i was just wondering about this 1996 zx i was looking at... seems like a fairly decent car;

 

- cloth interior [what i wanted...not a leather girl]

- 5 speed

- not twin turbo [also what i wanted]

- 96,000 miles

 

now this is the problem. the guy sent me a few more pics of the car and i noticed the odometer isn't digital; it's one of those old cable types.

 

click!

 

okay the car is being sold for about $8500 [uS dollars]. any suggestions from you guys out there? i've been looking for a few months now, and i've found that it's extremely hard to find a 300 with the drivers seat on the left hand side [i live in canada, british columbia], 5 speed transmission, and cloth interior. anything else i can deal with, but those are the main, oh and low kms as well.

 

HELP!!

its not driven by a cable its motor driven by a signal pulse from the speedo this is standard accross all z32 they didnt do a digital odometer.

 

a later spec z is nice as it has the alacantra velour interior much better than tweed.

so then it's possible the car has been tampered with and it's got way more kms than what he's telling me?

so then it's possible the car has been tampered with and it's got way more kms than what he's telling me?

it is possible but go on the condition of the car. waht makes you suspect its been tampered with?

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v453/say_cheeze15/

 

check out my account, i've got pics of the car on there on pages 1 and 2.

i'm not sure, i just know that in the states they don't have accident histories where as in canada each vehical has an entire history so it makes buying easier [you can instantly find out if the car was a write-off or not]. i'm just sketchy about buying from the states, but i fell in love with this car. i mean, he could have tampered so easily with it. my dad's a mechanic so he's sorta warning me and i just wanted some advice from people who actually know something about 300s [my dad's a domestic kinda man].

i know it's all stock but that's what i wanted. i want to design the car the way I want it. you know?

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v453/say_cheeze15/

 

check out my account, i've got pics of the car on there on pages 1 and 2.

i'm not sure, i just know that in the states they don't have accident histories where as in canada each vehical has an entire history so it makes buying easier [you can instantly find out if the car was a write-off or not]. i'm just sketchy about buying from the states, but i fell in love with this car. i mean, he could have tampered so easily with it. my dad's a mechanic so he's sorta warning me and i just wanted some advice from people who actually know something about 300s [my dad's a domestic kinda man].

i have just been looking at some of the car pics. there are a few marks etc but you have got to take into consideration that that z is over 10 years old. best bet is to read and download the buyers guide from here and take a mechanic friend with you to view it. take it for a LONG test drive checking all the temperatures etc. test the car when it is cold and insist that the vehical is not started prior to your arrival.

 

if it don't feel right walk away these cars have a habit of ruling your heart over your head.

i would say tho £8500 US is a bit overpriced considering the pictures. the paintwork would need a bit of work considering the scratches.

oh i would for sure. i don't think i'd even bother tell him when i'm coming down to see the car, just show up and call MAYBE 10 mins away. trouble is, he lives about 24 hours away lol so if i was to go down, i'd have to be prepared for a wasted $200 trip. and plus, i have to get the car accross the border which would cost about $11,000 canadian if i were to buy the car at full price. he's asking $8500 US so i thought about $7000 would be a bit more reasonable. there's a fair amount of body damage and such. is that a good price or do you know?

Looking at the 7 on the speedo, I'd say it COULD of been tampered with, as it's not in line properly. It should be, because the last digit is only part way from 4 to 5, so the 7 should be full on!!

If you want to buy a car in the US, you should always ask the owner for a carfax history report.

it shows the complete history of the car: when it has switched owners, if it ever was in any serious accidents, odometer readings, etc.

 

And if you're still having doubts, you can use this company to have the car checked out for you: http://www.carchex.com/

oh wow thank you! i didn't even know about the carfax thing...

i thought that vehicles in the states didn't need to have records of that sort of stuff?

It's a series IV so its a lot harder to 'clock'.

The previous models took about 2 minutes to simply unplug the odometer from the rear of the speedo. These later ones moved the plug inside the cluster.

Also the earlier mechanism could very easily be rolled back, these later ones are a LOT more difficult - but can still be done.

(All legally of course!)

 

 

The better way to tell the car's age is to check the signs of wear. The steering wheel, gear stick, pedals, seat bolsters, arm rest etc. will all wear over time and are difficult to hide.

(Although a steering wheel cover helps :))

I know this is no help at all but there are some really cute girls on page 2 of the above link.

 

definitely worth a peek...

...I'd also advise you that digital clocks do not solve your concerns with 'clocking'!

 

Digital clocks are far mor easily reprogrammed these days and you would never know unless the milage really didn't match the wear signs on the car....This is easier to see on an analoge clock against the signs previously mentioned.

 

Check vehicle reports, and history, against the milage and if it really does seem suspicious then either negotiate on that basis, depandant on teh condidtion, or leave well alone and walk away!