Possibly buying a 350z soon Options

[ClevelandGaint]

Been looking for a while for something i havent had yet. A nissan 350z sounds pretty good right about now. Now to find a touring model since i love leather and all the extra bells and whistles. Now the hard part is purchasing one that hasnt been beat to crap buy a young kid or made into a drift car, since drifting is the "in thing" now. I still own my 300zx, fun little car just bored with it. But the possibilities of a 350z are endless for me. Definitely gotta re freshen up the engine and suspension. Any in put on them, pros and cons? I been searching the 350 forums for a while now, so been learning as much as i can. Anyone have real world experiences with them??

[richee3]

I LOVED my Z and miss it every day. I had an 04 Touring. If you've been on the Z forums then I'm sure you've seen the cons already- alignment issues in the '03, oil consumption in the '06 RevUp, syncro issues in the early 6 speeds, shoddy power window motors no matter which year you get. But those cars are so much fun that they're well worth any issue that you may come across. The VQ35 is a damn good engine and I saw 29 mpg out of mine once, and consistently got 25. I plan on buying an HR Z in a few years to replace my DE, but for now I'm moving on. My Z was very controllable whether I was weaving through traffic or driving like an idiot with the tail hanging out. It never failed to out a smile on my face, no matter what kind of trip I was taking.

[Box]

Just save up some more for a early 370Z. Either way you shouldn't have too hard of a time finding a relatively clean example, you have to remember the only way some kids would get their hands onto these is if mommy and daddy have way more money than brains.

[msk59]

I am a big fan of 350z. In fact I am tempting to trade in my rare Frontier Nismo 6 speed for a convertable 2006 here in Topeka but my buddy who works at Nissan himself is stoping me from tranding in my fronty. I hate automatic transmission.

Like Riche said every year model has some glitches. I heard that 2006 6 speed has syncro issue as well as cluctch failing issue.

Like I tell my wife, my cbr1000rr is my first midlife crisis and Z will be my second midlife crises reward.

One of these days...............

[ClevelandGaint]

I LOVED my Z and miss it every day. I had an 04 Touring. If you've been on the Z forums then I'm sure you've seen the cons already- alignment issues in the '03, oil consumption in the '06 RevUp, syncro issues in the early 6 speeds, shoddy power window motors no matter which year you get. But those cars are so much fun that they're well worth any issue that you may come across. The VQ35 is a damn good engine and I saw 29 mpg out of mine once, and consistently got 25. I plan on buying an HR Z in a few years to replace my DE, but for now I'm moving on. My Z was very controllable whether I was weaving through traffic or driving like an idiot with the tail hanging out. It never failed to out a smile on my face, no matter what kind of trip I was taking.

I been doing my homework on them, i read about the feathering issue with the rear tires on the early models. Im debating if i should get the high rev or not, i heard pros and cons about all of them. Ultimately all depends on how much i wanna fork over, i dont want a car payment so it would be a cash deal. I plan on going through the car completely to make sure everything works, if im gonna be spending 8-12k cash on one it has to have everything i want and taken care of. I want vlsd so the base model is out, i want a touring model since it has everything i like. The only thing im worried about is i know they have a noisy transmission and i dont want to mistake it for something horrible if its common for them to be loud or chattery. Also i question for you, how reliable our the gauges in the car, I know in my 3000gt i have, i had to install aftermaket gauges since the original ones were horrible and gave a false reading sometimes

Me personally i hate the 370z body style seems like it got rear ended and squished in the middle.

[Box]

Odd, I dislike the 350Z styling but like the 370Z. Have you considered the G37 coupe? It's more or less a fancier and bigger Z.

This post has been edited by Box: Jul 18, 2014 - 6:59 PM

[ClevelandGaint]

Odd, I dislike the 350Z styling but like the 370Z. Have you considered the G37 coupe? It's more or less a fancier and bigger Z.

Now see i want a g35 or g37 in the worse way, but up in ohio its kind of hard to find a 2 door and one thats not a automatic. I know i get all the luxury of car if i get the g35 or g37. Im looking at all my options right now, not really in a rush but i will have either a 350 or g35 by the end of the year. I dont want a car payment is my only thing, if i cant have a title to it i dont want it lol. But im weighing the pros and cons of each one. If anyone has more insight on these awesome cars let me know everything. Its the only platform i havent messed with it

[richee3]

The thing about the 370Z is... A G35 is a dressed up 350Z. It's the same car but with more options and a rear seat, making it slightly heavier so not quite as quick but not far off. The 370Z, on the other hand... It's more G37 than it is sports car. An HR 350Z with a couple of bolt ons will embarrass a 370Z, and do it for less money. The 370Z looks good but when you get up close you can tell that it's actually a huge car. Not that the 370Z is a bad car, it's just not as much of a sports car as the 350 was.

03-04 had tire feathering issues, which is fixed with an alignment. Some people claim that one single alignment did the trick, others say it takes regular alignments.
04.5-05- Good cars, nothing wrong with them besides the power windows. The 6 speed has syncro issues but a well maintained example should be fine. 04.5 means made after January 1st, 2004. Mine was an 04.5 Touring model with no navi.
06- Got new headlights, LED tail lights, and front bumper, and the driver's seat was height adjustable. The auto trans still had a VQ35DE, but the 6 speeds had a RevUp VQ35 that is known for oil consumption. Not all engines burn oil, but a good number of them do.
07-08- Completely revised cars. Interior is updated with better materials, suspension is completely revised and much better, and the car now has a VQ35HR, which revved higher and had more power than the VQ35DE, but less torque. There was a new hood added to the facelift. The HR Z's are generally the most desirable Z's, but some prefer the torquier VQ35DE of the earlier Z's.

I loved my DE, but in a few years I'd love to get an HR. To be honest, I enjoyed my Z so much as it was that I really didn't want to change it much. I wanted the 5 spoke HR rims, a small lip for a spoiler, a front lip, Nismo exhaust, and some small touches here and there but I loved it exactly as it was. It's a car that doesn't need mods to make you happy, but they won't hurt anything.

[Box]

I think we all know it's what's on the outside that matters the most.

[ClevelandGaint]

The thing about the 370Z is... A G35 is a dressed up 350Z. It's the same car but with more options and a rear seat, making it slightly heavier so not quite as quick but not far off. The 370Z, on the other hand... It's more G37 than it is sports car. An HR 350Z with a couple of bolt ons will embarrass a 370Z, and do it for less money. The 370Z looks good but when you get up close you can tell that it's actually a huge car. Not that the 370Z is a bad car, it's just not as much of a sports car as the 350 was.

03-04 had tire feathering issues, which is fixed with an alignment. Some people claim that one single alignment did the trick, others say it takes regular alignments.
04.5-05- Good cars, nothing wrong with them besides the power windows. The 6 speed has syncro issues but a well maintained example should be fine. 04.5 means made after January 1st, 2004. Mine was an 04.5 Touring model with no navi.
06- Got new headlights, LED tail lights, and front bumper, and the driver's seat was height adjustable. The auto trans still had a VQ35DE, but the 6 speeds had a RevUp VQ35 that is known for oil consumption. Not all engines burn oil, but a good number of them do.
07-08- Completely revised cars. Interior is updated with better materials, suspension is completely revised and much better, and the car now has a VQ35HR, which revved higher and had more power than the VQ35DE, but less torque. There was a new hood added to the facelift. The HR Z's are generally the most desirable Z's, but some prefer the torquier VQ35DE of the earlier Z's.

I loved my DE, but in a few years I'd love to get an HR. To be honest, I enjoyed my Z so much as it was that I really didn't want to change it much. I wanted the 5 spoke HR rims, a small lip for a spoiler, a front lip, Nismo exhaust, and some small touches here and there but I loved it exactly as it was. It's a car that doesn't need mods to make you happy, but they won't hurt anything.

Thanks for that awesome write up. Its kinda hard looking for one because when i see a nice prices its a auto, which is depressing because my 300C is auto but its a raped ape with some mods. I have alot of car and i think a 350 or g35 would be nice to add to the collection. I found a beautiful 07 350z for 13.500, only has 53k, adult owned and 6 speed, leather, nav loaded. Im going to look at it tomorrow and see what i can get the guy down to, even tho i know 13,500 is a nice price for a 07. I wanna be in the ball park of 11k, hopefully i can play the u dont 11k in cash all the time card on him. Or theres 05 for 8900 with 82k but theres stickers on it and i know the kid had to try drifting with it because theres some nice scrap marks on the side.

[ClevelandGaint]

I LOVED my Z and miss it every day. I had an 04 Touring. If you've been on the Z forums then I'm sure you've seen the cons already- alignment issues in the '03, oil consumption in the '06 RevUp, syncro issues in the early 6 speeds, shoddy power window motors no matter which year you get. But those cars are so much fun that they're well worth any issue that you may come across. The VQ35 is a damn good engine and I saw 29 mpg out of mine once, and consistently got 25. I plan on buying an HR Z in a few years to replace my DE, but for now I'm moving on. My Z was very controllable whether I was weaving through traffic or driving like an idiot with the tail hanging out. It never failed to out a smile on my face, no matter what kind of trip I was taking.

richee3 so i found a couple 350's i like. I found a 03 350z track, 1 owner, beautiful condition, no dents no dings, older gentleman owned it, 6 speed, only catch has 201k, but has 2 inch binder full of receipts and what not that has been done to the car. Mainly stock except for exhaust and a head unit. For a price for $4200 which im trying to jew him down even more from 4900. Whats your thoughts on that?

Then found a 04 touring wit 52k, leather, 6 speed and beautiful except cracked windshield, the left from brembo needs replaced and has a small exhaust leak, thats going for 8700, which is a nice deal i think.

But the 1 owner is catching my attention because of the well documented car from day 1 of service. Going to re see each car again, might have a new to me Z by the end of the weekend

[richee3]

The VQ35 is a strong engine, but high mileage is high mileage. I suppose it really comes down to how much and how far you'll be driving the car. Definitely take both cars for a test drive to see how they feel. If the 200k car has been pampered but the 52k car may have been beaten on a track. A bad brake caliper and exhaust leak does seem a bit premature on a car with 52,000 miles, so I'd be worried that the car has seen some abuse. I'd be leaning towards this one if it wasn't for the small issues.

Check the manufacture date on the sticker in the door jamb of the 04. If it's after 1/04, then it'll be the 04.5 model. The difference is basically just front suspension and a slightly different cubby hole lid in the dash. What color are they? I'm find of the Sunset LeMans myself.

[Box]

I think the '03 sounds like a fairly good deal. If you think about it it's almost 12 years old, and at 15,000 miles a year being the average it's only 20K miles over what it should be. It's just actually been driven like most people would drive a Camry or Accord. If it runs out strong, and it seems like it's obviously been maintained, I'd have no qualms in buying it. I rather have a higher mileage car that was taken care of than a lower miles one that was someone's dorifto toy. Honestly if the '03 is as nice as it sounds I wouldn't even bother trying to get it for less.

This post has been edited by Box: Aug 1, 2014 - 1:31 AM

[njccmd2002]

201k miles is 201k miles. to me receipts mean nothing. or maybe the same amount of money to spend in the months to come.

the useful life of the engine may end abruptly or may not. same thing could happen with the 52k one.

unless the engine was rebuilt or the suspension overhauled, 201k can bring nightmares. but its always up to the buyer. just be prepared, you dont want to get an expensive paper holder.

[njccmd2002]

and of course an engine running strong means nothing too, or pulls hard. cant tell how many times they were running strong before they exploded.

receipts, pulls hard, runs strong, highway miles are red flags for me. its better to say runs at it should for a "201 K" engine.


the best one, is the car was running before it was parked 20 years ago, lol...... is it running now. sure it was also running when new.... ayways.. just make a wise decision..

im not badgering a high mile engine, just haggle the price nice enough it will give you a cushion

[ClevelandGaint]

Well good news and bad news. Good news I still have my cash, bad news the 201k sold this morning. The 52k one has a bad tranny or the syncos went to crap. Was a dealership car. So now back on the hunt. Prolly should just save up a couple more dollars and get 06+

[richee3]

If I had to do it over again, that's what I would have done. The 06 got the new bumper, bi-xenon headlights, LED tail lights and slightly updated interior. The 06 with the 5AT still had the VQ35DE so no oil consumption, and not all of the 6 speeds with the RevUp engine consume oil. It's hit and miss on those. Worst case scenario you have to add some oil here and there. The 07-08 HR Z's got a new hood to finish the facelift, updated interior, and revised suspension. I would have bought an HR if I had to do it over again, and I'm thinking about picking one up in a year or two.

[Box]

201k miles is 201k miles. to me receipts mean nothing. or maybe the same amount of money to spend in the months to come.

the useful life of the engine may end abruptly or may not. same thing could happen with the 52k one.

unless the engine was rebuilt or the suspension overhauled, 201k can bring nightmares. but its always up to the buyer. just be prepared, you dont want to get an expensive paper holder.

Receipts are nice to have though, shows they actually cared about it to a degree. Really it depends on the car. The VQ series of engines have proved they're reliable, my brother's last Maxima had over 260K before he got the Genesis and the Maxima was still running fine when he sold it. Lots of high mileage VQ's in other cars that use them outside of the Z. If the car starts to fall apart around 100K it's not a car that I'd want to buy anyway.

Well good news and bad news. Good news I still have my cash, bad news the 201k sold this morning. The 52k one has a bad tranny or the syncos went to crap. Was a dealership car. So now back on the hunt. Prolly should just save up a couple more dollars and get 06+

I told you so! Oh well... Might as well just save up for what you REALLY want. Nothing worse than settling.

[ClevelandGaint]

201k miles is 201k miles. to me receipts mean nothing. or maybe the same amount of money to spend in the months to come.

the useful life of the engine may end abruptly or may not. same thing could happen with the 52k one.

unless the engine was rebuilt or the suspension overhauled, 201k can bring nightmares. but its always up to the buyer. just be prepared, you dont want to get an expensive paper holder.

Receipts are nice to have though, shows they actually cared about it to a degree. Really it depends on the car. The VQ series of engines have proved they're reliable, my brother's last Maxima had over 260K before he got the Genesis and the Maxima was still running fine when he sold it. Lots of high mileage VQ's in other cars that use them outside of the Z. If the car starts to fall apart around 100K it's not a car that I'd want to buy anyway.

Well good news and bad news. Good news I still have my cash, bad news the 201k sold this morning. The 52k one has a bad tranny or the syncos went to crap. Was a dealership car. So now back on the hunt. Prolly should just save up a couple more dollars and get 06+

I told you so! Oh well... Might as well just save up for what you REALLY want. Nothing worse than settling.

At this rate i think im just gonna save up for mkiv and call it a day, just need to save up another 4-5k to get one under 17k. P.I.T.A though

[Box]

Really I don't see the point in buying a MKIV, just get a SC300 and save a fortune in the process. It's the exact same chassis as the MKIV is derived from the SC, all of the suspension and drive-train bits are compatible. Put the SC300 on a diet and you're good to go, plus the SC body is stiffer. Unless you just have to have it for the looks, it's silly to pay that kind of money when there's a significantly cheaper alternative.

Let's put it this way, you can easily have a 2JZ-GTE SC for less than the 2JZ-GE MKIV and still have money left over.

This post has been edited by Box: Aug 1, 2014 - 3:17 PM