Importing 1989 TT 300zx (<50,000 miles). What should we look for?

[GreaterEastImports]

Title says it all.

We've talked to many 300zx owners about what to expect, but we can never hurt from more information!

Loaded onto the boat in Japan yesterday is our 1989, Twin Turbo, T-Top, 2+2 300zx. It has 47,925 original miles with only an aftermarket clutch.

http://www.greatereastimports.com/1989- ... op-22.html

It arrives on August 13th, so we have a while to prepare, but we'd love to hear what you all think!

- What should we look out for?
- What should we think about replacing?
- What fluids should we replace?
- What fluids should we use?

Any and all comments are welcome!

Thank you all in advance,

[Rogue One]

Are you buying or selling? No offense, but you might want to familiarize yourself with the house rules. Your other thread has been removed, as was your signature link.

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[GreaterEastImports]

I apologize!

Maybe I should rephrase:

This car is only affiliated to Greater East Imports by name, as it's not a registered company. I've done all this work myself, personally, and this is the first car I'm importing to try to get a possible business off the ground. This is in fact a for-profit venture, so this post can be removed since it breaks the house rules (which I tried to look at beforehand, but I don't see it as a commercial venture due to its nature).

I thought this would be a great place to get valuable information, as I'm not a Nissan owner myself, but I absolutely don't want to step on any toes.

[DCaff300ZX]

It's pretty simple sir- if you want to have any advertising via links or otherwise then you need to contact the board administration as with any other venture.
If you are simply posting some Z32 questions and do not continuously refer to your business and ventures, as you did in your reply, you will be A-OK!

[GreaterEastImports]

It all seems pretty simple in hindsight! No more of that funny business.

I do actually care about the questions though. Any help on the topic would be appreciated! I don't know the complete history of the car, but less than 50,000 miles in 26 years means there wasn't much driving (which could be good or bad).

[DCaff300ZX]

We appreciate your cooperation.

As you mentioned being 26 years old, there are several concerns with the vehicle and areas that are most often trouble areas or are upgraded when repairs are needed.
First off the 120K service is considered a near-mandatory need for buying a used Z32, as the engine is an interferance engine where timing belt failure will cause an internal collision which will ruin the engine. Consider doing the 120K service unless it has been done and documented within the past year.
Brakes can be an issue as front calipers in the early Z32's ('89/90) NA's including 2+2's were 26 mm, although IIRC the TT's had the larger 30mm units that all Z32's had post '90...check and be sure you have the correct/necessary 30mm units with your 2+2. Upgrades to brakes are also common for many, but not completely necessary if systems are in full service condition.
Corrosion of many of the engine connectors is a common issue, and can cause many issues with the engine performance and operation. The early style injectors on the '90-'93 Z32 have issues with US gas containing ethanol and causing injector failure and an electrolysis condition, which cause the injectors to fail and for many owners to upgrade to the '94+ new style injectors and sealed connectors. This WILL be an issue at some time if not already.
The low mileage as you mentioned also is a concern given usage for engine seals and many other rubber and seals. Not much you can do but replace vacuum and an other non-pliable rubber items and be ready to have service needs in those areas.
That covers the major stuff, beyond of course the obvious concerns for any 26 year old car.

[GreaterEastImports]

Thank you! I definitely think that helps. I'm going to have a shop diagnose everything, but this will help narrow down my concerns.

[RubyRed300ZX]

While I haven't purchased a used car since the mid-70's (yeah, I'm that old), I bought a lot of used cars prior to that. Took out student loans to buy used cars, threw a few hundred into them and re-sold them to pay my way through college. Though cars have changed a lot over all these years, there are many simple things to check that will tell you exactly what you're getting into. Back then, it was very common to find odometer readings tampered with to decrease the mileage shown.

In your case, the first thing i"d check is to put your head under the dash by the steering wheel. Take a look at the rubber pads on the clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. If they show as much wear on them as the leather shift knob (the last picture in your link), you just got hosed.

[GreaterEastImports]

I'm fairly confident it hasn't been tampered with. JUMVEA standardizes the inspection process, and it's inspected by a third party. It's always in the auction to on sheet if the odemeter has been changed, and this one hasn't been changed.

The leather shift knob is surprisingly worn, but it also doesn't look like it's high quality leather (plus it's 26 years old, so it could've been in the sun for a long time).

But I'll be sure to check it! Thanks for the help.

[BlackWidowZ]

The shift knob didn't look that worn to me honestly. That doesn't mean it doesn't need new shifter bushings.