Hello all,

I am new here and am thinking of picking up a used Z as a daily driver. Can any of you shed some light on know issues to be looking for, or best years to buy etc?

cheers

 

Reliability data above from 350Z owners. Compiled by Consumer Reports.

 

94SupraTurbo --

I'm assuming you drive a, well, Supra Turbo. I'm as sharp as a tack sometimes. Do yourself a favor and buy a Z car. It is majestic and beautiful. The torque from the 3.5L VQ engine is intoxicating to get on, so it is also a beast. I've had the 03 Track model for almost 3 months now and haven't had any problems whatsoever. Handling and cornering is tight and precise. Just remember to turn VDC off for some real fun.

 

I have had my Z for almost 4 months now and the only issue that I have had is the apparent lack of ability to keep the car under the speed limit. There seems to be some sort of flaw in the cars design that makes it very hard if not impossible to follow the rules of the road and be a good driver. I took it back to the dealer and they said that is normal for this car so I am not sure if you would call it an issue or not but either way it is something to need to be prepared to deal with..

 

+1 to what everyone else said. I wouldn't buy a used '03 or '04 if I were you.. just look at the chart davidv posted... too many known transmission and especially tire feathering problems with the 03/04 models. Do a quick search on 'tire feathering' on this forum and you'll see what I'm talking about. '05's don't seem to have this problem... my '05 has 17500 miles on it and all I've ever had to do is change the oil.

 

I do drive a Supra, and it is an amazing car, but driving it daily is well... scary. I'm so afraid some idiot is going to rear end me, or run a red light or something. Replacing my supra would be next to impossible, replacing a 350z just requires a trip to the dealer. So I do not commute in the Supra. Dallas rush hours are no place for a 700hp car.

Here is a short vid of my baby: Supra vs. GT2


I am going to buy a Z to drive daily. I plan on keeping it mostly stock. I might add a few bolt on's like headers, exhaust, intake, Chip/ECU and maybe some cams. I doubt I will turbo the car, but you never know....

What is the average wheel hp/tq of a 350 with exhaust, headers, intake and ECU flash? Anyone got a dyno sheet?

What changes were done to the transmission? What fixes the tire feathering? Normally feathing is caused by toe @ caster combinations sliding the tires across the ground as it rolls. Is it just bad set-up or design flaw?

 

Dealer will fix both problems under TSBs

 

I replaced the front tires and got a lifetime alignment and my feather is gone.

 

The feathering is due to the negative camber the Z has. Thats why they corner soo good. But yeah I have an 04.5 and I don't have any feathering either. And by addind intake, header, exhaust, and a reflash should get you to around 250whp. If I were you I wouldn't reflash a Z just with a I/H/E combo. Get a plenum or a spacer, crank pulley, HFC's or test pipes, and if you have the money some race cams. All that and a reflash with a good tune should reach 300 or close to 300whp.

 

Im selling mine!!! I need 4 doors now. Check out my sig. I just saw your supra video, OMG!!!! Driving a stock Z is going to be like stepping into a VW Bug compared to your supra as far as Acceleration. BEN

 

Stop thinking and start buying. If you buy anything else everytime you see a z you will wish you had one.
I wouldnt buy the new one unless you just want to spend 10 15 k more for it.
Its the same car. JMO

The feathering? Who cares! You dont have to rotate your tires! Just take the money you saved from not rotating your tires and not buying a new Z and buy some new tires.

 

That seams like a whole bunch of cash to reach 300whp.... What do they dyno stock?

 

I have seen alot of different dynos posted. Looks like stock they range from 230-245rwhp. If power is what you want, bolt ons are not the way to go on the Z. Forced induction is really the most bang for the buck method. Avg 370-400+rwhp on turbo and some super charged Zs for about 5-8k$ depending on what sytem you choose. There are also a hand ful of guys with 500+rwhp, now that would be fun!!!! BEN

 

I am amazed how the suspention catogory in the trouble spots survey went from poor in '03/'04 to excellent in '05. What's up with that?

 

It looks like CR has updated. When I bought my '04 the suspension was solid red. the transmission was red too. The only thing average was body integity. I haven't had any problems with my tranny or electrical. Everything is perfect so far. Must have picked a good one. But, then again, I have a '04.5 as it has been termed in these forums, who knows .....