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Nissan 300ZX, all models

171 messages,  Last post on Sep 22, 2009 at 11:44 AM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan 300ZX, Hatchback

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#56 of 171 Datsun 280ZX by phillatio Feb 06, 2003 (7:04 pm)
Mr. Shiftright, I'm looking for guidance in my purchase of an '83 280ZX. It's a good looking two-tone blue and black coupe. The body looks sound but it's in the shop for a fuel pump problem. The dealer says that the mileage is an assumed 114,000. That kind of scared me when he said "assumed". I know you can't trust these small dealerships, but the car looks great for being 20 years old. My question is regarding any common problems known with these cars. Can you tell me what I should look for when test driving it? I realize anything could go wrong with old cars, but it's hard to find good info on these classics. Thank You.
#57 of 171 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Feb 06, 2003 (9:18 pm)
Oh, I'm no expert on 280Zs but I do know they are better than the 260s....I would think that any car this age that passes a full mechanical inspection has already had the bugs worked out.   My main concern with anyone buying a 280ZX is not to pay too much for it, and don't work under the optimistic assumption that it will be worth money as a collectible. This doesn't seem to be the case.   Asll the better for you, as you can get yourself a nice fun ride for not a lot of money.   Another consideration on buying old Japanese cars is that there is not much of an aftermarket on some pieces, like trim parts, body panels, etc. So if you buy an older japanese car with serious cosmetic issues, you could have a hell of a time correcting those at any reasonable cost.
#58 of 171 280Z and 280ZX are two different animals by jaserb Feb 07, 2003 (8:00 am)
The Z is a bit more spartan, while the ZX tends to be dolled up with PW, Leather, sunroof, power steering, etc. and has a softer suspension. Very few (if any) body panels can be swapped between the 280Z and 280ZX. The 240z, 260z and 280z are all the same body style with some minor differences. The drivetrain is almost identical between the 280Z and ZX, except for the availability of a turbo in the '81-'83 ZXs. The power goodies on the ZX are no better or worse than any other 20 year old car, so make sure everything works. The inline 6 engine is very durable and the FI is pretty good as well. Check it out thoroughly for any rust or body damage. You can get just about any part for any Z at www.motorsportauto.com in Orange, CA. There may be others I don't know about, since I sold my Z several years ago. Let us know what happens, and good luck!   -Jason
#59 of 171 280ZX, 300ZX by argent Feb 07, 2003 (10:32 am)
One thing a friend of mine who had a normally aspirated 280ZX found out the hard way is that some of them -- especially the 280ZX, but possibly some of the early 300ZXs as well -- had problems with totally inadequate stock radiators. I think there were two different types of radiators used, and one was a serious lemon. He also had problems with the fan clutch, apparently common too, which didn't help, but he heard that a good aftermarket radiator (evidently quite common...there are lots of Z specialists) was a good investment.
#60 of 171 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Feb 07, 2003 (10:51 am)
Sometimes on these older cars they wouldn't make allowances for the heat produced by the automatic trans cooler attached to the lower radiator; often an aftermarket transmission cooler will help some types of overheating on older cars. Replies to this message: kdawg67 (Aug 16, 2008 11:41 am) Mr_Shiftright (Aug 16, 2008 11:49 am) madog3 (Nov 09, 2008 1:31 pm)
#61 of 171 radiators by argent Feb 07, 2003 (11:06 am)
This was a problem on manual-shift cars, as well. (My friend's was a 5-speed, not an auto.) It was that the radiator just wasn't adequate for the engine, and that the ones of South American manufacture were not up to even their dubious spec.
#62 of 171 Radiator Capacity On A 300ZX by cebteb Feb 12, 2003 (11:34 pm)
Maybe the 280s had insufficient cooling, but my '85 300ZX Turbo, 5-speed, has the best coolant temperature control system of any vehicle I've owned past or present. I've blown up to the Eisenhower Tunnel (about 10,500 feet) at 75 mph and the temperature gauge needle never budged. Stays in the same place as when doing 55 mph in the flat lands.   The only chronic problems with this model are electrical short gremlins and steering wheel vibration problems. If not abused, the engines will go over 200K miles w/o sipping a drop of oil.
#63 of 171 by tnjrobi1 Feb 19, 2003 (5:30 pm)
There is a 1996 300ZX for $14,995 in my local paper. It normally list for $16,995 on the dealers internet site. I called and asked the dealer why it was cheaper in the paper. The salesperson (Susan) explained that it had been on the lot for a couple of weeks and it was just normal to lower the price to move it.   I asked Susan who used to have the car and she told me it was a couple in their 40's and they had bought the car new in 96. They traded it for a 2003 350Z.   Listed below are the details on the 300ZX:   72,825 miles Non-Turbo 2 seater perfect interior perfect exterior Black Black leather interior T-tops Power Drivers seat 5-speed Compact disc Bose stereo system Auto climate control etc.   Is this vehicle worth the $14,995?
#64 of 171 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Feb 19, 2003 (5:39 pm)
What model is it? 2 dr, 2+2, turbo, or ???   If it's a regular 2 dr. I'd say it's just retail pricing. Their $16.9K was over market so no wonder nobody bit. It might be "good" buy at $12,500 if it checks out really well. It's a complex car so you want to go over every nut and bolt here. But if you paid $15K it wouldn't be overpriced necessarily if it was a really sharp car--just no bargain. A retail sale.
#65 of 171 I agree .. the price is Detail Retail per edmunds by coupedncal Feb 23, 2003 (5:54 pm)
You must understand that the current price is just about as high as it goes for that car. Try to bring it as close to Private Party price (about low $13k) as you can. Otherwise, be prepared to lose about $3K the moment you drive it off the lot.   My suggestion would be to bargain it down or find similar car through private party sources. Unless you can't get financing from other sources and in that case, you could be stuck.

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