first car for a teen ,any suggestion,maintenance etc..

[Style]

my daughter wanted one for her first vehicle and I figured it's cheap enough why not any suggestions on what maintenance should be done besides the timing belt and tires that I clearly see I picked this thing up the other day off of eBay would just like a few opinions on what it might need to be a reliable daily driver ,any help is appreciated thanks..

It's a 1990 300zx turbo automatic 30k miles.

[z.Leinbach]

personally I'd swap the auto out for a manual and retune. the autos are problem ridden... but if that's not an option; fully service it i reccomend royal purple atf. expensive but totally worth it on autos. do a full 120k service replace everything that deals with the tbelt, get the phase 2 ptu and injectors and go over the efi harness make sure there isn't any green goop on corrosion. also pick up a good set of hids night time visibility sucks with the halogen lamps. Z1 motorsports, concept Z performance, specialty Z as well as nissan are your best friends for these cars

[AZhitman]

Decent advice, but let's scale it back a little... this is a first car for a new driver.

Dad (or Mom), you're the man! Not only is she getting to drive a modern classic, but it's a great car to learn maintenance and repair on. With those low miles, I'd be more concerned with how long it has been sitting, more than anything.

As Z said, a full service is in order - ALL fluids, fresh tires, as well as plugs and a timing belt. Sure, it's an expense, but that's not something you want going bad. Above and beyond that, impress upon her the fact that it's not a 2008 Corolla. Even with an automatic, it's a lot of power, and can bite a novice driver.

Not a lot of safety features in 1990, so driver skills are going to be critical - If you have a local track, get her some track time so she can get the "go fast" out of her system and learn to respect the car. If no track available, find a place where she can safely explore higher speeds, cornering, and panic braking under your guidance.

Welcome aboard!

[NolimitZ32]

^ You Da hitMAN

[Dino V]

Welcome and nice find on the low miles! I am assuming no maintenance or service records. I would definitely do all the fluids and timing belt if no records when last done or if ever done. Depending on where you live, you may need to consider some sort of winter wheel/tire setup.

[Style]

I've pretty much got things lined up here 120k service and new tires new paint and I guess just go from there.. see how this all works out in the end.. any other suggestions are appreciated this is the car I picked up btw https://youtu.be/IpZYvv6VAsI

[DCaff300ZX]

Decent advice, but let's scale it back a little... this is a first car for a new driver.

Dad (or Mom), you're the man! Not only is she getting to drive a modern classic, but it's a great car to learn maintenance and repair on. With those low miles, I'd be more concerned with how long it has been sitting, more than anything.

As Z said, a full service is in order - ALL fluids, fresh tires, as well as plugs and a timing belt. Sure, it's an expense, but that's not something you want going bad. Above and beyond that, impress upon her the fact that it's not a 2008 Corolla. Even with an automatic, it's a lot of power, and can bite a novice driver.

Not a lot of safety features in 1990, so driver skills are going to be critical - If you have a local track, get her some track time so she can get the "go fast" out of her system and learn to respect the car. If no track available, find a place where she can safely explore higher speeds, cornering, and panic braking under your guidance.

Welcome aboard!

Great stuff here, but myself I am stuck on the poor idea of a teenage girl, first time driver, and low-mileage TTZ.
This is easily the poorest choice possible from several standpoints, mostly costs/needs of maintenance and the very real need for advanced driving skills to properly deal with this vehicle and the turbo power, even in OEM form. AZhitman does include driving practice and training as part of his advise thankfully, but IMO not enough.
Any of the '90's Hondas and Toyotas will give just as much fun and "cred" as a Z32 in younger circles, while doing so with a FAR more friendly car from nearly every standpoint and allowing for skill, interest, and most importantly mechanical knowledge and funds to accumulate enough to then think about taking on a car like the Supra, TTZ, and more.
Just my 2 cents, derived mostly from my own experiences with my Z32's and also the stories of wrecked Z's around here and elsewhere, and mostly involving sub-20 year old drivers...

[Nate_the_IV]

This is first-hand from a teen driver himself.
Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. With our little bundles of joy, that is the key word. I am not saying it is unreliable, but the age of the car is definitely a factor. Things crack, go brittle, break off, leak, etc. Not being attentive will definitely cost you.
I learned the hard way about becoming very attentive with my 300ZX. Although an N/A with also low miles, I never really thought much about doing too much work on the car. But, due to my neglect and ignorance some minor problems snowballed into more expenses. Don't get me wrong, I have learned a lot about the workings of the car and I am very happy I have, but it can get expensive.
But, the good news is that you have introduced a Z32 into another person’s life. I have a love/hate (more love) relationship with my ZX, and I think the majority of us feel the same way about our cars. I am no way trying to scare you away from the car, but just trying to be direct. It is an amazing car and if it is maintained properly it will reward.
The best example that I can think of for my car is that it is like that pretty blonde girl that you have married that has a drinking problem. She may relapse at times and things will seem good, but suddenly she will go back to her drinking problems. But, at the end you still love her. Only you understand why, but onlookers will not.

[rgregoryb]

You are wise beyond your years! I thought the analogy fits perfectly.

[DCaff300ZX]

This is first-hand from a teen driver himself.
Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. With our little bundles of joy, that is the key word. I am not saying it is unreliable, but the age of the car is definitely a factor. Things crack, go brittle, break off, leak, etc. Not being attentive will definitely cost you.
I learned the hard way about becoming very attentive with my 300ZX. Although an N/A with also low miles, I never really thought much about doing too much work on the car. But, due to my neglect and ignorance some minor problems snowballed into more expenses. Don't get me wrong, I have learned a lot about the workings of the car and I am very happy I have, but it can get expensive.
But, the good news is that you have introduced a Z32 into another person’s life. I have a love/hate (more love) relationship with my ZX, and I think the majority of us feel the same way about our cars. I am no way trying to scare you away from the car, but just trying to be direct. It is an amazing car and if it is maintained properly it will reward.
The best example that I can think of for my car is that it is like that pretty blonde girl that you have married that has a drinking problem. She may relapse at times and things will seem good, but suddenly she will go back to her drinking problems. But, at the end you still love her. Only you understand why, but onlookers will not.

AWESOME, period...couldn't have put my thoughts and advice into words and situation any better- thanks for chiming in!

[Ace2cool]

Just please make sure she understands how much car she is really getting. My bone stock automatic TT will break the rear tires loose with nothing more than a generous helping of right foot. These cars were engineered to stick to the road like glue. Once they let go and start to slide, unless it was a controlled maneuver, ie a drift initiation, it's very unlikely to recover from a skid. I got in over my head with my N/A 2+2 as a high schooler. I'd have killed myself with a TT. Greg's advice (AZHitman) is probably some of the best I could think of.