Hi All,

 

This is my first post and looking for some advice on what to do with my 300zx. The car is a red 1990 (H Reg) UK targa top twin turbo. I've had the car for about 12 years but it has been sitting in my garage for about 6 years. Knowing nothing about cars/mechanics etc...it has not had any special storage treatment (i.e. blocks or anything else that you are meant to do when storing a car!).

 

The reason it has been sitting is that a few months before I lent it to a (sensible) friend so they could get to work one day. He was driving and it just cut out, originally we thought it had ran out of petrol but this was not the case. He said there was no noise or bangs and just cut out? We had the car towed back and its been sitting ever since. Over the years talking to people they said it could be this or that and I remember checking the belts shortly after which were all intact. Another possible explanation is that the immobilizer had kicked in but I have not had the time or knowledge to check this or anything else for that matter.

 

I now would like to do "something" with it and this is why I joined the forum hoping for some advice. I think the possibilities are:

 

Sell it - Sell it as it is for someone else to break it or take it on as a project.

Scrap it - Take it to the scrap yard which I imagine I would get maybe £100-£200 for.

Break it - Look at what parts people are requiring and break it, selling the parts on ebay.

Fix it - Get someone in to investigate the condition and let me know the cost in fixing up.

 

All these options require a certain amount of knowledge and time both of which I am lacking. I also have no idea if there is any value in doing any of the projects and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction?

 

Thanks

 

- Ian

Welcome!

 

First and foremost, what condition is the body in? Sounds like a simple fix, but if the body is shot and the underside is rotten, then it might be worth breaking it.

 

Have you at least tried turning the engine? You said you just towed it to your garage, but did you do any investigative diagnostics to see what was and wasn't working? Does it turn over?

Welcome!

 

First and foremost, what condition is the body in? Sounds like a simple fix, but if the body is shot and the underside is rotten, then it might be worth breaking it.

 

Have you at least tried turning the engine? You said you just towed it to your garage, but did you do any investigative diagnostics to see what was and wasn't working? Does it turn over?

 

Could be a number of things. Bad connections, PTU or MAF failure, TPS failure. Need a little more information first; has anything leaked or broken mechanically?

Thanks for the replies. I am not mechanically minded at all so would not even know what I was looking for anyway! I have no special "tools" to be able to do any kind of diagnostics and to be honest have no previous experience so have nothing to compare it to.

 

I will try and take pictures at the weekend and post.

 

I am based in Hailsham in East Sussex.

 

- Ian

Thanks for the replies. I am not mechanically minded at all so would not even know what I was looking for anyway! I have no special "tools" to be able to do any kind of diagnostics and to be honest have no previous experience so have nothing to compare it to.

 

I will try and take pictures at the weekend and post.

 

I am based in Hailsham in East Sussex.

 

- Ian

 

 

Hi Ian,

 

you've come to the right place for advice. Once you have posted up some pictures I'm sure someone will be able to give you more advice and possible one of our members might be able to come and have a look for you.

 

In the meantime, do yo have access to a battery charger? Although probably you may need a new battery (given the length of time she's been standing) to be able to attempt to start her, aswell as some new petrol in the tank.

I can probably get access to a charger or new battery but from memory it doesn't even turn over i.e. there is no movement or noise at all when you turn the key. This is what first prompted someone to suggest it might be something like the immobiliser.

hi mate, im only in worthing west sussex and know a fair bit about these cars, if you want i can pop over and have a look to see if we can locate why its not firing up. have spares ie maf, ptu, tps etc, cant do anything this weekend, but following weekend i could do the saturday.

 

you also have adl phoenix in haywards heath, and someone else in halisham but cant remember their name

Edited January 31, 201312 yr by Sussex stu

Could be something as simple as the earth lead, bad connection or fuse.

 

Paul

i agree definitely sounds like something simple like a loose connection have a talk with jeff he'l come up with the right directions 2go

Could be something as simple as the earth lead, bad connection or fuse.

 

Paul

 

with the key in the ignition are there any lights come up on the dash at all, if there is no power at all then like said above could just be a dodgy earth or loose battery lead??

I will get a battery over the weekend and give this a go. I think that lights etc...did come on just nothing happened in the engine department when you turned the key.

 

Stu - Yeah any help/time would be much appreciated. I will PM you my number. No rush as its been sitting for years anyway!

 

- Ian

Welcome to the club mate, I'm sure you'll find all the info you need to make a decision on your car. However please bare in mind that registered users are not permitted to sell through the forum.

 

 

As mentioned it could be a very simple fix, like your PTU which provides the power to the spark plug coilpacks.

 

Cheers

Steams

Welcome to the club mate, I'm sure you'll find all the info you need to make a decision on your car. However please bare in mind that registered users are not permitted to sell through the forum.

 

 

As mentioned it could be a very simple fix, like your PTU which provides the power to the spark plug coilpacks.

 

Cheers

Steams

 

Thanks for the advice, as mentioned previously I know nothing at all about cars so I wouldn't even know what a PTU is let alone where to find/fix/replace it! I will follow the instructions of the users and report back where I can.

Hi Ian, only subscribed members can use the PM facility.

 

Paul

 

and welcome to the club

Hi and welcome to the club Ian.

 

Like Stu says, there are a couple of members local to you who can come and give you a bit of assistance - and essential advice on what to do with your car once they have seen it. As above, the PM facility is for subbed members only.....

 

....I hope the car is worth saving though mate; it's always good to see another one saved - good luck Ian,

 

Richard:cool3:

Cheers Richard, I think it would be worth saving as its a beautiful manual fair lady in red with full leather! I did't realise that there was such a big following else I would have done something about it much sooner.

Cheers Richard, I think it would be worth saving as its a beautiful manual fair lady in red with full leather! I did't realise that there was such a big following else I would have done something about it much sooner.

 

Sounds good Ian - please do get some pics pf the car up on here if you can; we'll give our words of (hopefully) encouragement and agree it is worth the effort to get back on the road! If the body is in sound condition and the engine does not need too much work, then do it. This place is the font of knowledge for all things 300zx related (and often other stuff too - LOL) so you've certainly come to the right place. Pop it on a classic insurance policy (I assume you have another vehicle to use daily) and enjoy it!!

 

Richard:cool3:

ian drop me your telephone number on sussexsty at sky dot com. and i will give you a bell

wish somebody had helped me like that when I first joined lol

wish somebody had helped me like that when I first joined lol

 

Ask and we will do our best mate but if like me you live somewhere with no other close members then its not easy.

 

And welcome to the club Ian hope you get your 300 back on the road.

Cheers everyone. Email sent Stu

 

- Ian

Big thanks to Sussex Stu for coming over on Saturday, we got the car turning over surprisingly as its been sitting for over 6 years! He thinks the teeth have been shredded from the belt round the drive shaft as everything else is turning ok.

 

Will now see about getting prices to get the car transported up to ZXWorld to give it the 120,000 service and get her all back up and running as new again.

 

Forum has been a real help and thank you all for our warm welcome.

 

- Ian

good to meet you mate, shame we couldnt get it fired up. nice to see a totally standard clean uk zed. keep me informed which way it goes,

stu

Gutted, I've only just seen this. I was in hailsham at the weekend seeing the gf. I'm down there every other week. Would of loved to of come along.

Gutted, I've only just seen this. I was in hailsham at the weekend seeing the gf. I'm down there every other week. Would of loved to of come along.

 

should have come over mate, ian makes a great cuppa, only prob i had was my stupid sat nav thought i was on a road that didnt exist, and got me stuck in the roadworks on the A22.

Will do if there's a next time :)

Are you near by then stu?