Hello, I’m in the process of purchasing a 92 300zx twin turbo with 50k original miles, one owner vehicle from a dealer. What should I be concerned about. They are putting new brakes, rotors, Tires, aligningment, battery. No accidents clean carfax, $14k out the door.
All suggestions are welcomed.. thank you

apgolfpro wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:51 am

Hello, I’m in the process of purchasing a 92 300zx twin turbo with 50k original miles, one owner vehicle from a dealer. What should I be concerned about. They are putting new brakes, rotors, Tires, aligningment, battery. No accidents clean carfax, $14k out the door.
All suggestions are welcomed.. thank you

Welcome!
THE most important thing for buying a Z32 is to have had the 120K service done, which replaces the timing belt and tensioners and cam seals and variable valve timing gears/springs among other things...VERY important because a failed belt ruins the engine and the 120K service can be expensive. If 120K has not been freshly done on this car plan to do so immediately, and reduce your offer the +/- $2K cost.
Next is the brakes, another area of concern because Nissan allowed runout in the front hubs which causes the brakes to have issues. When installing the new brakes the shop HAS to first turn the rotors on the car to compensate for the runout, and be sure to bed in your new pads to ensure the system works correctly from the get-go and won't fail prematurely and have you starting over again.
Next area of concern is the cooling system, starting with the OEM clutch fan which can fail in two ways: gets bound up (stiff, not free spinning) and causes a wailing sound as revs increase, or can lose the fluid in it and become too free spinning (should have a little bit of resistance, but spin freely for a second or so when spun) and not be effective cooling. Replace ONLY with OEM. Also be sure the radiator has no cracks/missing piece at the top spout (common overtightening or removal issue).
The next concern is corrosion of the various engine control device connectors, and the fact that your '92 has the old-style injectors and connectors. These need to be replaced commonly due to age and the effects of Ethanol in gasoline and if not done in your case, would be a major concern to me given my experience with Z32's (a '90 and '93, both old style)- they ALL fail, it's not "if" but "when". Be ready for that.
A quick look through the tech section here also may show you some of the more common issues we deal with and their solutions, and be sure to note we have a "Everything you need to know...Z32" sticky at the top of the page which contains a factory service manual that is invaluable for DIY repairs and troubleshooting.
Good Luck!

To add onto DCaff's comment regarding the 120k service, surely you'll hear, "Well, the cars only at 50k." While that's great in most regards, the timing belt, seals, etc. are also subject to deterioration by time. Compounding this is the fact that the low miles indicate faily low-use, which would accelerate this deterioration. Look for that stamp of the timing belt change - if the date is more than 3/4 years ago, get the price dropped so you can get it done. Don't ask them to do it, unless they have a Nissan tech that's personally worked on Z32s.

Post a link of the ad so we can take a look.... and good luck in your pursuit! Patience goes a long way in this process.