Hello all... I have been thinking about buying a z car for myself and have done a lot of research about the different year models and the debate on the auto vs Manuel transmission.... I plan on buying a used 05 and up model as it seems the z cars that are older had some minor issues but at the same time it also seems some problems have carried themselves throughout the generation and into the 370z.... so i will have look go over it with a fine tooth comb.. The question I have at this point is about the Manuel Z cars and the well known clutch chatter issue.. I know this is normal however, I have yet to see a general agreement on how to make it a bit more quite if need be... I have read that a higher viscosity oil helps and i have also read that increasing the engine idle helps too.. has anyone done both to there car?? I'm in the process of learning to drive a Manuel car but have experience riding a motorcycle so i don't think it will be hard for me.... the auto seems cool to me but i don't plan on driving the car in traffic as it will pretty much be a Sunday car.... I want a "driving experience" can I get that with an auto z??? I drive a fleet truck all week and it would be nice to have something fun to drive on the weekend any input is really appreciated
thank you guys

 

I'd suggest you drive MT& a AT and,you be the judge.Don't think anyone else's opinion is the same as driving the car itself.For what its worth,these "researched" problems that prospective Z buyers such as yourself,are a bit overblown.Lets face it,its natural
for people to mention "problem areas" than the 99% of positives there is from owning and driving a Z.As it appears that you are new to driving a MT(car),you don't have much of a frame of reference to gauge driving a Z with a MT.There can be more potential problems(and expense)buying a used Z with MT rather than a AT.The number of posts on MT component probs seem to prove this.Not many issues with the AT.
At least,not reported.Much depends on how aggressive you are as a driver.Also,planning any mods where a MT car would be an advantage?Remember,the AT Z also has a manual shift mode.
Good luck

 

Hi,

Z's are great cars.
I have an 04 manual roadster with about 65k miles.

I have not driven an auto Z, but I can tell you the manual is very fun.
The early 350 Z's are know to have tranny problems, but mine has been great.
As far as clutch chatter, I only notice it slightly in first gear, and only if I disengage the clutch abruptly.

I come from motorcycles as well, 1st bike was a sportster 883, then I went to a Buell 1125 CR, while the Z isn't as fast as the Buell, it is a very fun car.
The 350's feel like they are on rails, the exhaust is deep and its loud, but not too loud.

I would imagine you could still have fun with an auto, but I would go for the manual.

 

Welcome. I think your question is manual versus automatic transmission? Drive both. Get what best suits your needs.

 

It's all your own personal preference.

Inb4ManualvsAutoDebate.

 

Who cares about clutch chatter!!! Turn the radio up!

 

Is you want a quite car then go for a G35. I got a 350Z and installed the JWT Clutch and Light Flywheel and the chatter is noticeable but I like it cause I got it for Zooming and not for a luxurious Ride. 350Z is a great car for the price and handles great as well. I agree regarding MT & AT; go drive yourself and decide. Personally if you want to have mroe control and fun then get a manual.

Hope this help; Good Luck!

 

It's spelled MANUAL, not Manuel. It's not a Mexican transmission.

 

If you're looking into a Z make sure the seller verifies all the service bulletin repairs, ie. tire feathering, oil burning. If you're going to get manual make sure to check if it goes into the all the gears smoothly without grinding, huge issue. Very important point though, if this is your first manual, it will kick your ***, Z tranny is very finicky.

 

Good luck and happy new years to you! As everyone said make sure the car checks out clean. Even if you do get a manual it's not really finicky at all. The Z was my first manual also, but it gets easier as you drive it more. For the clutch chatter, that's normal to an extent. The transmissions are very noisy in there nature and nothing you really have to worry about unless it's really loud. People complain about all these noises you hear, but it's a SPORTS CAR. You just have to make sure you smooth out your shifts. When you let off the clutch almost all the way out, that's when you add gas. If you do it before that, you'll rev up the car and it will feel like it's creeping forward when you finally release it. Just remember keep a smooth and steady motion for both pedals. Also, get a feel for how the gas reacts. It's a bit quicker than some regular cars out there. To be honest it only takes a tiny bit of gas to get to 1k rpm, so just feel it out.

Just run 5w-30 imho and don't forget to read the manual. There have been many discussion about people using the German Castrol 0W-20 I believe and had great results. Here is a big thread on that. https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-...-and-info.html The choice is yours. I have no problems with mine at all.

Here is also a thread on a bunch of questions asked throughout the years here. Check it out: https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-n...questions.html

As for the "Driving Experience", it's really all up to you. I drove auto's before I drove a manual and I prefer a manual better. The response is there ALL the time. When I drove an auto, it almost seemed slower after I drove a manual. You feel more in tune with car because your manipulating the clutch, gas, and the gears to get going. Once I got the hang of driving manual, I started practicing double clutching, rev matching, and heel and toe. Very fun indeed and it takes a bit of time to get used to because of the footwork. Overtime, it becomes second nature, I feel bad sometimes if I don't rev match in traffic or heel and toe because it's really to be honest a habit and it's a lot easier on your clutch and synchros when you get it down. When you don't rev match you feel it jerk forward when you downshift, that's where you use this technique. Other than that, that's my opinion and I feel it's all up to you. With all this flappy paddle transmissions, I don't feel the fun at all because it does it all for me.

All in all, good luck with your decision and hope this helps some!

 

the Z is my daily but gas is a pain in the ***. you'll be spending lots of cash on gas and insurance. and its a huge money pit

 

I get 27-29mpg when traveling on the interstate, which is a lot better than the 16-19 I get in my Nissan Frontier - but it's no Prius. I just don't understand the "spending a lot of cash on gas", but I guess it's relative to what you're comparing it to.

Insurance is really reasonable IMO, too - but maybe keeping tickets off of my license is part of that as well.

Every car will depreciate, but I've been really happy with my cost compared to the value of enjoyment that I get out of it. I don't know if Jedix ended up with a lemon, or drives it wide open all of the time so that he's burning up his gas & racking up speeding tickets? His experience and mine may be at different ends of the spectrum, but I've been really happy with my Z.