3 months later and im still looking for a 300zx (past few weeks been busy with assignments n presentations though). Anyway ive come across an ad in Autotrader "Nissan 300ZX 1990, 2 seater, targa top, twin turbo, 5 spd manual, sports exhaust, Gunmetal Grey, 18inch chrome shadow wheels, keyless entry/alarm, climate control, full body kit, rear wing, lowered, pwr steering, needs head gaskit, reg 05/05, going overseas, Urgent Sale, QVT-977, $13,500 ono" Was just wondering how much would it cost to replace the head gasket and also, correct me if im wrong, from what i understand (which is not much ) this would probably mean the engine might not be in the best shape? What other problems could i expect further on down the line? Just want to know if this car might be worth it, if so then I'd get it checked out by a mechanic but just want to know if i should even consider this one. Thanks guyz.
if its a head gasket its most likely from either detonation or overheat if from detonation it might be the case that it was severe enough to also damage the pistons, however the head gasket is used as a weak link or fuse if you want to call it to stop damage to pistons so might 'just' be a head gasket and no further damage. If from overheat then heads could have been warped etc.. either way it would be wise to have at least $2000 set a side, engine pull new gaskets and a few others along the way. Thats supposing all is good may be a lot of damage in there. For A engine in that condition his asking for way too much.
With the number of zeds WITHOUT blown head gaskets for sale in this price range I'd say this one is horrendously overpriced!!! Head Gasket is be the obvious problem but many others could lie beneath and you'd only really find out once they pull it down. Could be many thousands. If I was interested in this car, I'd be leaving myself a safety buffer so that ALL engine repairs + purchase price totals $14-16Kish. This realistically means I'd pay less than $10K for it. (8-9K?) It's your call, Yoshi- If you like the car enough and everything else checks out then make an offer and see. Cars like this are usually VERY hard to sell so the owner might be very negotiable. I notice they are going overseas... Finding out their timeframe and delaying your purchase till closer to deadline and a mechanic's repair quote WILL improve your negotiation leverage...
Thanks for the advice and price estimates after reading all this, ive lost interest in it guess ill just keep looking till i come across a better example. Thanks again for all the advice n help guys!
yeh i thought about importing but when i brought up that option with my parents, they said no, and would prefer...no, would WANT me to buy it locally. I would also like to see the car in person to check it out myself, test drive etc, and also take it to a mechanic to do an inspection, but there are some tempting offers on the import sites and not just for the Z haha
Have you checked out the ones for sale on this forum and carsales.com.au? seem to be a few F/S?:thumbsup:
Re: yeh i thought about importing importing is generally cheaper IMO and i am yet to have heard of a really bad import. Go with someone with a good reputation. I.E Prestige Motorsport Show your parents the website, and the price difference buying from there and here. Parents have the idea that importing is a gamble. It never is if you do it right.
Re Importing ... as long as you have a substantial safety buffer for unexpected expenses ... $4-5k? Candu imported his TT for about $8500 landed then is rebuilding his motor as we speak (Would be a $6-8K job if he paid someone else to do it) That blown head gasket car might be alright Yoshi, if you can get it for the 'right' price and have a comfortable price buffer/margin
Re: Re Importing i paid more than that for mine, and i think 4k buffer is a little large. I did alot of research into importing and as long as you take your time, you usually get a good deal. You can always get a problem wherever you buy, here in australia included. You can still by zeds in Japan for 6-8k, but for that price range, you are taking a risk. thats why they are cheap, they are unseen. Im just saying people think importing is too hard, too expensive. Its the same as buying here, just you dont see the car, and thats where the repuation of the broker comes in.
Have you considered an Australian delivered car? These almost always have a full service history available, and can be worth the extra $$ for peace-of-mind. Worth considering unless you really want a TT or 2-seater. Best of luck in your Zed quest,
$4K buffer too large ? You can easily drop $4K on a gearbox rebuild at any time. 100K timing kit around $1K. As far as engine work goes, unless you do the work yourself you can drop $1-1.5K just to R&R the engine, $2K+ on std turbos, $2-4K to replace head gaskets. The average proper engine reco seems to be between $6-10K (try some searches)... As many have said before. If you are struggling just to find the money to buy a zed with none put away for emergencies, you're behind the eight ball. Not saying that any import zed will need thousands spent on it immediately upon purchase but sooner or later, they will...:thumbsup:
