What to look for when purchasing a z32?

[dro21]

Hello nico club...alright i found a 300zx tt for sale..but what makes me sketchy about buying it is that i have never had a turbo car so i dont know anything todo with a turbo charged engine. What are things i should be looking at? What are common problems with 300zx i should know about......i searched but i havent found any information.

[evildky]

find out when the timing belt was done last, look for the best car you can find, these cars are expensive to own , maintain and repair. These are nto liek your honda, they are low production cars and have a lot of specialized parts that can be hard to locate and pricey and any task takes much longer to perform due to the cramped engien bay. Spending more to buy a good car on the front end will save you in the long run

[Oh Em Zee]

it seems like many buyers of used cars end up with a TT with worn out turbos, leaking oil or bad bearings.
this car is very difficult to work on and will honestly usually have more problems than imaginable.
Ask if the injectors have been replaced before, as the plenum is typically ground out to access the injectors. it is a tedious job, and injectors are expensive. watch out when buying a car at 60k and 120k. if around that milage, check to see if the timing belt was replaced. i believe injectors are commonly replaced around 120k for 300zx's, but that's just what several sources (dealers, shops, other z-owners) have suggested to me.
ask for receipts, listen for rod knock, and if you find one with ripped seats but ding free body, remember you can easily pick up Z seats for cheap.

[Oh Em Zee]

one thing i forgot, that so many of the users of our forum found out too late, if you want a twin turbo, BUY A TT, dont consider a swap unless the Z is immaculate.

[ghostowl79]

why not consider a tt swap ? whats so bad about that? i mean i am trade a 2000 chevy extreme 4.3 v6 extended cab for a 1990 z32 2+2 nontrubo. the z32 is in fair condition i hope 2 get a least a year out of the engine and than do a twin turbo swap. this will be my first z32. i have 2 89 240sx se and plan on doing a sr20det swap for one of them. what makes me think that the z32 tt swap cant be any hard than the sr20det swap for a 240 is that the tt engine aleast part whys are easier to find oncount that the engine was sold in america. what should i consider if wanting to do a tt swap ? one thing i like is the tt engine set cost the same as a sr20det red top or less. which to me make more sense a 3.0 v6 twin turbo is better than a 2.0 i4 turbo for the same amount of money. fill me in on what info i might need to consider

[Oh Em Zee]

Cost effectiveness. in my area, 5k will get you a near perfect N\a. and 8k-9.5k will get you a near perfect TT.
for 3-4.5k, buy the twin turbo. you're going to end up spending 2k for engine + replacement parts, and another 1.5-2k easily on labor, and have a risk factor buying a used motor, it's just practical to buy a TT upfront that you know runs.
of course if you find a N\a that is just immaculate, and can justify 3-5k in swap costs, do it.
Off hand there's one thing to consider, VIN numbers and insurance, getting your true value if the car is wrecked, etc. if it was an N\a it'll be blue book N\a value. even though it had a TT motor in it.

benefit of a swap is you will end up with the N\a rear differential with a shorter gear ratio (4.08 compared to 3.67)
there are several incompatibilities you have to accommodate for, like the flywheel, driveshaft\differential, front bumper for intercooler piping, there are just alot of extra costs that you have to be prepared for. it's just simply more economical if you know you want a twin turbo Z, to buy one. they're not rare.

[evildky]

a Z33 sorry just a thought, as the cost of these cars goes down so does the quality of the ones available, and the cost of repairing and maintaining them stays the same and while 9k might get you a really nice 15-20 year old car you can also get a Z33 which is only 8 years old, you won't have to deal with hardedn brittle and broken electrical connectors, 20 year old coolan hoses in impossible locations etc, just thought I'd throw that out there

[vulcanrush]

i agree that buying a tt is easier and more convenient, however, i don't know if it's necessarily cheaper.

i never really understood when ppl say, buy a tt for 8-11k+ and you get a great or even good car.

i don't think it's cheaper.

please keep in mind, i'm not as smart as everybody else, but wouldn't you wanna do the 120k pack, hoses, etc. anyway? regardless if you do a swap or buy a native tt.

it is a 20-year-old car.

you'll probably wanna upgrade the turbo's, injectors, efi, etc. too.

[Oh Em Zee]

you would absolutely want to change the timing belt, hoses, idlers and tensioner if swapping in a TT, because you can do it on the block before it's in the car. couldnt get easier. but if you're doing the labor yourself it's the same price as down the road.

[vulcanrush]

no, i meant, even if you bought a native tt, you would still wanna do those things.

so, sure it's more convenient or easier, but i don't think it's necessarily cheaper to buy a tt.

unless those maintenance items have been done already.

[Oh Em Zee]

it's more of the unexpected costs, and usually when you buy a TT motor it's been sitting and accumulated moisture and rust.

[ghostowl79]

c i think i understand what vulcanrush is say maintance whys a tt and a n/a is the same as far as buy it. you need to do all of the same changes timeingbelt hose etc.the na z32 in my area the western US las vegas to be exact. you can pick up a fair condition z32 na for like 1000 to 3000 not running and running for 3000 and above. now if thats a turbo people r expecting to 5000 or above regraudless of condition. so to me it doesn't make sense to spend an extra 2000 and get a car you know has been driven hard. people with turbos love those cars until they can't justifie spending the money to maintain them. that when they sell them. not because its a great car but because its become a headach to them.