Nissan 300ZX

[del68 0]

Any one know anything about these "supercars for fiesta money" Theres one local to me, up for just under £4k, can they be any worse to run than a G60/VR6? Love the look of them and there is plenty of reading to be done, I was just hoping some one has first hand knowledge/experience.

 

It's the Twin Turbo version FYI. Jap import. 91 H, 42K miles

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk - Autotrader - NISSAN 300 ZX

[vr6storm 0]

Any one know anything about these "supercars for fiesta money" Theres one local to me, up for just under £4k, can they be any worse to run than a G60/VR6? Love the look of them and there is plenty of reading to be done, I was just hoping some one has first hand knowledge/experience.

 

It's the Twin Turbo version FYI. Jap import. 91 H, 42K miles

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk - Autotrader - NISSAN 300 ZX

 

its a pity the running/repair costs will be supercar prices tho :wink:

[RACK 0]

They're awesome in a straight line, just beware when booting it round a corner.

Also massive tuning potential, well over 500bhp is capable.

But like vr6storm said, running and repair costs make the C look cheap.

[munkay 0]

Yeah I went to see and almost bought one when I sold the Corrado. It was a very clean example but they are very very cramped engine bay and seriously complicated - sensors for everything. The potential costs of anything engine or turbo related was a bit scary too. If you do go for one perhaps find some garages that know about them first so you have somewhere to get work done. Parts can be found for cheap on the net as well with suspension etc not being as much as you would think.

 

They are very quick indeed - in a straight line, and they seem to naturally want to sit at 90mph+ on the motorway so probabyl a license loser! :)

 

They are very nice inside although the controls are a bit clunky, but with leather etc they are very high spec'd. I think colour is very important too, as they are quite old some make it look its age where as black or something else decent helps them maintain a more modern feel.

 

They are pretty big though and you are very aware when driving them of a lot in front and behind you - no where near as nimble as the corrado as its a very different type of car.

 

I ended up getting an MR2 Turbo instead which fitted the bill perfectly for what I was looking for - and very easy to mod to high power and maintain reliability to give 300zx power in a smaller - better handling car :D

[joebrent 0]

Ive driven one of these and they are lovely! My mechanic used to work for Nissan and by the sounds of it he said they were pretty to work on and parts didnt cost the earth? They are super quick but do look a bit dated!

[RadoAds 0]

Had one as a company car for a month or 2 in the early 90's and in a straight line it held its own very nicely against our 944 s2 but when it got to the twistys you thought you were gonna die if you were pushing it :lol: , didnt feel very solid though if i remember correctly but it did look awesome in lemon yellow 8) , didnt do very well when at the side of the 928 s4 my boss had though

[Guest]

Big costs associated with the HICAS rear wheel steering which has to be right to make sure it handles properly - definitely a future classic - I drove a few when I was seconded to Nissan and was very impressed

[munkay 0]

I would be very sceptical of a Jap import H reg with 42K. The one I looked at was a UK K reg with FNMDSH and 2 owners with about 80k on the clock.

 

If you do go for one then definitely see a few examples first and if possible a UK one as the Twin Turbo was released over here too. For what it's worth, the insurance on it was only going to be around 600 quid, about 40 quid more than I was paying on the G60.

 

I see no one has mentioned the main cost/annoyance of these yet- the MPG. You will be getting around 15-19mpg from it. This combined with the size of them was enough to put me off. They are very refined though due to the big engine and turbos, although this does kind of remove the kick in the back feeling under acceleration- the just glide forward albeit very rapidly :twisted: I found I kept inadvertantly, and significantly, breaking the speed limit whilst on the motorway whereas on country roads I was well aware of the size of the beast :)

 

Go for a drive in one - see what you think :) I suggest trying a Mitsi 3000GT TT as well as they are kind of similar. I found the GT felt much more sporty and responsive and had a far greater feeling of accelration - making it more fun to drive. The same basically applies to it though re: costs with the added 'bonus' of even more gizmos such as 4WD/S etc..

 

RadoAds - a 300zx would very easily out pace a 944 s2 (except as you say in 'the twisties' :)

[del68 0]

Cheers guys, main thing against appears to be MPG though I can't find any tech data yet, still looking.

 

Munkay - I have considered a Mitsi 3000GT , had a look over one recently but it had not been looked after, the body work was scratched to bits, horrible damp smell inside, and the engine sounded like a bag of bolt's. I did not even bother putting it in to gear. Similar money as the 300zx and similar refinements inside but I just seem to prefer the look of the 300zx.

 

I'm a couple of months away from buying, I 'll be sure to check out anything I see.

 

Note: the owners reviews on http://www.parkers.co.uk are pretty good, this is where I got most of my info on my C before finding this forum.

 

It's a long link btw --- http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/user_ ... =&spare2=#

[Guest]

Mitsi 3000GT - horrid thing, heavy, not that quick, complicated as hell, totally uninvolving to drive and come with free chest wigs and medallions - just my opinion

[del68 0]

Got the chest rug... just need the medallions!! lol

[Guest]

What about a Supra - tough as old boots, great performance and reasonable running costs???

[RACK 0]

The supra is one of my fave cars.

All anyone has to do is watch getaway in stockholm 2 and everyone will want one.

I just couldn't get insured on one for less than £3K :oops:

[del68 0]

I'm reliably informed the only colour 3000GT to get is a red one, unless you want to look like Knight Rider or the Saint and I don't like red cars, no offence meant to those that own red C's!!!! As for the Supra ...mmmmmmm......would have to be like the multi-tone green/tourquois and blue one I occasionally see on the M27 near Southampton.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I used to really like the 300ZXs, particularly the front and rear views but always felt the side view was a bit Opel Manta-ish. What engines do they have? 3.0 V6 turbo or something?

 

The Mitsubishi 3000GT is OK looking if left standard. My mate's got a black one on some big old rims, plus some other tacky bits glued on, and it just looks like a pimp machine. It's a massive car is aswell, but it still handles well for a barge of that size.

[Guest]

300ZX was 3.0 litre V6 with twin turbo's, officially rated at 280BHP, as all Japanese car makers have a voluntary agreement not to exceed (officially) that figure. The ones I drove always seemed to feel much quicker. Other markets had a long-wheelbase 2+2 option, normally aspirated 3.0 V6's and a lovely looking convertible - the 300ZX is a much nicer looking car than the 350Z

[del68 0]

Depending where you look the none turbo 2+2 are rated at 170 or 220 up to the turbo 2+2 at 280-300bhp. All I know is it is a fantastic looking motor, front back and sides. the 350z is too much of a celica/911 hybrid, bit odd looking really (and I can't afford one!!)

[munkay 0]

I think the 350z's look great - really like them :)

 

In my opinion the 3000GT handles better than the 300zx and feels lighter and not so remote.

 

If you go for the 300zx then consider trying to get one from an older owner as the ownership seems to be split between 40+ year olds who have owned them for years and looked after them and then ones that have been owned by several young owners as a cheap fast car and more than likely not serviced as it should be.