JQ Z

Hi, I'm new to the Z world. Buying a 2003 350Z that has 215k miles, but the seller says it has a brand new engine. How can I verify that if they don't have paperwork?

iideadeyeii

iTrader: (6)

It's going to look clean/new?

JQ Z

Should be cleaner, than a really good steam clean then right?
Any way to check numbers?
They say it's brand new, but might not have any paperwork.

bre240z

if its "brand new" you should be able to tell right away by looking at the plastic pieces and wire looms. The aluminum parts should be pretty flawless although some used engines with over 100k miles may look really clean as well.... But maybe he meant a new engine for the car as in a used engine with lower miles. Post some pictures

JQ Z

Hey, say they're engine's brand new with a 120 miles on it. Not even broken in yet. . It looks pretty clean from the pictures that i've seen. It's an hour and a 1/2 drive to Go Look at It. So I wanna be sure before right, spend all that time.

bre240z

do you have a link to this?

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

Did they say if it was a short block or long block replacement?

Yeah, it's tough to tell. People can doctor up an engine bay to look brand new. There's not a ton you can do/check without getting intrusive.

Check under the oil cap, check the dipstick as well. Look for any signs of varnish buildup on the dipstick or valve train. A new engine should have ZERO varnish/sludge.

Next, look for signs of fresh RTV around the front timing cover. It's very hard to re-produce the factory look of RTV. If the engine was replaced I would expect the RTV to be a different color or potentially excess RTV to be in evidence (thick tags of RTV squishing out from sealing joints). The same would be true underneath the car at the lower oil pan. Look at the bolts/fasteners all around the engine. If it was pulled and replaced, I would expect to see witness/tool marks on bell housing bolts, engine mounts, exhaust manifolds, intake manifold, fuel connection, coolant hoses & clamps, ground straps, etc.

Where did they source the engine? I doubt it's a NEW from Nissan crate engine. Most likely from a rebuilder local to the States or as bre240 suggested, most likely a used low mileage engine.

Good Luck!
-Icer

JQ Z

bre240z

thats not brand new

JQ Z

Ok, thx. I'll see if they can come up with some paperwork. Maybe it's rebuilt or remanufactured.

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

At least the engine looks stock. All the proper components are there (Stock intake, airbox, engine cover, hoses). But I don't like the aftermarket radiator cap and aftermarket worm clamps for the upper radiator hose. Also looks like there's some dried up coolant on the top of the fan shroud (could be wrong, might be dried up soapy water from a car wash, but looks to have a green or blue color to it).

None of these things are deal breakers by the way. As far as 350Zs go, this one still looks pretty clean as far as the engine bay goes. Can't speak for the rest of the car.
Cheers!
-Icer

JQ Z

Ok, thx. I'll see if they can come up with some paperwork. Maybe it's rebuilt or remanufactured.

JQ Z

The rest of the car is pretty clean. How's 215000 miles on it? And it looks like the only problem is the front Driver's seat is a little beat up. They're asking prices in the mid range of the kelly blue book pricing for that year and mileage. So I'm not sure whether we put. It has a new motor and this suspension, if that's not the case. I found it on offerup in arizona for sixty two hundred.

JQ Z

Sorry, That should say 215000 miles

bre240z

Totally agree with what icer said.
The more stock the car is the better in my opinion. some mods are ok but too many brings up red flags for me at least. Im curious to see what the rest of the car looks like

JQ Z

Here's some pics.

JQ Z

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

I found the listing on Offerup.

Overall not bad. That particular color paint on 350Zs does not hold up in sunny climates though and it shows in the pictures (lots of clear coat fade and peeling). The seller is being a little strategic with the pictures. His best photo of the car is right after a car wash, STILL WET.

The front bumper condition stands out as a red flag to me. There is a noticeable gap between the fender and bumper on the driver's side (usually not a good sign). Edit: Upon closer inspection with the higher res photos, the bumper has definitely been removed from the car at some point, this could be from the engine swap or evidence of accident damage. Whoever re-installed the bumper didn't do a good job. It's not sitting right in relation to the headlights and it's not properly secured to the fender on the driver's side (hence the gap). Could be a simple/cheap fix or could turn into a layered onion with bad news hiding underneath.

Otherwise, the seats need reconditioning and the rear trunk tower brace cover is smashed a bit, but overall not bad. The majority of the car looks to be in good shape. For me, the bumper is probably the biggest red flag. Regarding the engine, if they can produce proof/paperwork for the work, then it might be worth a shot, but not at that price point. Also, it's an automatic, not hating on that, but understand that an original automatic transmission with over 200k mi on it, is probably going to have problems soon (Caveat: Unless the transmission was extremely well maintained/serviced, newsflash, it's rare when they are properly maintained).

Well that concludes my assessment.
Good Luck!
-Icer

JQ Z

Yeah, I got some clarification. Apparently the motor is out of a junk yard car that was rear ended and has 102,000 miles, not 102. That makes more sense. Motor has 6 month warranty as well. I agree it needs a little work but most 350z I'm seeing at this price point are in worse condition or have a salvage/ restored title.
This one is clean title. Was going to offer $5500 if it checks out.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

the paint on the hood isnt as faded as the rest of the car, i would inquire why. also noticed in the car wash pic, there is no beading of water on the hood (in my mind that tells me prob rarely waxed), mirror clearcoat is gone, something going on with bumper cover