RB vs. Motorex and the future?

First thanks to everyone for all the info from the FAQ and multiple posts. Kudos to RazorGTR for cleaning all the useful information of the random banter. I understand the difficulty of managing a bunch of people who are more or less finding out that their dream car is going to be a hell of alot harder to obtain than they thought.

As I sit here looking through car ads (my first project is going to most likely be a 71 Cadillac, sorta like a contrast to the import scene ;) ), I think about how things will fare in the future for getting an R32 or R33 or R34.

From my understanding, RB Motorsports (Sean?) will soon be in the business of legalizing Skylines. Is it right to think that they will be directly competing with Motorex? How will this effect legalization prices (which I understand costs alot for Motorex, but competition would cause the pinching of every penny).

And as common as Skyline's are in Japan, will we be seeing collectors prices here? I guess if an R34 GTR in 10 years will be costing $200k USD, I can forget about the idea now. But I'll still remain a fan of this great vehicle.

I guess more or less I just wanted to get a clear understanding for when this topic gets brought up in my conversations with friends, just as I want to be knowledgeable about alot of cars.

If this post goes too far into violating the "no more importing topics" rule, my apologies and feel free to remove it/ban me. But I would still like to thank everyone that has contributed to this forum for all the info.

-Cyphatic

i think that RB Motorsports might have a little bit better pricing, but i dont know what motorex will do, because they WILL be in direct competition with RB. This will more than likley bring down legalization costs greatly, seeing as each company will want to attract more customers. Maybe one day in the future the cost of legalization will be closer to the price of the actual car, then an absurd amount of money.

Maybe one day in the future the cost of legalization will be closer to the price of the actual car, then an absurd amount of money.

The prices won't be that close to the price of the car. Motorex and RB Motoring(if they begin legalizing Skylines) will still have to pay for the different materials used, such as glass, bumper reinforcement parts, etc. Then the people who do install the parts need to be paid. The guys that run the business need their money, too. Finally, the companies will need to sell the car so that they can make a profit. They aren't charities, you know. :rolleyes:

If RB Motoring does start legalizing cars, they'll be competing with Motorex. There's no denying that. However, these companies won't run themselves into the ground because of a price war. In fact, the prices may not change all that much, depending on how much profit each company wants.

The prices won't be that close to the price of the car. Motorex and RB Motoring(if they begin legalizing Skylines) will still have to pay for the different materials used, such as glass, bumper reinforcement parts, etc. Then the people who do install the parts need to be paid. The guys that run the business need their money, too. Finally, the companies will need to sell the car so that they can make a profit. They aren't charities, you know. :rolleyes:

If RB Motoring does start legalizing cars, they'll be competing with Motorex. There's no denying that. However, these companies won't run themselves into the ground because of a price war. In fact, the prices may not change all that much, depending on how much profit each company wants.

Very well siad.

I would think along those same lines.

what i ment by closer to the price of the car was that the price of the cars might be in a more reasonable 30-40k range for r33s and 50-60k r34s instead of 80k. you can buy an r34 in japan for around 10-12k US and then perhaps the price of legalization wont be 25k....maybe a more reasonable 15-20k

what i ment by closer to the price of the car was that the price of the cars might be in a more reasonable 30-40k range for r33s and 50-60k r34s instead of 80k. you can buy an r34 in japan for around 10-12k US and then perhaps the price of legalization wont be 25k....maybe a more reasonable 15-20k

That's what I'm referring to as well. Barring a price war between the two companies, the only other way prices might go down is due to depreciation. Eventually the cars would decrease in value, Motorex and RB Motoring would be spending less to buy them, and in theory, could pass those savings on to the customers.

Where on Earth can you buy an R34 GT-R for $10-12k USD?? That's some horrible depreciation right there, considering they were about $50k new.

The cost of legalization probably won't go down either, because the materials will likely cost the same. Motorex and RB Motoring will probably still be paying the same for materials, paying their workers and themselves the same salary, if not more, and will still need to make a profit.

From my perspective, it seems like you're saying that prices should be going down, but don't know or understand why there would or wouldn't be a change in price.

if there is competition between RB and Motorex, they will most likley drop the prices a bit at first to attract more customers, thats how the ethics of marketing happens. once the cars decrease in value, the savings more than likley will be passed on to the customer. if there are more people purchasing skylines, then the RIs can purchase the materials required in bulk which would be cheaper for them. anyways....i was looking at japanese websites for used skylines and you can get a NICE 98-2000 skyline for around 1,500,000 JPY which exchanges into around 13.5k USD.

if there is competition between RB and Motorex, they will most likley drop the prices a bit at first to attract more customers, thats how the ethics of marketing happens. once the cars decrease in value, the savings more than likley will be passed on to the customer. if there are more people purchasing skylines, then the RIs can purchase the materials required in bulk which would be cheaper for them. anyways....i was looking at japanese websites for used skylines and you can get a NICE 98-2000 skyline for around 1,500,000 JPY which exchanges into around 13.5k USD.

It will not work that way.

if there is competition between RB and Motorex, they will most likley drop the prices a bit at first to attract more customers

There you have it. The prices may drop 'a bit.' It's highly improbable that they would drop to the figures you mentioned earlier.

thats how the ethics of marketing happens.

I'm a marketing graduate, and let me tell you: There are no ethics in marketing. People are ignorant/foolish enough to buy almost anything, and there will be marketers around to take advantage of these gullible ones. Ever hear of the pet rock? :lol: Maybe you meant principles of marketing.

once the cars decrease in value, the savings more than likley will be passed on to the customer.

It's a possibility that there will be some savings due to depreciation, but then again, I already said that before. The rate of depreciation on Skylines would need to be looked into. If they hold their value pretty well, forget about it. It would take too long for the value to go down much.

if there are more people purchasing skylines, then the RIs can purchase the materials required in bulk which would be cheaper for them.

Motorex is probably buying the conversion materials in bulk as it is. There's no logic in buying a set of the materials for only one car at a time, especially since they probably buy their Skylines 'in bulk' as well, getting a few in each shipment. If RB Motoring becomes certified to do legalization, they will probably do the same thing. Basically, there probably aren't any real savings to be found.

VQuick,

Yep. :iceslolan

let my just save my ass and say you guys are correct. maybe im just fooling myself, thinking it will be cheaper in 10-15 years. you guys know tons, and most of the stuff i learned about skylines i learned form you guys (and razorgtr). anyways...gooday.

I didn't know you were talking about that far down the road. I was thinking you meant short term, as in 2-3 years. :icon16:

Well in 10-15 years, the Skylines will be much cheaper...but primarily because of depreciation. In fact, that may be the only reason. :iceslolan

The parts used in legalization probably won't change in price. There's very little reason for them to.

I myself am thinking 5-10 years. I wouldn't really want to own an R34 GTR right now... Too hot a commodity, they get stolen alot.. and I wouldn't surprised getting Keyed by some random jealous ricer..

In 5 years the trends will have moved on, the ricers will have grown up, or discovered that life isn't like 2F2F.. And since Motorex/RB Motoring only do the Skyline's as a side business, they'll probably still be around and doing it for cheaper.

The other nice thing is there's enough Skylines in Japan, a place where you can't drive fast, don't have alot of distance to travel, etc, that in five years we might still be able to get them with under 100k miles, maybe under 75k..

Even looking further, there's a slight chance that regulation changes might require less modifications to make Skyline's street legal, though they'll probably change for the more restrictive/expensive =/

So either way, unless I win the lottery, I'll keep it all a future dream. As for the present I'm still deciding if I'm going to restore and old caddy or get a mid-nineties car (300zx, 3000gt, camaro, etc)

Thanks to all that have contributed to this forum, not to mention my thread. This has pretty much wrapped up everything I wanted to know about Skylines. ^^

I'll keep an eye open on this forum,

-Cyphatic

im not THAT stupid. you wont see a significant price drop in at least (and this is a very on the line number) 5-10 years.....wed be lucky to see that. let alone over night. its just stupid to think prices will drop like crazy all of a sudden because of a new competitor.

im not THAT stupid. you wont see a significant price drop in at least (and this is a very on the line number) 5-10 years.....wed be lucky to see that. let alone over night. its just stupid to think prices will drop like crazy all of a sudden because of a new competitor.

Your the kid that said you can put a R33 body on an R32 Chassis.

It was never mentioned 10 years down the road, it was implied that these were current prices, that is what we were talking about.

I don't think the price is going to change much at all....and here's why.

Overhead costs are a bitch (although it appears both companies have other main business).

Neither company is going to bring in junk. The EPA testing is expensive...nobody wants to go through that process to get a beat-down old car.....I don't care what anyone says. The truth is, the good cars (20,000 miles or less) are not dropping in price. If anything they are holding their value, and in quite a few cases increasing in value. Japan finally found their collector (remember their attempt with the 240Z's...or was it the 260z's?)

Third, RB doesn't need to sell at a lower price...they will outsell Motorex on one simple concept.....service. Although that might change....already my service from Mx has doubled.....and seems to be getting a little better every day. We'll see how I feel when my car is actually delivered......

Your the kid that said you can put a R33 body on an R32 Chassis.

i asked if you could, i never said you could. plus...someone told me that you could put an r33 front bumper (any model except the GTR) on a r32 GTR.

The only way prices will go down are if someone besides Motorex imports, legalizes, and sells Skylines. Maybe RB motoring will do it, but we have yet to see. The reason that you can't have just any RI make your Skyline legal is because the data is "classified" by Motorex.

What I'm trying to say is that the reason prices are so high is because Motorex had to crash at least 10 or 15 Skylines into a wall to prove what they found out meets FMVSS requirements. Prices don't reflect production or material costs, because the money that it takes to actually convert a Skyline is pocket change compared to what they blew in R&D. Read the list of what they actually have to change...some very specific welding, seatbelts, buzzers..etc. The modifications necessary to be compliant are not really complex, just very protected and expensive. The bumper material, brake systems, and most mecanical shit is already compliant...it's the little things like seat anchorage, dash composition, and (okay not a "little thing") crash structure that are the problems.


So basically, even if you are an RI, that just means that you are lisenced to perform the mods to make it legal, it doesn't mean that you know exactly how to do it. Motorex spent alot of money finding out what needs to be done. And like the typical capitalist pigs they are, they classified their data so no one else in the fucking universe will be able to make Skylines a legal car in the US.


Besides, there is alot more money in different cars other than the Skyline, from an RI's point of view. Skylines are not that profitable because of how involved and relativley new they are to importation here. So it's going to take a true Skyline enthusiast with a shitload of money to do what Motorex did, or buy the data from them in order for all our dreams to come true. This person or people will undoubtedly share their data, or at least offer their Skylines at a much lower price so as there would be no need to share the data.

The prices won't be that close to the price of the car. Motorex and RB Motoring(if they begin legalizing Skylines) will still have to pay for the different materials used, such as glass, bumper reinforcement parts, etc. Then the people who do install the parts need to be paid. The guys that run the business need their money, too. Finally, the companies will need to sell the car so that they can make a profit. They aren't charities, you know. :rolleyes:

If RB Motoring does start legalizing cars, they'll be competing with Motorex. There's no denying that. However, these companies won't run themselves into the ground because of a price war. In fact, the prices may not change all that much, depending on how much profit each company wants.





It's just something for you think about, but skylines have been getting legalized for a long time, its just that nobody has done any research, because they know everything there is to know. Not true, but anyhow, my partner/boss and I have just in the last couple of weeks have recieved the licenses for importing and exporting. Also when a consumer buy's we will be automatically take of all of the paperwork necessary to deliver the car to the customer with as little hassle as possible and street legal. Honestly, I cannot tell you everything unless you are a customer, but all the duties, shipping and achieving DOT approval is not that expensive. I acquired a customer today responding to the report I submitted to the forum this morning. He then told me, without mentioning the name of which company it was, he was quoted for a particular r-33, @110,000.00. In turn, our capabilities, (even though we just recently started) we were able to provide that same vehicle at 79,000. after custom duties. This is enabling the company to provide the most competitive prices any of you, the consumer has ever seen. Honestly, it’s probably because the route we are taking is not out of greed. Well any questions you might have about our company, please visit our website/ www.socalraceclub.com. Also feel free to contact me at any time. Please also note that this e-mail is legit able to provide the contracts to accommodate this information.

Shannon Pierce
Import Vehicle Specialist
Southern California Race Club
(714) 234-6712

It's just something for you think about, but skylines have been getting legalized for a long time

Yes. If I remember correctly, Motorex has been importing and legalizing since about 1999 or so.

He then told me, without mentioning the name of which company it was, he was quoted for a particular r-33, @110,000.00. In turn, our capabilities, (even though we just recently started) we were able to provide that same vehicle at 79,000. after custom duties.

I'm sure I don't know much about the condition of the R33 in question, but $79k, let alone $110k, isn't that great of a price for the average R33 GT-R. Motorex-whose prices are exorbitant, according to some-has R34 GT-Rs available in that range(starting at $78k), according to their price chart. The R33s are even less, at a maximum of ~$63k for a V-Spec II. Keep in mind these cars have already been converted, as well.

By the way, what do you think of the legalization process? Has it been difficult getting your mechanic staff to perform the necessary modifications to your Skylines?