Hi guys,

 

Newbie here looking to buy my first 300zx, which is going to be my new daily driver replacing my 9-3 Aero.

 

Any specific zx faults that I should look out for?

 

I would prefer a manual but I'm coming round to the idea, I've always though auto's were abit..gay but I'm coming around to the idea, especially with it being my everyday running project. What are the auto's like?

 

I've ALWAYS wanted a Fairlady, but something has always got in the way of me buying one, I was actually going to buy a GTO tt, but sense has prevailed ;)

 

With it being my daily, how reliable are they? I'm either going for a minter or the other end of the scale and buy something solid that just needs abit of love, I'm in no rush tbh, but would like to get one as soon as.

 

Autos are de-tuned to 280bhp, is this just a case of the boost being lower than the manual from factory? Simple aftermarket boost controller and jobs a gooden?

 

Can auto's take more power? 400bhp achievable without replacing it?

 

Cheers lads

Dave

If you would prefer a manual, then my recommendation would be to hold out for one We have Auto owners here who will defend them all day long...but the autobox is weaker, probably the weakest/most unreliable part of a Z32, they are slower (despite what some auto owners might want to think) and do take a lot of fun out of the driving experience in my opinion. Manual conversions are fairly popular option, although not cheap unless you do the work yourself.

 

The Auto's lower peak power output is due its different profile cams and turbocharger to help recover some of the lost low-mid response and power from the autobox.

 

In general the 300zx is a reliable, well built car, but most are about 20 years old now and there are a lot of bad examples out there. Many owners will tell you, myself included, that their Z(s) has been one of the most reliable cars they have owned. Whereas others have found themselves with £2k bills shortly after purchase. Careful purchase and Preventative maintenance is key.

 

Some other considerations when purchasing is do you want a 2+2(LWB), 2+0(SWB), Targa, slicktop, or convertible.

I have to agree with yowser about the reliabilty ,mines has never let me down and it is my daily, I have an auto but I will be converting mine to a manual in the summer

had 2 now, been right round the jap tree and in my opinion the vg30 is by far one of if not the most reliable unit available, my first was auto and now in a manual, auto is not all to bad! still very playful and a clever box, but manual is the way to go ... for me anyway.... totaly driver dependant and depends what you prefer, either way u wont be dissapointed i wouldent think

Its definitely going to be a 2+2 because I have 2 daughters, which I dont mind tbh.

 

Yeah I would prefer a manual, but if an auto ticks all the boxes I'm not going to let it put me off, I could always do the conversion myself if I hated it, like you guys say. I know what you mean though, giving it the beans and it changes gears might get annoying..

I heard alot of the American owners like the auto's for some reason?

 

Are the autos considerabley slower low down then? The manuals do 60mph in around 5secs dont they?

 

I've heard the turbos are an engine out jobby?

 

Are cambelt changes awkward?

 

Also why are 94/95 models more desirable? Is it solely down to the electrical gremlins being eradicated by this time or are there significant changes?

dont be under the illusion autos are slow.... they are bloody quick bud, you should probs go test drive a few and see what you think, as for the 95/96 models etc.... dont be put off with the earlier ones, they are genuinely very reliable, both mines have been early models, infact ive only ever been in or seen early ones, just find one that takes ur fancy and go try it

Its the early ones I've been looking at mate, just wasnt sure why the later ones are preferred.

 

Headgaskets an issue on them?

 

I've actually been offered a really cheap one, but its been stood for a few years, looks like it could be a good motor though.

na, there genuinely aint any regular issues with the engines that i know off, stood for that time tho make sure its cheap and give it a long long look over, dont rush, id spend the day with it if i were you just to make sure...... would be an idea to post pics and details bud

Welcome to the club Dave and hope you find a good 300.

Welcome to the club Dave. Where abouts are you from?

 

Aim to get the best car that your budget will allow, although dont brush off the cheap ones, mine was very cheap but I bought it knowing that the engine was knocking. I had another engine in the garage and I do all the work myself so it was the right route for me to take, personally.

I think the 94/95 cars had a few changes that some people prefer can't think of them off the top of my head but I'm sure someone on here will be able to list them all!! As for the auto/manual thing its all down to preference I was in a similar situation a year ago, I was lucky and found a good example pretty quick and not too far away but there are story's on here of people driving hundreds of miles and waiting months for the right one.

 

In my opinion if would stay well away from the cheap ones, these cars hide problems like no other for example my car had boost leaks/ timing was out/boost controller was plumbed in wrong/injector plug had melted and it was detting its tits off and in all honesty it still felt great to drive.

Maybe if I knew zeds better id have noticed the faults jeff did the first time he drove it but he eats sleeps and breaths zeds

 

Rust is the real killer of these cars it hides all over the place and is usually well established by the time it's discovered check the front and rear sills as the water run off from the targa tops drains through them and they go from the inside out so if there's any sign of rot on the sills just walk away as it's probably much worse than it looks, check under the battery and under the carpet in the foot wells as a leaky targa drain pipe often forces water here and can cause some weird and wonderful electrical issues not the end of the world but a good barter point because the targa tubes are a pain to fix its a buyers market at the moment so take your time and pick the right one.

 

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to put you off, owning these cars is really special and a dream come true for many the looks you get and the comments from people, driving them is great fun and even though there 20 years old there still well equipped, comfortable, fast (I mean really fast) looks great, have bags of character and once you get one you'll be totaly hooked from your first drive, but buy the wrong one and your in for big bills very quickly

 

Good luck

Nick

For it's age, the auto box, if properly maintained is pretty damn good. When cold, mine does like to hesitate, and likes to mimic a very slipping clutch sometimes though! LOL

 

The worst thing of all is the turbos. You need to listen for any noise and oil usage, otherwise it's an expensive job. After I bought mine, I heard a slight noise of the turbos, then 2 months later the seals broke on one side :( It only cost me £500 in labour to renew though, but most garages would quote you more than that.

 

Rust on the sills is another hotspot, mine had it on all 4 corners, and it can look a lot better until you start chopping into the sills.

 

Targa leaks too - next to the ECU I have a big leak somewhere, and theres a bit of rust under the carpet :(

 

That's my experiences at least, others may have other points to look at though.

Edited April 15, 201213 yr by qrious

Welcome to the club Dave. Where abouts are you from?

 

Aim to get the best car that your budget will allow, although dont brush off the cheap ones, mine was very cheap but I bought it knowing that the engine was knocking. I had another engine in the garage and I do all the work myself so it was the right route for me to take, personally.

 

I agree with Baz mine was also very cheap but has some issues, might have to replace a turbo soon. If you can do the work without having to pay garage fees then just try and work out how much the replacement parts might cost and add it on to the selling price. It can help make a huge saving as a lot of people will be put off by the problems and will leave you with lots of room to negotiate on the price.

Thanks for the replies guys, been on alot of car forums but seems really friendly and informative here!

 

I'm from Nottingham mate.

 

Really looking forward to buying one, I can do alot of the work myself but with it being my daily want a solid enough one thats going to be reliable. Dont mind getting my hands dirty though!

 

Its been stood for a few years, but theres no smoke, rattles or knocks from the engine or turbo's, its just been abit unloved and the bodywork although solid is abit tatty through being left. On the other hand, parts might soon add up and like some of you have said I might be better in the long run finding a really nice example to start with. No leaks from roof, interiors a little tatty but that doesnt bother me too much.

 

I've had a look through the classifieds on here and parts seem reasonably priced, are they easy enough to get hold of?

 

From your oppinions to ones I've read on the internet, the autobox doesnt sound that bad at all, just might take abit of getting used to lol.

The aforementioned killer rust puts a lot of zeds out of action because of the large cost of getting the sills repaired etc, but it does provide plenty of spare parts to keep the other zeds going. If you end up with one I'll no doubt bump into you sometime as you're fairly local :) how much is the one you've been looking at, and do you have any pics? we'll be able to sum it up for you and advise the best route :)

buy the mid range cars for sale, you spend to much money doing up sheds and top end should be all do so no playing involved, best bet buy from the forum!! I could of come unstuck but only paid £720 for my auto na

Cheers

SPARX

I didnt realise rust was an issue tbh.

 

I havent got any pics at the min, meant to be getting some sent over today. He wants £700 for it. It seems decent, but could do with a new wing and drivers seat. Mechanicals sound like they're spot on though, which makes me think it could be an honest motor.

 

Looking for a standard one so that I can do any mods myself.

Welcome and I hope you find a great Z mate :)

Welcome and good luck in finding a good Z. I wanted manual and leather and then found one with cloth and auto with under 40k on clock and could not it slip through my fingers. I will get a manual conversion at some point but am not unhappy with the auto box (makes me look good at the lights EVERY time) I also like my cloth interior although I plan to change this in the future.

Welcome matey :)

Welcome to the club Dave - and good luck in your search for a 300zx!!

 

Richard:rockon:

welcome to the club matey . ive got the auto tt . they definately arnt slow but if you do want to boost them up a bit providing everything else is running well and you have a good base engine £300 ish will get you up to approx 350bhp . new chip and induction kit . they get seriously quick around this mark

 

andy

Hi bud, welocome to the club.

 

I agree with most of what has been said but i'll try to add a little....

 

Is an NA an option? If you are after a reliable daily runner, an NA might be a good choice. However, i you need power its gotta be a TT.

I've had my zed over 9 years and havent had a single problem - having said that it hasnt seen the road for the last 2yrs :)

 

I wont deny that there are some bargains to be had out their, the main reason is that zeds are so expensive to run/maintain/modify. If you eventually want a modified zed i would recommend starting with one that already has some modifications. Just choose wisely - there are some rotters out there! Starting from scratch is a very expensive route - even if you do the work yourself.

Although 300-350bhp is easily and cheaply obtained, anything above this will be expensive.

If i was lokking for a zed, i would probably start with this.......

 

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3787543.htm

 

I would make a few changes, but thats a lot of car for £3k

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

I actually won one on Monday, the buyer hasnt contacted me yet so I'm not holding my breath. It looks like a really clean one though so I'm hoping I get it!

^Seller