Hey there all. First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time to read my post. Total noob here and I appreciate your patience.

I'm looking into buying a Z; been in love with this car forever (well at least since 2003 ) There is one for sale locally by a private seller. Here's a quick breakdown of things:

1) 2003 Touring; 94,873 miles.
2) 3rd owner. Says it's been garage-kept; previous owner to him used as "show" car.
3) Seems to have kept up with things BUT he doesn't have service records

Here are some exerts from our corospondance about his updates/upgrades:

"New tires, brakes, zinc dipped slotted/drilled rotors"......."I have replaced the spark plugs, coil pack, cold air intake and had the engine timed and tuned up. New rotors and pads as well as head lights."..."I have also replaced the passenger window motor- both power seat switches and have ordered a replacement amp for the Bose system."

He states none of these needed to be replaced but he was building it up for his girlfriend who is no longer with him.

I've heard of the tire wearing issues on the 03's along with the transmission issues with the MT's. Other issues I've heard about seem to have been addressed (window motor, audio amp).

I'm asking for your all's opinion. I'm weary due to the high mileage but the vehicle seems to have been well-cared for. However, no service records to prove this. Can you guys give me some advice on this? Is it a smart(ish) buy or would you strongly recommend waiting for something else to come up for sale? Maybe I should have a mechanic check the vehicle prior to purchase to confirm recent updates/upgrades?

I really do appreciate your all's time and advice. Here's a link to the autotrader sale page:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...Index=11&Log=0

 

Take it for a drive and see how it does.

Check for grinds in the tranny and slipping in the clutch.

That's a lot of miles for being garaged.. mine has 50k by comparison.

 

Link doesn't seem to be working

Run a CarFax and get it looked at properly

People always embellish how great their cars are in those ads

 

In my personal opinion.. if he doesn't want to drop down to 9-10k then EASILY walk away.

03. 100k miles. meh.

Save up 5-7k at most and get an HR (07-09) with low miles.. you'd be a lot more happier.

 

I bought an 07 with 80k, which I was afraid of...seemed a bit high, but after having it thoroughly checked out it was super clean and well kept, so I bought it.

 

His price is high... Most with that miles go for 9k..

Never take a sellers word on work done without recipts. Odds are there will be something wrong with the car it's just how it goes when you buy used

Window motors are common to fail. Syncros might grind as well so watch out. And tires can be bald or have little tread.

I bought my z with 30k miles, and have only replaced tires and brakes. My window motor is about to go as well. So that's another $200.

 

mine's a show car... part of having a show car and asking top dollar and getting top dollar is to have service records, not worn seat (say immaculately kept) not if seats are showing wear.

He has RICE aftermarket headlights and RICE eye lids... should have spent that money on better OEM wheels or better aftermarket wheels.

Show cars also have clean Rubber.. his pictures he could have at least thrown some cheap shiny tire shine to go a long with his story

Show cars also have clean exhaust tips, the insides look like they havent been cleaned in many many miles.

Overall it looks clean and prob worth Fair condition value but not retail without service records.

 

http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/4067005387.html

This is an example of one you can get cheap if you look. Just never trust a seller, some are honest.. most are not.

 

That is not a show car.

With the mileage/condition it's worth around 9k tops, as many have said.

Please keep looking. You can find better.

 

It's just another Z with 90K+ miles, records really don't mean chit, there really is not much to show.

Then show car LOL, no idea what kind of a show that would be.

 

think about it like this..

I bought my 07HR with 10,072 miles on it for 19.5k in mint condition.. literally. 60year old lady who kept it in her garage. I personally would have payed 23-27K.

dude is pretty much asking 13k with 100k miles for an 03. WAYYY overpriced.

6k more you can get an HR with low mileage and a newer car. Even if you find an HR with higher mileage, you're better off with an HR.

DO NOT RUSH and RESEARCH this website from top to bottom. Seriously.

I kept searching and kept searching and kept searching until I found a deal I could not refuse back in 2010.. my HR. It's out there, DO NOT RUSH TO BUY.

 

It took me about 5 months to find the z I wanted.

I wanted :
All stock
6 speed
Touring
Under 30k miles
Under $14,000 price

I determined it's hard to find an unmolested z for the price you want. There are a lot out there but most are bought by younger people or those who don't take care of them.

 

I've got a 03 Touring.About the same miles.
Mine is a one owner.
Bottom line,this is a 03 with 90k miles.
Thats it.
"Show Car"?When?
Nothing special about this Z.
Prices on a Z will vary by area.
Drive it,start there.
I'd offer 10k .
All the historic problems like tire feathering etc prolly have been fixed.

 

Dont do it. Just wait till you find the right one, promise it will be what you want.

 

THIS.


Slow down and take your time. I see you are in Lexington, KY.

You should expand your search radius to 300 miles at least and check not only Lexington and Louisville, but also Columbus, Cincinatti, Indianapolis, and even Nashville and Knoxville.

Driving half a day for the RIGHT car is something you will not regret.


I found my 08 NISMO in perfect unmodified condition, only 17k miles (still has the original tires now at 22k miles) with an extended warranty for another 2.5 years for 25k. This was last Dec. I had the seller email me a crapload of photos and service records, made the deal subject to an inspection, flew 250 miles, checked out the car, paid the man and drove home.

If I had limited my search to my immediate area I would NEVER have found a pristine car like mine.


Good Luck and keep us posted.

 

Dude I just searched Autotrader for 350Z within a 300 mile radius of Lexington, KY, and 623 listings came up.

You should have NO PROBLEM finding exactly what you want. Run the search yourself for that radius, then go to advanced search and narrow parameters based on manual vs auto trans (whatever u want) and coupe vs convertible, and then I always look at only listings with photos and prices. Then you can view them by either price, year, or distance from you.

 

Thanks fellas. I really do appreciate your time and advice. I'm definitely not rushing into this. I really just had no idea what 90K miles on a 350Z equated to.

I'll say this real quick about research on the forums: I'm a member of a different kind of forum and have been for many years. I can't tell you how many times n00bs come on there asking about things that have already been posted. So, thank you for your patience.

I'd much rather "eat" the cost of something newer with lower mileage over buying something just to find out that all car-owners who are selling their vehicle aren't being 100% honest with me (whaaa?!!!!!).

My thoughts of HIM actually showing the car were...skeptical? I couldn't see anything about it that was really "show-worthy". So I agree with those of you who mentioned that.

I will expand my search and see what comes up. Him not having any service records scares me a bit. I drive an 07' Silverado and I keep records for any/all service I do on it. So, someone who apparently loves their Z and doesn't keep records?? Meh.....

I'll keep you all posted. Keep the advice coming!

 

Here's a quick update on some things:

He hasn't had any transmission work done on the vehicle (included NO tranny flushes). He said he's had the car for 3 years and has put 9,000 miles on it. He said he did some digging and in March 2012, he had a check engine light come on and had it checked out. He ended up having "the left and right fuel pressure regulator dampers and fuel hose replaced along with the rear engine camshaft position sensor replaced".

I'm still not rushing into anything. It's just that this particular vehicle has everything I'm looking for in a Z besides the higher mileage. Let's say he takes $10K or 10.5K for it. Would you guys think the potential repairs/upgrades needed be worth it? I plan on driving it a bit; it won't be just a casual weekend driver for me.

I'm keeping my options open. I took your advice and expanded my search. There is a Z not too far from here that is pretty similar (04' Enthusiast w/ 65.7K on it) for $13.5K. Link below:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...archRadius=200

Thanks so much again for all your help/advice, everyone. It is most appreciated.

 

Pay more and get one with lower miles then 90k.

These cars are getting old I can't believe my z is almost a decade old. But by looking at it you would not think it's old at all. Make sure you get one in really nice concondition.

A cat is a big purchase, take your time.

I thought I wanted the new wrx, until I drove it. Handles like a school bus and transmission is clunkier than a z.

 

I agree with you, OS. I'm keeping my eyes open and we'll see what pops up.