hi folks. am thinking of buying a zx in the new year and was wondering how much everyone has spent in repairs and maintenance since they've had theirs? I've got enough to buy a nice one and insure it, but need to know how much more i'll need in the bank in case something goes tits up (hopefully it won't as I want the best I can afford.. which isnt loads but just enough)

 

Any help much appreciated!

Hi mate, welcome to the club.

 

Reading this section would give any newbie the opinion that ZXs break down all the time.

 

Not so really.....

 

Buy a good one that has been looked after and you'll be fine - it's a Nissan afterall. However you must remember these cars are now 10-15 years old and as with any such high performance car it will be at the age where things are bound to go wrong. Parts are pretty expensive although the traders here can source most bits at a fraction of Nissan dealers. And as you'd expect from a car that cost £36k new 15 years ago labour isn't cheap either - again the traders can sort you out if the worst happens.

 

I've had my UK spec twin turbo over 2 1/2 years now and it's been reliable - never let me down yet in 20,000 miles. I've spent a fortune in fuel though :eek:

 

Good luck,

 

Richard :D

Cheers matey!

Well excited about getting one... just hope it's a goodun :hyper:

Will have a peruse at the traders, thanks

Andy

Cheers matey!

Well excited about getting one... just hope it's a goodun :hyper:

Will have a peruse at the traders, thanks

Andy

 

IMHO You need to really think it through. On one level you are getting ferrari performance for mondeo money and yes the quality of jap cars is way good enough to run 13-15 year old cars as daily drivers however............

 

When the Z was designed some elements were at the peak of the then known engineering. The most obvious is the autobox. If you buy an auto factor in the price of a replacement box as they are all starting to go now and it is not a case of if but when. Another more subtle example is the projector beam lamps which were brand new technology then and as such crap. Factor in the cost of HID upgrade to feel safe at speed at night.

 

Think about it all main ancillaries such as water pump, oil pump, alternator, air con are now reaching the end of their design lives......If that sits ok with you or you buy a car that has had these things done then good luck.

 

The second element is running costs. The Z has almost supercar running costs if the thought of a £500 service makes you wince you should not even be contemplating ownership unless you are a very very competent and experienced auto guy. Similarly if 19mpg of optimax and oil changes every 4,000miles sounds scary get something else. The only thing that offsets this is some parts are nissan cheap. Many are not though.

My general rule when people ask me is say you are paying 4K for as good car then bank on paying that again in the first 2 years of ownership. If you plan to upgrade the car double the second figure. If you are planning to run fingers crossed 'save money' mode the car will bite you and turn into an absolute money pit.........

 

If you can commit to the ownership though there is no car like it and unlikely to be for a while. I will run mine until the new Nissan GTR 2+2 arrives on these shores until then i think its the best 2+2 so far by far.

 

Chris

The second element is running costs. The Z has almost supercar running costs if the thought of a £500 service makes you wince you should not even be contemplating ownership unless you are a very very competent and experienced auto guy.

My general rule when people ask me is say you are paying 4K for as good car then bank on paying that again in the first 2 years of ownership. If you plan to upgrade the car double the second figure. If you are planning to run fingers crossed 'save money' mode the car will bite you and turn into an absolute money pit.........

 

Some sound advice there chris, although some of it is bad case scenario stuff.

 

The £500 service is only every 60k miles, and in my 14months of ownership my Maintenance costs have been less than £500 (about the same cost as most of my much newer "regular" cars and a lot less than my previous Bmw 5 series) and thats using Zed specialist garages, regular servicing and having everything thats needed doing, done.

Ex

 

there are a couple of things you need to look for, and im sure one of the members who lives near you would be able to help.

 

Ive had mine for 5 years and only real trouble I have had was electrical. The looms/connectors can be a bit of a pain in the ass. They are up to 15 years old remember.

 

If you get a well maintained car, oil changes regularly etc then there is no reason for these to go wrong. On teh older cars with stock, original turbo's, mmm, its a big expence to get them changed as its an engine out jobby.

 

Be carefull, there are some ABSOLUTE dog out tehre

As a relative newbie, I'm not really qualified to discuss reliability. However from my research on the subject, there are a few common issues:

 

1) Failing turbo chargers - £2000?

2) PTU (part of the ignition system), £100ish.

3) Propshaft centre bearing / Universal Joint - £150ish.

4) Failing auto boxes - ?

5) Misc electrical gremlins.

 

As you can see, buying a manual car with no turbos (Jap import) rules out items 1 and 4. However if you need the power, it's hard to ignore the T/T.

 

Don't forget insurance, it can be a bit pricey unless you find a good broker.

 

Ian A.

Hi Andy,

 

Where abouts in London are you from?

 

Vijay

cheers fellas sound advice indeed. i was looking for a manual but will be happy with anything that has been kept well.

thanks for the informative replies - my doubts have been well and truly answered, nice one guys, thanks so much :hyper:

 

i'm from Croydon btw.

keep 2k aside,the turbos will fail with time,may be 500miles or 100,000 miles either way ;)

If you can buy one that has already had the work done, modded doesn't have to mean extreme. I paid a little more for mine and havn't had a thing go wrong apart from changing the airflow sensor due to an air filter that didn't like the rain.

Prepare for high running costs, I'm sorting mine for the MOT:

 

all four tyres (rears have been on for 5mths and now need replacing!): £550

Brake discs all four corners (uprated skyline calipers): £600

 

Keep a grand or two available otherwise you could suffer. Otherwise though its awesome performance for the money. Dave

keep 2k aside,the turbos will fail with time,may be 500miles or 100,000 miles either way ;)

Or buy an NA ;)