I bought a GTO...

[inperfectdarkness]

Originally Posted by cbehnken

There will always be an abundance of 3/s's for sale.

famous last words.

[i3igpete]

Originally Posted by inperfectdarkness

a vr4 with <25k miles is going to the car crusher....

ok. whatever. i could probably be ok with it, if we were talking about 100k on the clock...but this thing was fricking mint.

are you aware of the strict inspections they have in japan? i suggest you read about it. it is VERY different over there. there is a reason why it's so easy to get SR20/RB26/2JZaristo/etc. swaps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken_(Car_Inspection)

all bushings must be in good condition, there can be no rust on springs or struts, AWS must work properly, etc. add the fact that space is very tight and you probably can't do your own work living in a japanese apartment complex, you're forced to take it to a shop. so unless you're a car nut and want to pay out the ass for a mechanic to fix it, there's a good chance you'll probably just say "eff it" to a 15 year old car, which can cost $1000 even if it passes all tests with flying colors.

[cbehnken]

Originally Posted by inperfectdarkness

famous last words.

By the time there are no z15 or z16 chassis available there will be no one who can rebuild our transmissions, so what difference does it make?

[AudibleSilence]

Originally Posted by inperfectdarkness

a vr4 with <25k miles is going to the car crusher....

ok. whatever. i could probably be ok with it, if we were talking about 100k on the clock...but this thing was fricking mint.

you don't see mint 1991 zr1 corvettes being chopped like this and shipped to japan.

i guess nobody will really care until another 15 years or so when there AREN'T any good unibodies left for project cars. somehow...i forsee the z11 awd conversion becoming increasingly popular in the coming years.

We don't have the emissions restrictions that Japan has. It is more expensive to own an old car there than to buy a new one. The cars are exported or crushed because they are useless for their purposes... You can get an R34 for less than 30k with low low miles.

[inperfectdarkness]

Originally Posted by cbehnken

By the time there are no z15 or z16 chassis available there will be no one who can rebuild our transmissions, so what difference does it make?

UNLIKE the chassis, the transmission used in the 3/s (at least the atx's anyways) are multi-platform. they will be serviced for many, many years to come. sucks for 6-speed owners...but i'm happy with my atx.

[i3igpete]

but the automatic non turbos are worth the least, from a collector standpoint.

[Echo419]

Originally Posted by i3igpete

but the automatic non turbos are worth the least, from a collector standpoint.

I might agree. I have an SL auto FS and in 2 months I've recieved maybe 3 inquires on it here on 3SI. but I put it on craisglist and my phone won't stop ringing, but alot of people will ask if it's an auto or 5spd and when I tell them it's an auto they lose intrest almost instantly.

[inperfectdarkness]

we're not talking about "collectability". we're talking "availability". this atx tranny is widely available.

people buying a car for a dd aren't interested in how "collectable" the damn thing is. the loyal army of MTX zealots with their stickshift crammed so far up their asses that they can't even appreciate ANY atx...those are the people ruining motorsports.

you end up having to find an ATX buyer who doesn't care about shifting. someone like a female high-school senior whose parents are buying the car for her.

when i buy a vr4, the tranny is the first thing that goes up for sale...it's getting jdm atx awd.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by inperfectdarkness

we're not talking about "collectability". we're talking "availability". this atx tranny is widely available.

people buying a car for a dd aren't interested in how "collectable" the damn thing is. the loyal army of MTX zealots with their stickshift crammed so far up their asses that they can't even appreciate ANY atx...those are the people ruining motorsports.

you end up having to find an ATX buyer who doesn't care about shifting. someone like a female high-school senior whose parents are buying the car for her.

when i buy a vr4, the tranny is the first thing that goes up for sale...it's getting jdm atx awd.

You do realize how much money you will have to put into that ATX tranny in order for it to handle any sizeable amount of power?

AWD ATX trans are made for the NA engine, not a TT.

[Stealthee]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

You do realize how much money you will have to put into that ATX tranny in order for it to handle any sizeable amount of power?

AWD ATX trans are made for the NA engine, not a TT.

BINGO!!!

Also our trans are not like a turbo 350. We dont have tons of parts that are available to mod them and make them stronger.