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Chen goes through it all and evaluates the R32, and at the end he comes up with a figure that is truly staggering.
For those of you who haven’t seen it, Hagerty have a YouTube series called The Appraiser. The show's hosted by Colin Comer, a man who really knows his cars. Comer is the man they call The Appraiser in this series, and throughout the videos on the Hagerty YouTube channel, Comer checks out various automobiles to find out how much they are worth and whether they match, exceed, or disappoint the owner’s expectations. This week, famed automotive and motorsport photographer and videographer Larry Chen is in the building with his very special Nissan.
Chen is a huge gearhead and a man who has his own YouTube channel, showcasing some epic cars and the photos that he takes of them. Naturally, he has a pretty neat car of his own and this is his 1990 Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R. Chen lives and breathes automobiles and is often seen photographing race cars and is a bit of a household name, so Comer is quite excited to sink his teeth into this super clean GT-R. He goes through it all and evaluates the R32, and at the end he comes up with a figure that truly staggers Chen.
It is interesting to hear Chen’s history with the car. This was a car of course that was never meant for the US market, and the only way he could experience this car was on the Gran Turismo game and on videos and in magazines. Chen wanted a clean, unmodified R32 GT-R for himself and the only mods done to it are tasteful ones to keep it on the road and modernize it. The suspension is now upgraded, and the aftermarket wheels were also taken off and the stock wheels restored. People are actually shocked to see the stock wheels on the car.
In the engine bay it is bone stock, including with its stock airbox. Something that Chen says no one ever sees as people always modify them. Chen kept all of the original stickers, plus everything that came with the car is still with it, including the ECT card for Japanese toll roads that is in fact stuffed in the mirror, as it was when Chen got it. Chen is also incredibly happy that the car got turned into a Hot Wheels car, with his license plate on it and name on it too.
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Comer says he isn’t an expert on these cars, but fortunately Chen walked him through it to fill him in. There are one or two modifications of course, including different coilovers and a different exhaust. Comer also points out the chunks of weather strip that are missing on the windows, the car having a repaint at some point but with the glass left in. They still though did a great job, just not at Concours standard. Something that helps Chen here is that there is no rust at all on this car, especially in areas where you would really look such as on the strut mounts and frame rails.
The fact it is all stock also counts for the car, seeing as so many Skyline GT-Rs go through mods at some point in their life. Comer also points out that as this particular R32 is well known, as is its owner, it really helps to drive the value of the car up. Comer points out how California, where the car is, is a big marketplace but that it takes a lot of time to get these cars to conform with the states emission rules. It's time a lot of people don’t want to waste.
The barcode itself to say that the car is emissions compliant in California is a big win for the car’s value too. Comer steps inside the R32 and fires the engine up and we here just how glorious that car sounds. It has been very well maintained, sounds brand new and Comer says the AC works just as you would expect it too. While the seats show signs of wear, the overall condition of the interior is incredible and highlights that this is a great example of an R32 GT-R.
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Comer brings Chen back in to discuss the value of the car and what both men have decided on. Another strong point for the value of the car is that it is actually signed by the Godfather of the GT-R, and Chen has a great working relationship with Nissan. Comer spoke to a couple of friends about the value of the car, but he asks Chen what he thinks. Chen thinks that the car is worth around $55,000 USD for the car. However, with the Hot Wheels collectible, with the barcode, and since Covid, values have gone up. A friend of Comer’s bought an R32 not as nice as Chen’s and that went for $62,000. So Comer says that this R32 is actually worth $85,000. An astonishing figure that takes Chen’s breath away. Chen says it does not matter how much his car is worth though, as he will keep it forever.
Covering anything from JDM cars to classic jets. Contributed to HotCars since the Autumn of 2018. Writes features, news and list articles.