88 300 6 cyl turbo...whats your guys avg mpg?

[heywier427]

on the quest of buying a drive to work car. found and 88 300zx that had a 4 cyl but swapped to a 6 turbo. this car apears to be in good shape and is cheap!

just wondering how it is on gas. what are the red flags i should look for on these cars.

its automatic and hes says the whole motor just got "reworked" and the transmission is new. he says he hears what could be the lifters ticking.

says it was garaged parked in ny most of its life, he just cant keep it any more.

any help or info you guys can give me is appreceated.

thanks in advance

[Zinister]

found and 88 300zx that had a 4 cyl but swapped to a 6 turbo.

Umm... came with a 4 cyl! In any case, Always do a prepurchase inspection. If you cannot do it yourself, have someone you trust do it. Do a compression test, leak down test, go over the whole car visually, ask for complete history of the car and if there is any problems with it. Above all, test drive it and see if it runs like a car is supposed to, and to see if you like it.

[heywier427]

thanks. my brothers a certified tech and im good enough! thats what the guy said, originally a 4cy swapped to a 6??

by red flags i mean is there a certian spot to look for rust, oil leaks gas leaks,ps leaks. point me in the right direction. ive never had a turbo car, what are the symptoms of a blown or going turbo. can i feel it in the acceleration.

whats the approx rehab on these cars. it needs to be reliable in traffic, and be able to drive 60 miles a day at 60 to 80 mph.

thanks

[evildky]

no Z ever came with a 4 cylinder motor!

so straight away the seller does not know whet he is talking about or he lies so procede wtih caution.

my 85300ZX N/A got right around 20 mpg mixed city highway driving

as for the turbo watch the boost gauge, it should hit full spool around 3250 rpm give ro take

ans look for rust!, the lower rear quarters are problematic, as is the base of the a-pillar, also check the floorpans especially where the rear crossmember attaches to the floor

the ticking could also be a cracked exhaust manifold or blown gasket at the head or the turbo

they are not cheap to work on, parts tend to br pricey

that being said if it gets basic maintenance it will run damned near forever but if there is no record of the timing belt being replaced plan on spending about $300 for the parts only to do the job right

[heywier427]

thanks for the info. unless the car is realy nice n sound im gonna pass, 20 mpg just isnt good enough right now.

i own a q45 and an escalade and just bought a house! corners need to be cut to say the least!

i just dont want to be seen driving in a geo!

the car is 500 bucks if anyones interested. im gonna go look at it if i can ever hook up with the seller.

theres no pimpin in a geo and ill shoot myself befor i buy a honda

[evildky]

considered an SE-R? dependable, plenty of aftermarket, good gas milage, lightweight cars, and if you want something a bit sportier, get the NX2000

[heywier427]

need to buy something asap. whatever i find in the bargain news is what im gonna get. nothing else peaks my interest, except for a 86 nissan pick up. cant spend over 600. i had an 83 toy pickup and it just wouldnt stop. i hope the nissan motor is the same way. its an 86 DO1? im imagining the small nissan truck.

[evildky]

the body style hanged in 86, early 86 was the old style 86.5 was the new style, if you get the 4 cylinder you can drive it till the body falls off, the V6 (which I don't think ewas offered in 86 will last forever if you keep the timing belt changed, you pop the belt you bought a new motor

[AZ-ZBum]

I never got better than about 20mpg in my 87 hardbody.

But I would get 22-24 in the city and 27-30 on the freeway in my 84 300ZX NA.

My 84 turbo would get 19-22 in the city (and a lead foot), and 25-27 on the freeway.

The 88 convertible (NA) gets 20-22 in town and 26-29 on the freeway.

A good tune will get you decent mileage. And if you're only looking to spend $600, then the $500 Z31 is a great deal.

[heywier427]

having trouble with the guy returnig calls. maybe its sold. im gonna buy the pickup just cause it so low maintenance.

am i correct in my assumption? my 83 toyota gave me no problems at all.

no power anything to break. simple engine. dont have to worry about tossing garbage in the back.

ill change trans n filter, oil and filter and the diff fluid and the brake fluid. change the plugs, cause theyre prob not ngk, wires, air filter...am i missing any thing? hopefully the water pump is fine, a hah speaking of which, drain, flush and replace coolant.

anything else???

thanks

[AZ-ZBum]

fuel filter, cap, rotor. that's all I can think of at this point.

But you might want to check out the datsun section of this forum for more details. I believe the engine in that truck is the Z24. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.