Possible 300zx owner ???

[mbonilla]

Hey guys. I'm new here to the 300zx community. But not new to forums or cars.
I have a chance to get my hands on a 300zx 2+2 Automatic for a straight trade for My 2000 Saturn SL1 5 speed with about 255xxx miles still drives and runs just burns oil..

This is a direct quote from this guys email.
"ok , Everything possible i know of that needs to be fixed , It does need new tires , only two of them have good tread on them, two are about bald , paint , the passenger window (which i looked up from safelight about 250$ , unless you can get one at a junk yard or someone parting out a 300 which id say would be cheap as f***) , brakes need to be bled , the air control gadget plastic mount is broken , previous owner put black tape around it to hold inplace (which seemed to work till i took it off :p) , the fans need to be installed on it , the guy gave me two medium sized fans that need to hooked up in the front(zipped tied and hooked with the electric) as far as the motor , goes , idek , from what i can tell it seems to be a timing belt problem , and a bad coil. the gas cap also is wierd , it creates a suction so it needs a hole , or a new cap something idk. easy s***. anyways , the easiest stuff , would be replacement of the coil , brakes , gas cap , and interior, and tires. The only thing i could find that would be hard is the window, and i forgot to tell in the ad , but the driver side power window just went out , idk if its jammed , or a fuse , but i rolled it down showing someone , and it wouldnt go back up for some reason. And thats about as far as my knowledge goes." end of quote

suppsedly chassis has 140xx and motor has 94xxx
i will post some pics as soon as i can

[DCaff300ZX]

Stay as far, FAR away from that car as possible unless your Saturn is worth nothing, and you have nothing better to do than fix/replace what sounds like most of the car.
I amazed that anyone would respond again after that e-mail!

[mbonilla]

[mbonilla]

i was really looking to get rid of my saturn and get somtheing RWD.. he was selling it for 1000 or trading and i messaged him an asked.. he sounds like a young kid and said he bought it to work on but he has no money to fix it up or the knowledge.. so idk if maybe he is just to dumb t get it runnning.. or what.. MY saturn has 255xxx miles the 4th gear bearing is whinning like no tommorow and now i need a new alternator. plus this woud be auto & easier for my fiance to drive. i dont want to make the wrong desicion but by NO means do i want you to think my saturn is a gem..in the next 2k it will need a new motor rebuild and transmission. that alone with me doing the labor will net me 650. to pay in the next month or trade and spend that money on the z.. all opinions welcome thank you

[DCaff300ZX]

Well...in a POS contest, I'd go with anything else first because the Z32 needs to be in pretty good shape mechanically (which the one you describe does not sound like it is) to stay running for long periods, while most other cars can be band-aided for a far cheaper cost.
Owning a Z32 is not cheap even if you know the car and do the majority of the work yourself, and DEFINITELY not a cheap/better alternative to any other car for a beater daily driver.

[mbonilla]

what would be a usual problem when it runs but boggs down or doesn't run efficient enough to get through the gears? like MAF issue or something?? lets say the motor was healthy as in internals & good PSI in the cylinders but maybe needed a new water pump, a timing belt adjustment and a tune up?? You wouldnt think its a minor problem if its air n fuel probelm

[DCaff300ZX]

Hard to say for sure but fuel injector issues can cause the engine to run roughly, as well as other things of course. The VG30DE engine is pretty complicated and difficult to diagnose from conversation, and BTW the timing belt isn't adjustable and controls the cams.
You really aren't making a case to get this car from what you write, especially as you write more...you will be going from the frying pan into the fire if you trade the Saturn for the Z as far as I can tell.
I'll let anyone else weigh in from here, GL making the correct decision...

[mbonilla]

soo it looks like my wife would rather me trade the saturn & start working in the 300zx.. On the 25th is the expected delivery date of the car.. we will see how everything is then.. As for my Saturn. I am not worried about loosing it. i can buy better ones for about 500.. this is my second saturn after all i had a altima then a saturn then an 240sx then a saturn lol now time for 300zx then after maybe another saturn.. still would appreciate more input from members here

[300ZXttZMAN]

I'm confused. In this thread are you looking at 2 different Z's?

Which Z did you buy/or trade for?

Did you buy the Z that you have posted pictures of?

Please tell me you didn't... You daily your saturn right? Unfortunately the Z that you posted pictures of needs more work than its worth and should only be a parts car. It will be nothing but fits trying to get that car back how it should be.

Post more pics when you get the car and we will tell you what we see.

[mbonilla]

I'm confused. In this thread are you looking at 2 different Z's?

Which Z did you buy/or trade for?

Did you buy the Z that you have posted pictures of?

Please tell me you didn't... You daily your saturn right? Unfortunately the Z that you posted pictures of needs more work than its worth and should only be a parts car. It will be nothing but fits trying to get that car back how it should be.

Post more pics when you get the car and we will tell you what we see.

The Z you see in the pics was the only one i looked at.. i will post a picture of the outside when i find it.
But they guy said it turns on and drives forward just boggs down kinda like if it were a MAF problem or a timing problem or spark problem... Im just tired of the damn Saturn.. It needs a new alternator , new battery, new plugs n wires, new transmission and the motor burns about 1 1/2 quarts after every full tank of gass.. thats allot of freaking OIL!!!
Im not worried about having a car to be running immediately when i get it but i would like to imagine that after about 2 weeks or so i can have the Z up & running.. As for the gentlemen who said there is no timing adjustment.. Isnt there a certain thing on the front of the motor that adjust base timing? i read it somewhere here on the forum, i hope this car isnt a complete loss.. The guy wants to deliver it on the 25th i still have time to think and back out. but my wife wants a different car

[NolimitZ32]

Good luck man, looks like you bought a headache, but if you feel like you've got the brains, guts, and skills to brave this than we are all here to help. And yes you can adjust the base timing by turning the CPS, what DCaff was probably meaning is that you cant alter the timing like you can with an adjustable camgear. Also I recommend you get yourself a stock manual fan and fan shroud, and get rid of those e-fans. Get it back to stock then start upgrading if you feel like it.

[300ZXttZMAN]

+1 good luck man.

[nissanfreak12]

Since it sounds like you have your mind set on this 300zx, start doing your homework on it. I hope you know your way around a wrench, you gonna need it for these cars, especially a neglected one. They are already expensive with you doing the work yourself, but if you send it to a shop, your gonna pay out the a**. The other issue you will have sending to a shop, most of them have no idea how to work on these cars and they do everything half-assed.

If I can give you any advice, as everyone will agree with me, don't go cheap, you will end up spending more money in the long run. Spark plugs are average 10-12 per plug, they are specific plugs. Autozone, Napa, any local parts store will not carry them. Timing belt, I would just do the 120k kit, specialty z, z1, Concept z performance will have these. They run on average 500-600, maybe more depends where you go. Replace all the Vacuum hoses, fuel lines, and various rubber hoses. The injectors are KNOWN to go out, If you looking reliability, just replace them with the newer style. You can get deals on this, like Bernie on Twinturbo.net, will have a drop in conversion for the NA for a really decent price.

Like Nolimit said, find a fan, fan clutch and shroud, otherwise you will overheat. The way he ziptied the fans like you said, sound sketchy to me.

No one here is trying to change your mind about getting a Z, just trying to change your mind about this Z. It does sound like a mess and needs a lot of work. You will easily drop close to 2k just to get it SAFE to drive on the road. With that you can get a nicer and in better shape, possibly all the maintenance has been taken care of. Don't get a bad taste with a Z because you chose to trade for a crap one.

[mbonilla]

[mbonilla]

Well.. I think i am going to jump into this endeavor.. I am good at turning wrenches. after all i have done motor swaps and transmission swaps in FWD cars like the civic and my saturn and even the RWD 240sx.. So i know i should be able to do this even if it takes me a little bit longer.

After talking to the Kid, because thats what he is lol He says he can drive it around the block even and then when he pulls the plug on one of the coils there is no difference wich means no spark from one coil.. sounds like its something rather simple even if its not im determined to get this car going.. if im lucky i can fix the problem replace the interior paint it and sell it for more than i invested in it. Im glad to see some real Gear heads responding. Makes me feel like if i have a specific problem you guys will be able to help out.

[300ZXttZMAN]

No one here is trying to change your mind about getting a Z, just trying to change your mind about this Z. It does sound like a mess and needs a lot of work. With that you can get a nicer and in better shape, possibly all the maintenance has been taken care of. Don't get a bad taste with a Z because you chose to trade for a crap one.

QFT

Well.. I think i am going to jump into this endeavor..

You have been warned. We wish you the best of luck. Before you jump the gun sleep on it. Seriously think about what your doing. I would hate for this neglected car to give you a bad taste in your mouth for Z's in general.

We will do our best to help you but please attempt to google the solution to any problems you may have (read: will have) before you post a thread.

[bartZ32tt]

doesn't necessarily mean a coil pack is bad - could be injector, PTU, or low compression in that cylinder meaning that motor is toast. seems like a giant headache for little reward - being an n/a. btw, how do you know the motor only has 94k miles? are you just taking "a kid's" word for it?

I doubt you'll be able to turn a profit on this car. unless by "paint it" you mean with rattle-can paint.

[300ZXttZMAN]

If i'm lucky i can fix the problem replace the interior paint it and sell it for more than I invested in it.

You do realize that won't happen right? This car is way to far gone - I already told you this. So go ahead and get that out of your mind because you will talk yourself into doing the trade if you convince yourself that you will make money off of it.

Simply put: way to much parts/labor is required to even think your going to have such thing as a profit margin with this car.

[300ZXttZMAN]

doesn't necessarily mean a coil pack is bad - could be injector, PTU, or low compression in that cylinder meaning that motor is toast. seems like a giant headache for little reward - being an n/a. btw, how do you know the motor only has 94k miles? are you just taking "a kid's" word for it?

This.

[mbonilla]

im not going to trade the car if the PSI specs for each cylinder arent in spec of the guide on here for n/a engines. if the kid can turn it on and drive around the block i dont think the motor would be toast...im want to learn more so im reading and reading.. i still got 2 days its not 100% yet.. at any point i can tell the kid not to come.. he is towing it to me im not going to get it or anything and im taking the radio and speakers out of my car and keeping my new tires n rims to make more money hes just getting car running without any electronics or wheels.. when my car was bought it cos0t me 800 plus new tires and radio... im sure i can manage... I like to do the impossible but i hope for my sake that it isnt as bad as you guys saying it could be
thanks for all the input guys.. Much appeciated

[Ace2cool]

There's virtually no way to turn a profit on this.That being said, pull the coil pack connectors one by one and see which one doesn't change the idle, then I'd test the coil pack, by pulling the coil, using a screwdriver to ground it to the plenum, and see if it gets spark. If it has spark on the "dead cylinder," it it most likely the injector not opening/closing. You can verify this by using a long screwdriver and placing it on the injector connector and listening to the handle of the screwdriver. It should go click, click, click.

And yeah, a compression test is an absolute must on these cars.

[bartZ32tt]

if the kid can turn it on and drive around the block i dont think the motor would be toast...

I meant "toast" in the sense of "uncurable dead cylinder without a rebuild." Not as in "seized motor." Which will then lead to a seized motor in no time.

The point I was trying to make is: as the buyer, you should look at all problems and expect the worst. You're sort of doing the opposite by expecting the best-case-scenario with each problem from what I've observed.

[mbonilla]

thanks for the replies.. i realize the worse case scenarios but i guess you can call me optimistic. i like doing things people wouldn't.. i look at it like this.. right now my saturn doesnt work( as of yesterday).. bad alternator & battery that i dont want to buy. plus burns tons of oil .. that is already a loss in my book.. i was looking to sell it its been online for about 5 months and with the amount of miles and condition of the interior no one wants it.. im just looking for something new.. something different.. idkdidkdkd you guys are making me not want to do it but at the same time i am confident that i can do the work to fix it.

[NolimitZ32]

here's the deal, if you plan on DDing the Z you are in for a huge headache because it is going to take a lot of time and money to get it running right. If you are planning on having the Z as a project than by all means go for it BUT test the compression first.

[nissanfreak12]

here's the deal, if you plan on DDing the Z you are in for a huge headache because it is going to take a lot of time and money to get it running right. If you are planning on having the Z as a project than by all means go for it BUT test the compression first.

This^^^^^^^^^

Make sure you do the test after the engine has been warmed up and a full charge, maybe even an extra battery in case it starts to go low. If you do it cold, you will get incorrect and low numbers.

[Rager]

this thread is so redonk! first we need a "run forest run " smiley for when people start threads like this. second i think people should have to " read" and "agree " to the terms of this forum before they even think to begin to post! , through the "everything you need to know about Z32" thread.

for constructive input, it seems like it wouldnt be that bad to change an alternator and a battery in a saturn, comparied to the work this kid describes that is need in said "trade" but the saturn sound like toast , so it like trading a piece of s*** for another piece of S****.


so hey man . find you self a better car, whether that be a Z or a civic!

[DCaff300ZX]

And yes you can adjust the base timing by turning the CPS, what DCaff was probably meaning is that you cant alter the timing like you can with an adjustable camgear.

Correct, the OP was talking about the t-belt at the time.
It seems that the OP is about to learn the hard way about which Z's to buy, and which ones to stay away from other than for parts as Mark suggested...

[300ZXttZMAN]

Fella's we have done all we can do to warn this guy. He is not listening.

He comes on here asks for advice and doesn't take it.

It kind of reminds me of the damn liberals.

[NolimitZ32]

Obligatory political joke response

[mbonilla]

I asked for Opinions. What do i look like coming here and having you guys hand feed me my decision? im no newb im not going to ask a question and soley go by your opinions & advice to make my decision.. I appreciate your opinions 100% and i take all of it into consideration. From what i have read here on the forum i will check all areas of concern on the 300zx plus the compression check. Im going to perform the test outlined in the Newb Guide & if it comes out bad then i will not do the trade. if everything checks out good then i will go for the trade. i feel like you guys think im the type of kid that is going to ask what mods to do for his car and then go by what everyone else says.. Im not like that i ask for opinions and advice so i can compare & contrast & expand my knowledge on the topic, then from there i will go of my knowledge and the guidelines provided to make the best informed decision. If test check out well i will be trading the Saturn.. And im not the type to get but hurt either i appreciate all input negative or not. Thanks for everything keep the input coming