Hi Im in the process of buying an 89 zed,went for a test drive all seemed fine but the abs light stays on constantly but does stop well and the boost gauge does not work at all,which the owner said ''is a comman problem'' ? i can feel it boosting but im coming from a starlet turbo to this and i wouldnt know if it was boosting properly anyway is this true that its a commen problem or should i just walk away? please help as i dont wanna waste my hard earned money!! many thanks.

hi welcome

 

is this the 1st zed you have had a drive of?

 

im not sure about the technical issues that you have mentioned but id test drive a few first to get a feel for them and work them out first.

 

there is some right crap about!! tread carefully!

Firstly welcome to the nut house.

 

You can see the buyers guide here.

 

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

 

My advice would be to walk away if it already has problems. These cars are difficult to work on at the best of time but if yu don'tknow what you are doing then it gets worse.

 

Agree with sara that you should try a few before jumping in. You might get this dirt cheap but if it is a bad one then it will cost you a lot of money.

 

Good luck with the search.

 

Darrell

yeah this is the first one ive driven,is this a commen problem on early zed's though or is he just talking crap?

mines a 90 nothing like that was wrong with it. not common as im aware

 

what is he after if you dont mind me asking, im worried he sees a young lad with a passion and bot much knowledge and reckons he can pull the wool

hes after 2000 ive given him a 100 pound deposit already

i guess its little money your paying in comparison to what you could be paying for a zed.

 

could be a hose come off or some sort of hose problem

welcome to the club, be very careful in buying a zed, would be better to buy one off this site then you can research the history of it online

^^What Stella said, buy a Z of here.

1989? The only Z32s made in 1989 were SWB TTs. Every other type was made in 1990 or later. Is it a Z31, maybe?

ni its definatley a z32

OK are you sure it's a TT SWB (short wheel base = 2 seats only)

http://www.twinturbo.net/ttnetfaq/FAQpages/differences.html

 

'90: NA begins production in Spring '89 -- TT begins in the Fall.

Extended model year sales: 39,290

 

'91: Manual climate controls discontinued (except in convertible).

New electronic climate controls allowing control over air flow direction, but no more ambient temp gauge.

Nissan hamburger logo put on nose of car.

Driver's airbag now optional.

Air Conditioner evaporator valve changed from aluminum to steel to quiet it.

NA rotors changed to TT units. Previous NA rotors were 2 mm thinner.

CD Player option added for both TT and NA. Previously only available in NA.

Bose stereo head unit changed.

Logo on floor mats changed from "300ZX" to "Z".

Hardtop coupe available at mid-year (NA only).

Brake master cylinder changed to new unit in Feb. 1991.

Keyhole on driver's door and interior light illuminated when driver's door handle is pulled.

Sales: 17,652

 

'92: Driver's airbag made standard.

Brake caliper material changed from aluminum to iron, to help warpage/shimmy problems.

Dash/door complimentary material changed from fabric to suede.

Separate mirror heater switch eliminated (combined with rear defroster switch)

Mirror heaters made standard.

Power adjustable driver's seat standard on T-top.

Sales: 6,708

 

'93: Turbo oil line insulation changed for better heat dissipation.

Convertible option added.

Upgraded Bose stereo made standard.

AIV/reed valves removed.

Sales: 11,599

 

'94: Rear spoiler design changed to a higher/bigger pedestal one.

Super HICAS system changed to an electrically actuated unit (previously oil pressure act).

Seat belts redesigned. Moved from door mounts to true pillar mounts.

Passenger airbag made standard.

Keyless entry added.

Titanium keys discontinued in Nov. 1994.

Off-white 'Pearl' color is dropped. Future 'pearls' are more of a semi metallic white.

Sales: 5,320

 

'95: Front fascia becomes body colored instead of gray strip.

Special 25th Anniversary gold paint available.

'Reset' button removed from dash clock (may have happened in '94).

Sales: 3,135

 

'96: Variable cam timing 'quietly' dropped due to smog regulations, reducing

5 speed engine output to 280 HP. Different cams installed to compensate for lost HP (total still at only 280 HP).

OBD II electronics introduced.

Driver's seat back rest no longer includes adjustable side bolsters.

1989? The only Z32s made in 1989 were SWB TTs. Every other type was made in 1990 or later. Is it a Z31, maybe?

 

I've seen plenty of 1989/G registered LWB's...cant remember wethere TT or NA, but definatly LWB...could just be down to good old DVLA and their registration mistakes.

2K for a TT?

Abs light always on and boost gauge not working?

If i were you, i would walk away...

 

Save you money up and buy a sorted one for around 3.5k - 4k. '91 plate onwards, manual uk spec ideally, stay away from Auto's too, from what i'v read on hear Auto's are a tad less reliable and prone to 'issues'.

Sounds like your going to find brakes disks, pads, gauges and turbo seals are in need of replacement and you WILL be shocked at the price for replacment parts.

Before you can replace a turbo seal you will have to pull the engine out...

Turbo seal - 20 pence

Engine out - 700 quid labour alone...

 

Just so you have an idea of what you could be letting yourself in for, a new exhaust system (with CAT) will set u back nearly a grand. Half the price off the car you could be buying.

Save you penny's and look else where m8, that my advice.

Boost gauge not working is definately a walk away scenario as it could mask many other issues, potentially very expensive ie more than £2k to repair! The stock gauges have a rep for being inaccurate, but in the case of the boost gauge you don't want to chance it if you don't know what the issue is. What Schumi_not says above is not an exaggeration. A new clutch will total £500, I've got receipts for £2700 from when my turbos were replaced/reconned, not to mention 'normal' running costs of the cars such as £150 per tyre (at least 1 set all round a year, poss 2 sets of rears which are more expensive), etc.

Running costs are way out of line with the costs to buy a Zed so be very careful what you buy.

Hmmm. Didn't mean to mislead. Source for the data was http://tech.aus300zx.com/year.htm

 

Can someone with a FAST CD check if there were models other than CZ32 built in 1989?

Walk away, save a bit more and buy a sorted one. These cars cost 1000's to repair and you could just be buying yourself a lot of trouble.

Save you money up and buy a sorted one for around 3.5k - 4k. '91 plate onwards, manual uk spec ideally, stay away from Auto's too, from what i'v read on hear Auto's are a tad less reliable and prone to 'issues'.

Why UK spec? do you want guaranteed rust?

 

*picks an argument and runs for cover*

First Zeds were made in summer 1989 IRC. I'm pretty sure my First Zed was from then.

I dont know that the boost gauge not working is a common problem? They are not the most accurate but I havent heard a lot of complaints about failure. The ABS might have been taken off but then it might not? Walk away mate. If you loose the £100 Deposit you will probably have saved a great deal more by not buying TBH. £2000 is a good price but only if the car is a good car. Spend a bit more to save a lot more.

thanks for all your comments guys they've been really helpfull,and i am gonna walk away from it, save up and get a decent one

thanks for all your comments guys they've been really helpfull,and i am gonna walk away from it, save up and get a decent one

 

You know it makes sense rodders. :D

 

Better to be safe.......................?

 

 

Good luck on your quest for the best. :D

Hi,

The other reason for a boost gauge to not be working is that it's an NA with a set of TT clocks!:eek:

thanks for all your comments guys they've been really helpfull,and i am gonna walk away from it, save up and get a decent one

There are a few really basic reasons why a boost gauge may not work but I think you made the right decision.

 

Keep an eye out on the for sale boards here. you are much more likely to pick up a car that has been looked after, and occasionally you uget some real bargains...

My dad ran a nissan dealer and had one of the first Z32's tt in the country and it was indeed a 1989 ( G Reg ) It was a uk twin turbo lwb in red