jacklinmelo18

I have a feeling imma get a lot of heat or something. But I’m in the market for buying one as for joining this forum. So the question is I have 2 Z’s near me; a 2003 for 5000 with 120k but needs timing and tension kit done on it. The other is a 2004 for 8000 190k but is perfectly fine. I was having questions bout the 2004 one cause for such high miles it’s 8000 but there’s also no other z’s near me for under 10k unless I buy one for 12-16k with 74k miles. I’m up in NY and I’m not sure if they are usually this expensive. The only place I have not looked is marketplace on Facebook cause I don’t an account. I would like some opinions and, if any, some links to things that might help me.

MicVelo

Hooboy, looks like I might actually get decent dollars when my 77k mile car goes up for sale this Spring. 😆

Opinion: If you buy the 190k mile one, just be prepared to get your hands dirty on it unless all the wear items have been done (and for 8k, iI’d hope everything is fresh from tires to headliner.)

‘03 for $5k @120k seems reasonable (obviously depending in assumed overall good condition). Timing chain and tensioner work should be done at any new owner baselining at that mileage anyways.

I personally think you should expand your search. Only two choices? In my area alone we have probably 20 for sale at any given time. Lots of pineapples, but there will usually be a few worth looking at.

jacklinmelo18

Yeah maybe Lol. But I’m fine with getting down and dirty, I was planning on learning from this car, and as far as i know I don’t think the things are new. But as you said buy expanding my search..those cars are about 3 miles away from me north and south. So I’m not sure about expanding far. But there is a few closer to me but they are convertible and idk who would be interested in that..not I LMFAO. As for the 5k one I was thinking about it, but In estimates how much do you think it might cost for the timing shiz, cause if I can save a few g’s then I’m fine with what it costs for that to get done, wish I could do it myself but I digress. Oh and the cars near me are mostly like small dealers that up the price so so far as of right now there are 2 cars worth looking at

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

Thought I would chime in here. The VQ35DE uses timing chains instead of belts. Over time a very tiny amount of slack will form in the chain due to normal wear, however the tensioner should account for this. Assuming the oil change schedule was maintained, you really shouldn't need to worry about replacing the entire timing chain/tensioner assembly. It's a very involved process and if you decide to handle it, be prepared to also replace the water pump. A lot more 03-05 VQ35DEs were produced than the 06 Revup and 07-08 HRs. You might be able to find a good, used, low-mileage, longblock assembly for cheaper than paying a shop to replace the timing assembly (parts + labor). If you plan to do the work yourself, more power to you, but do your homework.

I just recently pulled the transmission and engine from one of my Z33s (one is a parts car). It's really not that difficult to get the engines out of these. I chose to pull the entire wiring harness with the engine. Disconnecting it from the ECU and feeding it through the firewall was pretty darn easy, albeit uncomfortable working under the passenger side dash. I spent more time dropping the transmission than I did pulling the engine. These are really great cars to work on. Overall I think Nissan did a great job designing these cars with maintenance in mind. Talk to a Z32 owner if you think I'm wrong.
-Icer

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

One critical item being left out of this conversation is what kind of practical mechanical and/or automotive experience many of the noobs who come to this site have. According to the OP's profile, he's 18, which means this may be one of his first car purchases. While many of us have years (or decades) of working on cars, do you remember what it was like when you were 18 and looking to buy an older car? I can only speak for myself, but I didn't come from an automotive-focused family. I couldn't tell you the difference between a wrench and a ratchet at 18. Fix a car? Me?

Some noobs think boards like this will be able to diagnose, select or repair their high-mileage used cars, but this is far from the truth. Not saying this is like the OP, who's already shown some initiative by trying to pick from two different Zs. But my advice for noobs is to hire a pro wrench to do a mechanical assessment of any car they're seriously interested in, listen to their recommendations and ask a lot of questions,

DarkZ03

iTrader: (11)

Ok, I'll play dad tonight.
Before you buy a Z, look into the maintenance cost, and realistic cost of ownership, insurance and gas expenses. Tally it up and see if it's the right car for you, they are cool and can be had for as low as 5k but the cost of parts has gone up over time, take into consideration that these cars got really close to 40k new and parts reflect that. There is a few oddly lucky individuals who skate by without spending money on their cars but it's not the norm.
I once thought to myself "I can totally afford a used GTR" then I got on forums and started researching and quickly realized I was NOT willing to pay the ridiculous prices for maintenance on it so I gave the idea up..
After all that I'd strongly recommend going for something under 100k miles, even if it means going out of state to find a good deal.

Dep369

I would consider looking more. I bought a 07 enthusiast in September for $7k in north east Ohio. 98k miles and already had invidia long tube air intake, nismo cat back, eibach lowering springs, and a body kit. I would definitely consider looking for something that has the mods you’d like already on it. Everything aftermarket for these cars seems to be $300-$1000 each mod. Anything around 100k miles I would be Leary of water pumps, timing chains, fluid changes (trans, antifreeze, differential) good luck. I used Facebook market place and the auto trader app for my searches.

jacklinmelo18

I’ve found a 84k car that’s stock for 9k that is in a couple states away. I wanna get fully stock cause my plan is to add mods myself as that’s what I really always wanted to do. Doesn’t matter the difficulty. The main prolly is learning manual which is part of t learning experience

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

I ended up having to expand my search quite a bit when I acquired my primary Z33. I actually found it in the For Sale section on this forum. I drove from the SF bay area down to San Diego to get it. I checked out a few other Z33s in So-Cal during the trip that I scouted using auto tempest. At the end of the day, the most honest vehicle was the one offered from the forum member. Only 40k original miles on the chassis with about 20k miles on a dealer warranty replaced longblock (06 Revup oil consumption issue), some minor cosmetic issues, but overall a very good buy. Best part was the previous owner had records/paperwork to back up all the claims/history about the vehicle.

Hope it all works out for you. Just take your time and find the vehicle that's right for you. It took me months of searching before I landed on a Z that I could be happy with.
-Icer