Hard to believe it was just October 5, 2002 when I took delivery of my 2003 LeMans Sunset Track model 350Z. Being a big Z car fan since my high school days (I've had a '86 300zx, '74 260z, '73 240z, '74 260z 2+2, '79 280zx), I knew I eventually had to have this car. I had always been envious of the original owners I came across whose Z cars were so clean and running like they did the day they rolled off the lot.

I can't even recall the countless hours I had spent reading about the new Z and checking out the spy videos on this very site while jaymanz was still running the show. I kept up with all the articles on the new Z and became more and more infected with the bug. Then I found out the car would be on display at the LA Auto Show. After seeing it in person I was 110% committed to purchasing one. I walked into the Nissan dealer that week and put my down payment to be a part of the preorder.

The wait was terrible but knowing there were other folks on this site sharing my anxiety made the anticipation a little bit easier. Reading about the tips on this site for how to find out where the car was in its build and delivery status were awesome. I don't think I even need to mention how I felt when I finally took delivery of one of the first four thousand 350Z's to make it to the USA.

The car has always been garaged and I've babied and pampered the car most of its life (interior still smells new too!). But, I still have my share of occasional fun and spirited drives with it as well. It has never disappointed. Now it's at 21,800 miles, mainly stock except for window tint, synthetic fluids, and an authentic Top Secret carbon fiber front lip/diffuser. It may never be considered a classic or collectible, but there's tons of sentimental value, and I intend to keep it for a long while.

It's been a great ride so far, and thought I'd share my story. I look forward to more outings with the Z. It's great that this site is still around providing tons of useful information and also providing a place for enthusiasts to share their stories.

Enjoy the ride!

 

I put 25,000 miles on mine last year alone . It's incredible that there are some out there with practically no mileage after all these years. I'm sitting at 165k looking into engine rebuilds (future F/I) and you're still breaking yours in!

 

It's cool to see another original Z Owner. I haven't had mine quite as long as you, but it was 11 years old on July 1, 2014. I still love it and continue taking care of it. It now has just over 24,000 miles and still looks showroom new. I plan to keep it for a long time.

 

Thats awesome, happy bday to your Z. Did you feel bad that you didn't wait till 06' or 07 for the upgraded DE model or HR models!? (obviously you can't predict the future, but just saying)

 

Wow... Congrats and Happy Birthday to your Z

 

Mine turned 11 in June, 148,000+ on the clock. Never once sorry that I didn't wait until the DE or HR came out - that would have been wasted years and my Z31 had a tranny starting to go out and not worth pouring money into. Today I have my choice of what to drive - the Z33 or the '90 Z32 TT with 80,000 miles. That choice goes away in a month though - the Z32 will be hibernating for the winter lol. Yes, the Z33 is a DD year round.

 

OP Happy Birthday to you and your Z! You have had your car even longer than I have had mine. I took delivery of my 2003 Z on January 16, 2003, so my 12 year anniversary isn't far off. Our mileages aren't far off either. I have roughly 22,500 miles on my Z. And it is garaged and pampered too.

The biggest differences I see is that my Z is highly modded and I continue to do things to it. In fact I just changed my wheels to a set of Nismo 350Z wheels that I picked up from another forum member. I still have all my stock parts though. Like I am really going to put it back stock one day. LOL!

 

If I had wanted an HR motor, I would have bought one when they were available new. I have never regretted buying the Z from the first year of production. There was a certain excitement about the Z back then. They were considered somewhat special. Now they are just a car to most people.............

 

Congrats, brother! I didn't pick mine up until February of '03. Got rid of it in '05 and missed it so much that I bought another in '07. I'll never get rid of this one...

 

Its amazing how even 12 years later the Z has still kept up somewhat to newer cars in terms of looks.
I get many compliments on mine and people always think its more expensive than it really is.

Mine is slightly "updated" to keep up to newer cars with LED license plate lights, reverse camera and bluetooth :P


Edit: OP why didnt you post any decent pics of your car?