Hi all

 

I am thinking of taking the plunge into 300zx TT waters...and have a couple of question.

 

1. Are they useable in the wet, with a light foot, without ending up sideways in a ditch?

2. Are the back seats able to a compare teenagers ? Or are they really only for storage ?

3. Is there anyone you recommend to carry out an inspection in the Watford / Enfield area ?

4. What's the average price of a tidy & well looked after 300zx TT auto ?

5. what is the maintenance cost of running one of these 4K miles a year ? Service ? Turbo ? Cam belt ? Any other expensive bits I should look out for ?

6. Is there a checklist of things I I should make sure the car has had done ?

7. Lastly, UK or import ? Or doesn't it not make a difference.

 

Thanks in advance for all your help

I can only answer a few of these from experience :

 

1.), Hell no, i nearly spun mine coming out of a junction yesterday doing 20mph

2.), only teenagers without legs, anybody over 4' or with long legs will have issues. worse if the driver has long legs and puts the seat back.

3.), lee Dent , LA Auto

4.), for a really mint zed about 5.5k, just bought mine last year for that and its an auto series 4 with 47k miles.

5.), maintenance depends on the condition of the zed purchased or how handy a mechanic you are for DIY.

6.), See the FAO section on the main toolbar.

7.), I say fresh import as UK cars that I've seen are all rotten.

Welcome to the club Chas and the best advice is buy the best you can afford. Z's that need work can be a nightmare so stay clear. Have a look at this buyers guide... http://www.300zx.co.uk/tech/BuyingZ.htm

 

You will find a lot of help in these threads also

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?58-General-Faqs

Thank you...the search begins !!

 

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Hello,

 

My two cents...

 

1: Lots of us here use our cars all year arouond. It probably depends on how you drive, but I really enjoy the wet and use it as an excuse to learn how to have more control over the car. Certainly usable, but dont expect to put your foot down as it will step out. Under normal driving you are fine.

2: I have often had 3 or 4 adults (5ft9") in the the car, but I wouldnt put anyone taller in the back. And yes you have to shuffle the seats around a bit to make some more leg room. Generally I use it as a 2 seater, and peopel do moan in the back but I just find it amusing and hope they enjoy teh ride really.

3: cant help sorry

4: 5k+ although really hard to find nice onces recently. Always ask for the clubs advice on a purchase as they know a lot of the cars history and can weed out the lies and potential isues.

5: Depends how handy you are and if you look after it. Regularly service them (oil / filter) and get a decent onoe and you will be fine. Mine has caused me mnima; issued driving around 7k a year for past 3 years. expect some minor issues, but get to know the car and it can be very rewarding. and these are old cars, so dont expect it to be able to take a tonne of abuse without occasionally lettign you know about it!

8: I haven't seen a rust free UK model yet... Mine is a jap import and as a result is pretty clean underneath. Dont touch anything that is starting to show rust bubbles, i think that is one of the most common reasons these cars get scrapped.

 

Good luck!!

There are rust free UK specs, you just have to be patient and search harder for them.

Edited March 25, 20169 yr by AndrewG

Thanks all... So far very encouraging comments !!

 

Does anyone know the one one eBay for 4250? A UK car and no rust ? Lots of z magazines in the back ?

 

I want to make sure I don't buy a lemon and my diy skills are non existent when it comes to cars... Just love driving them and paying someone who knows what they're doing to maintain it for me.

 

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Looks clean but I recognise it from somewhere, think its been up for sale before.

 

I would hold out and but a zed from gaz :

 

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?183408-Coming-Soon!!

Hi mate, welcome to the club.

 

You could put yourself up a tree on drive one if you boot it about like a crackpot, but they are by no means an unstable car. I got mine with some very poor tyres and badly set up very hard coilovers. It handled like a shopping trolley on cobbles.

 

But some alright tyres and some work with the coilovers and you can drive it like any other car in the wet. A bit slower and safely.

 

I reckon you could get 3 people in the car easilly, my drivers seat goes a bit far back for a 4th person behind me, but 3 is fine and 4 is alright on a short journey. It is handy for carrying stuff.

 

With running costs etc. I would urge you to be brave and get stuck in with the spanners. Unless you use a specialist garage like zedworld, lee dent, powerzed and automodz who know zeds you may have problems getting work done. I have had loads of bother with mine, but never anything bad. Little air leaks, electrical connections. I have used specialist garages a few times, but if I had used a garage for every lumpy idle I would be skint. It is great to do these things yourself or with friends/family, makes the car so much more rewarding when it's working well and out to play.

Thanks... If there's a dummy's guide on how to do some of the simple stuff on you tube or on this site... I can have a go if it involves a spanner, screwdriver or hammer :-)

 

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Welcome to the club.

When I acquired my UK zed, I knew very little about these cars.

But with the help of this club, I soon got to know my way around the basics and some of the more technical stuff, just give yourself time.

As folk have mentioned, stay away from any with signs of rust, I know from bitter experience just how bad things can get.

Things start going bad from the inside out, make sure you get underneath, especially the rear arches.

This was mine some years ago... beware!

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/thanks-everyone.15465/

My opinions:

 

1. You could end up sideways in a ditch in any rwd car (and others) if you drive it like you stole it! Drive according to the conditions and they're perfectly manageable. If you insist on using it throughout winter in cold and potentially icy/snowy conditions, I would recommend a set of OEM (or similar) wheels with winter tyres on to use during these months.

 

2. As said, you can get kids and adults in the back, I can't imagine it's particularly comfortable but as long as it's short journeys, at least you have the option to.

 

3. The closest I'd recommend would be Darren at D2 or over towards Bristol to Jimmer at PowerZed.

 

4. Prices are on the increase but still vary wildly. I think there are still some bargains to be had out there for a lucky few buying good, honest 3k cars, but generally you need to budget 4-6k+ for a decent car.

 

5. The first year may be expensive for maintenance as I'd recommend all the big jobs get done, cambelt etc and you may discover some items requiring replacing upon closer inspection. Once anything is renewed that needs doing, if you're not doing mega miles, the servicing costs shouldn't be too bad. It could be a bit of a lottery as its a 20+ year old car.

 

6. My biggest concern would be rust, particularly the sill sections, but rust anywhere would leave me concerned for other areas. Obviously if the engine is running like a bag of nails then there is potential for big bills but generally shop as you would for any other car. Having an experienced owner look at cars with you would be beneficial, many local owners would give their own time to help [emoji106]

 

7. The UK and import argument 10 years ago was mainly concerning rust but as most cars have now been in the country for many years, the difference is probably negligible. I think UK cars will probably see the biggest inflation in value but are now really quite rare to find a good one. A fresh import car will probably be your best bet structurally but they're becoming expensive.