stal023

Hello everyone,
New here and when I am considering buying a vehicle I have not owned, I always join a forum to get the low down. So, I'm looking at older used convertibles. Currently going to look at a 2006 Grand Touring Roadster 2D (manual) listed at 10K. Seems to be priced about right with 52K miles on it. Here are my questions: what are known to go wrong with these? When test driving, main things to look for (aside from oil, transmission fluid, etc)? The seller says "everything is stock, haven't replaced a thing." I expect things to need to be replaced, but I am not looking to turn into a weekend mechanic either. Much appreciated everyone.

MicVelo

The top is usually the main concern on the roadster. There’s probably as many threads on top issues as there are mentions of 2006 rev-up engines using oil. (FTR, they don’t all use oil.)

All else are pretty much the standard things one looks for on any car. And the most important are service records.

Alabama350z

Make sure both cooling fans are working, see if all jack, jack tools, and spare are complete, owners manual and all paperwork, do all interior and exterior lights work, get a thermometer and check AC temp and heater, if it has a factory radio does the cd player and all radio functions work including speaker, check power seats, seat belt latches, see if it has factory glass, look under for all shields and any damage to under carriage, all clips in under hood plastic covers, fender wells and plastic pieces under car, make sure it has a battery hold down and is complete(mind was missing it), drive belts, air box is complete, windshield washer works, wipers work, turn signals, make sure it will swap from heater to defrost, seat heater lights come on and work, exhaust noises, tightness of doors and windows, rod for hood prop, both covers for battery and master cylinder are good and will clip into place, all fluids levels are good, tire condition, lower ball joints, .
You can print a car inspection sheet from the web with a complete list of everything. If both those fans are not working it will run hot in bumper to bumper traffic or a long drive thru fast food restaurant. If it has 18 wheels they bend easier than 17 check for vibration at highway or faster speeds. I drove our 04 at 90 to 100 on the interstate trying to find a vibration before buying it.
Sounds like a good deal to me. Ask about clutch if any problems. If it completely factory that is a bonus. Beware if seller states that's easy to fix and cost nothing question is why did you not fix before selling it to me. The car we have belts were shot nearly in pieces guy knocked another $50 off when I pointed out belts. One last thing see if oil gauge works if it goes to 120 plus when key is on it needs a oil pressure switch.

Good luck and post pictures.

350ZXLR

$10K is about right for a 350Z in very good condition, meaning minor wear and no repairs needed. YouTube has a couple of good videos on things that tend to need repair after a while on a 350Z. A search for "350Z things wrong" should uncover them.

The top is definitely the main area to watch. I bought a 2004 Touring Roadster and checked the roof out before buying but within two days the roof stopped sealing against the tonneau (the cover for the roof storage compartment). The main culprits with the roof are:

1. Elastic bands between ribs 2 and 3 (called "Bows") fatigue and no longer pull the 2nd Bow down when closing the roof..
2. 5th Bow motor (there are several motors that drive the roof mechanisms). The motor brushes wear down into dust and need to be replaced, as with any DC motor with brushes.
3. The latching mechanism that accepts the metal loop at the bottom of the 5th Bow. (At least one Roadster owner replaced a spring to fix the sealing issue I currently have).

The plastic door handles will break easily if they're pulled while unlocking the door. Make sure passengers know not to rush the process.

The 2006 probably has a VQ35DE-R engine ("R" = RevUp version). If so, you could burn as much as 1 qt every 1,000 miles. The problem appears to be the catalytic converters producing a fine dust that somehow migrates upstream in the exhaust system and makes its way into the cylinders where it does a fine job of polishing the tolerances right out of the rings and cylinder walls. Using premium fuel reportedly prevents the dust from appearing. Changing the catalytic converters out for high-flow version also reportedly prevents the dusties from breaking free. Dust moving upstream sounds outlandish but is actually perfectly sensible since the exhaust gasses riffle through the pipe in pulses. These pulses can interact with dust in strange ways, knocking them backwards to the direction of flow. The car might actually be a 2007 model built in 2006. If it is then you've found gold because all Z's in 2007 and beyond received the VQ35HR engine that has more power without the oil consumption issue. The HR engine is easy to spot since it has dual intakes; you'll see two air filters and two air intake pipes.

my350z.com has a super-handy VIN lookup tool here: https://my350z.com/forum/vindecoder.php

If you buy the 2006 Manual, know that the clutch hydraulics are configured so that the clutch disengages within about 1" of pedal travel. Pushing the pedal close to the floor will overextend the slave cylinder and mead to stress on the seals and leaks. You do need to press the pedal to the floor to engage the start interlock switch down there, but for driving, only push the pedal just enough to disengage the clutch plate. There's an aftermarket pedal assembly that addresses this issue and provides for custom pedal position adjustment. It's on my wish list (but several items are above it).

-Leland

stal023

All great things, keep the advice coming! Let me address certain questions I have so far from your feedback.

Quote:

drive belts

Is there just the AC belt and the serpentine belt? Or is there also a timing belt and not a timing chain?

Quote:

lower ball joints

Best way to check these?

Quote:

One last thing see if oil gauge works if it goes to 120 plus when key is on it needs a oil pressure switch.

Is this common?

I know NOTHING about tops as I have never owned a convertible before so I guess I should look at this stuff up. Thanks for the specifics.

Should I stay away from pre-2007 and just look for 2007+?

When driving what should I be aware of? Can't say I have ever had to know anything about the engagement point, just felt it and went with it.

Thanks again, everyone.

Alabama350z

I would say 25% have bad oil pressure gauges I have helped guys replace 4 on buying used cars.
If the ball joint rubber covers are leaking grease they are busted. They may be fine now but allowing water and road dirt to eat away when the rubber cover is busted.

It has 2 drive belts the main one and a AC belt.
They have a timing chain.

stal023

How big of a deal is it to replace the bad oil pressure gauge? Glad it has a timing chain as I wouldn't want a belt. The other belts are not a big deal to replace.

Alabama350z

15-20 minutes including jacking it up. It is by the oil filter. I got mine off Amazon for $18 . Or wait till oil change and do it.

stal023

Just watched this video and it seems really informative: Here is the break down:

1. Hatch shocks
2. cheap door handles
3. window motor dies
4. dash material is horrible, scratches super easy
5. issues filling the fuel = charcoal canister and the company has a recall on it
6. rear diff to sub frame bushing
7. tire sensors
8. front radius rod bushing
9. clutch pedal "stuck" to the floor
   1. replace clutch line with stainless steel braided line
   2. replace slave cylinder
   3. replace master clylinder
10. subwoofer amp
11. power seats die
12. 3rd gear grind ('03-'05) expensive fix
13. oil burning ('03-'05 some; '06 a lot, '07+ no issues)
14. security lock out issues
15. limp mode
16. cheap door hinges
17. no space
18. oil dip stick and getting accurate readings
19. fuel gauge issues - one commenter thinks the issue is the connectors at the base of the floating arms are dirty and you can access behind the glove box
20. tire feathering - can buy adjustable control arms to fix
21. gauge cluster issues = replace electrical parts 10 amp fuse
22. oil cooler gasket leaking
23. valve cover gasket leaking
24. spark plug O ring gaskets
25. pillar seals

Here are the things that stand out to me and questions I have for y'all:

• #8, how big of a DIY job is this and when looking at a used vehicle, how do I tell if this needs replaced?
• #9, how big of a DIY job is this
• #12, seems like I need to stay away from all 03-05 as this is basically asking for a new transmission. Agree?
• #13, should one just get a 07+? If not, how big of a deal is it that 06 burn so much oil?
• #14 sounds like hell
• #23 & #24 were the exact same issues I had with a Nissan. It was an all day job and complete pain in the **** to do. Is this a Nissan thing??

travlee

iTrader: (8)

07-08, and 09 verts have a crappy internal csc, you have to drop the trans to change it out. the first time mine went out, replaced it with oem, within a year it went out again

Alabama350z

Automatic cars while not as fun and probably slightly slower in a drag race have less issues. A lot of people have clutch, pedal, and manual transmission issues it seems.

stal023

It should be illegal to have an automatic I will have a manual for sure.

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

#8: Compression Rod bushing. Not too bad, but not too easy. 5/10. The bushing needs to be pressed out to be replaced. You can tell if it's bad if you look at it and see the boot is torn. DIY for replacement: https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-...g-install.html

#9: Master/slave/clutch line. Pretty straightforward. 3/10. But bleeding can be a PITA if you don't have a Motive power bleeder. The bleeding process can be finicky. DIY: https://my350z.com/forum/engine-driv...-cylinder.html

#12: Transmission Grind. The fix is to buy a new transmission or rebuild it. It does not affect every Z from 03-05. I have an 05. Zero grinds. Ever. With that said, the transmission can be noisy and feel a bit "clunky."

#13: Oil burning. Again, does not affect all models. It does seem to have a preponderance in the '06 Rev-Up but not ALL rev-ups will burn oil. I have a G35 with a Rev-Up. No Oil burning.

#14: Security lockout. This is not too common of a problem. I wouldn't stress over this.

#23 and #24: Leaky valve covers. Fix is to replace them. Pretty easy. 3/10. The spark plug seals are pressed into the covers, so you either need to just buy new OEM valve covers or go with the "drill out" method and replace the seals with replaceable seals. DIY for both:
https://my350z.com/forum/engine-driv...r-gaskets.html
https://my350z.com/forum/engine/5900...t-is-back.html

The Z33 has been around for a while. This site is a wealth of information. Just about everything and anything you ever need to know is here!

stal023

Thanks for the response. #23-24 were a pain in the rear on my frontier. I honestly wouldn't want to do it again,

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

Gotcha - if that's the case, then you may want to look into buying a vehicle that is not 15 years old. The Z or any other vehicle with that amount of age is going to require some maintenance. Rubber seals, gaskets, etc. are consumable items that will need to be replaced when you're buying an older vehicle. Just my $0.02.

Alabama350z

You are right a used car 15 years old with a 100,000 is going to need some work. Unless the prior owner kept it perfect. But most that keep them perfect don't sell them. You rarely see somebody dump say $2000 in a car then sell it.

stal023

Fully get work will need to be done, but some work is easier than others!