first off, if you are even considering a 5 year old car with "just a notch below 150,000" you have no business buying a car at all.

 

clutch seemed strong it has been replaced in the cars life he had a receipt, he has steady receipts for oil changes which i know in itself doesnt solve the oil burning problem, but he has defintiely taken care of the car in that aspect, and constant oil changes tend to be a precursor for overall good maintenance.

without me even mentioning it, he was talking about how the early Zs had the window problem, he had both window motors and mechanisms replaced, so thats definitely good, and there weren't any clutch noises or any noises for that matter. it seems like a good car off the bat, and we went on a super-curvy mountain road so i got to do a lot of shifting and WOT and it seemed really solid. it honestly drives better than most 50,000 mile cars

he is a lot older and lives in a town with no stoplights (small) and not many younger kids to speak of (more of a retirement kinda town, you know?), so hes definitely not street racing it and all that jazz. thus far, it seems very solid for a used car, especially one with so many miles

i will definitely have it looked at by a mechanic. and stuff like the struts and shocks feel great, but that is kind of a moot point anyways (i forgot to ask about that, but all regular maintenance like that seems to be documented in receipts), because i have a partial sponsorship lined up with the after market automotive retail company i work for, where i get everything at actual cost and i just have to do word-of-mouth advertising, so a full shock/strut setup is probably at hand immediately after purchase. basically what im saying is i will probably overhaul everything on the car, just like i would if i was buying an 2003 with 40,000 on it - basics like spark plugs and wiring, fluid drain/refill, and more elaborate stuff like the suspension and exhaust/cats - any other suggestions on what i should look over are appreciated too

thanks everyone for your input, and esp. whitenoiz, im glad to know that you were so happy with the move from the lude to the Z

hey, thanks for your informative professional opinion

 

that is not an opinion, that was common sense. do the math. average driving for a car is 12K a year. 12 x 5 is 60,000 miles. according to that car it has over ten years worth of driving on it in a 5 year span. i could care less how new the transmission is or how well maintained the car is claimed to be in, still not worth any amount of money. was just saying that besides the fact that it is a 2003, there are a lot of better, lower mileage Z out there for sale.

 

Op? How Much Are You Looking At Paying For This Car?

Then Maybe That Can Help Us Let You Know If Your Getting A Deal?

 

Generally speaking, this is what i look for in any used car i go look at:

If possible i take a jack and jack stand, my cordless impact with me:

1. TAKE OFF A FRONT AND REAR WHEEL, one at a time and check tire feathering issue.

2. while im there, check the brake, pads and rotors. look for signs of wrecks - as in the rear the Z has sound deadening spray - looks like truck bed liner - see if there are huge cracks in that - from repairs, etc.

3. while front wheel is up high, look under the car, check for leaks, check the steering rack for any bent tie rods. follow any leaks up if possible.

UNDER THE HOOD:
4. LOOK AT ALL THE BOLT HEADS! CHECK to see if any bolt heads show wear marks where an alternator or or any other accessory has been replaced before.

5. Driver the car - and if you know how to check for slipping clutch then check it out, if not have someone you know drive it that has!

I WOULDN'T PAY MORE THAN 8-9.5K FOR IT!

I WOULD TOTALLY BUY THIS CAR FROM THE SOUND OF IT BUT NOT AS MY SOLE CAR - I WOULD DRIFT THE HELL OUT OF IT!

 

Just tell him what he wants to hear. Check tire, check transmission, drive around. Never mind the 150,000 miles driven in 5 years.

If you are going to finance this car from a bank and this will be your DD then you are a dumba$$ for even considering it. If this will be a project/track car and you have money to burn and are really getting an awesome deal on it then go for it.

Once again if a 150,000 mile used car is what you can afford....stick to your prelude and save up. If you cant afford a more recent year or lower mileage Z then stick with buying civics or sentras.

Sorry i couldn't sugar coat this for u.

 

sounds good, but think of how hard it might be to sell this vehicle if you decide to sell it for whatever reason (just something to think about before making the purchase)

good luck.

 

im paying 10.5 for it, cash. i refuse buy something and then not own it, i.e. financing. I could afford to still buy a low mileage Z for 15,000 in cash, but by buying this at a cheaper price i can pay for ALL of my tuition next year at school ; trying to get into a hot car while still keeping my important priorities taken care of, no college loans FTW!
and im not looking for a sugarcoating on this matter i know the extreme risk im taking im just looking for advice on what to look for and all that - i 110% expect to have to replace stuff and like i said i have new shocks, springs and struts on order, and gonna replace a lot of basic stuff. keep the advice rolling though guys

EDIT:
yeah i know :\ but i plan on driving this until the wheels fall off, get me through college, and once i'm commissioned in the AF make it my project car for messing around on the weekends, probably on a new motor by then haha

 

Fair enough seems like you realize what you are getting into and have plans if things dont go your way.

 

I just graduated from college and was in a similar situation to you. I'm not sure how far you are from graduating, but I'll share my experience.

Basically, a few months before I finished I figured out I'd be eligible to finance an 04 z with low mileage with a decent monthly payment. I found a really good deal and jumped on it. Looking back, I wish I would have just bought an economical daily driver and saved my money for a new 08 or 09. Don't get me wrong, I love the car and I don't mind the payments - the issue is, I put a lot of mileage on the car using it as my daily driver and now that I am making a decent salary, I want the newest and best. Who knows, you may feel completely different when you graduate. But if I could go back I would have waited until I graduated.

 

absolutely slow jim i see what youre saying man. im 3 years away though, just a youngin, and ill own it straight out no payment, because dont need to be worrying about making next months payment in college, that will lead to even lower grades than last year
thanks guys im pretty sure ill actually be getting it sooner than later, as in next week. im so unbelievably excited

 

look for a big number in the odometer space

 

My 2003 base with 90,000+ is arrrrsome. I can't imagine it running much better/smoother at 9000 miles.

 

"Look for" a Z with less miles on it.

 

2003 Blacked Out Touring 6MT

Congratulations.

 

I just wouldn't do it.