Just picked up the new Japanese Performance mag, they have a good article on a 240Z with a SR20 engine. On page 123 they list the data and ratings for the 300ZX (UK) and FairladyZ import which is pretty good (4 stars). However, this comment caught my eye and irked me a bit -

 

"Supercar performance, fulfilling handling, ultra low prices, but an image problem."

 

Anyone have an idea on what image problem they are refering to?

I know I am frequently asked about the reliability of my car (very good, thank you very much). I also notice when I attend large meets with a good mixture of cars the 300 can be a bit overlooked, even though it is one of the best looking cars IMO. Maybe we are stuck between the supercar and luxury groups. Just looking at a Skyline, Impreza, etc... you know they are performance focused and therefore forgive the poor interior and boxy styling. Anyone in the know will tell you that there are 300zx's running around with power to rival anything else on the road, but the average Joe just doesn't seem to be aware.

Japanese Performance magazine should know better as they featured the Pentroof Z not long ago...

I know when the Z32 was first releast it was big news and sent shock waves through the sports car industry and was the reason for the likes of Porsche and Ferrari getting their acts together to produce fast reliable cars.

 

It was limited to 1500 only to be imported and officially sold in the UK and up to about 1998 have very high residual value's and was concidered as a very serious sports car.

 

I paid £16K for my 1994 UK car in 1999.

 

After 1999 the first of the imports started to appear and buy 2000 you were talking £9K for a 6 year old Z32 when the previous year a 6 year old UK Z32 would have cost about £12K to £13K. At first the imports were pretty good, but due to their prices were now accessable to people who would have bought a second hand Escort. This is when the problem with their image has really started. excelorating over the last 5 years, because though they may have been Escort prices to buy they are still supercar prices to maintain. So many ended up getting botched to sell on and hence lots of real Z32 dogs out there.

 

I honestly think that this will be the last year that prices fall and in a few years the remaining cars will be those that have been cared for and prices and image will go up.

well said mate .....agree 100%

I think all the time owners of these cars put body kits and other bolt on goodies on them it will never be treated with the Super car status that it deserves, people who buy other Super cars don't graft body kits on them so joe public cannot see what the car is, until this stops happening it will be seen as a cheap car to customise. The only thing that people who like the Z as it is, (ie no body kits) can do is to maintain them to the highest standard possible and hope that one day they will get the status they deserve.

 

This not a pop at the people with body kits, it's your car to do as you wish. Just answering the thread as I see it.

 

Paul

 

Its never going to have the image of an exotic supercar, and thats nothing to do with Bodykits/customising. Thats Badge snobbery and price.

 

Its against the other Jap sports cars that the 300zx has an image problem with. Skyline/Supra/RX7 ...etc all have a better image than the 300zx, and all of them are as customised/modified as the 300zx.

 

Any bad image issues the 300zx has are undeserved.......chinese whispers !

Doh ! ^^^ Above post by paul was from me using his PC.

 

Anyway..chinese whispers....one person says something negative, everyone else copies it but exaggetes it each time.

 

overweight......No heavier than other comparable cars - Skyline, Supra, 911, M3 ..etc Infact some z32 models are quite a bit lighter than those !.

 

Unreliable........Exaggerated, but stems from problem described by Markzx...owners who cant afford to maintain them properly, and just sell them on in poor states of maintenance and condition. Despite this in comparison most other 16yr+ old cars are long gone to scrap heaven.

Difficult to work on, have to take engine out for everything.........Exaggerated by people who dont know better. Yes you have to pull engine to remove tubs, and its a tight engine bay....but there are much worse vehicles out there to work on !

 

The fact that its the first of its breed, and therefore the oldest doesn't help. Even although it did'nt end production till 2000, many see it as a much older car than its competition.

He'll love you for that :rofl:

 

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

It's a northern hard man / Asian wide boy / king of the chavs car.

Watch this space ;) My car is being built with this purpose in mind.

 

....im not the only one either it seems that finally people are starting to introduce the 300zx to some serious competitions so the next couple of years should be interesting.

 

:bow: R.E.S.P.E.C.T !

LOL who cares? If you like it thats all that counts surely :confused: I didn't buy mine because my neighbour wanted one, I bought it because I did! **** anyone that has a problem with it :D

LOL who cares? If you like it thats all that counts surely :confused: I didn't buy mine because my neighbour wanted one, I bought it because I did! **** anyone that has a problem with it :D

 

Agree 100% Andy!

The reason behind my post was to understand why Jap Performance magazine would print that the 300zx has an image problem. Between the various well written posts in this thread I think we have the answer.

Agree 100% Andy!

The reason behind my post was to understand why Jap Performance magazine would print that the 300zx has an image problem. Between the various well written posts in this thread I think we have the answer.

 

because they obviously dont have the talent to know what makes a good car? because that is their opinion and it does not hold its weight in the big, wide world?

 

And because they could only ever afford Micras???:rofl:

I think there are worse cars for image. Next time your walking down the highstreet and some scooby/ evo races by with the music blasting and the usual BLAP BLAP BLAP exhaust just watch people roll their eyes, you can almost hear them thinking "what a w***er" LOL

 

That's so true......

 

.......but unfortunately the Scooby and Evo "image" is the "right" (or should I say "fashionable") image for Japanese cars at the moment - it's what "the yoof" are more interested in.

 

By that rationale I'd say the ZX has more of a positive image but there's no accounting for (bad) taste:tongue:

 

Still if it keeps the ZX more exclusive then all the better for us.....

 

Richard :)

I'm not really concerned about my Zed's 'image' or what Joe Public thinks of it!

 

I've had a fair few cars in my time, must be over 60 over the last 47 years, and I have never been so attached to a car as I am my Zed. Both it's looks and performance are perfect so far as I am concerned....feast your eyes on my sig.

 

If someone doesn't rate it that's their perogative, it would be a very boring world if we all liked the same things.

 

seconded , the first time i saw a zed was in 94 i was totally gobsmacked by the beauty of it .

there is no car that comes close imo .

to me it looks like its doing a ton standing still,i never get tired of looking at it and saying to myself thats mine.always will be too.

 

love at first sight.:):hyper:

fortunately the z might be more recognised by joe ublic because there is going to be a few in the new fast and furious movie apparently anyone got more details?

new FnF movie, where you here that????

errr imdb i think or just google it its deffonate on imdb but not sure if z's are on the actual site i'll post the website when i find it again and i think the main cars the new scooby. just great

imdb il get links soon. il try find the z bit on a different website because i heard it on 2 different websites... and the lead car is a new scooby. just greay

crap dint see second page sorry !

This site mentions things about a new FnF film

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/rumormill-new-fast-and-furious-movie-on-the-way/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013752/

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-fast-and-the-furious-4-story-details-3412apparently this is the story line

i enjoy driving my zed more than i do BMW 325i or Astra Sport, much more fun, which is the only reason i bought it. only don't drive it every day as i want to keep the milage down and keep it as close to a classic as poss. They are all c**ts and dont know what the F**k there on about. My zed doesn't need to be any faster, its F**king awsome as is!

http://www.fastandfurious4.co.uk/ ... -furious-4

been on it didnt realy find much out and is it official?

i enjoy driving my zed more than i do BMW 325i or Astra Sport,

 

Bloody well hope so!! LOL

bmwi cost almost 26k when i bought it and its great for a solid car that looks and performs fantastic, astra sport is good on economy but still has some pull where needs on motorways, they are both excellent cars and wouldn't change until i really needed too as i love them both, zed is something diffrent, if you have any suggestions other that bm and astra i would love to hear them?????

Not offering suggestions. Just damn sure that driving a Z is far more entertaining than a 2.8 BMW or an Astra Sport. ;)