The R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after JDM cars on the planet. From its legacy on the movie screen in the Fast and Furious franchise to its dominance on racetracks around the globe, it’s a certified legend. Of course, it’s unfortunately illegal to import one in the U.S. unless it’s a very specific list of models that appear on the Show and Display exemption list. So, while this particular car isn’t legal to import in the U.S. yet, it’s worth taking a look at because of the insane swap you’ll find inside.
This R34 GT-R V-Spec is left-hand drive
2000 Skyline GT-R V-Spec | Cars and Bids
Seeing an R34 GT-R come up for sale on Cars and Bids is a pretty rare sight, to begin with. This one, however, is extra special. It’s currently offered for sale in Canada. However, given its illegal-to-import status, U.S. buyers would have to find a place to store the vehicle until it becomes legal. In this case, it would be waiting until the year 2025. If that’s not discouraging enough, the price tag is already at $75,000 with six days left to bid. R34s are notorious for a lot of things, but being affordable is not one of them.
Of course, the real talking point is the fact that this GT-R has a left-hand drive conversion. Unlike various other vehicles from Nissan, like S-chassis cars (Silvia, 240SX, 180SX), the R34 chassis never had a left-hand drive option. Nor did any Skyline chassis (save for the current Skyline lineup, sold here as Infiniti). So, to pull off a conversion like this would require an insane amount of engineering and custom parts. There is likely some crossover between other available Nissan vehicles that have LHD counterparts. Still, digging into the fact that there’s no factory option for an LHD dashboard, steering rack, or steering column alone leads to a logistical nightmare. Evidently, though, it was one someone was willing to solve.
The LHD swapped interior | Cars and Bids
It’s hard to say exactly how this conversion will affect the value of this car. On one hand, modified vehicles often do not fetch the same value as their untouched counterparts. However, you never know if there’s some wealthy car enthusiast who would prefer to drive on the left side of the vehicle and is prepared to spend big money for it to be in an R34. This is definitely a listing worth keeping an eye on!
Aside from the LHD conversion, this car is otherwise mostly stock
2000 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec, side | Cars and Bids
Aside from the massive undertaking that comes with converting this car to left-hand drive, the previous owner(s) have not done much modification, unlike many other Skylines. The car has a Pioneer head unit with Bluetooth and Navigation. Additionally, there’s an ARC upgraded radiator and an aftermarket cold-air intake under the hood.
The last modification is something that may also ding the value a bit. This car has a Nismo gauge cluster. While the white face gauges do look super cool, this swap obscured the actual mileage of this R34. So, it’s listed with 57,000 miles (83,700km) as shown on the cluster, but the actual mileage is not disclosed.
Ultimately, it’s hard to say what this crazy R34 will sell for. However, props are due to the person or people responsible for this conversion to left-hand drive. Though it’s not exactly a desirable modification, it’s an impressive feat of fabrication, if nothing else. Soak it up while you can because you’re not likely to see another LHD Skyline any time soon!
Keyword: R34 Skyline GT-R on Cars and Bids Has A Very Interesting Swap