YouTuber encounters $30,000 Nissan GT-R repair nightmare, solved with a surprising $3,000 eBay upgrade
- A YouTuber bought a Nissan GT-R for $30,000
- The car was so ‘cheap’ because the gearbox was damaged
- Mat Armstrong managed solve the issue relatively cheaply
Published on Nov 11, 2024 at 10:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Nov 11, 2024 at 10:00 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A YouTuber bought a damaged Nissan GT-R for just $30,000 and ended up fixing it with an ‘upgrade’ from eBay.
Now that you’ve read the price tag, and obviously you know the car, you’re thinking there must be a catch.
There is, or rather there was.
But the YouTuber was able to work around the issue by spending $3,000 on eBay.
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The reason why this damaged Nissan GT-R ‘only’ cost $30,000
The Nissan GT-R has a very complicated transmission.
It has a dual-clutch gearbox, like many other high-performance cars, with one clutch for second, fourth and sixth gear, and another one for first, third and fifth.
The problem is whether there’s an issue with one of those gears or all six won’t make a difference.
This is because Nissan doesn’t sell individual parts, and if you need a clutch, Nissan will only sell you an entire gearbox.
Buying a full gearbox would defeat the point because it would cost more than the car itself.
Fortunately, Mat Armstrong, the YouTuber behind this purchase, was able to find a compatible gearbox on eBay for $3,000.
Fitting the gearbox and making it work wasn’t easy, but it was definitely cheaper than buying a brand-new gearbox from Nissan.
The YouTuber behind this build
Mat Armstrong, the YouTuber behind this build, runs an entire YouTube channel with a focus on rebuilding luxury cars.
He famously bought Marcus Rashford’s totaled Rolls-Royce and fixed it.
It cost him a lot of cash, but it still meant he essentially got himself a Rolls-Royce at half price.
At some point Mansory even told him they wanted the car back, but that was just because they wanted to help him fix it.
Although, to be fair, the bill they then sent him wasn’t anything to sneeze at.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
