Toying with the idea of picking up a Z. Truth be told I'd love another 90-95 TT but the prices are a bit much and there are none relatively local to me. So I have been looking at the 350z again because I think it is a great value of a car. Needs to be manual, minor mods are OK but nothing too extreme. At 47yrs old the car needs to look as close to stock as possible.

Found what appears to be a well taken care of 05 5sp convert with 135k miles for sale. Same owner for the past 5 years, receipts for all the maintenance, etc.

Is this a good idea for a fun 3rd car or am I asking for a headache with a 15yr old car with 135k miles on it for under $8000.

Thanks.

 

My only suggestion is to look at all the ZR owners seeking help with their retractable tops. It's a complex mechanism and if any part of it fails to work, the entire top fails to function. Unless you're superbly confident in your mechanical skills and have a spare ZR on blocks in your backyard for parts, I might think twice about buying one.

 

I have absolutely zero mechanical skills and really need a trouble free car. I don't mind an occasional trip to the dealer/shop for maintenance but a non working convert top would drive me crazy. So even at 6500 this might not be a good car for me. Damn.

 

I have an 05 ZR with about 105K on it. I've had zero issues other than it being due up for a replacement due to expected wear of the OEM material. I drop it and raise it multiple times the days I drive it. But yes, the forum gets flooded with convertible top issues as there are many moving parts in the raising and lowering sequence. If one fails, then you have to go through all the steps to troubleshoot. Also, it could always crap the bed tomorrow. That's just part of ownership in general.

If you're truly looking for a trouble free car, you might get lucky and find a good one, or you may want to look at models newer than 15 years old. Personally, despite the risky and trouble-prone top, still worth it IMO.

 

Just because most people with issues come here to complain about their tops doesn't mean you will have them. I am unsure of the convertible prices, but any used car you are going to get will need work in the future, so buy what you want and make sure to compare prices to other sellers.

 

I didn't mean to sound snarky in the other thred, your choice of words "Scared to Death" were more than alarming, so...

I've had my 06 ZR 9 years with 108K. 0 mechanical issues ever. The top started ripping on both sides and sewing it did not work. I changed it myself at home with no helper for $650. You'd be wise to understand a 15 year old car will at some point have problems. You either need to be prepared to do the work or pay someone to do it. The car is a blast to drive although there's lots of verts that are fun and the roof opens manually. It sounds like you would be happier with a manual open roof, good luck!

 

I'm really torn between a 90 TT and a 05 350z touring convert. I've had plenty of cars (about 47) and numerous converts, I'm not too worried about the issue but if it's a 100% fail rate then I'm into sure its the right car for me.

This will strictly be a nice weather 3rd car. The TT is my dream car (already had a 90TT a few years ago) but is the 350z a better choice due to reliability, etc.

I'm looking at two cars. The 90 TT is garage kept, 93k miles, documented carfax since day 1 and up to date on maintenance. Also recently repainted which I'm not sure good. The 05 350z has the same owner for 5 years, no issues, 2 sets of rims and 135k miles.

The TT will be about $2000 more plus shipping fees whereas the 350z is under 2hrs away and can be had for $6800.

 

Being a slightly cynical person I observe some folks come on the forum here only to post questions or complaints about their tops. Very, very few actually will post a picture of what's going on with their top. I do believe there's an abnormally large number of "drive-bys"- users no one here knows, and there is a slight possibility some don't even own a ZR. So take the comments with a grain of salt.
In truth, the major problem (aside from the cost of replacing the soft top) is a motor which controls the 5th bow. Unfortunately the window motors and 5th bow motor were under-engineered, and fail prematurely. There's no work around on this problem, no updated motor specced to improve the failure rate.

I know at least 12 ZR owners in real life because we meet to drive together at ZDAYZ every May. Not 1 has had a major failure of their roof- from motors to the control module which orchestrates all the movements. So there's that. No guarantees on a 15 year old car but from my real life experience the complaints are highly exaggerated.
You just need to decide if a possible problem is a deal-breaker for you. No one but you can or should make that decision. Gl!

 

I bought an 04 ZR four years ago and have had zero problems with the top. I live in PA so I garage it for the winter, but I drive it to work nearly every day in the summer and put the top up and down repeatedly. It had less than 40k miles when I bought it so it's probably not a good comparison to the car you're looking at, but I love every minute I'm in this car. Except when I have the top up - I think it goes from a 10 to a 7 when you have the top up, it's kind of ugly and feels a little cramped inside if you're over 5'9". But i don't know if you could find more smiles per $ than a ZR, IMO.

 

I'm going to go with what I really want which is the 300zx TT. Been emailing and texting the owner and will schedule a pre purchase inspection at a well known indy import speciality shop who serviced the car many years ago. If the inspection goes well I will make an offer on the 90 TT.

Thanks for the help and advice along the way.

 

Just to provide real life counterpoint to the guys who have had no problems, I bought an '07 ZR with <70k miles from the original owner. I owned the car two weeks (long enough to smog and register it) before turning the keys over to a family friend who bought it from me. About two months later, the roof motor (or something) crapped out. Just telling you this because top failures do happen. Not saying it will and mine might have been an anomaly but.....

The bright side: the mechanicals of the ZR roof however, isn't that complex.... at least when compared to my non-Nissan hydro-mechanical-zillion-moving-parts hardtop (mostly glass) convertible. Woof. Hope that never goes blinko....

 

Yes - absolutely correct. My top may fail tomorrow, or it may go another 100K, or never. Who knows? As far as OP's question about a 100% fail rate, I don't think anything is 100% guaranteed. People get scared of moving parts and troubleshooting. If you can read the FSM or understand a wiring schematic, you should be fine. I like that Z32. Hopefully, it will work out. I have a soft spot in my heart for 90s Japanese sports cars.

Not directed at OP, but too many people these days are what I would call "casual drivers." They want the latest technology or whatever will give them instant swag points or social likes without fully understanding what it takes to properly maintain a vehicle or keep it at its optimal condition. Car enthusiasts are a dying breed. This is evident by the current vehicles that are marketed towards the masses and "convenience" features like self-parking, wi-fi, or whatever links up to their smartphone so they won't miss a thing. Get rid of it all. Give me seats (preferably two) and a steering wheel with three pedals and a millennial anti-theft device. Scratch that... I already have that with my Z33.

Gives Mic his soapbox back and sits back to admire his lawn.