I bought my 350z touring new in 2004, and with the exception of OE Brembo brakes, Rays wheels from a track model and one set of Continental DWS replacement tires, the car is completely stock. Over the 14 years of ownership, I spent a grand total of $400 in parts (a window regulator motor and gas struts for rear hatch). The car was returned to the dealer once for a gas filler neck recall.

In short, everything works as it did the day I got it. Now that's a real testimony to Japanese engineering and build quality that no European car (and I've owned BMW's, Volvos and VW's) ever came close to.

I have the means to replace my "Z" with a Boxter or Cayman, but would probably regret it. Once the new-car novelty wore off, I doubt that a drive in a Porsche would be that much more fun than the one provided by my good ol' 350.

 

Do you have a manual or automatic transmission ?

How many miles ?

 

Manual with 32K.

 

Thanks for the update on your Z33. It's refreshing to hear from a Z owner who didn't screw up his car and still enjoys his car. Also, you are wise to keep your Z!

 

Youre not driving it hard enough!

right on ... I've found that whenever something has broken on my car it's bc I was dumb and did something stupid...God Bless the Z33!

 

More like the other way around. If you get in a new Boxster or Cayman your Z will be GONE in a heartbeat I bet. My brother has a '15 GTS and the difference is HUGE. The Porsche sounds better, handles better, has a better interior and is way faster. Even on a small 2.2 mile track doing HPDE its about 10 seconds a lap on the exact same tires! However I assume the maintenance on the Porker will be insane since you can't access the engine at all in the darn thing.

With that said... given the abuse I dish out my Z has been incredibly reliable. The only major problem is those crappy syncros in the manual gearbox. While other parts are sub par (brakes, rear diff bushing, harsh suspension, lack of sound deading) they are know things that aren't too expensive to fix. But having to do a tranny swap was very disappointing as its a major part and a big project.

 

is it fair to compare a 2015 to a 2004?

for what it's worth:
60 more hp (albeit with 1/10 less liter of engine displacement)
400 less pounds
an active suspension
better OEM/from the factory brakes
$75k msrp starter, $100k msrp as tested

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...dk-test-review

If the GTS didn't circle laps around a first gen Z33, I'd be seriously worried about what the kind folks in Germany are up to...

 

I love how I put an engine/flywheel/clutch 3/radiator/big breaks/exhaust/header/led front and rear/bodykit/leather seats/navi/ etc...and labor cost was ( $0+some friend's help)....healthy built engine +single turbo = 385lbs of torq which is close to a 2015 Porsche GTS for around 7k is even "funner". enjoy your car faliures and f'ckups. its a great car if you take care of it. people still love it as much as they did back in 2003.

 

Agree... my comments were based on the OP saying:

If I had the coin I wouldn't be driving a 15 year old Datsun but at this point the Z is becoming a bit of classic so I imagine some people holding onto them for sentimental reasons. I'm pretty attached to mine despite it being old and slow compared to newer sports cars. Sometimes "better" doesn't mean more "fun".

 

Why I like my Z has nothing to do with sentiment. I like it because it's a terrific VALUE. With what I have into mine - all suspension/wheels & tires - it does exactly what I want it to, when I want it to, looks good, is dead reliable, and gives me no surprises. All for a car that has about $16k total into it. (Even if I'd bought it new, it's still a value.)

Heck, even our Z34 Niz, leased then bought out, was/is a great value. Compare the performance of either 33 or 34 against the "competition" (in this case, the Porsche) and while it may not doing everything that the uber-Teutonic cars may do, they're no slouches.

That said, my Benz runs circles around the Z in acceleration, "top down cruisability", arguably its looks, and even handles as well. (Has great poseur value too. HAHAHAHA! )

But gawdangit, it'd better, it originally cost $135 THOUSAND dollars. Whuzzat, like 4-5x the cost of the Z when new? Hahaha. (I paid FAR less than that because it needed $3k in work.... which I paid about $75 to fix myself. )

 

04 w/ 35 K.....if it spends it's time in the garage like my 03 w/ 59k does then yeah grab a paddle my friend because mine w/ all of it's mods has not had 1 issue as well. And when i take her out i do drive her hard..... but drive it or not i always maintain her!

 

 

With less than 2,300 miles a year, I hope it's reliable.

 

 

Another " Great Car " Testimonial !

Thanks for sharing your history.

I'll try to sum up my Great Car Testimonial in a quick few sentences... Here goes..

Have an 03 Touring, Brickyard-Best Color I think, 86,500 miles on it today.

I'm the third owner, bought it 4 years ago with 42,000 miles.
Car Fox reports 2 previous owners, First owner had it 6 years, and put 3,00 miles a year on it.

Second Owner had it 3 years, and put 24,000 miles on it, I know it was a local lady from papers found in rearward storage compartment,

Car is all Still All STOCK.

In the 4 years, and 44,000 miles I've had this now 15 year old trooper, all I've done to it was:
Oil Changes
Alignment
New Battery
New Tires
That's it...

It needs rear hatch struts and the passenger side window doesn't like to go up easily...

If the roads aren't snow or iced covered, I' drive it 70 miles a day on high speed work commute round trip run.

Sure makes the commute fun, active, as it weaves safely through the high volume of semis and white knuckled interstate travelers.

In summary, I agree, it is a Great Car !

 

A year ago I posted the above and mentioned that a Boxster or Cayman would not equal the fun of my 350z. Others disagreed saying that there would be a difference between a Nissan and a Porsche. Well, I have to concede they were right. I recently bought a 2008 Boxster S in pristine condition and driving it is nothing like the "Z". While engine size and power do not differ much between the two cars, it's the sum total of all things (handling, torque, gear ratios, steering and engine noise) that makes the Boxster such fun to drive on secondary roads. In all fairness, I still will not part with the Z as it is flawless in all respects and worth far more to me than the $10K I might get selling it. Moreover, comparing a car costing $62K with one costing half of that when new is not entirely fair. The "Z" for the money is still quite a good value.

 

Nice to hear you're enjoying both. Take care!