilliant!


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## JonR32GTR (Jan 10, 2007)

I have 10years expierence as a mechanic so I do everything myself execpt painting!


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## mr mugen (Jan 11, 2007)

ya mapping and painting are a big no no for me, my 34 is going back to the uk for all mapping


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## Asphalt Jet (Oct 20, 2008)

I do my own wrenching, if I don't know how to do something I learn while I do it. No sense in having some else fix your car even if you can afford it, unless of course your a Guitar Hero, or a Surgeon. Doing your own wrenching is half the fun wouldn't you think? Drive it hard, break it, fix it, then repeat. Whats the use of knowing everything about the car and not being able to fix it yourself, get dirty


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## steve3961 (Aug 9, 2010)

Im lucky to live about 15miles from RSP 

Thats where my car is no lol.


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## kannibal (Oct 1, 2010)

I do everything myself, except mapping.

I have no choice, I'm maniac :chuckle:


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## shh! (Nov 9, 2008)

i do most repairs/ servicing myself, but got 4 good choices close to me, RSP 20miles, GTart 15miles, plus Abbey an hours drive or SPA(Andy) an hours drive from me.


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## Kadir (Mar 23, 2008)

No one.


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## [PIMPIN] (Aug 5, 2007)

I voted "no, i have it fixed and tuned by a pro skyline specialist" but when I got my first Skyline, I did all the basic servicing and minor things from faulty coilpacks to installing headunits with some help from my mates. Those days I had all the time in the world but not enough money (Uni days LOL). Nowadays, I hardly have any free time sometimes I send car back and forth for servicing/repairs on flat bed. In fact, my workshop even sends someone to my house to change flat tires. Makes me miss being a student


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

so even a non-experience-skyline mechanic can do the job, e.g. changing turbos?


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

nightcrawler said:


> so even a non-experience-skyline mechanic can do the job, e.g. changing turbos?


can't see why not.


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## Bennyboy1984 (Jul 26, 2009)

I leave mine in the hands of Abbey. Plus it looks better if i wanted to sell the car too.


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## ShaggyR32GTR (Feb 29, 2008)

Ron i'll pop round and help fit yr turbos if u want dude? its pretty straight forward man, you'll just have to find someone u want for the mapping side of things. I can point you in the right direction for that as well


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## nightcrawler (May 7, 2010)

ShaggyR32GTR said:


> Ron i'll pop round and help fit yr turbos if u want dude? its pretty straight forward man, you'll just have to find someone u want for the mapping side of things. I can point you in the right direction for that as well


thanks man! very nice offer! will speak to you personally! :bowdown1:


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## rasored (Apr 5, 2009)

I fix my own inc. rebuilds , I am not a pro mechanic but have been messing with engines since i was 11yrs old .
These engines are simple but if you get it wrong !!!

finding the fault is the hard part !

fitting an induction kit MADE FOR YOUR CAR !! is simple - fitting an aftermarket universal kit a bit more difficult !

1/8 socket set is preferable to 3/4 !!!

adapters and brackets available on ebay ( MAF and cone filter fixings )


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## hudders (Dec 6, 2011)

I take my GTR to RK Tuning for the big jobs like clutch replacement etc.

Remapping i go to Redline.

I'll have a go at little jobs though. Just replaced my heater matrix. Wasn't really confident about doing it but i had a go. Found a 'How To' guide on Skyline Owners forum.
Had a big cheesy grin when i fired her up and the cab actually started to warm up !!


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