Second Hand Nissan GT-R Radiator

The R35 GT-R ran from 2007 through to the end of production, and Nissan made incremental updates throughout its life, so a 2012 unit is not guaranteed to be a straight swap onto a 2009 car even though they share the same generation. Both cars use the VR38DETT engine, which is the key starting point, but ancillary brackets, cooling pipe connections, and mounting points can vary across production years. Confirm the exact compatibility with the breaker by giving them your registration or VIN before buying.

The Premium and Track Edition are trim levels of the same R35 GT-R platform, and the radiator is a mechanical component that follows the engine code rather than the trim badge, so trim level alone does not determine fitment. Both variants use the VR38DETT twin-turbo engine, meaning the core radiator specification is the same. Bear in mind that a unit pulled from a different trim car may arrive without certain brackets or clips if those differ cosmetically, so check with the breaker what ancillaries come with the part.

All road-going R35 GT-Rs sold in the UK use the VR38DETT 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6, and that engine code is the single most useful detail when sourcing a used radiator. Because the cooling system is engineered around this specific engine, the code tells a breaker far more than the year or trim level alone. Check your V5C or run a VIN check to confirm the code before approaching a breaker, as it rules out any mis-matched parts immediately.

The R35 GT-R received a notable update in 2010 and further revisions in subsequent years, and while the VR38DETT engine carried through the entire production run, cooling system components including the radiator can see changes to mounting points or pipe positions at these update points. Naming an exact boundary as a definitive cut-off for radiator interchange is something we would not want to do without your specific registration details. Give the breaker both the donor car's year and your own registration so they can cross-reference fitment before committing.

All UK-market R35 GT-Rs were fitted with the dual-clutch paddle-shift transaxle as standard, so gearbox type is not a variable you need to worry about when sourcing a radiator for this model. The cooling system is tied to the VR38DETT engine rather than the transmission, so this is one less thing to cross-check with the breaker. Confirm your engine code and model year and you have covered the main fitment bases.

Year matters for the R35 GT-R because Nissan updated the car progressively from 2007 onwards, and cooling components including the radiator may have changed in specification across those updates. Without the donor car's year or VIN, you cannot be confident the mounting points, pipe positions, or core dimensions will match your car. Ask the breaker to run the registration of the donor vehicle so you can compare it against your own VIN before purchasing.