Hiya,

 

I've been thinking of getting a 300 for a wee while now, have driven several and have been impressed, but I know very little about them. This looks like a good place to start!

 

I've had a string of e36 BMs, currently driving a 328 coupe, and i need a car that serves a purpose as a bit of a toy.

 

I would probably be driving the car at weekends, and abandoning it most of the week, so 10,000miles a year is the absolute max I'll be doing, and probably closer to 5k.

 

Here is the crux, how good is a 300ZX gonna be as a car that's used when it's required? I don't have the patience to come to use the car to find it's full of water, not starting or anything like that too often. Is it an "enthusiasts car" in the sense i'll need to be forever tinkering with it? The car would need to put up with some degree of abuse, though paying for regular maintenance isn't a worry. I don't fancy paying for turbo's too often either.

 

For what i can sell my current car for, I can get a beast of a 300 it would seem - would this be a wise step guys?

 

Ta in advance.

Welcome Vacantstare :)

 

Many (possibly the majority?) of us Zed owners use them as 2nd/weekend cars and they serve that purpose very well (not that they dont suit everyday driving too ofcourse).

 

The cars themselves are Very robust(I've had quite a few german cars, and still have a Bmw 535i, and cant complain about build quality with the zed) and japanese cars are very highly regarded for their reliablity.

 

Saying that, the zed is not a "typical car", it is powerfull and often driven hard. But you do get the benfit of most of them being low mileage for their age (expecially imports).

 

Turbo's can let go at 60-80k, but many last to over 120k (there are signs to look for before buying). Turbo replacement is a engine-out job. The trouble is you will only ever hear the horror stories. Those that dont have problems, dont usually post to say so.

 

Be sure to check out the Buyers guide

 

They are ok for doing your own DIY minor servicing, but they are not the easiest cars to work on. There are quite a few specialist Traders across the country, and part of this Forum. (see traders section).

 

I would recomend trying to purchase one from a Forum member. That way you know its being owned by an enthusiast and you can read up on its past on the forum.

 

You've made the right choice ;) Good luck. :duffer:

Agree with the above, although I've used my Zed in the past as a daily driver, it's now my weekend toy :) If you plan keeping the mileage low, this factor can get you a decent discount on the insurance as well..

 

Steve :)

Welcome Vacantstare,

 

Legrath is spot on with what he has said but as an ex-Z owner, I can see the ownership from a more objective and realistick side.

 

Owning a Z is more than just owning a fast car. Even if you try to resist it, the Z plays with your heart strings without you even realizing. I had my Z for exactly 3 years and they were good times. I dropped on lucky because I bought a car with loads of service history. Ossian from this forum has my car now and is having problems so probably won't agree with what I am saying - however, the old girl does have nearly 145k miles on her now with the original engine and a second set of turbos at around 85k miles.

 

I continued the service history as Jeff at Z-World will vouch for which is the key to owning any Z. If they go wrong big, it's usually engine out job unless it's the gearbox but as a rule, if the car has been well looked after in it's previous life, you should be safe. If you do nothing else, change the oil every 3 months regardless of mileage, unless you do over 1k per month and always use good oil. I had some c0ck at work trying to tell me that using monkey motor factors normal mineral oil wouldn't do any damage. However, he did drive a FTO before he wrapped it.

 

The forum has proven that manuals are more reliable but standard clutches can sometimes prove problematic if boost is increased. Jap specs usually have better body work and much less mileage but they need de-limiting speedo wise, and have lots of annoying ding dong noises everytime you do something wrong like look the wrong way or fart or summat.(You can tell I had a UK spec).

 

If I was to buy one again, I would go for a series 2(92-onwards), UK spec, manual, with atleast 3 years of previous documented non problematic history,(non of this - just a stamp with a date and a note saying full service), less than 70k miles, and as strange as it sounds, try to get one that has been stored in a similar fasion as to how you are going to use it. I know it sounds wierd and it shouldn't really matter but these cars can be particular sometimes. One forum member bought a car than had been keep in a garage overnight but once he bought it was leaving it on the driveway overnight.He then had problems with some sensors and their connectors. Turned out to be an easy fix but it's just something to keep in mind. Oh yeah - and if you buy from something that is not part of a forum/enthusiasts group, try to get one that has not been modded. Things to check for to prove this would be to take a look under the bonnet and see if there are any missing bits or marks that should that there was once something there but got removed.

 

Something I would definately recommend is going and viewing the cars better it has been started. This is a must. Listen for any strange top end tapping. If it last for more than 2-3 seconds, I would walk away.

 

I don't need to tell you that the TT if chipped and boosted is much faster than the NA, leather is better than velcro, and if the heater matrix goes, you will develop turette syndrome if you try and replace it yourself.

 

One thing you will realize is how slow your BM' is. A mate of mine was looking to buy a Z and then bought a 328 SE coupe on a P. It's a nice motor but the 2 just don't compair!

 

Good luck in your search. I would recommend that you do loads of search through the forum because most subjects have been done till death - Oh yeah, and don't ask which is better between an Auto and a Manual - and don't ever use Nissan to maintain your car unless an old school mechanic who was origianlly trained on Z's works on it.

 

Good Luck

Good advice Cos , not sure I would agree with Manuals being more reliable than Auto's though :tongue:

 

I think the key as Cos has said is finding someone who can work on these cars that knows what there doing and will not rip you off

 

Ryan

leather is better than velcro

 

no wonder my wife has so much trouble getting out when she wears her fluffy jumper...:)

 

good luck with your hunting....what part of the UK you in as a few mebers would probably help check a car for a drink or 2....;)

Thanks people. It would definately be a manual i'd be looking at (though i've only driven auto's so far), and my budget would be 5-8k, for which I'd hope to find a UK one, as this insurance seems to be about 600 less. As for the pace difference, that's the main attraction, though my current car will keep up with an N/A one, so it would definately be a TT. Apart from bingy bongy noises, what are the main UK/Jap differences, and is it gonna be a needle in the proverbial haystack job to find what I want?

http://www.300zx.org.uk/mod_comp_0.htm

 

lots of info here....shouldnt be a prob finding a motor...lots of good examples on sale

autos are quicker of the mark...manwells through the twisties...depends on your style of driving...me i'm a lazy bugger...auto+cruise control=bliss

http://www.300zx.co.uk/tech/BuyingZ.htm

 

thats the link cant go wrong now....oh no thanks...anything to help a bmw driver become an ex-bmw driver...:D