Hello everyone,

Im 17 years old, my first car was a 79 camaro, 350,auto,4:11 gears, hell of a car but broke down every week, sold it and bought my dads 97 Arctic White automatic corvette coupe. Let me say I absolutely love this car, and i am a total car enthusiast so i have done a few mods to the vette. Although it is going on 13 years old, 80,000 miles and i just replaced the BCM for 900$. It is an extremely expensive car, getting old, and at my age gets me in a lot of trouble. I truly don't want to get rid of it but, im almost forced too. : (

Soooo...
I was looking at some 350Z's. I sort of have a lot of questions because i have been so heavily involved in the domestic car scene. The last year basically all my money goes to keeping my car running, i want to get away from that and have something more dependable. Here are some of my questions.

Any specific years to stay away from?
How much is too many miles,(I'm not familiar with DOHC V6 stuff, RELIABILITY?
Any recalls?
Whats the deal with the NAV screen, most 350's i look at dont have them?
How much more is a Nismo?
I have heard a lot about the performance parts for imports being much cheaper, is this true?
Anything else you think i should consider will be helpful.
Sorry this is a lot of questions, but its hard to find all the answers on gogle searches. Thanks for the info!

 

 

HAHAHA ...me too i want out of my money pit cars

 

nah op...your going to get flamed now because your 17...good luck...this is just fair warning

 

I read the first half of your post then gave up.

so you want to get away from an expensive car, (let me fix this part for you), something you wont get YOURSELF into trouble with? (hint, the car isnt getting you in trouble : P)

the Z isn't the answer. if this is really your train of thought you should be looking at less sporty cars. you are a bit spoiled in the auto world for your age, I doubt you will settle for anything less then a powerful rwd car at this point.

oh well.

the Z is expensive to maintain too, it is super reliable, but parts and upgrades are not cheap in the slightest. all of your questions can be answered via search, I didn't see any single tough to answer question, and I am not feeling generous enough tonight.

on that note, however.. I will link you this thread so that you may read up..

https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2008-n...questions.html

 

ohh you dont want to know how much i get flammed on corvetteforum for being 17.. almost everyone on there is 40+... can we get back to the queastions though please.. im going to look at a 06 ppw M6 tommorow, 26,XXX miles.

 

Your car is ancient... That would be reason enough for me to want a change. As far as why to get a 350 and convincing you... Most of us here love our 350s. I personally have had no problems to date and I have an 03. There are recalls and problems with (I think) every model. But tire feathering and axle clicks don't bother me - I'm on coils so uneven tire wear is my doing and acceptable to me for the stance I get. If you're havin that many problems with your car it's time to jump ship. Is the 350 right for you? Idk, but if you're worried about getting yourself in trouble you're still gonna have enough power to get yourself into some. Modding this car isn't cheap - especially if you want big numbers. But everytime I look at my car I smile and I get a lot of looks and compliments, and its fun to drive - that's enough reason for me to keep it and love owning it.

 

You will get flamed for being 17. It's a fact and it sucks for you. But you know who you are and we don't. Don't let the flamers deter you. People will hate for a bunch of reasons - they didn't have a car as nice when they were your age, they had to work harder to get a nice car, they think age and only age is an indicator of your sensibilities and driving abilities, they are just bitter Internet haters, and the list goes on. You can't avoid the flames but you can make your own decisions and prove yourself to be responsible and tasteful with your Z. As someone else pointed out - SEARCH! Newer models = revs higher, bi-xenons, led tails, ugly a$$ hump hood and oil consumption. Older models = no revup, older head and tail lights but no hump and less significant problems. That should get u started... Now search!

 

I read most of the "100 most common Q&A" thread and that did answer a lot of questions. And thank you Jadaniya, a lot of, most, people really only consider my age when they see my driving the vette. The truth is i am extemelly hard working, five days a week, i have 3.85 GPA, i just got a NAVY scholarship to University of Florida. So maybe my parents thought i did deserve a corvette. Sorry but i want some people to realize that young kids in expensive cars, sometimes they might actually deserve it.

 

good luck, the z is reliable, but like aforementioned, very expensive to fix when something does eventually go wrong.

 

Well, I'll be the one and only guy who won't give you an assh*le reply.

1) 2003-2004 have issues with tire feathering and some are plagued with oil consumption. Transmissions are also VERY problematic in these two years. For 2005 and 2006, you have to be careful with the rev-up motor, because a small number of them have a tendency to burn oil - inspect that aspect of the car thoroughly.

2&3) I'd say the car is extremely reliable and with general maintenance will last well over 120k miles. It's all about how the car was treated, so there's no definite answer for how much is too much.

4) You'll have to Google that one. "350Z recalls" will pop it right up.

5) Navigation only came on fully loaded Touring and (later on) Grand Touring models. Zs with navi accounted for less than 10% of all sales.

6) Considering a Nismo Z is limited to just about 1500 cars from 2007-2008, it's quite a bit more and you'll still have to pay well into the mid-20s and up for one.

7) Hell no. Aftermarket parts are muuuuuch cheaper for domestics. A pair of high flow cats cost as much as $350-500 for a Z. And decent test pipes are nearly $250. The average true dual exhaust is $1200. Manufacturers rip us off like mad.

 

Thank you for that info and I will definetly check the rev up oil issue tommorow. This might be a dumb question but if I bought a car without the Nav could I buy one and put it in the factory location

 

I love arnold k.'s answer to the last question.

 

yup.. but id recommend replacing the stock hu with a double din dvd/nav unit. It will be a lot less work and gives the dash a clean look

 

have you seen fast the furious tokyo drift? nuff said. oh and three littles, JDM yo!

 

lol, look at your screen name, i dont think it matters what car you drive, you will get in trouble.

 

I've owned two C5's. 98 Coupe, and a 99 FRC. Both of which I loved, I'm a Vette guy at heart, but I'm also an overall sports car enthusiast. I sold both my C5s because I was offered the right dollar and couldn't refuse. After tinkering around and getting into college, I bought the 350z. The Z is a much easier, more realistic daily driver. It handles as good if not better then the c5, but of course lacks the torque where the Vette has it, but overall, the ride, the quality, fit and finish of the Z is better in my opinion. The C5, being a Chevy drove me nuts as far as the overall quality. The damn interior rattles, and odd sounds coming from around the car, that's a Vette for you, the C6 is a step above, but the C5 was just a stress. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE C5's they are sexy, and an icon of their own, and fast, but the Z is just a fun car. It's light and nimble and fun to throw around bends.

C5s are great cars, but the Z is also a great car. Who cares, drive what you like!

Oh, and who gives a **** if your 17. My bro is 16 and has a Vette. The C5 and 350z market is so cheap now, it's easy for a kid with a good job to pick one up. Who cares what people say, go with what you want.

 

Everything you said about the C5 is so true. The interior is absolutely horrible when it comes to durability and noises. It makes plenty of weird engine and drivetrain noise. The C5 definitely is not a practical daily driver, its a hell of a car with super looks and performance capabilities. But, i wasnt even gunna bring this up because of my previous statement " the corvette gets me in to much trouble", at a local car show i raced a 2006 350 manuel with just and intake and the vette got its a@# handed to it. So theres some real good news for this forum, the 350 can easily beat some corvettes.

 

Ummm that 350 was not just sporting an intake, or you really can't drive the vette. A guy in our club has a vette with just a home made intake and I mean its ugly when I race the guy.

Anyways, I love the car. I had a 94 mustang GT and a 2001 Cobra before this car. I tracked the cobra and "loved" it but when I got the 350 it was an amazing difference. I still need to work on the power part of it because its still a noticeable bit slower than the Cobra but in handling its untouchable. Plus its always nice hearing people compliment your car and give you thumbs up, something I never got in the Cobra.

 

http://www.bulletproofautomotive.com...ail.php?ID=882