NoneShallPass

Hi everyone,

In the market for a 350z. Did research and learned that the 07-08 are most desired due to HR motor. The problem I am having is I can only seem to find base models (6mt at least).

1) Is it worth buying the base model and missing out on the LSD and cruise control? I've read that a lot of folks get aftermarket LSD's because the stock VLSD isn't that great.
2) How much would that cost me for an aftermarket LSD + install?
3) Would I be able to add cruise control aftermarket without a tune?
4) Any good websites to purchase a Z other than Craig's list and this forum?

Is there anything else that is important that I should be worried about missing out by buying a base model? The car will be used for daily driving and spirited driving. I don't care for leather seats. My budget is up to 14-16k (higher end preferably with some aftermarket parts) in California.

Thank you!

magellster

I have a 2006 350z base model. I can tell you from personal experience that having cruise control is a luxury not to be overlooked. My Z is in the shop this week getting a new front bumper and my rental car has cruise control and oh how I miss it. I drive about 30 miles everyday to and from work on the highway and using the cruise control makes everything so much easier, and gives me a much lower chance of getting a speeding ticket. If you don't drive a lot of highway miles don't even worry about it. If you do I would seriously consider searching harder for something other than a base model. Plus a higher trim shouldn't be too much pricier than a base at this point. I think it would be well worth the extra money. The LSD is also super helpful for stability, traction, acceleration, and wet weather driving.

Price of the LSD I am not too sure of. If you are mechanically inclined you should be able to order it and install it yourself. If not call a local mechanic and get a few quotes.

Not too sure about adding cruise control. I'd Google that for a quicker answer.

Craigslist would be the easiest. If you know anyone at a Nissan dealership in sales talk to them and let them know what you're on the market for. Many salesmen will keep their eyes peeled for you and know where to look to get you what you want. Obviously this is pricier than buying private party. Ebay is a great place to find what you're looking for too. 350z's come and go, if one you're looking for something particular and can't find it, wait a few days and look again. You'll find it, you just have to be patient.

I'll tell you what I tell everyone on the market for a Z, NEVER settle. These aren't rare cars, if you find one you like and the price isn't right then walk away. You find one you like but something seems fishy? Walk away. For every (350z) door that shuts, 2 more will open next week.

MyZ32TT

I would recommend you find one with low miles, due to the csc(concentric slave cylinder) being the weakness of the car and wouldn't have to deal with it for a couple years if you drive like you didn't steal the car. You can add cruise control and it is useful if you want to get tuned because that's where you switch to different maps. The viscous limited slip differential isn't the greatest and to add an LSD you would be looking at $1500-2500 parts and labor.

1) Miles between 20-40k
2) Owner at least an adult 30+ and maintenance records
3) Clean engine bay (If so you can tell car has been maintained properly)
4) Clean title
5) Pay the 150-250 have have a nissan dealership inspect the car if you really want to be sure

Unicus

iTrader: (3)

Don't buy anything from craigslist or the 350z facebook page in 99% of scenarios. Everything the poster above has said is also true. Don't buy a modded vehicle unless it was posted here, otherwise they're most likely ********. Get an 07-08 (personal opinion.)

Good luck and welcome to the Z life shortly. There are a couple of very nice NISMOs for sale if you don't plan on modding much and would like to track. You can daily or just weekend a Nismo without track if you want, but I'd advice against it.

winchman

Are you looking for an automatic or manual transmission? The 5AT has proven to be pretty much bullet proof, but the MT HR Zs come with the problematic concentric slave cylinder that's going to cause grief and cost you money eventually.

A local dealer had a 2007 Z almost identical to mine but with 80K miles on it. I was impressed that the car still drove and felt just like mine, and mine drives just like it did when new.

I've looked at and driven a pile of newer sports cars in the past couple years, but nothing has come close to my Z so far.

The Touring version is definitely the way to go.

How wide is your search area? Are you willing buy sight unseen and have a car shipped?

bad boyz

iTrader: (1)

Perfect and sound advice no one could of said it any better.

RichV

I disagree about Craigslist. It is where I bought mine from and I couldn't be happier. it is the best place to find a good deal on an older car like a 350z.

You can try autotrader.com. I have had good results buying and selling cars on there.

No matter where you buy it from, look up the value on KBB before you start to haggle for the price. That way you know what the car is worth and you can print the KBB value out to show the owner if they are priced too high. I got my price down $1500 by doing that. $8500 for an 04 Touring convertible with 99k.

I would also highly recommend having a Nissan dealer check it out before you buy. That cost me $90 and it was well worth it.

Good luck!

travlee

iTrader: (8)

i personally would not buy anything off craplist (craigslist)

lifekenophobic

You can add cruise control, but you'll need to buy the steering wheel controls, pedal switches, and an Uprev tune anyway. When applying the tune, they will simply flash the ECU with a map from a different model, which will give you cruise control functionality. The dash lights will not work, unless you replace the entire cluster (Base model cluster doesn't have LED's for the Cruise light).

There is a whole thread devoted to this, where several Base model owners have got it to work. I plan on going this route myself, eventually.

Link to that thread here.

magellster

I too disagree about Craigslist. I bought mine off of it and its one of the best purchases I have ever made. Its important to know the value of the car to make sure you're getting a good price. Use KBB or some other means of getting a rough estimate on price. Be sure the owner has all the records, get a car fax for the car before you buy it, do a visual inspection of the car yourself AND take it to a dealership or mechanic for a PPI (Pre- Purchase Inspection). They almost always run less than $200 and will let you know virtually everything that is wrong with the car so you can either negotiate the price lower to account for repairs that need to be done or steer away from a car that has clearly not been taken care of and needs a lot of work.

I was fortunate enough to find a mechanic in the area I purchased my Z that did the inspection for free! Not sure if that is too common but it won't hurt to call around and as to save some $$$$$. Be sure to choose where you take the car to get it looked at. Don't let the seller decide as he/ she might know the mechanic or owners personally and they might not disclose if something is wrong with the car.

Craigslist and any private party purchase will save you some major $$$ on the initial purchase. You just need to be careful about what you're buying, making sure that saved $ doesn't end up going into major repairs after you purchase it. Be vigilant, be smart, be patient. If a deal seems too good to be true then it is.

RichV

Craigslist must be better on the east coast. Thanks fellow NC resident!

MicVelo

Everything people have said is true and good advice...including the negativity about craigslist BUT if you search around, know what to look for, develop a little bit of rapport with the seller through pre-inspection conversation, you start to develop a "sixth sense" about the seller and the state of the car - and you learn to smell a rat - before you invest time in going to see/buy.

CarFax, while not an absolute in identifying issues, is your friend as well. If seller offers it, great. If not, pay for it and run your own.

Just remember, if you have ANY doubts about the car and/or especially the seller, WALK. Your gut is a good guide.

GLWP.

turboed350z

Having gone through over a dozen cars in the last 4 years. I can tell you, there are gems on craigslist, and your local mechanic is your best friend.

That said, there are alot of junk on craigslist and even more so on the facebook page. Personally i would hit up te local car group, thats how i found my silver 350z. Paid a bit extra for it, but the peace of mind was worth it for me.

rick1574

I used Cars.com a lot when looking for my Z. I created a customized search ('07+, 6MT, etc.) and just checked it every day. I would suggest you not set a limit a mileage limit on the search radius. To find a Touring or Grand Touring with good mileage is going to be tough to narrow down and you may have to travel to get the one you want.

That being said, I bought an '07 Grand Touring w/19K miles from someone on this site.

MicVelo

Amen. Craigslist.... Where "salvage title" cars go to die, er, get sold to die in a new owner's hands...

turboed350z

Not as bad as the title washed cars.... haha

RichV

Whew... Salvaged titles... yeah there are plenty of those on there. You just have to be careful when searching and research the car and get an inspection. But, none of this is going to guarantee a 9-13 year old car won't have problems. It is still somewhat a roll of the dice, but doing your research will help limit the possibility of problems.

NoneShallPass

Wow, I didn't expect this many replies! Thank you everyone for all of the advice - you guys are really helpful. I'm going to try sticking to the 2007-2008 models for the most part and try finding something with less than 70k miles and not a base model. I don't see many with 50k miles or less. It seems impossible (been looking everyday for about a month) but I'll be looking in a 300 mile radius so hopefully something good pops up before July is over. Also considering 370z's if I can get a good deal for 16-19k. I'll be sure to check the car fax, and ask for maintenance records.

Would you guys say the 2006 models are not worth getting? I've heard about the oil consumption issues for the rev up motors but I'm not sure if I should consider one if I do happen to find a low mileage touring 2006?

Thanks again for all the help!

rizeld

iTrader: (2)

Idk about that. I bought mine off Craigslist. But I did an @$$ ton of research (a lot off of here), brought a buddy of mine heavy into the sports car world and got a steal of a deal. I knew (mostly) what I was getting into. I'm glad I don't have vdc. 1 less thing to break and fix

rizeld

iTrader: (2)

06 base. Not a complaint in the world. Just did a track day and only burnt 1/4 qt of oil. I change oil every 3k and only loose about 3/4 qt. But my foot is always in it. And $5 for a qt of oil is negligible to me