Student - Need all info

[centralcoaster33]

BTW - you mentioned power and 4 cylinder experience being a Versa. Well, I drive my wife's Versa, drove it all last weekend long to go snowboarding. It is a nice car, but is pretty small in the engine area. Very little power. This is in no way an accurate representation of 4 banger power. Lot's of 4 bangers will feel much more robust than a Versa. A Miata, 240sx, Prelude, Cobalt, etc. have much more go. Certainly the Audi Porsche and BMW 4 cyl engines feel very different. I wouldn't give up on a 4 cylinder engine based upon the Versa alone.

[rpnp]

@rgregoryb:
Yes, that is why I was still considering the Miata overall.
At the same time the 300ZX isn't a bad car from what I've heard so far but only if I can simply find one in good shape.
I would mostly lean towards the NA (non-turbo) version as I don't want to deal with those cars having major issues and having to spend loads of money for replacements.

@centralcoaster33:
Yes, that's exactly why I haven't ruled out the Miata just yet despite it being a 4 cylinder.
The one thing that holds me back about the Miata is it's looks to be honest. I hate the headlight/front of the car (Miata NC). The Miata NA, I like the looks of but it's a rattling car not made for daily driving at all.

@All:
For the Nissan 300ZX how is the limit of just 5 gears compared to other cars with 6 gear manual transmissions?
Some cars with 4 gears going at 80-100miles/hr in their 4th gear with 3-4krpm would be noiser or not as comfortable as a 5 gear car at 80-100miles/hr. Does this hold true for an extra 6th gear with less rpm needed at 80-100miles/hr, as most manual cars now have 6 gears?

Another statement I heard was it's not all about the amount of gears as there is something called "short and long throws". I got confused here and how it applies to what I stated above.
If ya'll can shed some knowledge in this area it would be great as so far what I understand is the higher the RPM the harder the engine works and more noise is created due to that.

Reason why this got me thinking is because I like comfortable rides on highways and at the same time I heard the Nissan 300ZX is a good daily driver. So, if it's a daily driver especially on highways with only 5gears how does it sound? Does it cruise well without crazy RPM & minimal cabin noise with 5 gears at 80-100+miles/hr?

Thanks!

[NolimitZ32]

Bottom line is that the 300ZX is a great car IF and ONLY IF you can afford the maintenance and have a mechanic that can work on it (not every mechanic can or will). Other than the maintenance (it's a 90s sports car) its a great highway cruiser, the gears are spaced very well and give you enough oomph even in NA form to get moving and keep moving. I would suggest that you go out and test drive all of these cars before continuing your search because you may find that one or each of them has something that you just can't live with.

[rgregoryb]

I also own a 2012 CRV leather etc. , My 300 zx is much more comfortable and quiet on the interstate. 70mph is about 2900 rpm. Well air infiltration is quieter, the mufflers make it a little noisy.

[rpnp]

@NolimitZ32:

Makes sense & I'll keep that in mind.
From the way you said it seems like the mechanics that know the Z32 well are scarce, so I'll look into that for sure.
Thanks for the advice.

@rgregoryb:

Isn't 2900rpm a little loud for 70mph?
The NC Miata I believe does 85mph @ around 2000rpm.

[rgregoryb]

A automatic NA has 4 :08 rear end so yes the rpms are high.

[rpnp]

A automatic NA has 4 :08 rear end so yes the rpms are high.

No idea what that means, sorry.
So, are you saying: "Yes, 2900 rpm is high for 70mph 300ZX"? wielding more noise while cruising around 80mph compared to a NC Miata?

No idea what 4 :08 means for NA Miata.

[rgregoryb]

The higher the rear end ratio, the more rpm to get higher speed, the 5 speed rear ratio is a little lower. I am pretty sure the Miata has a lower ratio allowing higher speed lower RPM.

[NolimitZ32]

The higher the rear end ratio, the more rpm to get higher speed, the 5 speed rear ratio is a little lower. I am pretty sure the Miata has a lower ratio allowing higher speed lower RPM.

Correction, the TT ratio is lower, the Auto and 5 speed share the same rear end across the NA and TT respectively.

[rpnp]

The higher the rear end ratio, the more rpm to get higher speed, the 5 speed rear ratio is a little lower. I am pretty sure the Miata has a lower ratio allowing higher speed lower RPM.

Correction, the TT ratio is lower, the Auto and 5 speed share the same rear end across the NA and TT respectively.

Really need to look into what all this means.

[NolimitZ32]

The driveline in a car is geared in multiple stages to convert the rotation of the engine (thousands of revolutions per minute) into the rotation of the tires (hundreds of revolutions per minute), this is done by using step down ratios (a larger gear and a smaller gear). This is done in the transmission and then in the rear diff (on a RWD vehicle). the numbers 4.08 for example stand for a ratio 4.08 to 1 where the gear receiving the rotation (referred to as the output side) is 4.08 times the size of the gear providing the rotation (the input side). By differentiating the ratio you change the relationship between the RPM of the engine and the speed of the tires. Check out the howstuffworks website for more information on this and anything else you can imagine having a question about.

[centralcoaster33]

5 speed manuals and 4 speed automatics were the norm for quite some time. They typically drive, feel and sound pretty much normal. Newer 6 speeds were introduced to give a second overdrive gear, increasing highway MPG and therefor making the cars slightly greener for the environment. The transmission and differential are designed by engineers for each specific vehicle. Gear ratios aren't something that needs to be learned to appreciate driving or owning cars. It is interesting information and it should be understood if you are ever in the position to revise the designs. Newer cars have a tendency to be quieter than older cars. That's related to wear and tear. Luxury cars tend to have more sound damping materials than cheap cars. There's lots of good information in this thread and best applicable advice I saw here was test drive your desired makes and models before making a decision. Pondering online is fun. Test drives are fun to!

[ShawnTexan]

Ok read through most of this and to be honest guys since he admitted to knowing 0 about cars shouldn't he just get a Miata since they are significantly easier to find and work on. plus he is a short guy assuming skinny also. i would never recommend a 300zx to someone who knows nothing about cars just looking under the hood and those people don't know s*** and wouldn't even know where to look or what parts are what. Where are u located at though i missed that part. OK sorry for just throwing the obvious out there but the 300zx would be too much for you. I do like your logical methodical approach to the decision rationalizing all the factors.

[rpnp]

Ok read through most of this and to be honest guys since he admitted to knowing 0 about cars shouldn't he just get a Miata since they are significantly easier to find and work on. plus he is a short guy assuming skinny also. i would never recommend a 300zx to someone who knows nothing about cars just looking under the hood and those people don't know s*** and wouldn't even know where to look or what parts are what. Where are u located at though i missed that part. OK sorry for just throwing the obvious out there but the 300zx would be too much for you. I do like your logical methodical approach to the decision rationalizing all the factors.

I'll mostly be located either in Chicago or Baltimore soon after I'm done my exams.

[z.Leinbach]

Ya know doc. I would honestly reccomend i nissan skyline r32 gtr. Go with a good import company like rhd specailties or japanese classics llc. You would have a nissan skyline. (Very coveted car amung the car guys. Its a straight 6. Awd car that with the pull of a fuse is a rwd car.. Reliability slightly high then the Z and 100% cooler

[rpnp]

Ya know doc. I would honestly reccomend i nissan skyline r32 gtr. Go with a good import company like rhd specailties or japanese classics llc. You would have a nissan skyline. (Very coveted car amung the car guys. Its a straight 6. Awd car that with the pull of a fuse is a rwd car.. Reliability slightly high then the Z and 100% cooler

They cost a-lot more then the Z32 & they are right side drive.
I would rather go with a left side drive Z32.
Thanks for the recommendation though, appreciate it.

[z.Leinbach]

That they are and they are actually very fun and compairible to driving a TT z. Lol buddy of mine has actually backed througg a fair few drive throughs in.

[rpnp]

That they are and they are actually very fun and compairible to driving a TT z. Lol buddy of mine has actually backed througg a fair few drive throughs in.

HAHAHAHAHA , never thought about that.
That's hilarious!

[z.Leinbach]

Haha they dont like it very much when you do it. Lol freaks the hurd out when you do something out of the norm

[rpnp]

Hey guys there's a car for sale 5hrs away from me & before I go look at it or even think twice about buying it or driving up there I wanted you guys to give me a thumbs up or down.

Here's the advertisement for it ($CAD):
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/sask ... 1250747878

I email the guy an hour ago asking him:

Any issues with the car what so ever? Engine swaps usually don't end up being perfect. Can I get a few more interior pics especially of the back? What's your bottom price for it? Thanks.

His reply:

You’re right, it was a headache. It is an original a turbo car though, not a NA-TT swap. Mechanically it is good to go now. The last issue I had was a cracked solder joint in the airflow sensor that I chased for a year.
The car in in my farm shed and its too dark in there for pictures, I tried yesterday and it looked like the inside of a cave. It is a 2+0 so there really isn’t a back, like in the hatch I guess.
Info:

1990 300zx Twin Turbo 2+0
The good
· 210,000km on chassis
· JDM VG30DETT with approx. 75000km installed 6000km ago
· JWT Sport 500 turbos (one has a new CHRA)
· AEM Electronic boost control
· AEM Wideband AFR gauge
· EGR Delete
· PCV Valve delete, crankcase vented
· Recent clutch
· Lightweight flywheel
· 550cc injectors (new style) from Performance Fuel Injection in Calgary
· Specialty Z EPROM tune
· Z1 oversize intercoolers
· Under plenum coolant lines delete
· All rubber coolant and oil lines replaced
· Stillen front facia
· Rear tires 80%
· Steering rack rebuilt
· One piece clutch line
· New engine wiring harness
· New custom dual exhaust

The bad
· Drivers seat is wore on the side bolster and needs repair
· No stereo/radio
· Colour mismatch on stillen bumper, paint shop refuse to fix, visible in one picture
· Front tires 20%

Right now my email is blowing up on it, so I’d say lowest I will go is $5500. First with cash wins



...

So, what do you guys think?
As you know I have 0 knowledge about cars so can you do me a favour and use your knowledge about common 300ZX issues you personally would look for when buying 1 and email him asking him about those then forward me the email or post it here?

I would love a thumbs up or down after that.


Thanks!

[centralcoaster33]

This is the kind of car listing I personally stay away from. It's certainly not a daily driver, yet. It's a project car for this guy, sitting in a barn. I'm a 240sx guy and I know them pretty well. If this were a similar post for a 240, I just wouldn't be interested in the potential headache aspect of it all. Import engine, special tune computer, and too many modifications to list are red flags for me. It might be a good first car if you were a mechanic student at UTI or something similar, but you aren't. It might be a good second car for an enthusiast (like the seller, he doesn't need it to get to work or school). It might be a good car for a person who knows a mechanic that specializes (in Nissan and in JDM) and who can endure the down time for repairs/ diagnoses. I don't think it's a good car for most people and more so for a medical student with zero knowledge, lot's of debt and little free time in their near future. Thumbs Down IMHO. I don't want to hurt your hopes and you seem to be getting blinders on any car other than a 300zx. So, I'd suggest you keep looking. I am curious to see what others say, especially the 300zx guys (you already have a few smart and experienced ones listening here).

[NolimitZ32]

^ I agree, I am currently looking for my 3rd Z32 with the intention of gutting it and swapping in my already built engine. That said, i refuse to buy anyone's projects. I only look at virgins because those are the ones that were taken care of, its pretty obvious if a sports car survives 20+ years and still looks like it rolled off the lot with all original parts (less normal stuff that breaks) that it was take care of. So yeah, i'd stay away from anything not stock, especially if you want this as a daily.

[DCaff300ZX]

^^^TOTALLY agreed, this is not your car Doc. WAY too much HP and mods for a no-know-car guy, how'd you ever know how to go about fixing or getting it fixed? And it WILL need fixing from what it sounds like, and in the future...trust me, I have a fairly similar TTZ and until you've replaced a ton of stuff she's a maintenance nightmare...plus as for driving it she's a handful for even a experienced driver under full fury, and still needs attention down to 70 mph especially braking which is a little different (progressive rather than "all-in, stand on your face with a 2" push" brakes) that many non-performance cars have.
Oh, and the hint was given there about the hassle of tint-matching paint on aftermarket bumpers- I love that color on the Z but it's not stock, so color matching will be spendy and risky, especially if the paint has pearls or other tints in it. And when you see it, if you do, you WILL want to fix it as there's nothing trashier IMO than a poorly matched front bumper on a nice car...really stands out and surely will on a bright orange car.
Also regarding the comfort and ride characteristics of the Z32, I think that you may not like it a lot due to it being a bit stiff and bumpy, especially the TT with stiffer springs and sway bars and especially compared to the other vehicles you mentioned. It can be a bit loud depending upon the exhaust and it's condition or if modified as surely that one has been, and does run at rpm's similar to a 4 banger in many ways, unless the car is as mentioned an Manual trans NA. Personally though, I feel the Z32 is one of the best Driving Cars available to most of us, and priced under $50K...but that is due to performance and NOT ultimate comfort.
And I completely agree and follow NoLimit's thinking with purchasing the Z32, I flew to Cali from Washington State to get mine and drove it back- a bone stock '93 TT with verified 120K service, which is an ultra high priority ($1,500-1,700 cost depending on parts and sources and shop) when buying a Z32, and then went to work on it.

Don't take this wrong, but everything here has read "Miata guy". Two co-workers have both had several, the handling and generally OK performance (up to 80 anyway) make it a hit with people who like to do a little more than putt around but are not into modded cars or lots of maintenance costs, which the Z32 is notorious for. One guy even tried to take after me one day in my TT, so it does at least give the impression it can do something. You get better economy and repair history, and the newer ones are far less buzzy and rattle-y than the older ones although that soft top always seems to be an issue so I'd go hardtop myself if so inclined, but which I am not as the Miata just is not a fast car in any way.
Leave the TTZ's and GT-R's to us speed junky idiots with more time to work on them, and that necessary lack of common sense and resulting lack of money from working on them all the time.

[rpnp]

You guys are simply awesome
I didn't even go look at it.
I would seriously go for the Miata but it just looks SO BAD! The worst feeling is when you're driving something u simply don't like.

[DCaff300ZX]

Definitely understand that, I'm not a Miata fan either but it does get good grades as mentioned.
I really like my G35 honestly, it is a nice daily and has enough power to keep me happy enough with the performance package but a normal one would surely be just fine as well. They handle very well and are pretty comfortable, my only complaint is they have a sort of cheap car road sound at times and some clunks and rattles it shouldn't have, probably from lacking heavy matting and soundproofing to keep weight down and performance up.
Not TOO expensive in all ways purchased used and under 80K miles, 11K for mine and I'm happy enough as it gets 28+ mpg as well.
I also wanted a 90's turbo Supra and had one available with tasteful mods and a knowledgeable owner/builder, just couldn't and never will buy someone else's mess but a stock one would be fun and are a great-looking car IMO.
And even Zach's suggestion of a GT/R isn't too far off if you get a GTST or other milder stock version, they generally run exactly the HP and performance range of a stock Z32TT and can be had for the same $$$ as a Z32 you'd want to buy- between $14K (GTST, RB20 GT/R's, etc.) and $25K (full RB25/26DETT GT/R) around here all day and I've even seen some decent R32's under $20K. If life ever cooperates I want a R33 GT/R BADLY, Midnight Purple and just stock so I can drive it and not worry about anything. My life would be complete.
The Corvettes get high marks if you can stomach GM and the new Ford V8 seems to have those folks giddy, I just personally can't do 'Mercan stuff in any flavor but that's just me.
Also, a lot of car guys in that Miata category also seem to like that new Toyota/Subaru/God Knows Who Else coupe, named BRZ and a number of other names, for it's handling and a LITTLE more power than Miata, and better looks than many other current cars but I'd bet they still cost too much used as they haven't been around so long yet.
That kind of does it for the more affordable range of higher performing sports cars with some comfort and daily drivability, you need to look north of 20K to find more car options and still often face the either higher maintenance costs that the 90's vehicles all had with interference motors/TB maintenance costs, newer car expense, or "old car" repairs/upgrades.

[NolimitZ32]

If you feel that the Miata doesn't look the part then why not look at a 350Z or G35, the earlier ones are available for prices similar to a good 300ZX and being 10 years newer they are generally in better shape (generally). Hell my "other" car at the moment (whic was a daily for 2 years before being retired) is a 99 E39 540I which has been great to me, caveat: I threw almost 3k at the required refresh for the suspension and oil seals right when i got it but since then it's been a dream, almost 300hp, robust v8, 6speed manual, and all the creature comforts one could ask for. That said my daily now is a fairly new Titan and I wouldn't have it any other way. As much as you want to get something outside the norm the conversation will always come back to what can you live with, and I think looking at a 350Z would be a great idea.

[rpnp]

Yeah, makes sense.
I'll just need to end up deciding soon enough.
I like the look of the 350z and 370z more then the Miata for sure. But in my eyes so far nothing beats the good ol' 300ZX.

With that said, can anyone recommend me or does anyone here know who the best Z32 mechanic is in "Edmonton, Alberta" or close by to Edmonton, Alberta?

I have a couple car's I have in mind and might be going there to take a look this next week so if I really end up liking one and the price is a little negotiable then I'd want to get a PPI done it for sure by a mechanic who know's his Z32 inside out.

Thanks.