Sp00led Ya

I am 20 years old and soon to be enlisting in the Air National Guard, they are offering me a $15,000 signing bonus and upon return from basic (6 weeks) and tech school (11 weeks) I will be enrolling in college again. I will be recieving 50% of my bonus upon return home from tech school, that combined with a portion of my money paid from training I will be looking to put a decent sized down payment on a vehicle ($8-10,000). My budget is aimed at $20-22,000 to keep my payment managable after my down payment so I will be able to afford it and be in school, I will be getting the GI Bill ($297 per month) as well as drill pay ($200 per month as well). I can more than handle the car payment but what to get is the question, I live in Maine some decent practicality would be a plus.

I am into tuning/modding, I have done extensive research on plenty of vehicles and reliability is important to me over gains gains gains. I really would love to buy a used EVO however it CAN be tricky, and if there was a better less worrysome car out there for me, I'd consider it. I like the EVO because it is the complete package but by all means reliability and high maintinence can be a pain I may not want to deal with so I considered an attractive NA car. I love the look of the Z, and it is RWD... I want either an AWD or RWD car, no torque steer for me please. I want to be able to mod my car over time, I am not good at saving large chunks of money for any cause really so a SC or TC kit for the Z would probobly never happen. I was unpleasently suprised to find that the 350z+bolt ons you actually can LOSE power, now that is a turn off... something I wish was not so, I also heard that the VQ motor internals were rather weak.

I was wondering if there are any years to stay away from in regards to the desire to own a problem free, well put together Z... my budget sets me out for a 2003 or 2004, I have seen consumer reports reviews on transmissions and suspension problems for these years. I was also wondering if there were easy, non wallet emptying ways to make power out of a Z without going crazy with fabrications or going forced induction. Cams, pistons, rods... whatever. How expensive would it be to make a all motor, daily drivable Z that I could mod over time, what mods would I be looking at and what kind of costs as well. I am glad that they do not handle like complete crap (ie. Camaro/Mustang) though they would get eaten alive by an EVO at the track. Can someone give me some feedback on weather or not this car sounds right for me, or if I should just stick with the EVO or trying to find something else?

Nexx

iTrader: (41)

i read all the way until you said decent practicality. Z has none of those, especially living in Maine. go for an EVO or STI.

Driven1

iTrader: (2)

+1 Z=No Good in any kind of bad weather. Evo or STi would be my recommendation to you as well.

MustGoFastR

iTrader: (13)

Honestly, for your situation and location, I think the Evo would best suit you. It's more prictical, has more space and can be driven easily in winter months. The Z is great, but you're going to have to shell out $$$ to get any real power gains from it and I wouldn't have it if it were my only vehicle; just not practical.

Silkk

iTrader: (11)

No Z in Maine. +3. I stopped after you listed your location.

Even the Evo or STi you will need to buy some winter tires for. The stock tires are too agressive for snow.

Sp00led Ya

Well I would have a second car=beater, I am not going entirely on practicality, reliability is key as well and the EVO/STi used is very risky, replacement parts for drivetrain are NOT cheap and often broken from abuse

Sp00led Ya

What about mods, forget the practicality part.

mavtais

iTrader: (12)

The Z, especially the 03 and 04 years (the two models you're in the market for), is not a very practical car. Can't haul anything but 1 thing. Modding is expensive. Maintenance of the oem setup is expensive: stock brake pads and rotors must be replaced at about 10-15K miles. You have to have money on the side, like enough to put $100 away every month just to keep up with maintenance. Does "reliable" = "less maintenance" for you? if it does, then the Z is not "reliable" per say.

3hree5ive0ero

iTrader: (95)

i agree with the above posts in most parts. you live in Maine. Z is not the car you're looking for. Evo or STi

davidv

iTrader: (2)

After enlisting in the Guard, what is the probability that you will find yourself in Iraq or Afghanistan. Plenty of young people join the Guard and Reserves for the perks, then complain when they are called to duty.

Combat350z

WTF was that last comment for. Least he has the nuts to do something. You know how many people volunteer for deployment.

When you get off your *** and defend this country then you can talk ****

If you are in the military this doesn't apply but if not go **** YOURSELF

3hree5ive0ero

iTrader: (95)

wow.. you need to simmer down a tad. just ignore wat he said.

ArCtM

iTrader: (4)

uhh i think davidv was just trying to tell him to think ahead,not accuse him of being a whinning kid

davidv

iTrader: (2)

Take a deep breath. Now exhale slowly. Good.

Sp00led Ya has a plan: join the Guard, get a bunch of cash, go to school on Uncle Sams dime, buy a 350Z. Its a good plan, but as the know, the country's needs come first. How wise would it be to buy a 350Z, then find yourself on the DMZ in South Korea for 12 months? Then you are making payments on a car that is sitting at home.

David E. Vogel, MSgt, USAF, Retired

deviantZ

iTrader: (2)

pwnd!

Spooled Ya, I agree, sounds like you've got a good plan going, but from what I hear, Maine is no place for such a powerful car. I've never driven up their but my sister has a 95 SC Cobra, and has been up there in it, she says its a nightmare.

As far as the mix of school and military, unless your in deep pockets, I wouldn't mess with it. The needs of both on you and your time, combined with a short summer period, would mean you'd get little enjoyment out of it, or would trash it by driving it in the salt, parking it at school, etc.

Also, if you do get called up, it'll most likely be somewhere that you get combat pay, which also means you'll be somewhere that you have nowhere to spend money. I just had a buddy that got back from Iraq, he saved up like 15g in a year. Plus, by the time you got back the new model might be out.

Just my $.02. BZ & GL

Ryan
BM2 USN (Unactive Reserve)

heelsfan007

iTrader: (2)

Here's the deal. I REALLY wanted an Evo before I got my Z, so that gives me a good perspective on your situation. If you can only afford used, and reliability is an issue, then by all means go with the Z. I would never buy a used Evo. I absolutely love the cars, but if they were not babied during the rather lengthy break-in period (and many/most were probably not), then the 4G63 engine in them will burn oil like a champion for as long as you own the car. This means that on top of all the regular maintenance, you will be adding oil frequently as well. Also, I was told by several Mitsu dealers that going above 4k rpms during the break-in period will throw up a red flag in the OBDII, and will void the warranty. Apart from that, the evo's are amazing cars. Like I said, I wanted one, and was actually dead set on buying one, but ended up with the Z instead. Also think about what you want out of the car. I love to drive, and can say now that I am glad that I have rwd. Awd will make the car quicker off the line, but as far as burnouts and Friday night donuts/drifting, well, good luck. As far as speed goes, the biggest difference between the two is the driver. I have done touge (twisty mountain roads) runs with friends, and have easily pulled away from several STI's etc. That's not to say that I'm some amazing driver, but just to give you a bit of perspective. Also, I only have minor bolt-ons on my car, but trust me when I say that you won't be hurting for power. Of course you will always want more, but if you are like me then there's no such thing as enough power. Both cars are well off in that dept. though, honestly speaking. The deciding factor for me was the seat layout. I am 25 now, and will be graduating college soon. I will probably be able to enjoy my 2-seater Z for a few years, but will eventually need a backseat for kids, etc. I decided that if I still wanted an Evo, I could get it later. The Z might not always be an option if you are going to get married and start a family. On the flip side of all of this though, make sure to think about the road conditions where you live. I also have a Miata (which is also rwd), and have been caught in the snow before. Not fun. I can only imagine how it would be with double the hp. Other than that, the 350 is honestly the sexier car as far as looks go. Just my $.02. You are in for a great time either way.

Combat350z

If you are in the military this doesn't apply but if not go **** YOURSELF

oh wait I already covered that angle.

So noped not pwnd.

And buying a new car and then getting deployed is actually an easy way to pay off a car, and it still be in virtually brand new condition.

Sp00led Ya

The reason I am considering a Z is because I want something that is not as slow as everything else in the traffic crowd, I don't want something that will get owned in the twisties even though the Z is not the BEST choice for an open twisty road or autocross track but compared to the other more powerful RWD cars, like Mustang GT's, Camaro's, GTO's they are VERY worthy. I want something newer, the s2000 is too gutless for me and too small, the RX-8 I have heard horror stories about and don't get me wrong I have my gripes about the 350z, first... it sucks that the car doesn't respond to mods well AT-ALL! I was not fond of the clutch and transmission, it was not very smooth at all and felt delicate for some reason. A buddy of mine had a G35 coupe and he was playing around with burnouts etc etc and he ended up screwing something up with first gear. All in all I think that if I were to get a Z I'd be happy, the EVO is a love of mine however I just am really scared of needing trips to the dealership to get expensive bills randomly because it was acting up, or something got screwed up... I don't know ugh, this is tough. Can anyone help me with the built VQ motor question, does anyone have information on cams, pistons, etc etc. What would I need for a good daily driver built Z motor, and how much in gains could I expect.

Lee233

Combat 350z, I think the pwned statement meant that you chewed out a man who served his country and he made a very strong retort.

Like Combat 350z said, it is a good way to pay off a car because you have nothing else to spend your money on. But counter point is that if you wait you might have enough money after you finish, if you get deployed, and could buy some newer car.

The choice is up to you, you must weigh the pro's and the cons.