Hi all (my first post),

 

I'm shortly hoping to purchase a 300zx. I want a Twin Turbo auto and it's going to be an early model (probably imported).

Are there any specifics I should look for/be wary of? I intend taking out a 12-24 month warranty (to cover turbo as well). Does anyone have any info on warranties to avoid (don't want any PITA "don't cover that" conversations with insurance agents!).

Seems most of the imports are cloth, I'm waiting on some info for recovering the coachwork in leather but it doesn't seem to be materialising, anyone else have any contacts?

 

Enuff questions already,

Cheers.

 

Warrentees ?!!?! Dont get me started.

 

I had a warrentee but i wont mention the name in case of a legal action... Centurion Direct Ooops, that just slipped out.

 

In shot dont get one, Save the money that you would have spent on it and put it in the repairs kitty. Get a service manual and learn as much about the car as possible, its the only way to get by with a supercar on a limited budget.

 

 

The only decent warrentee companies in the country will not cover ageing imported supercars period. They are just too much of a liability im afraid.

 

Things to avoid when gettin an imported Z are : (short quick list)

 

Smoking Exhausts, at start and after driving then left to idle. Generally Black smoke = Knackered Turbo, White smoke is ok for short periods, long periods could be trouble. Blue smoke = run a mile.

 

Steering wheel shake at up to and over 80MPH could mean trouble with the HICAS system or a number of other suspension components.

 

Gear box problems, Beware of 1990 Autoboxes, Over heating problems, and nosiy bearings in manuals.

 

Vibrations while driving thu the floor of the car is drivesaft problem.

 

Noisey Whistling Turbos.(if stock)

 

Cars over 80K will need money spent no questions.

 

Cars over 60K with no service history and no CAM belt change by the dealer.

 

Nosiey Lifters or injectors.

 

Hesitation under accleration.

 

Get compression test and ECU Diags done

 

Take for lengthly test drice upto 100MPH if possible. Dont take shit from the dealer on this !

 

Dont buy from an Auction unless you really can take the risk.

 

There are probably a few other things that i forget to mention.

You will have a few problems with an old import car, some you can live with and get repaired for cheap others will be a nightmare and mean your car being of the road for weeks and at a large cost to you.

 

Shop around and good luck

 

Z ya

 

Nico91TT

 

 

 

What's wrong with buying from an Auction? I bought mine from an auction place at FerryHill Newton Acliffe and it runs like a dream - not a scratch on it. Having the cambelt changed today actually, just to be safe - oh and one of those thatchem assured imbolizers just to keep my insurance company happy !!

 

Nico do you know of any good CD multi changers you can reccomend, some load reliable and not too expensive - going to leave my old speakers in the car, just want a radio (that can pick up more than just radio 2) and a good cd autochanger.

 

John

 

J,

 

There is nothing Wrong with buying from an Auction if you are sure you are getting a GENUINE low milage car and paying a fiar price for it, If you spend like 5K on a 1990 with 80+Miles on the clock you are not going to get a idea of the troubles that you are in for poking around in the car and watching being drivin into the auction. Unless you can take a risk or know a car really well then Auctions are a dangerous gamble IMHO.

 

And i know they have to declare certain things but most Nissan Mechanics dont know what is wrong with 8/10 Z's so the average Auction Mech wont.

 

As for Audio kit, i Use have a Oldish Alpine Dec in my Z and a Kenwood in my Clio both are good quality IMHO. The Person to ask is Bob, Mail , ICQ or phone him (look at Bobs place on the left or in the contacts section) he is our resident ICE guru and a spanking fine chap to boot, be nice to him he may even give you a discount ;o)

 

Z ya

 

Nico91TT

 

 

 

 

 

Thanx Nico!

 

I had a look at one today - had a longish test drive in it. It was newly imported '90 TT Auto- bog standard (always prefer the uncarved block) and the guy had just changed the cam belt (does on principle on all imports).

 

He will fit an immobiliser (cat 2) and do a years warranty (max £500 per claim). The car has 91K and has just had a gearbox rebuild (is this good or bad?). He wants £6995 for it. It has kinda a half leather interior and looks tidy (even has the original targa top covers).

 

I didn't notice any smoking on startup or after the drive. I have never driven an auto before so I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage when trying to gauge one...

 

When switching the climate control on there was a vibration from under the car but this went fairly quickly (normal??).

 

How the hell do you swing compression tests from a dealer ;) ?

 

Are warrantees that bad? I have a mate in a garage who will do the work... ...if he signs to say somethings broken and not wear and tear, what can the warranty company say? If its broke its broke!

 

Hmm... ...never worked seriously on cars (plenty of motorbikes, but you need space and equipment for cars, just need a lump hammer for a bike :)

 

Cheers.

 

A local fella does leather covering and has done zeds in the past.

 

Call Sid.

 

S.R.Mudge

01344 455440

West End Farm Forest Road Warfield

Bracknell Berkshire RG42 7QA

 

Simon Pass

 

The Auto Box Rebuild if genuine is a Good thing the 1990 Autobox is weak, and will always need rebuilding, Ask to see the invoice for the work even if in Japanese!

 

The Guy sounds genuine, Again i would tell him to stick his warrnetee up his arse and give you 100 quid discount, trust me they will pay out for shit, on mine they would not pay out for the following for one reason or other :

Turbos, Gearbox center shaft bearing, Thrust Bearing, Wiper Motor, Slave Cylinder, Clutch Pivot Fork, Rear Subframe, Door lock Motor. I think that is it. Some are big, some are little and they would pay for none of them, i could not make a single claim on the policy, total bandits. I wont go into all the details again, as it is lengthly and boring to most as i have ranted a few time, but if you wanna give me call im more than willing to talk about it, just shoot us a mail and i give ya our number.

 

The Vibration from the AC is not normal, could be a failing compressor Clutch, but i really have no Idea, the AC is very costly if it fails.

 

The rest of the car sounds OK tho, and the price is Good, but remmeber at 91K your Turbos are on borrowed time, Repair - 1400quid.

 

You might not be able to get them to do a compression test, if they wont let you do it, ask if you can pay for another garage to do it for you. It is important as if there is cylinder damage Run a long way Fast !

 

All in all sounds like an OK deal, appart rfom the high milage, but not bad without going straight to the horses mouth. The fact the car is in good order and is stock is a good things, Most of the cars i have seen in Japan are heavily modded.

 

Good luck

 

Z ya

 

Nico91TT

 

 

 

 

 

To second what Nico said:

 

Early Z32's have KNOWN design faults on the auto boxes. They have insufficient cooling and oil flow. They also have weak planetary gears. The FIRST thing you do when you agree to buy the car is make the dealer install a second oil cooler even if you have to pay for it (£75 + fitting). This will give it a fighting chance of survival.

 

I have never been in a ZX300 with an original prop shaft that hasn't been vibrating to some degree. The joints perish over time and there are insufficient lub points. A recon upgraded prop shaft will cost £300+. You will notice light vibrations at certain speeds and rattles in the cabin because the prop shaft runs right under the center console. Do not let the dealer fob you off with it being the V6 engine characteristic. These cars are smooth as a babies bum when running correctly.

 

Turbos. Look for the usual signs. Turbos are a problem in most cars except in the Z its very labour intensive to replace (engine out job), plus there is two of the buggers.

 

There are other things like tension rod bushes leak, power transister degrade over time but don't let these put you off. They are great cars.

 

The next thing you do when you drive it away is go to a ZX300 SPECIALIST to check it over. In particular plug in a nissan Consult diagnostics computer and do a full diagnostics check (peace of mind) and boost check to make sure it running correct boost pressure (avarage 9.5 psi). If it is 6/7 psi then the chances are it is running in safety mode. probably detonating. The Consult test should pick this up though. The reason I say this is because a lot of imports have upgraded ECU's that are configured to run on high ocatane fuel so putting our unleaded rubbish in makes them run poorly and detonate/pinking etc.

 

Pass the above points and you should be a proud owner of a sound Z. I wish someone would of told me these points when I got my car.

 

PS. I agree, forget having an extended warranty to look after your car. You might as well let Mara Hindley look after your kids!

 

Good luck !!!

 

Andy Archer

 

To second what Nico said:

 

Early Z32's have KNOWN design faults on the auto boxes. They have insufficient cooling and oil flow. They also have weak planetary gears. The FIRST thing you do when you agree to buy the car is make the dealer install a second oil cooler even if you have to pay for it (£75 + fitting). This will give it a fighting chance of survival.

 

I have never been in a ZX300 with an original prop shaft that hasn't been vibrating to some degree. The joints perish over time and there are insufficient lub points. A recon upgraded prop shaft will cost £300+. You will notice light vibrations at certain speeds and rattles in the cabin because the prop shaft runs right under the center console. Do not let the dealer fob you off with it being the V6 engine characteristic. These cars are smooth as a babies bum when running correctly.

 

Turbos. Look for the usual signs. Turbos are a problem in most cars except in the Z its very labour intensive to replace (engine out job), plus there is two of the buggers.

 

There are other things like tension rod bushes leak, power transister degrade over time but don't let these put you off. They are great cars.

 

The next thing you do when you drive it away is go to a ZX300 SPECIALIST to check it over. In particular plug in a nissan Consult diagnostics computer and do a full diagnostics check (peace of mind) and boost check to make sure it running correct boost pressure (avarage 9.5 psi). If it is 6/7 psi then the chances are it is running in safety mode. probably detonating. The Consult test should pick this up though. The reason I say this is because a lot of imports have upgraded ECU's that are configured to run on high ocatane fuel so putting our unleaded rubbish in makes them run poorly and detonate/pinking etc.

 

Pass the above points and you should be a proud owner of a sound Z. I wish someone would of told me these points when I got my car.

 

PS. I agree, forget having an extended warranty to look after your car. You might as well let Mara Hindley look after your kids!

 

Good luck !!!

 

Andy Archer

 

Thanx for the info guys, much appreciated.

 

Ok, so I need to:

 

bin the warranty;

look for smoking exhausts (especially blue);

steering wheel shake at 80 - HICAS/Suspension trouble;

90 autos have real box and overheat problems;

vibrations through the floor - driveshaft;

whistling turbos (any tune in particular, or does the climate control hum it?);

noisy lifters/injectors;

hesitation under acceleration;

put a secondary oil cooler on it;

get it checked out by a specialist - check boost pressure;

 

finally:

have a great car, so just wait for a bloody volvo to write it off/some get to nick it.

 

Hmm, OK, anyone know anything about Mondeos??

 

 

 

Just for info, I have a 1990 auto on original box (as far as I know) and the box is fine at 70,000 miles running in the order of 360-380 bhp for the last 15,000 miles or so, plus an HKS ALC.

 

While the comments re 1990 boxes are true, if well looked after the box will last OK - needs careful warming up (just like the engine) and VERY clean oil.

 

Don't ignore others' comments and go for a later model if poss - just don't discount a good 1990 if everything else is fine.

 

Dave

 

 

 

Is the 1991 box ok? Or does it suffer from the same problems?

 

The golden rules always apply to buying a car. If you buy one of these cars from someone on this list then you know it's been serviced and well looked after. The danger with these cars as they get more affordable by your average 'Max Power' Halfords merchant is that they stick a dustbin on the exhaust spend all their money on 'S' Club records and don't do basic maintenance.

 

Surely any idiot can see a shed from a mile off. If it looks tatty on the inside of the car perhaps the oily bits are not good. When I got mine it was obviously owned by a fanatic. The fact that it has covered the last 3 years relatively trouble free is down to the fact that I can spot a dog a mile off. (Apart from my ex-wife!)

 

If in doubt get an independent inspection. The later the car the better, but a full service history is a must!

 

Simon

 

In what has been a long time on this list I've never seen Nico spell 'Warranty' correctly.

 

Or 'Brake' for that matter.

 

Sum of us done English at skool proper like!

 

Simon

 

For the record - I have an original prop shaft with no vibrations... 90k miles

 

And, even if you do get a vibration, the service manual clearly shows how to make adjustments to clear up minior vibrations.

 

As for the purchase, when I bought mine, I got an RAC check done. Was totally amazing, really showed my everything I was taking on, scratches, hole in exhaust etc... It actually paid for itself as I got the exhaust and a few other parts changed for free. I also arranged that I would get my deposit back if the check found anything major.

 

Vibrations of 70mph, well - okay it could be bad, BUT - could be a simple wheel balance problem

 

Good Luck

 

Jez.

 

ps. Zedsded, where are you in the country. I'm sure you could find an existing Z owner or Z mechanic to look over the car.

 

I'm in Gloucestershire (oo-ar).

 

I have looked at a fair few cars now (all newly imported and all 90 autos (popular it seems)). The running theme is that they have all seemed very tidy... ...but you never really appreciate a car until you have owned one. I could look at a model of any of the cars & bikes I have owned and know if anything was suspicious pretty quickly.

 

So it's always better to ask people who own a model for advice and you guys have given me plenty. Of course, in listening to all the pitfalls you still have to keep a view on the bigger picture, in this case that Z32's do have a reputation for being pretty reliable (certainly for their class). They are also a lot of car for the money, and they are a car that I could quite happily keep and to that extent I am prepared to spend some time and money on its maintenance.

 

So I will soon be the proud owner of a z, I'll definitely get it looked over and lob an extra oil cooler on it as it won't do any harm. If it blows up after that then at least I am happy in the knowledge that it was simply down to the Gods not smiling on me ;)

 

So cheers!

 

Let me know if you need someone who owns a 90TT auto Z to have a look at it before you buy. Im from Swindon, so not too far away. It would not be any trouble for a fellow Z owner or potential Z owner.

 

Andy

 

I agree with what Nico says on the warranties. The catch-all clause is the one that says they will not replace any item due to wear and tear. That covers practically every incident you're likely to have. If you have a catastrophic failure of some kind you should be covered but they will haggle as the part was "already half worn". So warranties not really worth the money, unless its free! Get an RAC check instead, and pocket the difference for repairs.