Hey guys, I'm going to test drive a manual 2+2 TT on Thursday Possibly also checking out ryanlok15's friend's TT auto if he sorts himself out. What questions should I ask? What things should I check? What should I be wary of? If everything looks sweet then I'll get compression tests done and all that. Thanks in advance :zlove:
Pretty much the same as with any other car... basic things like how smooth things are can give you an idea as to how thrashed the thing may be... Also take it to above 100 kph, vibrations etc seem to occur around that point...
If your dead-set on a manual, then wait for one. Don't compromise for an auto just because you want a zed. I did that when I got my first zed and after I got it, I wished I had waited a little longer. Other than that, just check for the usual used car sounds, body (chassis) straightness, leaks, vibrations, etc.
Here's my situation... TT Manual with 114,000km on clock. or TT Auto with a freshly rebuilt engine. Hmmmmm...... Pretty sure the second line says I'm going to test drive the manual :zlove:
yep, dont believe the odo... pretty much means nothing on imports. have a look at the places you would have your hands, feet ect whilst driving. look at the drivers side mat to see how worn out it is, check the center console lid to see whether its cracked, would generally mean it been lent on quite a bit whilst driving, check the door card material and see how worn out it is. check the power steering fluid, brake master cyl, clutch master cyl, check the oil by the dipstick and the oil cap, look for moisture on the cap, have a look at the suspension aswell, may aswell take it to a mechanic and offer him $50 to chuck it up on the hoist so you can check it out underneath aswell. look out for signs of neglegence aswell, like using a jack on the sils instead of solid lifting points on the chassis, if the exhaust has obvious scrapes on it but isnt to low question how the owner treats the car whilst driving in carparks and stuff aswell. everything counts when you dont own the car...i'd rather be anal about an inspection then make Another mistake. ohh... dont inspect the car at night either, the lack of light can be very deceptive!
With hardly looking I was able to find u this very useful article out of the tech section which even gives you a check list to take on the day.. How to look for certain things etc etc Also before I give the link "why on earth when buying a ""SPORTS"" car would you buy an auto? Are you foolish?" hope this helps good luck on your zed hunt http://www.pexcom.com.au/z32cms/e107_plugins/content/content.php?cat.61 learn the search function well friend especially when you own your new zed
114k is not much at all, you dont want an automatic. Just give it a real belting on the test drive, and if it breaks dont buy that one!
i was looking into MR2s when choosing a targa car for myself and i'm pretty sure the average MR2 all have a lot more kays than the average zed on the market even with all the import wound backs. regardless, test drive, then make up your mind. forget the odo. better yet compression test it.
It's almost a 20 year old car. That's a touch over 5,000kms a year, nothing more or less. It also depends how its treated more than if it's been wound back or not. Some 200,000km cars can be looked after better than a sub 100,000km car. I wouldn't let the odo but the ultimate deciding factor. My 88t has almost 230,000kms on it and it looks almost brand new and runs perfect. Small things will tell you the true mileage like the wear on the pedals and the condition of the interior and the engine bay etc
Going to test drive this manual one tonight. For $6000 I'm a bit hesitant. Apparently the power steering has a leak, windows don't go down and he's not selling with a RWC. Just found this: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TWIN-TURBO-N...Cars?hash=item2a00b8e21b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 Rebuilt engine 30,000km ago and auto done too. Sounds like a much safer buy. I would just have to save up to get the conversion done. What does everyone think? Commonsense is telling me to get the auto one.... I'll be calling and arranging a test-drive as soon as I'm free. :zlove:
Here is a checklist I found under the tech section: http://tech.aus300zx.com/checklist/Z32%20Checklist.doc Hope that helps
I had my test drive earlier tonight. Firstly, I'm very impressed with the stock speed and handling of the zed (never driven any before). The clutch was very very soft. Brakes were shocking. A few things didn't work such as A/C, driver window didn't go down - minor things like that. Fair bit of rust and outer trims were peeling etc. Interior was great. Didn't like the seatbelt on door design. Much prefer them on the pillar. Overall the car felt VERY loose and old. The 114,000 was definitely not true. This thing felt like it was around the 300,000 mark. Lots of rattles and weird noises coming from the exhaust and engine bay. Getting back into my mate's 1996 GTS-T felt like getting into a brand new car off the showroom floor. I would have given him $4000 max. It was listed at $6000. I enjoyed my first zedding experience. I love the whole feel of the car. Nice and tight interior which I love. I had a sit in the back and although it was cramped I loved that too. Really wraps around you :zlove: I'm going to be test driving a rebuilt (30k) Auto TT zed soon. Hopefully the engine will feel a lot "tighter" and more like a new car.
As i said before dont believe the km's... more than likely bullshit with ALL imports, i actually dont trust a couple of aus specs ive seen lol. One more piece of advice drive as many as you possibly can, even ones out of your price range if possible just to see both ends of the spectrum..
This one is next on the cards: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TWIN-TURBO-N...Cars?hash=item2a00b8e21b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 I might give that guy a call early next week. Yes, I do realise it is auto. But I think it's most definitely worth putting up with a ghey transmission for the rebuilt engine in return. $3000 for a manual conversion is much better than $7000 for a rebuild.
meh autos arnt that bad... have a read through this haha http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=292516
that ebay ad reads to me: 2nd hand engine dumped in 30,000km ago the mechanic saw me coming a mile away and i gave the asshole $1500 instead of $400. top of the line: same as every single other 300zx made in the same year, along with the next 3 years atleast. ferrari tailights : ebay $800 on dyno tune and service: pigs fly
