Hi,

 

I've decided my current car ('97 Rover 214) needs to be changed and will be up for sale come June. So around then I'll be in the market for a nice little japanese number :cool:.

 

So far the 300zx has passed all my prerequisites. But There's a big list I've got to go through:

Mitsubishi

FTO (FWD, want 4WD or RWD)

GTO (xpensive, and not hearing good things about them)

Galant VR4

 

Nissan

180/200sx S13

200sx S14

Silvia S15

300zx Fairlady (looking good)

 

Honda

Civic

CRX

CRX DelSol

Prelude

Civic EP3

 

As you can see I've got a fair list, most will not be viable though. I've given myself a budget of £5000 and for that I expect a decent car (am I hoping to much for a '92+?) and at least a small smattering of performance/handling mods. I'd prefer to do the ICE myself.

 

Also, insurance will be a big deal for me (24 tomorrow, 2yrs NCB, no convictions etc.). Would I be better with the NA or a TT?

 

Are my expectations too high? What are the good points of owning one of these cars, and what is a 300zx SWB?

 

I apologise for the huge post and whean of questions.

Any help and/or advice you could give would be greatly appreciated though :)

I am 24 and have 5 years No Claims and insurance for me is over £800 TPFT. You can get classic insurance for UK over 10 years old. I think there are places which will get Jap cars on a Classic but I think you have to be 25.

 

The power difference between a NA and TT is a lot. If you want a fast car go for the TT.

 

Imports are more expensive and harder to insure than UK ones.

 

SWB is a 2 seater version. Its Short Wheel Base, makes it ligheter and quicker. All SWB are imports and are quite rare.

 

Look at the forsale section there are a few good ones going for what you are have. One going very cheap at the moment. Check them out.

 

Stuart

and as for the rest of your list - drawing up a list is fine, but get out there and drive the cars, then your list will be one car long!

 

There's nothing to touch a zed for the money - period.

 

You should just manage to buy a decent one for your £5K, but your insurance will be the cruncher!

Just drive them all, see what you like.

Ta guys, that list will get much shorter in the coming weeks. There aren't too many 300zx's around my way, even fewer for sale I think. There's a '90 300zx Coupe(?) in a dealership up in Glasgow, might take a trek up there and have a look, maybe a test drive.

 

I realise there's an 80bhp difference between the NA and the TT, but is there also a big difference in maintenance costs and service frequency?

 

Does the SWB come in NA and TT versions? Having just the two seats wouldn't bother me too much as I rarely load my car. Having said that, are the rear seats/leg room in the normal 300zx as laughable as I'm imagining?

 

If push comes to shove, and the insurance is extortionate, I'll hold off till Xmas, get my 3yrs NCB and sell the Rover to my brother. Maybe even hold off a further 2 months till I'm 25 :rolleyes: ... or get a UK spec? (I had been planning on looking into getting one imported)

 

Want a fast jap car now though :cry:

i have a uk due to insurance

26 years old 3 years NCB

car garaged

import £1800

u.k. ended up paying £695 TPFT i valued the car at £4500 to avioid paying fully comp

go for it m8 you wont be dissapointed!

See pic below.

To answer your question - No you don't.

See pic below.

Funnily enough your 300zx caught my eye immediately (one of many gorgeous Z's I've seen browsing about this forum). Could you PM/Email me some details like its age, revision, what modifications you've done?

 

Also, are UK Spec Manuals uncommon? I'm really against and automatic.

I'm thinking of possibly cutting back to £4000 for the car and holding the rest as an insurance buffer.

 

The more I read about this car the better it gets :)

I especially like the value for bhp :cool:

I will pm you everything you need to know. Anything to help bud.

 

In the meantime - cast your eye over these guides.

 

http://www.300zx.org.uk/tech_20.htm

You are best off spending a bit of cash to get a decent one, it will save you money in the long run.

I will pm you everything you need to know. Anything to help bud.

 

In the meantime - cast your eye over these guides.

 

http://www.300zx.org.uk/tech_20.htm

Thanks James.

 

You are best off spending a bit of cash to get a decent one, it will save you money in the long run.

Thats always good advice. As far as I'm concerned if you buy cheap you buy often. I've got a reputation for being a stickler for quality and like to research everything thoroughly.

 

As such, if I'm still daydreaming about the 300zx in the weeks to come you can be sure to see many questions from me about lots of little things ;)

Ah sh1t. Just typed out the longest pm I've ever done and went to send it and you can't receive them! Now I've lost it.

 

Whats your email bud?

Insomniac#gailmail-co-uk

(Replace the cleverly transposed characters with @'s and .'s for it to work)

 

PS, whats the average price for 225-35-18 and 245-35-18 tyres these days?

I imaging its gonna be a tad more than £65 a corner, which is what I very recently paid for 4 205-40-17 Toyo Proxes T1-S's

ure all forgeting the main reason........you can pull pussy for fun in a z the ginger freak is proof the even the ugliest bloke can score with a z

Also, are UK Spec Manuals uncommon? I'm really against and automatic.

 

Why? :confused:

 

Having had both I suggest that you try both before you make your mind up.

 

Personnelly I think auto is much better. Then ask your self this question. Why are all to racing cars auto's or semi auto and none manual? +Why are all top Drag cars auto? Is it because manuals are faster and better do you think? :slap: :rofl: :rofl:

 

Don't take my word for it check it out :D

 

Did someone say gearbox wars :rofl: :rofl:

In the meantime - cast your eye over these guides.

 

http://www.300zx.org.uk/tech_20.htm

 

Nice one I just read this and I cannot over state what this guy said in the last line of 4th generation cars. "Ease into the power until your used to it then you can hang your arse out like Steve McQueen in bullit". Too true. The very first 300ZX I had I spun down the A41 the second day I had it at 50+ just by nailing it coming out of a bend. 2 and 1/2 revolutions and lucky for me no body else on the road. Only harm done, was to my underpants :xxx:

in all fairness an auto is plenty fun and you can get some really good doughnutting done in an auto but at the end of the day if you have an import and its an auto ure up shit creek when they go bang and the likes of se and co will take you to the cleaners for an uprated one whereas a manual is a piece of piss to just put and uprated clutch in and off you go again

Insomniac,

I have a 300zx SWB manual NA, and i live not too far from you. Im staying in Glasgow just now. I could give you a spin in it see what you think. Have 2 wait a couple of weeks though cos im banned at the mo. :slap:

I'm 20 and paying about £1350 on insurance. Its the first car ive insured in my own name.

Having had a shot in a Twin Turbo aswell there is a big difference in speed. This TT was tuned a bit and was an automatic. It was fookin fast!!

Im happy with what ive got tho. Its fast but not silly fast, SWB looks better IMO and i prefer driving a manual.

1, they look great

 

2, they go like sh!t off a shovel

 

3, erm, nope thats it really! :D

 

of course there not gonna be cheap to run, its a twin turbod supercar :dance:

 

drinks petrol like barney from the simpsons drinks duff beer (or like duffer drinks stella :duffer: ), gonna make you cry if anything major goes wrong & will cost all your pocket money when you start modding it.

 

but thats why there fun ;) you want cheap - buy a micra!

 

oh, BTW, deffo stick with the manual gearbox, autos are for :xxx: (thats what they do with their left hand you know!! :D )

3. there a tbar

4 give you somethink to do weekends

5. give you somethink to spend any spare cash you have

 

steve

Looks like I had relatively the same criteria as you, Fast Jap car :cool: Anyway, I decided on the 300zx, but my back-up choice is the S14a 200sx. If I get too many points, then I decided I will get the back-up choice, but if not bring on the Z. Had a look around, and is the best value fast car that you can get, unless something goes wrong. My third choice would be a Ford Focus TDci though.

 

Also FTO's go a bit funny after 80,000 odd miles I think - although my younger bro may be selling one in a few months (think the MIVEC one - the sporty one anyway).

 

I decided not to get a Honda cos all the old people on my street, no offense people, have one (apart from neighbours, one has a Golf, the other a Merc).

 

No Toyotas? :confused: Old Supra, and the twin entry turbo MR2 should be in your range.

Insomniac,

I have a 300zx SWB manual NA, and i live not too far from you. Im staying in Glasgow just now. I could give you a spin in it see what you think. Have 2 wait a couple of weeks though cos im banned at the mo. :slap:

I'm 20 and paying about £1350 on insurance. Its the first car ive insured in my own name.

Having had a shot in a Twin Turbo aswell there is a big difference in speed. This TT was tuned a bit and was an automatic. It was fookin fast!!

Im happy with what ive got tho. Its fast but not silly fast, SWB looks better IMO and i prefer driving a manual.

Ta bud, that'd be cracking :D

Probably a silly question but is £1350 TPFT or FC?

I'm up in Glasgow every now and again. I'm sure it wouldn't be too much trouble to work something out. Even if we met at Crail or something (how many petrol stops would you need?)

 

Markzx: I like manuals, I've always associated Automatics with women and Americans (no offence intended to either group), my mom drives automatics. I guess its just the way I've been brought up ;)

 

If I did have o get an automatic I'd be sourcing a replacent or uprated manual gearbox asap. But thats just me.

 

Gotidude: Two of my pals already own Celicas (one a 360bhp Carlos Sainz, and the other a UK widebody one). I'm not a fan of MR2's and there's already a Supra in my Village. I like to be different, thats why I bought a Rover (not the best decision I ever made) when everybody else was buying Corsa's and Saxo's.

 

Your right about the S14 200sx though (not sure about the prices of the S14a's though), was gonna research them next. But I'm liking the 300zx a lot right now :D

 

Thanks for all your input guys, its greatly appreciated!

Well, i live in Fife, but staying in Glasgow just now. My car is in Fife and i cant drive it until the end of Feb. So any time after that is ok wi me. I'll just fill up before i leave, get 2 Crail no bother.

SWB is the nice looking version of the car :D

 

There is a drawback....no wait a minute that's wrong...there is a great advantage to it. You can't go out with your woman AND your kid at the same time!!

 

The boot is way deeper too (I was told it's because the fuel tank on a 2+2 is under the boot area)

:hyper: I can think of 300 reasons why to buy one.....:dance: