Obviously the paint job, but are there some little things to take a look at before driving her home?

 

EVERYTHING. paint, wheels, open and close all doors, hatch, hood, fuel door and all interior cubby doors. Make sure they didn't drill your front bumper for the liscense plate. wriggle around in the seats to make sure they don't have any movement. Take it for a test drive before you sign all the papers; make sure it doesn't pull, have any raddles, that the engine sounds good, clutch feels good. If there is anything that is not right, either leave the car with them until it's to your satisfaction, or at the very least get it in writing that there is an issue with "X" and the dealer will fix it to your satisfaction.

 

The interior plastic trim on the 350Z scratches VERY easily. After two years (and I've really tried to baby my car), there are lots of little marks. But if you're paying for a new car, it should be scratch-free. At least you'll get to be the one to put all the scratches there.

 

What everyone else said, plus this, although it will drive the salesman crazy, but who cares? Just spend several minutes staring at each side of the car. Just let your eyes play over the surface. Look at the paint, gaps, etc., to see if there's anything that seems off. I've changed my mind about cars because the panel fit was off. Nissan, however, is generally good about getting it right.

 

Between the time I signed the paperwork and the car delivery my dealership had screwed the Licence plate frame into the front bumper and F'd it up. I did not even realize it because it was not there during the test drive. I ended up having to bondo the holes up.........dont let them do it to you.

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/350z/7things.html

1) Tow Hook: The 350Z has a new removable tow hook. It's stored in the trunk adjacent to the jack tools. The hook screws into the front bumper, behind the license plate, which first must be removed. Use this tow hook for vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle). Please refer to your 350Z's Owner's Manual for complete towing instructions.

2) Automatic Transmission Service: You will find that you cannot loosen the transmission fluid level dipstick or locate the dipstick handle (there isn't one). That's because the new dipstick is bolted in place and should be serviced only at the dealership. Attempting to change or service the fluid on your own could potentially damage the transmission.
3) Automatic Transmission Fluid: Another reason to have your transmission serviced at the dealership is the special automatic transmission fluid that is required (Nissan Matic-J A/T fluid). Using other Nissan or commercially available fluids may cause damage to the transmission that will not be covered by the limited warranty.
4) Inside Door Reflector: The inside door panel of the 350Z features a red oval-shaped plastic lens reflector instead of a light. Unknowing 350Z owners may assume that the lens reflector is covering a light, and wonder why the light bulb isn't working.
5) Passenger Seat Belt Clips: When the passenger seat is unoccupied, you may hear a seat belt rattle. Use the seat belt clip located near the B-pillar to keep the seat belt in place, thus eliminating the noise.
6) Low Ground Clearance: First-time sport car owners may not be aware the sports cars have low ground clearance. Therefore, special care should be taken when driving over speed bumps, dips in the road, or driveways.
7) Fuel Requirement: Premium unleaded fuel is required for optimum power performance.
For more information on all these features, see the 350Z Owner's Manual.

 

make sure the dealer freakin puts premium fuel in your car - the local ones around me DON'T! They put in good old 87 octane in all their cars. That's all you need - some detonation on your way home.

My mom puts 87 in her murano, but she doesn't drive hard at all

 

For those of you saying don't let them drill the holes for the license plate, how do you mount it?

 

If you have to have a license plate up front you can use something like this Zee-Bracket. It does not require you to drill any holes in your front bumper, but it must still be removed to install the tow hook.

 

But if you use that, then you can't install a front grill, correct?

 

So let me guess, they charge an arm and a leg for an easy job? Or are Nissan mechanics not crooks? Changing transmission fluid + filter is as easy as changing your oil, in my opinion. Why do they have to make even that complicated?

 

I believe you still can, however you will have to alter the grill to make room for the license bracket. You could probably do it so that it will look good with the bracket in place, but may not look right if the bracket is removed. I don't know this for sure, so don't hold me to it.