Hi guys, Potential new 300ZX owner here. Thinking about buying one and want to know what sort of costs I may be in for. It is an imported 89 non-turbo Z32 with almost 90,000. Can anyone tell me what sort of things (& cost involved) I should be aware of ? Are there standard things that are done when servicing at 90000 ? Or 100,000 ? thanks, appreciate any help ! Steve
Well, I have a '90 Jap-spec NA and I have spent approx $14,000 in the last 18 months But I'm not your typical NA owner... 100K service is about $800 if you can do it your self, pretty involved. Most imported Z's have been clocked (My gauge cluster was all scratched where they got in, I managed to get in there without any damage at all ), so do this ASAP. Up around $2000 if someone else does it. If your in Brissie I'll come and give you a hand in exchange for Grog. If your t-belt goes you'll be up for a $5000 bill to fix the heads Clutch is another one, about $500 - $600 if you can do it your self, otherwise about $1000 Plennum pull is always a good one, rip out all the useless coolant hoses etc. $Don't know, haven't done one yet S2 PTU, pretty cheap theses days, the old ones always fail at the worst time... About $250 ish Driveshaft, reknowned for flogging out, about $500 for a one piece to get rid of that centre bearing silliyness Any play in the steering, normally a worn uni, $400 from Nissan, good ones don't turn up at wreckers much, but when they do about $70 That's about it, are you scared off yet
hahaha leave him alone...he is probably gone now you said that remember the words IM NOT YOUR TYPICAL NA OWNER because he is going for MASSIVE power. just normal maintenance costs and remember the more you pay for a zed...well logically speaking... the less you will have to spend on fixing problems so make sure you get a good one to start off. $100 or less for every minor service and a few more here and there. just look after it and it will look after you. you will most likely get the BUG... meaning you will want to do so much to it as time goes on... good luck
Thanks for the info. Not as scary as the last reply ** I'm trying to get the car checked out professionally before I buy. Someone told me that Z-Shop do a 'before sale' check ? Are they recommended ? (I'm in Melbourne)
im in queensland so maybe a Victorian zedder can shed some light on this.... you can always see if you can get one of the members to check it out with you but you should still get it professionally checked....and not any old mechanic... someone who is actually very familiar with the 300zx
if you have a look in the tech section there is a guide to buying a zed, if i were you i would be looking for one after the 100k mark with the 100k done Fully, if you are not suer ask for a parts list of things that were replaced should be around 30 things on there at least, which is why it is often cheaper in the long run to get a zed that has had a lot of this maintenance done, yes it is scary and on top of that you have 2k insurance and about 1k rego and associated checks and insurances every year, and when the bug bites, you wont even know it hit you until you have no money and a maxxed credit card and need to find another grand in the next month for the things you ordered, all in all look for a while and get one with a lot of the maintenance that chrispy talked about done to it, will take longer but you will have a much better zed in the long run
Do we have a tech section? Seriously welcome dude. And thirded check the tech section, it's a wealth if information.
Ah thank you. Sorry, search around the forum itself, didn't realise there was a seperate section. I have some reading to do !
OK, enough of the scare campaign!!! Ive had a N/A for over 5 years. It's been my daily driver for the last 2. I bought it with 100,000 kms, just after the 100k service had been done. It's now got over 180,000 kms. I've replaced the alternator twice (really big stereo contributed to this) - app $130 each time, water pump ($500 - lots of labour in this - it should have been replace during the 100k service but wasn't, O2 sensors ($160 but did it at a Tech Day - so labour free) battery, tyres (a few times), 1 x standard rim (spoke cracked), brake pads, clutch master and slave cylinders - probably $200-300 all up, radius rods (free - I had a spare set), tailshaft centre bearing ($300), bits and pieces. I've also had a 1 piece tailshaft fabricated as the centre bearing failed again. ($500) And I 've added a 2000 model front bar ($1200 incl paint) Some time between now and 200,000 kms, I expect to recondition the gearbox (it's a manual). It works OK, just starting to leak out of the overflow pipe which is a bit smelly burning on the exhaust. I haven't heard of this happening before. Big services are at the x 100,000 kms - timing belt, water pump, thermostat, other belts, front seals, etc etc. You can get a good price for kits off forum members/businesses such a K-ZED, TTZ etc. So, all in all IMO, not a cheap car but affordable, particularly if your learn to do stuff yourself. Here's a pic: Cheers, Peter
I just went through the same thing buying my car (only abuot 1 month old). First of all deffinately get a pre puchase inspection from someone who knows their stuff, im lucky i live in brisbane so i got mark (zed4life) to check mine out for me. No matter what i would do 100k service (1st thing i need to do to mine), they were supposed toi be at 100k or every 48months, so if its never had one before you DEFFINATELY need it. also do it all in one go, the guy i bought the car off had done the timing belt and so he thought it was all sweet but as it turns out if you dont do the idler bearings at same time basically pointless (because they are just as prone to failure and if they seize its the same as snappign a timing belt). youll find a few problems emerging over time, you start to notice more and more little problems. Mine in 1 month (i thought it was basically perfect bar need to 100k service) developed a grining sound in gearbox in 2nd and 4th (thrust bearing), something wrong with driveshaft ( not sure if it is ceneter bearing or whole thing), it needs new suspension badly (another thing that would need replacing on most, as it seems that most are still running original 17yo suspension), thats about it, but yeah, dont be scared of they are an awesome car im loving every second of ownership, jsut ogtta keep up preventative maintainance :zlove:
Got mine for 9k.... Granted it has alot of k's...not gonna mention how many ....but it came with stereo, 18's and detachable steering wheel. I am currently getting the last thing fixed on it and ive only spent another say 2k for it all.....mind you it is an 89 model j-spec so for a car that old thats not bad i guess cant wait to get her back tomorrow ive felt so empty without her :zlove:
Thanks for the replies everyone. Some great info. Great tech guide. I'm working my way through everything !
If you really want to speed up your learning come down to Phillip Island this weekend and check out the Z Nationals. On Sunday in Cowes there will be the concourse, a good chance to see a lot of z32s in the one place and chat to owners.
Welcome .... Get the BEST example that you can afford .... an extra grand or two for a good Zed will save you dollars in the long term .... shop around .... look at as many Zeds as you can .... turbo, non-turbo, manual and auto, modified and unmodified ..... check out your insurance options as well .... Like any popular marque .... owning a Zed is a lifestyle .... it's more than just a car .... :zlove:
my biggest mistake with the Z was in not having a 2nd car, not because they're unreliable but because it means I'm always in a rush to get stuff done. I've probably paid like twice the amount I could have for parts and used a workshop more often than I otherwise would have. you'll save a lot going for 2nd hand parts where they will suffice or just waiting a little over a week to buy parts new from the US.
1990 Na 2+2 import 90000Ks when bought Since purchasing our 300 14 months ago , I have replaced the clutch and rear main seal ($300) Had the tailshaft rebuilt and new centre bearing($300). New stereo and 4 speakers . Installed remote central locking ( $90) New adjustable rear shock absorbers ($400). Front Rack arms and sway bar bushes($250) New rack mounts(?) 100k service and plenum water bypass , replaced every water and vacuum hose , replaced all injector connectors, replaced radiator fan (about $1300 in parts ). New tyres . I do all the work myself though. They are a17 year old car after all and I believe mine was in reasonable condition . You just need to spend a few dollars to restore them to their original condition . The big plus is this forum and the people associated with it . Without them I would have spent a whole lot more , and wasted loads of time trying to find the correct information . Now I am a Zed addict....might go and give her a pat now.
