Owned the '05 Z for a month now. Some observations. . .
04-06-2005, 05:57 PM
#41
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I have an 05 enthusiest with 2400 miles and I've had it for about a month and a half, so I'll comment on certain things since I'm in the same boat.
1. Tranny is not the strong suit for this vehicle. I have an 05 and some gears are grinding and other times I have trouble moving the shift lever smoothly into 2nd or 3rd. Smooth as in (not grinding), the lever feels like it is bogging down.
I never have a problem with grinding. The shifter is a bit notchy and stiff but I really like it. Loose shifting feels cheap to me.
2. The clutch feels vague. Initially it was making a noise, only when depressed, not a clicking but more like a "clank" sound like if you hit the side of an empty coke can. This was around for a bit then mysteriously disappeared on its own. The first 1-2 inches of clutch pedal is extremely light and then firms up dramatically. This makes shifting smoothly a challenge. You never know when the clutch plates have engaged fully and just when you think, I have shifted smoothly and successfully, the vehicle does an ever so slight lurch to let you know that is not the case. I can certainly feather the clutch more, but this would wear out the cluch prematurely and a bit of a lethargic way of shifting.
My clutch made a noise on engagement for maybe the first 200 miles I owned the car. I read that was normal and it has since gone away. The engaugement point does move around a lot, and always seems to be way high off the floor. I've thought about adjusting it down myself but decided to just get used to it. I bought a new car so I wouldn't have to work on it.
3. Small rattles abound. Annoying, causes me to raise the volume of the radio, which is already a few clicks higher to mask the wind leak noise from the driver's side window seal which the dealer deemed normal.
I don't have any rattles at all. There is some wind noise but not as much as people complain about. I don't know if everone that bought a Z came from a nice cushy benz or something but I really think the road noise deal is blown way out of proportion.
4. Paint on the A-pillar, which is all plastic btw, feels course compared to other plastic parts. It looks shiny, however feels like there is no clear coat.
My plastics are fine. The pourous door is a bit of a pain in the a$$ though. Fingerprints prove to be difficult to remove.
5. Gap tolerances on the front fender/hood are deplorable. If I ran a ball bearing down the gap it would fall into the engine bay and probably get sucked into the intake.
No big gaps on my car. Maybe that's an issue you can take up with the dealership. Check other cars and see if they are better shape.
8. Our vehicles are not nimble. Very much a GT/Touring vehicle with good midrange. Vehicle is not as tossible as other vehicles out there. Could it be because of the stagger of the tires/wheels? If I ran the same size rim and tire on all 4 corners will it make this car more neutral?
I don't know if you came from driving a miata or a crx or something but our car is very nimble for its size and weight. Having driven other heavy rwd cars like mustangs, z32s, supras I don't see the Z and any less nimble than these.
9. Had to loosen and realign the passenger side wiper arm myself because it was sitting up about an inch higher on the passenger side than the driver's side. It came from the factory this way.
This is kind of petty. I think wipers are one of the things lot attendants do when they do PDIs (pre-delivery inspections)
My only gripe with my car so far is the amount of peel on the paint. It's pretty rediculous, even for factory. Other than that I love my car.
1. Tranny is not the strong suit for this vehicle. I have an 05 and some gears are grinding and other times I have trouble moving the shift lever smoothly into 2nd or 3rd. Smooth as in (not grinding), the lever feels like it is bogging down.
I never have a problem with grinding. The shifter is a bit notchy and stiff but I really like it. Loose shifting feels cheap to me.
2. The clutch feels vague. Initially it was making a noise, only when depressed, not a clicking but more like a "clank" sound like if you hit the side of an empty coke can. This was around for a bit then mysteriously disappeared on its own. The first 1-2 inches of clutch pedal is extremely light and then firms up dramatically. This makes shifting smoothly a challenge. You never know when the clutch plates have engaged fully and just when you think, I have shifted smoothly and successfully, the vehicle does an ever so slight lurch to let you know that is not the case. I can certainly feather the clutch more, but this would wear out the cluch prematurely and a bit of a lethargic way of shifting.
My clutch made a noise on engagement for maybe the first 200 miles I owned the car. I read that was normal and it has since gone away. The engaugement point does move around a lot, and always seems to be way high off the floor. I've thought about adjusting it down myself but decided to just get used to it. I bought a new car so I wouldn't have to work on it.
3. Small rattles abound. Annoying, causes me to raise the volume of the radio, which is already a few clicks higher to mask the wind leak noise from the driver's side window seal which the dealer deemed normal.
I don't have any rattles at all. There is some wind noise but not as much as people complain about. I don't know if everone that bought a Z came from a nice cushy benz or something but I really think the road noise deal is blown way out of proportion.
4. Paint on the A-pillar, which is all plastic btw, feels course compared to other plastic parts. It looks shiny, however feels like there is no clear coat.
My plastics are fine. The pourous door is a bit of a pain in the a$$ though. Fingerprints prove to be difficult to remove.
5. Gap tolerances on the front fender/hood are deplorable. If I ran a ball bearing down the gap it would fall into the engine bay and probably get sucked into the intake.
No big gaps on my car. Maybe that's an issue you can take up with the dealership. Check other cars and see if they are better shape.
8. Our vehicles are not nimble. Very much a GT/Touring vehicle with good midrange. Vehicle is not as tossible as other vehicles out there. Could it be because of the stagger of the tires/wheels? If I ran the same size rim and tire on all 4 corners will it make this car more neutral?
I don't know if you came from driving a miata or a crx or something but our car is very nimble for its size and weight. Having driven other heavy rwd cars like mustangs, z32s, supras I don't see the Z and any less nimble than these.
9. Had to loosen and realign the passenger side wiper arm myself because it was sitting up about an inch higher on the passenger side than the driver's side. It came from the factory this way.
This is kind of petty. I think wipers are one of the things lot attendants do when they do PDIs (pre-delivery inspections)
My only gripe with my car so far is the amount of peel on the paint. It's pretty rediculous, even for factory. Other than that I love my car.
04-06-2005, 08:06 PM
#42
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Originally Posted by The Brickyard Rat
What problems?
).
04-06-2005, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Huckingfellers
I might even fornicate with the tail pipes(j/k, not into beasteality ).
).
04-07-2005, 03:50 AM
#44
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#8 - I completely agree. This a touring GT vehicle much more than a 'sports car'. The car's too heavy and the bushings & suspension are too soft to try and turn it into a solid 1/4 mile or track monster. Even the power doesn't compete in this day and age. The chassis has a lot of potential but it will require a LOT of money to turn it into something competitive.
Having said that, I've been able to make my 350z work reasonably well in Solo2. Running non stagger (I have 245/40 all round) certainly helps. Anything more hard core and I find it starts to take away the advantages of the car's main objective (comfort, reliability, driveability). Too many times I read about guys on this forum selling off mods or their cars because they've realised it's expensive to turn these cars into something they're not.
IMO, longer term appreciation will be so much more effective if one accepts the car for what it's best at - an excellent GT/touring daily driver with above average results in all performance aspects (while not dominating in any of them).
Having said that, I've been able to make my 350z work reasonably well in Solo2. Running non stagger (I have 245/40 all round) certainly helps. Anything more hard core and I find it starts to take away the advantages of the car's main objective (comfort, reliability, driveability). Too many times I read about guys on this forum selling off mods or their cars because they've realised it's expensive to turn these cars into something they're not.
IMO, longer term appreciation will be so much more effective if one accepts the car for what it's best at - an excellent GT/touring daily driver with above average results in all performance aspects (while not dominating in any of them).
04-07-2005, 05:08 AM
#46
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Originally Posted by sselway
Dude... was your previous car a Ferrari? 
I still like the 350 much more though.
04-07-2005, 05:14 AM
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Man, sounds like they built your car on a Monday 
#1, #2: I'm not sure what kind of car your used to, but the tranny/clutch in my '05 reminds me a lot of my Porsche - i.e. Precise. I will say that when I jump in my nephew's Civic, it is completely different (mushy). I even read a lot of reviews by the car rags before buying the car. Two of them claimed the 350Z had one of the best shifters on the market and I agree with them.
#3: I have heard a rattle in the hatch somewhere. I need to investigate but it is normally drowned out by the stereo
#7: my steering is dead on
#8: Ever see a 911 Turbo which has much wider tires in the rear. Same with the 944, Boxster, etc. Now the 911's handle "special", meaning you have to learn to drive them fast. The 944 is still one of the best handling sports cars ever built.
#10: I'm knocking on wood as I say this, but I haven't heard any tranny noises.
#1, #2: I'm not sure what kind of car your used to, but the tranny/clutch in my '05 reminds me a lot of my Porsche - i.e. Precise. I will say that when I jump in my nephew's Civic, it is completely different (mushy). I even read a lot of reviews by the car rags before buying the car. Two of them claimed the 350Z had one of the best shifters on the market and I agree with them.
#3: I have heard a rattle in the hatch somewhere. I need to investigate but it is normally drowned out by the stereo
#7: my steering is dead on
#8: Ever see a 911 Turbo which has much wider tires in the rear. Same with the 944, Boxster, etc. Now the 911's handle "special", meaning you have to learn to drive them fast. The 944 is still one of the best handling sports cars ever built.
#10: I'm knocking on wood as I say this, but I haven't heard any tranny noises.
Last edited by BigMike; 04-07-2005 at 05:26 AM.
04-07-2005, 06:19 AM
#48
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I have to agree with everything Fiction520 said. My only complaint I really had was the shifter being notchy, but thats because I thought it was only me. Once I found out it was normal I was glad.
Oh yeah, the only other problem I have is that if the windows are down and I go to wash the windows the damn windshield washer fluid comes into the car!
Oh yeah, the only other problem I have is that if the windows are down and I go to wash the windows the damn windshield washer fluid comes into the car!
04-07-2005, 06:29 AM
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I have a '05 Touring 6sp which I purchased on 12/1/04 and it has 2500 or so miles on it. The main thing to understand is DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR HARD WHEN ITS COLD.
When you crank the key, even if its 90 degrees outside, you have to let the oil in the engine and the transmission lubricate all moving components before you can really get spirited. When you shift for those first 10-15 minutes of driving, shift slooooow. If for some reason your slow shift means you can't get it into 2nd (hardest gear to get in when cold/not warm) then go into third instead. It's even best to shift 1st, 3rd, then 4th or 5th depending on speed limits unless your wanting to get moving fast. The gear ratios are very short and you'll end up putting more strain on the tranny and clutch, especially at colder operating temps.
Having said that, when this car is warmed up and its sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green, you can FEEL the tranny/engine with your right hand. When I launch I'm through 1st gear in a matter of 1-2 seconds and I'm slamming it into 2nd and hauling ***. I am capable of shifting INSANELY fast with the way this tranny is setup (if you have the coordination).
No its not the fastest car on the road, but I can beat a lot of cars and I can pass anybody at any speed anytime I want. Not to mention this thing gets up and goes on the highway. This is a NA 3.5L V6!! We're not talking about a 5.xL V8 from a Stang GT or the same V8 SCed Cobra. The car was designed with touring in mind thats for sure. Sit in a Mustang one day and talk to me about rattles, comfort, road noise and tranny noises.
Always consider this. Invest $8,000 in your car and get it turbo charged safely. You'll boost your hp/tq to numbers that get close to V8 monsters and then you'll STILL pull away from them.
Toss in some aftermarket suspensions upgrades like sway bars, adjustable springs, shocks, etc. Then drop some cash on a better break system and wider and grippy tires. At that point you will be smoking 4WD Porches on mountain roads and keeping up with Z06s on the highway, too.
My 2 cents.
When you crank the key, even if its 90 degrees outside, you have to let the oil in the engine and the transmission lubricate all moving components before you can really get spirited. When you shift for those first 10-15 minutes of driving, shift slooooow. If for some reason your slow shift means you can't get it into 2nd (hardest gear to get in when cold/not warm) then go into third instead. It's even best to shift 1st, 3rd, then 4th or 5th depending on speed limits unless your wanting to get moving fast. The gear ratios are very short and you'll end up putting more strain on the tranny and clutch, especially at colder operating temps.
Having said that, when this car is warmed up and its sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green, you can FEEL the tranny/engine with your right hand. When I launch I'm through 1st gear in a matter of 1-2 seconds and I'm slamming it into 2nd and hauling ***. I am capable of shifting INSANELY fast with the way this tranny is setup (if you have the coordination).
No its not the fastest car on the road, but I can beat a lot of cars and I can pass anybody at any speed anytime I want. Not to mention this thing gets up and goes on the highway. This is a NA 3.5L V6!! We're not talking about a 5.xL V8 from a Stang GT or the same V8 SCed Cobra. The car was designed with touring in mind thats for sure. Sit in a Mustang one day and talk to me about rattles, comfort, road noise and tranny noises.
Always consider this. Invest $8,000 in your car and get it turbo charged safely. You'll boost your hp/tq to numbers that get close to V8 monsters and then you'll STILL pull away from them.
Toss in some aftermarket suspensions upgrades like sway bars, adjustable springs, shocks, etc. Then drop some cash on a better break system and wider and grippy tires. At that point you will be smoking 4WD Porches on mountain roads and keeping up with Z06s on the highway, too.
My 2 cents.
04-07-2005, 06:47 AM
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Originally Posted by bknezevic
Always consider this. Invest $8,000 in your car and get it turbo charged safely. You'll boost your hp/tq to numbers that get close to V8 monsters and then you'll STILL pull away from them.
Toss in some aftermarket suspensions upgrades like sway bars, adjustable springs, shocks, etc. Then drop some cash on a better break system and wider and grippy tires. At that point you will be smoking 4WD Porches on mountain roads and keeping up with Z06s on the highway, too.
My 2 cents.
Toss in some aftermarket suspensions upgrades like sway bars, adjustable springs, shocks, etc. Then drop some cash on a better break system and wider and grippy tires. At that point you will be smoking 4WD Porches on mountain roads and keeping up with Z06s on the highway, too.
My 2 cents.
04-07-2005, 07:07 AM
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Originally Posted by FritzMan
I'm not sure if that question was referred to me or not, but I drove a twin turbo RX-7 previously. Now that was a sports car!
I still like the 350 much more though.
I still like the 350 much more though.
Drive the 350 for 100k and the 7 for a 100k and tell me what one cost more to drive.The sports car of the 80s 90s era has been replaced with a certain practicality in mind.The days of 40k dollar try to be mainstream sports car may be making a some type of comeback we will have to see.
Make what the market will bear.This is why the supra and rx7 were abanded.
04-07-2005, 07:53 AM
#52
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Originally Posted by wtf no turbo
Ok now i have to jump in here.The 7 was a beast no doubt.Ive owned 3 and an rx8 i put 45k on.You cant compare a 35k sports car in 93 to a 29k sports car today.The rotary does a great job of limiting the weight and balancing the car making it a handleing demon, but has a ton a faults to go with it.If you bought your 7 new im sure you had a ton of problems with it.
Drive the 350 for 100k and the 7 for a 100k and tell me what one cost more to drive.The sports car of the 80s 90s era has been replaced with a certain practicality in mind.The days of 40k dollar try to be mainstream sports car may be making a some type of comeback we will have to see.
Make what the market will bear.This is why the supra and rx7 were abanded.
Drive the 350 for 100k and the 7 for a 100k and tell me what one cost more to drive.The sports car of the 80s 90s era has been replaced with a certain practicality in mind.The days of 40k dollar try to be mainstream sports car may be making a some type of comeback we will have to see.
Make what the market will bear.This is why the supra and rx7 were abanded.
The RX-7 is much more of a raw sports car where as the 350z is more of a GT car (better comfort and reliabililty but less sporting numbers). Another example would be to relate the 350z as a Porsche 928 rather than a 911. Both are capable performers but one is certainly more sporting than the other.
04-07-2005, 12:33 PM
#53
I've got the '05 35th Coupe with auto so the transmission is behaving correctly. I too have noticed a bit of wind noise from the aft portion of the windows at speeds above 90 mph. The motor/drive train/exaust are quite enough at 90 mph to hear the wind noise which is pretty amazing.
Newton's laws of motion apply to Z's like they should be expected.
I've tinkered on the passenger side and that's exactly where both my tiny rattles are. I'll go in there with some dynamat, electrical tape, and most importantly some attention to fixing the wires that are not vibrating at speed.
I like mine.
Newton's laws of motion apply to Z's like they should be expected.
I've tinkered on the passenger side and that's exactly where both my tiny rattles are. I'll go in there with some dynamat, electrical tape, and most importantly some attention to fixing the wires that are not vibrating at speed.
I like mine.
04-07-2005, 06:44 PM
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I guess we are a little nit-picky when it comes to the 350z simply because it's nissan and it's japanese...we all expect it to be head and shoulders above domestics in terms of quality, fit/finish, etc. Anyways, here are my rants and raves:
1. I was skeptical at first in getting a Z after all the tranny replacements and gear grinding experiences i read on this forum, and coming from a honda prelude with a cable shifter that was simply butter didn't help either. However, after driving about 500 miles, I have yet to experience any notchiness although i do concur with the ambiguous clutch engagement (that stillen torque damper is starting to sound like a worthwile mod). Oh and my clutch does clank, but only during the first 2 min of driving.
2. There is little to no rattle when going over bumps, and i live in michigan, the land of potholes and uneven pavement.
3. Steering wheel is dead on, if yours isn't get it checked out.
4. There is one thing that's been bothering me though, it sounds like the motor is whistling when i i'm about a half inch to an inch on the throttle while in 4th gear. Can't quite figure what it is, but when i gas a bit more it goes away...anyone else got this noise?
1. I was skeptical at first in getting a Z after all the tranny replacements and gear grinding experiences i read on this forum, and coming from a honda prelude with a cable shifter that was simply butter didn't help either. However, after driving about 500 miles, I have yet to experience any notchiness although i do concur with the ambiguous clutch engagement (that stillen torque damper is starting to sound like a worthwile mod). Oh and my clutch does clank, but only during the first 2 min of driving.
2. There is little to no rattle when going over bumps, and i live in michigan, the land of potholes and uneven pavement.
3. Steering wheel is dead on, if yours isn't get it checked out.
4. There is one thing that's been bothering me though, it sounds like the motor is whistling when i i'm about a half inch to an inch on the throttle while in 4th gear. Can't quite figure what it is, but when i gas a bit more it goes away...anyone else got this noise?
04-07-2005, 07:10 PM
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Did any of you read the Consumer's Report for 2005? Do you know which car got the "Recommended" stamped on the picture of the car? Sports car are not supposed to be comfortable, ride should be harsh and maintenance not the same as regular cars. The more you read, the more you hate. We didn't pay $50k for this sports car?
04-07-2005, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by smoothludey
4. There is one thing that's been bothering me though, it sounds like the motor is whistling when i i'm about a half inch to an inch on the throttle while in 4th gear. Can't quite figure what it is, but when i gas a bit more it goes away...anyone else got this noise?
04-07-2005, 08:15 PM
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I've only had my Z for a couple of weeks but so far its been the funnest car I've ever driven. Only thing I don't like is the silver metal stuff peely off my cappy shift ****, easily remedied via the aftermarket.
04-07-2005, 08:33 PM
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I have the "marble rolling" noise when my clutch is depressed, but not always, and it seems to go away, if u press the clutch, and switch thru 1st and 2nd gear while idling
and ive been noticing this grinding noise when i switch to the 3rd gear for a few weeks now, first i thought that its me not pressing the clutch all the way, since its my first manual car, and i thought it was just my mistake, but no... it does it now a few times a day, and it always chooses the time, when im accellerating on the second gear, my exhaust is all sexy, roaring.... ppl turning their heads to see wtf it is sounds so damn sexy....and here i am, switching to the 3rd gear....GRRRRRRRIIIIINNDDD.....ehhhh....cmon!
I also noticed my clutch fluid is just a little bit lower then MAX...but i dont think its the problem, im monitoring it daily, it seems to stay at the same mark...JUST a lil lower then MAX...
other then that...hmm... a few dash noises...the belts always knock on the the plastic if not secured by the plastic clip thing (pretty freakin' annoying)
hm..what else...
OH! I think one of my exhaust pipes sound louder then the other...;-)
and ive been noticing this grinding noise when i switch to the 3rd gear for a few weeks now, first i thought that its me not pressing the clutch all the way, since its my first manual car, and i thought it was just my mistake, but no... it does it now a few times a day, and it always chooses the time, when im accellerating on the second gear, my exhaust is all sexy, roaring.... ppl turning their heads to see wtf it is sounds so damn sexy....and here i am, switching to the 3rd gear....GRRRRRRRIIIIINNDDD.....ehhhh....cmon!
I also noticed my clutch fluid is just a little bit lower then MAX...but i dont think its the problem, im monitoring it daily, it seems to stay at the same mark...JUST a lil lower then MAX...
other then that...hmm... a few dash noises...the belts always knock on the the plastic if not secured by the plastic clip thing (pretty freakin' annoying)
hm..what else...
OH! I think one of my exhaust pipes sound louder then the other...;-)
04-08-2005, 10:24 PM
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I am also an owner of a new Z. My last Z was a 240Z and cost $3600 new!
My new Z is a touring roadster 6MT. I agree that the O5 clutch take off is a bit wierd, but I bought the car because of the light clutch. As I drive the car I am getting better at anticipating the take off point. I really like the shifter. No complaints at all. I enjoy driving this car every day.
Now a fun story. I let a friend drive my 350Z. He has a M series BMW Z3 and all he did was rave about the 350Z and how harsh his Z3 was.
There are faster and more "throwable" cars out there, but a fun daily driver means you get to actually drive the car and enjoy it.
My new Z is a touring roadster 6MT. I agree that the O5 clutch take off is a bit wierd, but I bought the car because of the light clutch. As I drive the car I am getting better at anticipating the take off point. I really like the shifter. No complaints at all. I enjoy driving this car every day.
Now a fun story. I let a friend drive my 350Z. He has a M series BMW Z3 and all he did was rave about the 350Z and how harsh his Z3 was.
There are faster and more "throwable" cars out there, but a fun daily driver means you get to actually drive the car and enjoy it.
Originally Posted by DBZ
2. The clutch feels vague. .
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