Sorry I didn't really know where to post this. Anyhow, my names Dylan, I'm from Victoria and I'm considering getting a 300zx. At the moment I have a 94 Honda Prelude. I always wanted a 300zx when I was younger and I thought that I might look into getting one now that I can afford it. I was hoping to get a manual non-turbo 2+2 targa top. Are there any good ones left for around 10k? My uncle had the TT model which pretty much fell apart even though it looked like it was in good condition. What I wanted to know is just in general are they a satisfying car to own? Have they been reliable? Any common problems I should look out for? What is the fuel consumption like? and how fast is the 0-100kms time? I'm fine with my Prelude for now and will be taking my time to part with her, so I'm willing to wait until I find the right 300zx, not just the first cheap one that pops up. I look forward to getting to know you guys if I do get one
welcome to the forum mate. dont know about the others but i find the 300zx very reliable and strong car but it loves petrol, not the car to get if your a feul miser. .
Ah yes, she loves the juice when you feed her the fat. If you drive out of the boost range though there not too bad.
I have an NA 2+2 and it's been bloody beautiful.... have long term plans for it like nearly all Zed owners and have never had any major issues. There a pretty cool write up about byuing Zeds in the Tech section. You should have a look in there for starters. http://tech.aus300zx.com/ 0 to 100 hmmm how longs a piece of string... my zed is pretty stock xcept for AGX (Dampner Adjust) Shocks n kings springs and a pod filter n 3A Racing Mufflers and it'll do roughly 7.something sec with about 1/8th of a tank of fuel with Nulon Pro boost in it...!! That's how long my piece of string is.!!
Do you think before you post, how is it non Z related? Just needs to be in Non Technical Ya Turkey!! Don't know about yours but mine's not running o2's and has a rich tune and she's still not that thirsty. Why the hell would you drive it out of its boost range? I'm assuming that you mean "boost the hell out of it" Don't you know what happens when you do that? :rolleyes2: ...I'm not sure as it's never happened to me so ask iCER That's just stupid and not something to recommend to a new guy with no idea about the car yet. Ya clown!! Thank god he's considering the NA after you're comment. Welcome to the forum mate. I love my Z. .1 The Z isn't an in between sort of car, you either love it to death or you'd love to death it. .2 There are a few common issues which I'm not going to list. You learn them as you become more familier with this forum. Have a search around and even the Tech section located next to the User CP link. .3 I own a TT and haven't had any major issues. Most of which were self inflicted. I've heard NA's are more reliable but in my opinion it's a crock, as with any car, if you look after it, it will look after you. .4 They are a money pit so beware. A lot of parts for Z's are expensive and also, you'll find yourself with a Z related spending addiction. You'll be broke before you know it. So make sure you look closely at any Z you'd consider.
Welcome Dylan, I got Mums 1990 300zx Aus Spec Targs on here for sale at $6400 which needs a bit of work. Check it out. Good luck with finding a Zed
Hey Dylan, To be honest the car is only as reliable as the owner wants it to be.. As far as reliability / practicality, i've had an NA and currently drive a TT and to be honest, found them both to be not dissimilar to each other... When I bought my NA a long time ago, I was horrified by people's stories of expensive maintenance and problems of TT zeds (I listen to too much hearsay). When I bought it, i realised that an NA requires just as much attention and maintenance as a TT, and costs about as much also.. (dont' get me wrong, an NA is not half the car as some people would have you believe, probably 70% of the car ) I now drive a TT and yes, I do have to upkeep it but it seems no worse than when I had my NA.. -Kirill
hi mate, welcome... i've owned two N/A zeds, and if your ready to spend some time on it and spend some money then there a great car. i have a 1990 N/A 2+2 aus spec, its not too bad on fuel, i'm doing all the mainenance i can by myself so i am saving alot of money on labour. look around, try and find one that is in good condition and with a good service history, if not buy the right one, do the 100k service and ALL the mainenance things so YOU know they have been done. good luck finding the one...lol:zlove:
I do believe he meant drive it below the boost range, not above. How is over boosting going to help save fuel. I agree with everything else you said though.
Dylan, I have just bought my 2nd NA 2+2 (Aus models) and if it's as good as the first was, I will be well pleased. In 5 years, nothing went wrong with my other car, except that it needed a new clutch at 130000kms (expected I would have thought) and rear shocks at about the same time. There are still some good ones out there. With the Aus model you're less likely to get a wound back clock. Look carefully, have it checked by someone who knows these cars. I think two really important issues to consider are: how good a history does it have - are you, for example, sure that the 100000km service(s) have been done? (This costs $1500+). The other issue is to very carefully check that there are no coolant leaks under the dash, as replacing a failed heater core is a large job, and unless you're handy it will cost into 4 figures to fix, mainly due to the labour required. There are other issues which can occur, and remember that just because these are cheap now, doesn't mean repairing them is cheap. Parts are dearer than usual, the number of mechanics willing to touch them is limited and because of the cramped underbonnet layout, almost everything is harder and takes longer than in most cars. Read the articles in the tech section about buying a Zed. They'll point you in the right direction. Good luck in your quest!
hey mate i will add my 2 cents i had a 1990 prelude gen3, it was a great car, didnt had much power but handled like it was on rails. i eventually wanted ,more power hence i boutght my 1989 tt.... since then i have never looked back. the prelude was a great car and easily outhandles the 300 but power and comfort wise the 300 wins. :biggrin::biggrin:
Actually I think you are on to something, if its his first Z then maybe he should go non turbo first, it is the easierr option, just lacks power
Front wheel drive and "handles like its on rails" do not belong in the same sentence? AWD, 4WD or a well balanced RWD yes, but just becuase a car is underpowered and cannot break traction does not mean it handles well. Oh and yes I have driven several preludes (3 of my mates owned them at different times), they are good if you want a "sporty" look without sports performance, high fuel consumtion and maintenance costs that come with a car that actually has real performance. I'd highly reccomend the prelude to the people on here who keep whinging about petrol consumption in their Z. ps sorry if this comes accross a bit harsh, I'm not trying to berate anyone
Definitley, ive got into some interesting situations in the rain with my NA and im pretty sure if i was driving a TT id be wrapped around a pole somewhere...
If he's not legally allowed to drive a TT then he should get an na zed if he really wants one . Otherwise the only zed worth getting imho is a TT . If you want a sports car , you want one that has some power (and is easily capable of more power with minor mods) , not one that just looks like it has . Other wise what is the point , may as well get a commodore , has a a bit of power but a lot more practical. If a TT zed wasn't an option for me , I would get a commodore ...
i completely dissagree, yes the prelude is underpowered but i put my old car into tighter corners at higher speeds than my zed could ever acheive, the 4ws system on the prelude rapes the 300s in terms of reliability and usefullness. secondly high fuel consumption? are you looking at the right car for a 50litre tank i was getting 600km in city driving.... i think thats incredible for a 20year old car. i loved that little thing and was a fantastic 1st car
