Thinking of buying a 350
 

Hello everyone I am a new member

I currently own a Tacoma that I daily drive but am looking for something to slide around at the drift events on the weekend. Currently there is a 350 for sale near me that looks to be in good shape. It has 120K miles, stick shift, it has an overheating problem but runs and drives. I am going to drive it before buying it and jacking it up to look underneath for rust. What should I look out for when looking at the car?

Thanks,
Sam

Welcome, but there's no way any of us can provide much good advice from behind a keyboard. If you're serious about this Z, it's worth investing a couple hundred bucks on a paid assessment of the car by a Nissan technician. Expect to get a full written report on the strengths and weaknesses of the potential purchase.

Depending on how mechanically inclined you are, it's possible to check many things out on your own. A few examples may be steering rack leaks, suspension bushing condition (grime/ build up around ball joint boots would indicate worn parts), steering feel/ stability when driving, wheel bearings (test wheels for play when jacked up), idle and driving oil pressure, the oil level/ condition itself, heat/ AC, window motor function, odd noises from the car/ engine while driving, transmission grinds? etc...

Also talking with the owner about the car can give you some idea of how it was cared for, such as asking if any parts had been changed recently, fluid change intervals, etc... If it's going to be a drift car, the engine/ drivetrain would be most important, and I would assume that many of my above listed items are probably common sense things for you to look at.

You have to wonder why they are selling the car with a known overheating issue, maybe there are other unseen issues that haven't been fixed either. Regarding this specific issue, it could be radiator fans not working, faulty radiator cap/ thermostat, or a much deeper problem such as a failing headgasket, there's really no way to tell without diagnosing the issue personally.

Thanks for the information! I’m somewhat mechanically inclined, I worked on F-250 to International heavy duty trucks for a couple of summers while I was in high school. I’m brining a buddy’s scan tool, jack, and a lighted stethoscope. Apparently the car has lived in south Louisiana all its life so the rust should be minimal.

Not a good assumption. May have been in a flood.

Expect to replace the suspension and rear diff bushings.