I've found a really good priced TT Z but don't know what to look for mechanically while inspecting before parting with my deposit. What are the most common faults, and what should be paid close attention to?

 

I need any responses by tonight as tomorrow is the big day !

 

Thanks folks !

 

Where is it your going?

 

You could get someone off here to go with you if it in their area.

 

Matty.

 

 

 

 

ummm.... I'm not... my friend is... the car is in Japan. lol That's why I need to get the info quickly... I need to call him before he leaves.

 

Jayen

I suggest you look thru the archives for the answers to this question. Just increase the Dates of post to return at the bottom of the forum

 

Basically - Check for the same things as you did with you NA.

 

the Crucial differences are.

1. The HICAS system - check for rear play in the rear Axel - try to get them to jack up each side and check for excessive lateral movement in the wheels. Also check for vibrations thru the seat upto and over 80mph / Motorway speeds.

 

2. The Turbos - Check for Smoke ! Black or blue smoke = run a mile - phone the seller and ask them either not to start the car before you get there or if this is not possible arange a time when you can view the car from cold. Black smoke will generally be Seal failure from the turbos. blue is obviously unburnt oil getting thru the engine - this is a early sign of seal failure if it happens from cold. It is a good idea to drive behind the owner in your car for a few miles when you get there as a inital test drive. Also listen for loud Whistling under hard acceleration - Stock Z' turbos on a Stock Z should be very queit under load and loud whistling could indicate damage to compressor fins. In any case you wil be looking at a full rebuild sooner rather than later at around 1500 quid. - bare in mind tho any Z with over 60 - 70K miles is in danger of failed turbos - if they have been well looked after with regular servicing and good quality oil the turbos and seal can last to over 120K. White smoke is usually ok for a while as that is often steam altho prolonged white smoke can be a symptom of head gaskett / cylinder hear problems.

 

3. The Cooling system - TT's are a lot more prone to overheating problems than NA's Take the care for a long test drive - check the guages in car and look in the near side wheel well for signs of coolant expulsion.

 

5. Performance - should be a lot more mid range torque than the NA - third - forth gear acceleration should be instant rapid. Check the boost guage - it should boost to around the 9psi mark on the stock guague - altho this guage is inaccurate anything lower than 5psi mean saftey boost / vaccum system problems.

 

That is about it in the differences dept check all the interior and subsystem tests that you would do for the NA as well.

 

Make sure you ask them to do a ECU diag take the Codes with you - watch out for things like O2 sensors and Det sensor failures - ECU should return code 55.

 

If you are worried about the age of the car and they want 5K + for it on the original engine i would ask for a compression test to be done.

 

Think that should cover most things you aren't alread used too. TT's are fast and fun but it is worth your money waiting for a good one to come along.

 

Z ya

 

Nico91TT

 

If it's at an auction you ain't gonna be able to check anything!

 

Jayen, check out the post that I've just sent back to the top of the forum, "Good Z info site!".

 

I found it to be excellent, maybe your mate could read up on it aswell.

 

Good luck!

 

Tim

;-)

 

1991 UK 300ZX TT Auto. Current Status: M.I.A.

1987 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16v Cosworth Auto. Current Status: Operational

 

Ok, once again... the *buying a Z checklist rev. 1.2*

 

Engine/Mechanical-stuff:

-Try to avoid very early Z's '89/jan-feb '90, due to possible cyl.head-problems

-Try to get a full service history (if car has been serviced by Nissan, they should be able to get you a list with EVERYTHING that has been done to the car in the past)

-Have a compression-test done

-Check ECU for error codes, if everything's ok it should show code 55.

-listen for weird sounds during test-drive. (whining, rattling sounds from the engine bay is generally not a good sign)

-drive the car hard during a test-drive and carefully watch the boost-gauge.

maximum boost-level on a stock 300Z should be around the first and second positive line on the stock boost-meter. (which is around 9psi, 0.6bar)..although the stock boost-gauge might not be very accurate.

If it doesn't go past the first positive line it's probably in safety-boost and something is wrong.

if it wanders off the scale, the boost has been increased...and without the right chip this is NOT good.

If the boost-meter doesn't work...they're probably trying to hide something.

Also listen for whining whistling sounds as soon as the boost starts to build.

Also LISTEN good...you shouldn't be able to hear the stock turbo's (unless you have the windows wide open and drive through a tunnel)

 

After the testdrive let the car idle and open the hood and see if smoke is coming from the area around turbo's or on the bottom of the car from the cats

Also check if blue smoke is coming from the exhaust, which indicates that turbo-seals are near their end (this might take a little while, so let the engine idle for at least 5 minutes.)

-oil pressure should be between 30 and 60 psi during normal driving.

-Timing belt should have been replaced every 60k miles/every 4 year..make sure this has been done !

-Once the engine is warmed up it should idle as smooth as silk...no vibrations at all.

(Although a rough idle may not always be a sign for something serious.)

 

 

(Automatic) gearbox-stuff:

-try to avoid automatics from '89/'90/early '91, especially higher mileage ones..

-check (dipstick) oil-color and smell of gearbox-oil (dipstick is behind the engine)

Dark or black oil and/or burned smell is generally not a good sign.

-Do an Automatic-gearbox diagnostic

-check for oil leakage from gearbox/differential

-Manual gearbox: check for grinding (ALL gears)

 

Body-stuff:

-Lift up any rubber seals on the car even around the windows & look for a paint edge.

-Check every wheel well & even see if you can lift up the edge of the liner to see if there is a paint edge.

-Pop the hood & hatch. Check the bolts that hold the quarter panel on, should be covered with factory paint & look like it's never been removed, if it's been removed you will know it because it's near impossible to line it back up & not show where bolt location was previously.

-Check the gaps on both sides of hood, should be small & equal. Check the gaps right under door where fender meets door, make sure same on both sides.

-Check gaps on both sides of bumpers front & back, also the gaps between the doors should be equal on both sides of the car.

-Open doors & look through hinge ares for messed up sheet metal on the pillar.

-Check in back upper hatch seal area for signs of wreck.

-Always look in the spare tire well.

-Look for OEM glass & always check for cracked windshield this is easy to miss & not uncommon.

-Look up under the bumper at the frame that connects to it, look under hood area at that also, this is what gets straightened from a head on collision.

-Whatever you do NEVER & I mean NEVER buy a car at night! Even if you go where lights are. In the day look down the body for dings & depressions especially since Zs are durasteel.

-I don't use a magnet since I can generally knock & tell if has bondo but feel free. Owners will look at you funny & get irate sometimes...hey, if they don't like it, don't buy it, this is NOT a small investment. If the owner knows the car is excellent they will have no problem whatsoever letting you check it up & down, normally they are pretty proud when it's really clean.

-I prefer stock paint that has been maintained.

-Check the calipers, see if they look all the same.

-Check lights for condensation..though sometimes this is not indicative or wreck, check the seal area & alignment around the lights very hard to get to factory spec.

 

more body-stuff checking:

http://www4.bs.monash.edu.au/oz32/Tech/NewZ.htm

 

 

Also it might be worthwhile to try to get someone from this forum (or someone that knows Z32's) to come with you if you think you have found one that you're considering to buy :-)

 

-Eric

 

Mr Jayen,

 

If I could bre any service to you when you visit Japan for looky looky at 300ZX, I would be most humbled to be at your service.

 

:o)

 

If you do not wish to take me up on this offer I flink you is a plick.

 

:o)

 

Mr. Hokey Koaky japanokey.

 

BANZAI......(takes bow, keeping eye contact)

 

LOL!...Sensai Matty,

 

You is off your trolley geeZer, still smiling with coat hanger in gob now!

 

Old Japanese proverb...

 

Man go to bed with itchy arse...

 

Wake up with smelly finger!

 

Tim

;-)

 

1991 UK 300ZX TT Auto. Current Status: M.I.A.

1987 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16v Cosworth Auto. Current Status: Operational

 

Thank you all SO much ! That's exactly what I needed... and such a rapod response too !

Have to say that if I knew all that about turbo's I might not have considered it... but now the adrenelin is pumping so fast I just can't resist the temptation.

At least thanks to you I won't be buying a lame turkey now :o))

 

oops ! I'm so overcome I can't even spell/write properly now. lol Just goes to show how spectular the Z actually is ;o)

 

I'm the man for the Job!

 

I have 12 years experience in checking TiT's and all things of a breast and fleshy nature.

 

Oh....sorry, I mis-read your post....

 

:o)

 

TT.....not TiT's....

 

:o)

 

Brian 'Boob Inspector' Feeler

 

( . )( . )

 

 

 

So, how much are you going to ask for your NA then?

 

Mr TiTs,

 

Pack it in while yer ahead, you crack me up...Mr Looney Tunes ZZ

 

LFHN...(Laughing F**kin' Hysterically NOW!)

 

Nutty GeeZer,

 

Tim

;-)

 

1991 UK 300ZX TT Auto. Current Status: M.I.A.

1987 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16v Cosworth Auto. Current Status: Operational

 

Good question Jez ! I still don't have the answer. I've checked out the sites listed in the threads... checked autotrader... and phoned a few dealerships, only to find that the prices ranged from 4k to 7.8k - (depending on factors like mileage, alloys, body-styling, etc..)

The 7.8k was closest to mine, (dealership advertising in autotrader). However, on the other side of the coin, there was a 400 bhp TT with huge sound system for 8k... so I can't see how they think they'd shift it.

I'm completely stumped... I think I'll just have to prepare myself for disappointment and come in low for genuine responses.

How low will depend on whether this TT my friend is looking at comes up to standard. Just got off the phone with him and he's looking at it now for me.

 

Damn tiring this isn't it ;o)

*yawns*

 

Within the next cpouple of weeks I will be

looking for a TT 2+2. I'm looking in a radius of about 100 miles from

Bristol. If there is anyone out there who knows the ins and outs of a TT

that would have the time to inspect one for me before I part with my

cash I would be more than grateful. I know as much about cars as

I do about quantum physics. That would be sod all!! Please email me at

carlbritton@hotmail.com if you are able to help me out. Also, does anyone know what the largest width wheel will fit on a TT without arch mods. I have been looking at 18" rims and have found them up to 14" wide. Many thanks.

 

Check here for all the buyers guides around :- http://www.300zx.org.uk/tech_20.htm

 

And here for assistance in verifying the age of the vechicle you might be buying :- http://www.300zx.org.uk/import_dating.htm

 

 

 

------------------

Z32 technical article index

Ah those were the days.

 

Id say get a Skyline mate but I wont coz everyone'll call me a Trotsky.

 

Yours,

 

Sammy Davis Junior off the cannonballrun.

 

 

 

------------------

->Glen

-

Skyline GT-R

'You dont so much drive this car -

as hang on for dear life..'

J.Clarkson

Thanks for the advice. It made good reading. I now feel a bit more confident about what to look for. One thing that still worries me though is the turbos. I've heard that at 60-70000 miles they can pack up and need replacing. Some of the cars I have seen for sale have mentioned new turbos being fitted. Obviously I will be looking for a car with service history but what is the chance of this happening and what would it cost if they had to be replaced? Also, does anyone know of any good garages or mechanics in the South West that are hot on TT's?