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Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
#1605262
27/07/2017 09:46
27/07/2017 09:46
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603 Corridor of Uncertainty
Jim_Clennell
OP
Forum veteran
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OP
Forum veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603
Corridor of Uncertainty
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We have an opportunity to buy a 2003 100k mile auto 350Z for £3500. It has most of a FSH and seems pretty genuine. We want it because it has some bodywork issues we can fix and sell it on. However, if it's going to cost us a couple of grand in repairs for its imminent MOT, we'll pass. Most word on the internet seems to be that they're pretty robust. What does the panel reckon...?
Last edited by Jim_Clennell; 27/07/2017 09:47.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605298
27/07/2017 20:14
27/07/2017 20:14
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,057 Southsea
Gunzi
Club member 189, Former Club President
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Club member 189, Former Club President
Je suis un Coupé
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,057
Southsea
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Any chance you can get the seller to put it through an MOT before you buy it? Even if it fails you'd know what you were looking at. Worth checking the MOT History which gives clues for any underlying issues.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605302
27/07/2017 21:57
27/07/2017 21:57
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603 Corridor of Uncertainty
Jim_Clennell
OP
Forum veteran
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OP
Forum veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603
Corridor of Uncertainty
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We could try, but not sure they will MOT the car - given that it could knacker the sale - they just want rid. Current MOT has advisories for corrosion on the W brace and cloudy headlamps...
Last edited by Jim_Clennell; 27/07/2017 21:58.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605314
28/07/2017 09:10
28/07/2017 09:10
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,115 South Cheshire
Lucifer
Forum is my job
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Forum is my job
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,115
South Cheshire
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I had a 350z for a while, though it was a 2007 so it had the re-worked "HR" engine, and it had a manual gearbox. Loved driving it, great fun and it never put a foot wrong mechanically. Even the servicing costs weren't too unreasonable.
My only criticisms, and these are mostly because I'm just a complete speed freak, is they don't feel particularly rapid, and the engine note is just a little bit dull (though I've heard some good exhaust systems out there so they can be improved).
I believe the interior cabin quality on the older models is also not the best, but again mine was one of the later ones and apart from slightly cheap looking dials I thought it was actually OK overall.
2016 Jaguar F-Type R AWD; 2017 BMW M4 Competition Package; 2015 Range Rover Evoque 2.2 Tech
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605317
28/07/2017 09:24
28/07/2017 09:24
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Nello
Unregistered
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Nello
Unregistered
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Ping MCMike Jim - he as a soft-top one. I like those early ones that came in that Copper colour. They do sound well.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605358
30/07/2017 14:51
30/07/2017 14:51
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,610 S. Wales. Way beyond my means
Gripped
Club member 1924
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Club member 1924
Forum is my job
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,610
S. Wales. Way beyond my means
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Blimey! Maybe his perspective is slanted by the issues he's encountered, because most of what I've read seems to suggest reliability is a strong point. If he thinks an S2000 is a direct rival, he might be missing the point of the Zed... But useful info, thanks. I have a couple of friends with Honda's and I'm not sure reliability is any better than Nissan. In fact, my one mate says he'll only go for Toyota next time after a much better customer service experience with his 2 Prius's. Anyway, that's for newer stuff. As the for 350Z, I'd love one. Go for it !! I suspect it would have far fewer niggles than a Coupe to be fair. [wash my mouth out ] It would be my choice of track car I think, if just for the noise !
Last edited by Gripped; 30/07/2017 14:53.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605375
31/07/2017 07:34
31/07/2017 07:34
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390 Essex
Trappy
Forum is my life
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Forum is my life
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
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It wasn't to be. The owner was offered a grand more than we thought the car was worth, so we bowed out. Will be looking for another 350z though. Think I might have become a fan! I'm confused; from your OP, I thought you were looking to buy and sell a particular 350Z to make a few bob. Are you looking to buy one to keep now?
F****** b****** thing...
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Trappy]
#1605390
31/07/2017 13:13
31/07/2017 13:13
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603 Corridor of Uncertainty
Jim_Clennell
OP
Forum veteran
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OP
Forum veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603
Corridor of Uncertainty
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It wasn't to be. The owner was offered a grand more than we thought the car was worth, so we bowed out. Will be looking for another 350z though. Think I might have become a fan! I'm confused; from your OP, I thought you were looking to buy and sell a particular 350Z to make a few bob. Are you looking to buy one to keep now? Both right, Trappy. We were looking at one particular car that we thought we could turn round and make a (small) profit by tidying it up. However, it's more fun if you like the car too and - as I said - a 370Z features in our long-term plans (dreams!), the older brother is a nice place to start.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605391
31/07/2017 13:23
31/07/2017 13:23
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,115 South Cheshire
Lucifer
Forum is my job
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Forum is my job
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,115
South Cheshire
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I realise that, by all accounts, the 370z is a superior car to it's predecessor.. however, I always preferred the look of the 350. I just think the styling tweaks on the newer model are a bit fussy, especially the rear lights.
Horses for courses though!
2016 Jaguar F-Type R AWD; 2017 BMW M4 Competition Package; 2015 Range Rover Evoque 2.2 Tech
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605451
01/08/2017 15:37
01/08/2017 15:37
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,466 Kent
Submariner
My job on the forum
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My job on the forum
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,466
Kent
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I always thought the 350 looked like a bad 911 clone. The front is rather good the rear end looks truly awful (in both guises but the imports with the square number plate especially so). The soft-top is hideous. Usually I don't like body modified cars but flicking through Google images some of the modified one's look better than the standard body shape. Can't believe the prices they are fetching, last time I looked they were £3-5K now an import is going for £6K+!
Last edited by Submariner; 01/08/2017 15:47.
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Jim_Clennell]
#1605491
02/08/2017 08:06
02/08/2017 08:06
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390 Essex
Trappy
Forum is my life
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Forum is my life
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
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MrCooper wrote a very good review of the 350Z he owned a few years ago Review of my 350Z It helped me and my ex when we were looking for hers. She eventually bought a 2006 rev-up / HR model (296bhp). I had access to it for years so knew it fairly well and, although it was great fun at first, it never really grew on me. I liked the image and sense of occasion, but it never really came alive somehow. The engine is the first thing that was pretty uninspiring. For a start, it wasn't nearly as brawny as I'd have expected for naturally aspirated 3.5 litre lump. Sure it pulled well from any revs but never felt like a big revvy engine or a grunt torque monster. And it was lazy. It felt like the speed at which the car accelerated was limited by how quickly the revs would rise. Engine when out of gear it would just labour up the rpm when you gave it some beans. The noise wasn't great either (although an aftermarket exhaust did remedy this to an extent) and it just didn’t seem to like being ‘revved out’. For me it was best drive at 6/10ths but then you quickly found the next hurdle - the handling. Don’t get me wrong, it was nicely balanced and very lairy if you played with the throttle (with the overly intrusive TC switched off) but I never found I could string it along around my favourite twisties like I could in the coop. I never found a rhythm with it. On a more personal note, the seats were simply no good for me at all – far too narrow. I would sit on it with the two side bolsters pushing into my shoulder blades with a good 3inches of air between my back and the seat. The position would have been great other than that. Nice and low with plenty of adjustment but if you’re on the seat rather than in it, then it’s never going to work... Finally, it just wasn’t fast enough. In hindsight, I do wonder if it was making the quoted BHP because it shouldn’t have been trounced by a mate’s 247bhp fleamapped 20vT the way it was. I later discovered that they need 99RON petrol to make quoted power or the ECU limits performance. That did make it feel a bit peppier but not 300bhp peppy. Over 1500kgs will do that though I suppose… It had a surprisingly good boot and was very reliable however and was a great partner on a long drive. Consumables were more expensive than the coop, servicing was OK and fuel economy was a little worse than my coop – with 400bhp. I can’t help but feel that, if these cars had been turbo or even supercharged from the factory, you’d have a car with a real cult following here. I really can't see the 30bhp and a little less weight of the 370Z addressing the shortcomings of the 350Z and I ca't believe they're still making it even now. Your average hot hatch wuld blow it into the weeds now!
F****** b****** thing...
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Re: Cheap 350Z - what to look out for...
[Re: Trappy]
#1605502
02/08/2017 11:20
02/08/2017 11:20
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,115 South Cheshire
Lucifer
Forum is my job
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Forum is my job
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,115
South Cheshire
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It helped me and my ex when we were looking for hers. She eventually bought a 2006 rev-up / HR model (296bhp). The 2006 second generation engine (the 296bhp version) wasn't the HR engine. The HR was 2007 onwards, and had 313bhp (this is the version I owned). I drove a couple of 2006 models, and one other 2007 before I purchased mine, so I can offer something of a limited comparison. The later models weren't startlingly quicker by any stretch, but they were definitely better to drive all round and a little punchier than the early models. If you could stretch to a 2007 model I would say absolutely do it. As noted though fuel economy really wasn't great, though hardly disastrous either. After 18 months ownership I traded the car in with the trip computer showing 22.8mpg. By comparison, the M5 I replaced it with was at 12.9 at the end of my ownership
2016 Jaguar F-Type R AWD; 2017 BMW M4 Competition Package; 2015 Range Rover Evoque 2.2 Tech
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