Hey guys, Some of you would have seen my threads before asking for advice, some of you have not. Essentially I'm 18 and living in WA. I was looking to buy a TT 300zx. But now I'm having second thoughts. I have saved about 6K so far, and looking to save more before buying a car, Currently I am on a break from university therefor working alot, however in 6 months when I go back I will obviously be working less and therefore getting alot less money and will have alot less time on my hands. Zeds look like amazing cars, and from what I can see are far superior to any other car in the price range. I'm just wondering whether a zed is the right choice, I can tell it's going to be a pain in the ass (With the constant issues that many of you talk about them having), but to be honest I really want one, there is just something about them. Without much time or spare money, is it the right choice? and if I were not going to get a 300zx what instead would i get? I want a car that is fun to drive and that i'm going to be happy driving every day but currently I can't see many out there that appeal to me. A bit of a wall of text up there^ But in short, what would you advise me to do in my position and what are some other cars that would be reliable and that i would get enjoyment out of owning. Thanks in advance
Buy a falcon. Cheap, (relatively) reliable and will take a fair beating for a $1500 car. Want a 300zx but still want reliability? Buy a well maintained na and it will do you no wrong. Less to break, and there are guys in the states pushing 400,000kms+ on their original motors. Just make sure it's had a major 100 thou service and plenum pull along with all fluids changed, change the oil regularly and there isn't really too much else that can go wrong. Then once you've got a bit more money to spend once you're out of uni look at buying a TT. $6-10 000 should buy you a fairly decent na example with most work done to it already since our cars are worth almost nothing these days (closer to the 6k mark for an auto, more for a manual). Source: I'm a uni student and I daily my Z. Only 30,000kms overdue for a service too :zlove: knock on wood.
Come take my car for a drive next week, see how you like it and if your ok with getting so much uni poon.
Personally, if I wanted a zed, I wouldn't bother with an NA. Before all the NA guys jump on me, I'd like to clarify that I don't think an NA is a crap or useless car in any way - simply saying that if your decision is based on maintenance, there is very little between them. It's true that there is less to go wrong, but that less basically just consists of the turbos, which, to be fair, don't go that often. I've seen my friend pull the turbo out of his 270,000kms S14, a turbo that spent at least 100,000 ks getting caned up to 17psi, and that thing had almost no shaft play and no bent/cracked fins. I think most steel-wheeled turbos will last. Pretty much ALL preventative/ongoing maintenance between NA/TT will be the same. (I'm not counting mods of course, but then again it's perfectly fine and acceptable to drive a TT that doesn't make 500hp at the wheels) Cheers, -Kirill
I see what you're saying, but realistically after 20 years of what has probably been mostly hard driving, most stock turbos are going to be flogged out. Especially considering most zeds have had their clocks wound back and have probably done 250-350 000kms. Buy a 20yo. twinturbo and chances are if it doesn't need turbos now it will in the next 12 months. Moving parts don't last forever, especially those that move at 100 000+rpm. Even if the kms don't kill it, time will. End of the day, an na will be more reliable as it does have less parts to go wrong.
How much do you love the Z32? Buying a ZED is purely about loving the car itself :zlove::zlove::zlove::zlove: If you love fixing them you will have no problem, if you hate working on them - dont bother. :br:
Let me clarify my statement -> "technically" the NA is more reliable because it lacks the turbos, but in typical ownership of a TT, there are about 398 things to worry about fixing BEFORE even thinking what condition the turbos and associated plumbing are in. All the plenum pulls, 100k services, heater hoses, rad hoses, radiators, clutch fans, heater cores, etc etc are all there in both types of zeds, and require attention in both types of zeds. I am somewhat qualified on this topic, having owned 2 NAs and a TT (NAs being far more temperamental than my $5k TT, although of course it could have been luck of the draw). 100% agree with you on the wound-back Ks though, 1989 zed, torn everything, but 80,XXX kms on the clock? Sure. Cheers, -Kirill
Agree with this 100% - if, for whatever reason, you can't get under the bonnet of your zed and start fixing things, don't bother. Breakdowns for me were a bittersweet experience - yeah I was pissed that something went wrong, but I was like a little kid once the brand new Nissan part arrived and I could graft it to the zed! Cheers, Kirill
Horrible advice. Transplants cost heaps. If you want a TT, get a TT or you won't be happy. Don't waste your time with an N/A to "learn the basics", its pretty damn similar. If your committed, do it.
No doubt TT's get a hard time . But if your heart is really set on a TT even in the near future then buy one . Transplants are costly . Take someone that knows about 300'z or cars in general and be thorough with your inspections . Does it start easily Does it idle properly Does it overheat Does it blow smoke at idle and or while driving . Does it brake properly Is the engine bay clean and underneath the car is it full of oil etc . If auto does it change gears properly or slip while in gear If manual does it crunch or have issues going in gear Look under the car , in the spare wheel well and inside to see if it was repaired before etc . Is it registered Take care with your purchase , its a buyers market . And good luck
Buy an NA whether you like working on them or not. I hate working on cars, however, the only money I have had to spend on my car maintenance in 2.5 years of ownership and driving it as a daily (have done 40,000km in this time) is: $1,000 when my tailshaft snapped (1k because i was an idiot and took it to a mechanic, otherwise could have been about $500), $400 worth of services done myself (that moneys just oil and filter costs because i use good oil), $90 to get someone to replace a water pipe when it burst (due to being a 20yo car these things will happen), $10 to bypass a heater core when it cracked (not sure on what actually fixing this costs. and thats it, due for a new set of tyres now. I don't know if anyone with a TT can quote the same costs over this amount of time. Also my aircon compressor seized and i cbf getting it fixed yet because im happy to leave windows down, otherwise that would be another probably $350 or so (with second hand compressor). And it drives well and truely quick enough to have plenty of fun on any public road or track I can think of, a TT is just more temptation to do lose control and wrap the car around a tree.
come along to the tech day, see a bucket load of zeds and see how you go, thats my advice....see coming events for details...
