vern936

Hi again everyone, I know that there has already been loads of replies in this thread but I have still not managed to find anyone from the midlands that would be willing to come to have a look at this car and test drive it for me for an extra twenty quid or something. Don't know what to do now. What do people think of the pictures I've put on? I know you can't really tell much from them about what condition the car is in other than you can see the rust on the rear wheel arch and the small dent in the same wheel arch but just wondering if people's first impressions were the same as mine? Cheers, James

It seems attaching images hasn't worked - so here's the links to them :) http://www.box.net/shared/1rjrml5wko http://www.box.net/shared/h38xipy8k0 Cheers, James P.S. What a pain in the @$$ it is to not be able to edit my posts. I will definately be subscribing if I buy the car lol

Can anybody recommend anyone that they know is from the Stoke area that has a good knowledge of zeds that I can email in case they haven't seen this thread? Getting desperate to get it looked at now so I can decide if I'm buying this zed or tell him I'm not and find something else. :) For anyone that's interested I went up to the house it's parked outside and took a couple of pics of it today. It's not been touched in months so could do with a wash - but I can imagine it looking sweet after not much effort of washing and waxing! :) What do you think? Cheers, James

So how much would you be expecting for yours then? Have you got any pics to send me/link to on here? And what mileage? Hopefully that will help me get an idea of how much this one of my cousins would be worth fully working :) Cheers, James

Hi markstevens. I know what you mean - that's why I'd like to get someone to come and look at it for me. I'm really surprised nobody is interested in a bit of extra money for coming to look at this car with me! I know what you're saying about needing to buy the best I can get but as far as I can see the only problems that it has had have been sort of caused by my cousin really. If I was going to get a zed it would be a black twin turbo t-top SWB for between £3k-4k. Anyone got one for sale that is within reasonable distance of Stoke-on-Trent? Cheers, James

PedroZ - Lol I am living in a dream world - but fortunately for me I can afford that dream. bird - Lol yeah I know a few people that are like that. No that's right - a bike limited to 33bhp but there's no limit on engine size so I actually have a Kawasaki Ninja 250R which is obviously not the fastest of bikes but it's good for 0-60mph in around 5.5 seconds and on to a top speed of around 110mph so it's not exactly the slowest thing around either and you could easily lose the grip on the back wheel by getting too confident and giving it too much throttle in a corner. I know that I definately need someone to check the car out for me but am having trouble finding a volunteer - I don't think anyone from the Stoke area has even replied to this thread yet! Still got my fingers crossed for someone to offer help soon though lol. Luckily the mechanic my cousin is having fix the PTU problem doesn't appear to be very reliable and despite him saying he would definately pick it up on Wednesday just gone, it still hasn't moved yet. It doesn't seem that he's exactly rushing around to get it done which is working to my advantage at the moment while I find someone to come and look at it for me lol. Cheers for the replies guys, James

That's my theory. I think I'll only start to learn how to drive high performance car when I actually start to drive a high performance car and driving around in something useless like a Shitron Paxo will not really benefit me any more than riding my motorbike :) Still nobody from Staffordshire want to come and help me out with this? :S I need to get this car looked at by someone that knows their stuff about zeds. Cheers, James

Cheers for the reply again mate. Well that's why I wanted to get someone to have a look at it for me - so I can tell my cousin I aren't having it unless everything is fixed. I don't want to have to fix a problem myself that existed from when he owned it that will cost bid money - like for example this PTU problem it's got. If it ends up being the wiring loom I'm talking big money - which I don't want to have to pay because the likelyhood is that the engine swap has caused the problem. I see what you're saying and I have considered other things but I think I have become an 'obsessed maniac' lol. I kinda like the idea of having the targa top for the summer - any other v6 sports cars that are in the same price range as 300zx (£3k to £4k) with the option to take the roof off? I personally think I'll be able to manage the cars power and rear wheel drive but a lot of people on here don't seem to think I will. I was set on having a 300zx before I started this thread but I've got to admit people on here have got me wondering if there's a better alternative. . . Thanks, James

Am I right in thinking you've only been driving for about 1 year 5 months then? When did you get your zed? Cheers, James

Cheers for the replies guys. I know that they are expensive to run petrol wise - ain't got a problem with that; I can afford it. Also, like I said before I'lll be using the bike as a daily runabout which does around 65mpg so the average mpg I'll be getting over both vehicles for the amount of miles i'll be doing on the bike and the car will be better than most people's anyway if you understand me :) I see what your saying murt about starting at the bottom and working my way up to a zed but that was what I was hoping to avoid and I've got money to spend to allow to me skip the stage of driving around in cheap runabouts and jump straight into something like a zed. As far as I'm concerned the running costs will not be an issue. I do not want to end up buying a particular money pit of a zed though - that's why I posted about my cousin's before handing over any cash etc. I know that general wear and tear parts like tires will need replacing and I have no problems paying money out for tires every once in a while but I want to ensure I'm not buying something that is gonna need expensive bits replacing :) Thanks jez300z - I see what you're saying but I think I can manage being careful enough ESPECIALLY in the bends to keep the car on the road. I only intend to insure the car for the summer so hopefully we won't have that much rain for me to be driving in! I know precautions about how important maintaining traction through corners is from my motorbike - if your back wheel slips in the wet on the bike you stand the chance of ending up sliding along the road on your side so you learn to be extra careful and sensitive to feeling it start to slip in the wet. I appreciate all the concern about me not being able to manage the car's power - but the real question I'm looking for here is whether or not to buy my cousin's zed :) Like I've said previously I probably will not end up buying a zed unless it's from someone I know so unless I can get someone to come and look at my cousin's car, establish what needs doing to it to make it into a reasonable zed and then find out it's true value - it's unlikely I'll actually be having one :) Cheers, James

Hi indian_zx. I will be being careful :) no worries about that. The last thing I want would be to crash my zed and hurt myself or worse someone else so I won't be driving it hard for a while. I have to explain that, although I'm sure everyone would say this, I'm not your typical seventeen your old. I want the car because I want something special; something that will bring a smile to my face when I go out for a drive and not the usual 'Shitron Paxo' (lol) that everyone else has. I don't necessarily want a zed for it's speed and power - I like them because of how they look and because of how special they are. Maybe I'll become more interested in going fast when I've learned how to go fast without crashing :) The only reason I even considered buying a zed initially was because my cousin was selling his. My theory was that if I know the person I buy it off it's more likely that I'll know more about it's past and I'll get good value for money. Do any 300zx's have traction control? Didn't think they did! Thought the 300zx idea of traction control was fitting wide tyres :) lol. Chances are at this rate that I'll be buying the car and storing it for a few months with how things are looking at the moment anywayz - but like I said the only reason I am considering a zed or any car at this particular moment in time is because I found out my cousin was selling his :) Regards, James

Hi Jez300Z - you must have submitted your post as I was adding a reply of my own! I see what you're saying mate. I've already explained to my cousin that no way am I even thinking about buying the car as a non-runner :) so he has having this PTU problem looked at. I see what your saying about him being reluctant to put it through an MOT possibly meaning he knows about more problems than he's letting on but I believe him when he says it's got no other problems that he knows about :) I'm sure he would tell me if he thought it was a money pit himself. As far as I know the only reason he stopped using the 300zxTT was because he bought a 200sx. Cheers for the replies again everyone - really appreciating and taking on board all this advice. Regards, James

Thanks for the replies guys - really appreciate it. Mowerman - I know what you're saying mate - and I do understand why people might think I've bitten off more than I can chew. I know that these cars have expensive running costs and that is no problem for me. I know what you mean about the zed experience being different to other cars because everything can happen so much faster - but I am a biker and on a motorbike everything can happen faster still and you HAVE to be aware of all of what's going on around you to keep yourself on the bike. Yeh I know about Zed World in Tamworth but like I menioned in my previous posts the car is not running at the moment and is not insured etc to be driven to Zed World for them to have a look at it and I know I said that money isn't a problem for me but I don't want to be paying someone from Zed World to come and look at the car for me throwing money at a car I'm not necessarily going to buy if you understand me. Cheers for the advice though and I'll perhaps give you a ring sometime after a little bit more advice. Out of interest - as a relatively young driver how old are you? And at what age did you get your zed? Also, I would never even consider taking the zed to a dealer to be looked at - come to think of it I'd probably never consider taking any car to a dealer to be looked at :) The garage that is looking at the PTU problem is not my choice it's my cousin's although he has worked on this zed for one before - not sure if he has any other experience with them though. My problem is finding a zed specialist nearby that will come out to the car that will come and look for the price of fuel or a very small fee because like I said - I really don't wanna be throwing money at my cousin's car if I'm not gonna end up buying it. mgh297 - As I mentioned money for car repairs will not be a problem providing I can expect a good few months running without it actually breaking down lol. Which as far as I am aware I can expect providing the car is well checked out that nothing is wrong with it and well looked after? Quavey - I will be driving the car hard at some point just not until I have gained some experience of the car's characteristics :) I was infact looking at buying a Clio Sport before I realised my cousins car was for sale and after researching Clio's found that they're not exactly short of problems themselves. The zed will not be my daily runner - like I said above I am a biker and will be using my Ninja as my runabout. The bike is for when I want to get to somewhere - the zed will be for when I fancy a drive. For me the most vital thing I need to ensure in thinking about buying a zed is making sure that I don't buy a lemon - which is what I was starting to wonder if my cousin's car was!! That's why I decided to seek the help of the forum :) Seriously guys, I've thought about this long and hard (despite it probably appearing to you that I haven't) and have come to the conclusion that although the car is a high performance vehicle it's manageable and as I won't be experienced enough to handle the power - I won't be giving it much power for a good while. Simple as that. The main thing I need to establish is whether or not this particular zed is worth buying? If it's not I'll have to reconsider car choices unless there are zed's for sale on here for around £3k to £4k with no engine mods (I don't want more even more power) in good condition in my local area. Thanks, James

Cheers for the replies. mrogers - that's what I plan to do. I've explained to my cousin that there is no chance I'm going to buy it without an MOT. Cheers for the advice :) AndyP - my thoughts exactly after reading the forum and discovering that the series 2 PTUs are quite reliable. As I understand it though - the series 2 PTU connector is different to the series 1 connector and so when fitting a series 2 PTU to a series 1 car you need an adapter to allow you to connect it. My thoughts were that this adapter may be dodgey because of how the 2 series 1 PTU's that he has had fitted have lasted months and all the series 2 ones have lasted hours. I suppose the only other option after the PTU's being supplied are checked and are good is that there's a short in the wiring loom resulting in voltage where there shoudln't be voltage thus blowing the PTU. It may be a possibility I suppose that the wiring loom may have been damaged when the engine was swapped? Still no volunteers from the Stoke area willing to have a look? I'll pay for fuel obviously and a bit extra for your time if necessary :) Regards, James

Thanks for the replies guys. mrogers - thanks for the advice mate. I plan on checking it myself and seeing if I can get in touch with the mechanic that my cousin is having check out the PTU problem and ask if he could check it out for me. My cousin seems a bit reluctant to put it through an MOT which is a bit worrying but I've decided there's no chance I'm gonna buy it unless it gets MOTd and I've told him that. I know that PTU failures on the 300zx is not uncommon but I think there is a problem with either the PTU's that my cousin has been having put on it, the person that's fitting it is not doing it properly somehow or the is a problem with the wiring loom. I think he has gone through about 5 in not a very long period of time :) It's had series 2 PTUs fitted to it - are the series 2 PTUs what you mean by the later versions or am I missing something? Has anybody else had problems with PTUs lasting hours rather than years? I understand how important good grip is to driving these cars well which is why I plan to only insure it for summer months with the theory that warm, dry weather will be the best time to drive it and I DO NOT want to be taking it out in ice, rain, fog or generally poor conditions unless I have to :) and also 6 months insurance should bring it down to a slightly more manageable price PhilP - thanks for the reply. I understand what you're saying - but I know that I'll only waste the money on something else if I don't get myself a decent car and like I said in my previous posts I've made the mistake of falling in love with the 300zx and my theory was that I know the history of this one. I know the problems he has had with it and I thought it would be better knowing about it's problems than buying a car that looks in better condition than this one and finding out after a couple of hundred miles that it's a wreck. Cheers - keep posting the advice folks, James.

Cheers for the reply mrogers. That was what my cousin said - it's the one that everybody wants apparently. Yeah I am expecting there to be a few little problems with the car - but today I suppose all the electronics on cars cause small problems with even modern cars - so when something like the zed has modern electrics that are 18 years old things are bound to go wrong with the electrics which is why I wasn't to concerned with the PTU issue. I know - I've realised that there's no way that I should buy the car unless I can get someone to have a look at it for me. I've read the buyers guide but I need somebody to drive it who knows how they should drive if you know what I mean. I've arranged to have a look underneath the car while my cousin has got it in the garage to have the PTU problem looked at so I should know soon what the problem with the play in the steering is. Could only check the driver's side so it's possibly the track rod end on that side (praying) but could be something on the steering rack :) I'm not sure about the HICAS - I've not seen it running yet. It just looks as if there's something a bit suspect with the rear wheels because they don't point straight ahead - possibly needs four wheel tracking. I couldn't decide if the reason it looked out is because the car was on a slope on the nearside so again I can check that out when I go to see it again when it's running. Thanks to everyone that has replied - really appreciate it, James

Specialists in Young Driver insurance: I phoned the sales team of http://www.4youngdrivers.com for my quote. That's the only place I have tried as yet - will be checking to see if they are the cheapest around/the only ones that will insure me lol. It's not looking very promising towards me having the zed with the comments about it being eBay fodder at the moment although I suppose there's always other zed's for sale :) Regards, James

Oh right JEZ300Z! Less then £2k? Didn't expect that! I definately need to get someone experienced with zeds to come and look at it for me then. I don't want to spend the money and find out I've bought a wreck :) I know about the being unexperienced with high performance vehicle's but like I've zed I've fallen in love with these cars and I know I'd be gutted if I had the chance to get one and then didn't :) Like I said before - and I know probably all teenage drivers looking to buy a high performance car would say this - I'm not going to be driving it with a heavy foot at all. I will be taking it easy for a LONG while. Hi FunkySi, I know it is obscene but after seeing how some people drive on the roads today - not all of them young drivers - I can see why insurance brokers have to charge high risk drivers this much. I know myself that I won't be driving it hard at all - but how do they know that. I know my limits - and I know my level of skill will be low until I've got some experience under my belt although I'm not sure that driving around in a normal car for a year would prepare me for driving a zed - I would imagine that's something you can only learn how to do well by buying one, starting off taking it easy and ONLY when you've built up experience and can feel what the car is doing and know the limits of components fitted like tires can you even think about putting your foot down a bit. Hope I'm making sense here - although I know that there are people that will say that a seventeen year old wanting a zed makes no sense at all :) Any volunteers to have a look at it with me then? Cheers for the replies, James

Cheers for the advice - will take it on board :)

Cheers for the reply, I know mate - I'm well aware that the car will bite and I'm also well aware that if I drive it with a heavy foot before gaining LOTS of experience I will not have the skills to put it right when it does bite. I have thought about it carefully but I have made the mistake of falling in love with the zed as I'm sure has happened to many people on here and the more I think about it the more I want it. Rest assured I will be taking it steady for a long while in the zed (if I end up with it) and have no intention of going around driving the zed trying to show how talented I am only to have my talent run out and to injure myself or worse somebody else. Cheers for the advice :)

Forgot to mention a couple of things and unfortunately it won't let me edit my posts. Because of the wheels being bigger than standard they now rub the wheel arch lining when on full lock to this obviously needs adjusting to stop this happening. The wheel arch lining from behind the right hand intercooler is missing (this is how i noticed the bumper was tie-wrapped to the intercooler) but I'm not sure if this is a problem and one their appears to be some issues with the rear wheel steering as they just appeared not quite right - possibly need tracking. How much do you think it's worth from the description I have given? I have pestered my cousin for photos but he hasn't sent me any as yet so I can't upload photos of it for you to look at. I disagree with the value in his advert massively and upon first view I thought the car was worth around £3200 but the more I think about it the more value the car loses to me with all it's possible problems. What do you guys think? Thanks again, James

Hi everyone. I'm looking for a bit of advice of whether or not my cousin's car is worth buying. Here's the (rather long) description from when he originally advertised it as for sale way back in July last year: I've been to see the car a couple of times now but I'm still in two minds about whether the car is worth buying or not. At the moment the car has been standing since July last year when my cousin placed the advert above on the forum so it's not been driven or run for around 6 months so as you can imagine it doesn't look it's best at all. A couple of things that I've noticed myself in addition to the problems that my cousin has listed above are: it will probably need new tires all round (probably will end up being part-worns if I can get hold of some) because of them being low on tread anyway and they have perished from being static for so long. The front bumper is not fixed on the driver's side - it is worrying tie-wrapped to the intercooler :confused: but it's cracked anyway from when the car was put on a tow truck after a breakdown. The handbrake desperately needs adjusting as it gets to the end of the lever travel and still doesn't appear to be fully on. Also there is excessive play on some part of the steering but I can't find out at which joint(s) yet because as yet I've had no chance to have a look underneath it. I have posted on the forum in the hope that someone in the Stoke area with good mechanical knowledge of zed's and if possible a pretty much standard zed-engined that they could at least take me for a drive in so that I can at least get an idea of how well a standard zed engine should pull. Also if somebody would like to test drive my cousin's zed for me (when it's running after this ptu problem is sorted) to check it performs and drives as it should that would be great. Also, any seventeen year old driver's on here got a zed? If so how much did you pay for your premium and who were you insured with? At the moment I'm looking at paying £5k for TPFT level insurance but that's in my name (as opposed to being a named driver with someone older as the main driver) so I can earn NCB :) I look forward to any replies, Cheers, James