There is this house I’ve been driving by for years, and in the last several weeks I’ve noticed there is a blue 350z parked on their lawn next to their drive way. For some reason it never caught my eye until now. I finally decided to leave my name and phone number asking about the car and if they would be willing to sell. Just for kicks and giggles to see what they would say. The owner actually texted me today and told me a bit about the car. It’s a 2004 that hasn’t ran for 2 years. When they last ran it, it was to move it onto their lawn and he said it ran great. It does have 215,000 miles, the windows don’t work so the interior has been exposed to the elements, and apparently there was a cat living in it, not sure how long. And sadly, it’s an automatic. But I asked him what he would let it go for…..he said $500! Is it worth it?? I would have to figure out if it starts or what it’s going to take to start. But if I can get it to start, I could get the windows working, and clean up the inside and then save up for a manual swap! What do you guys think? Is that a steal…or more of a headache???

 

$500? That's like six fill-ups at the gas station with today's prices. As long as you have the space and time for it, seems like it would make a good hobby. If your plans are to get it fully restored to a good DD, then it may turn into a headache depending on what lies beneath. If you plan on making it full racecar, then it seems like it would make a good shell/starting point as long as everything is straight and checks out upon further inspection. Worst case scenario, you could likely part it out and at least break even.

If it were me, I would probably do it.

 

If this is would be a project and not your primary vehicle, I would say go for it! I picked my '05 350Z Enthusiast from a co-worker 4yrs ago, also for $500. Mine had sat for a little over 2 years, after the original owner purchased a Ford Escape to better deal with MI winters. I towed it home, put the battery on a charger overnight and it fired right up! I consider that pretty lucky. You will have a little more interior cleanup to do than I did, as the windows were mainly closed on mine during those 2 years (a little space presented at the top of the window as the glass dropped a little over time - my main issue was clearing out the mouse nests in the carpet padding in the trunk area).

As with any vehicle with that kind of mileage, expect that you will need to go through the brakes, shocks, and suspension bushings. And a change of all the major fluids is a must, too (oil, coolant, brake fluid, ATF, rear differential). But, I'm thinking you won't be dealing with a lot of rust on this Z, being in Utah (I have a few spots on mine that need attention - mainly at the rear fender lips).

Good luck! There is a lot to learn on the forum here - the search feature is your friend!

 

Welcome- and like the other responses, this depends on your level of wrenching and restoring skills. Don't expect this will be an easy project, as years of neglect will be heaped on top of 215K of mileage. While the Z is a durable vehicle, that's a difficult combo to overcome. As long as you have the time and money, this could be a nice restoration if you have a garage and tools to devote to it. Be sure to check if the titlework is in good shape or you'll end up having another task to complete before getting this Daytona Blue Z back onto the street.

 

At $500 this is a no-brainer … You could part it out and make 6x that.

Yes, as DK said your mechanics skills will be tested … if you have none and would like to develop them this would be a great place to start. Also as DK mentioned, you should have a dedicated in-shop / in-garage spot for this to live while you dive into it … and I’ll say, you will likely need two spots - one for the car and one for parts / storage / laydown / etc.

The first gen (DE engine cars) are not difficult to understand and/learn and there is plenty of support for them. Further, parts are plentiful and can be inexpensive. The contrary is true for a whole/running/respectable engine if you have to drop a new/reconditioned/donor engine in the car. But consider a rebuild of this engine if it’s otherwise healthy and functioning.

Dont bother manual-swapping this car - yes, possible but massive pain in the *** … at that point just sell this car and use that money towards a 6mt.

I guess the good news, if a cat was living in it I bet there were no mice/rodents anywhere near it.

Create a thread and document your progress bringing it back to life. A bunch of us will subscribe the the thread and help you along the way. If it’s something I’ve gathered with these cars is that they all impactful stories and let this be the start of your story.

 

That is a damn steal, I say **** it and go for it, I have a trashed out Z, done everything to it myself, from changing the starter to replacing the engine and transmission, I'd replace the engine and trans and manual swap it if I were you but its your call, I say go for it if you want a project, just know that as with anything in life, nothing goes as planned.

 

Go for it, even in stock form these cars are fun to drive! Once you've gone over it you can decide if you want to spend $$$ on it and get it updated, resell it for $5K or part it out. Win!

 

thanks everyone! I think I might do it! I just have to figure out some logistics! Over a year Ago I bought a 1993 Nissan 240 for $2800. Crazy to think that I could get a 2004 350z for $500. I ended up selling that 240 for $6200! But I’d like to keep the 350z.

 

 

$500 you would be a fool not to buy it , just the a pillars sell for like 400 each , if you dont want to fix it the parts alone you could make a killing on , cost me $1650 for one for parts when i was building another one and thats before the prices went thru the roof.

 

I’ve been super busy and hasn’t taken the time to go look at this Z. Well I finally went this morning to check it out. He wasn’t kidding when he said there was a cat living in there. If I end up going for it, I’m going to have to gut all the carpet and chuck the seats and possibly re-wrap the headliner to get rid of any cat smells. It’s in pretty rough shape…but again…for $500 is it still too good a deal to pass up? I’m going to think about it some more.



The cat poop 😫😫😫 I didn’t check to see if it’s all on the floor mats, but it’s disgusting.

 

I went and actually looked at the car. He wasn’t joking about a cat living in it. There is cat poop all in the drivers side floor and some on the seat. Luckily I think all the poop is on the floor mat so I can just chuck that. And I would probably get aftermarket seats for it. I think I’m going to pull the trigger on it. We’ll see how it goes.

 

Damn thats a mess but I think you have the right idea …

congrats on the sale and it looks like you have some work to do!

The good thing with this is people are gutting z33 and it’s only a matter of time and you’ll find someone that is getting rid of everything and you can swoop in and buy it.

Where in Utah are you?

 

yeah, I think I atleast have to start with getting it cleaned enough to sit in so I can move it.

I’m in a city called American Fork.

 

yea - I have a feeling that this will be a ‘one step at a time’ project.

Right on - yea, I know American Fork … I lived in Salt Lake for awhile and drove through American Fork off Highway 6 from I70 driving between Denver and SLC.