Iam considering buying a 300zx twin turbo. It is a 1990 with 84k miles. Is $7000 a good price if everything on the car checks out? I dont know what the common problems are on these cars and what to look for. I was just hoping for some advice on what to take notice on. This car has new paint and is super clean inside and out. I really like the car, but dont have to have it, and want to make sure it is worth it. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Injectors/injector harnesses. harnesses get corroded and the injectors will need replaced soon if they haven't already.

 

biggest tip yet on buying a 300zx....





dont.


seriously... they are ALWAYS broke down. nissans version of the DSM

 

I wouldn't say always, its all in how you take care of it. But its not the most reliable. Still cool cars. Kinda different.

 

thats true...

 

twinturbo.net has the diy ecu diagnosis so you can see if there are any codes in computer. biggest problem in these cars is the efi harness, egr, and injectors going bad. another costly repair is the 60k maintenance which is very imperative and should be done to insure reliability. Aside from that they have common problems like most other cars. Worst part about a Z is there is no room in the engine bay. I have a 92 tt and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

 

As with any 12-18 year old car, it's all in how well it was maintained by it's previous owners. They're complex cars, so if they haven't been taken care of, they won't be reliable. The engine/drivetrain itself is extremely reliable, it's mostly the electronics and auxillaries that are likely to give you issues. I've had my '94TTZ for about 8 years now and it's been extremely reliable; one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned (including Acuras, a Datsun, other Nissans, Toyota, VW, Infinity, Dodge). In it's class, it's probably just about as reliable as the Supra and easily as reliable (probably moreso) than the average 3KGT or FD from my experience.

As mentioned above, look for broken coil connectors, make sure the injectors are all working, find out the last time it had it's timing belt, tensioner and water pump changed out. Look for oil leak around the turbo and look for excessive dark smoke in the exhaust. Look for PS leaks (especially if it leaks on the alternator). Pull the codes on it and also make sure it's not running in safety boost (7psi). Also check for synchro wear on the transmission. Other than that, it's mostly the same things to look for on any car this age; wheel bearings, play in the steering rack, general condition of hoses, etc). I'd recommend you check out twinturbo.net; lots of FAQs about what to look out for on these cars.

Not sure on the price as I have no idea what they're going for these days.

 

I sold mine after 284,000 miles on it. The only problem I ever had on it was a fan clutch.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I will be checking out twinturbo.net. The car is actually in the shop right now getting new injectors. Im assuming they are replacing all injectors. I guess they should be if that is a common problem since it kinda looked like a pain in the ass to change them. I have been looking at what people are trying o get for these cars and so far 7k sounds like a pretty decent deal.

 

Under 100k miles is hard to find on a z32 nowadays. It's not a bad deal if the car checks out ok. Be sure to run a carfax detailed history report on it. If you don't have an account, I'll do it for you for $7