After much looking and a bit of test driving, I've decided to purchase a Z roadster. I'm looking at 05 touring roadsters, with less than 20K miles, preferably automatic. I plan to be checking out several vehicles over the next week. I have run a carfax on potential vehicles, and they appear clean.

What specifically should I be looking for on these cars to confirm I'm getting a good vehicle? Most of these don't come with extended warranties, and will soon be approaching the 3 year, 30k mark.

Things I plan to look for / ask about:
Excess oil consumption
tire feathering
convertible top cloth material separation
transmission / clutch problems

What are some other known biggies to look for?

Also, how many of you have removed the spare tire for extra storage? It seems the lack of usable storage space is one of the greatest disadvantages of the roadster over the coupe. Probably an acceptable tradeoff..

Thanks for any help!

dgoth

 

If you buy an '05 then you are under warranty so there shouldn't be a problem. Sounds like you hit the biggies.

I can see removing the spare tire if you have Roadside assistance, but what do they do? Do they come with a spare? Or do they charge you $600 for a new tire? Or just tow you? I would rather put the spare on myself and save the hassle and coin.

 

Maxpowers is right, you should be covered under warranty, but a few more small things to check before you leave the stealership:
Smooth operation of the top when opening and closing,
grease on the driver and passenger windows,
paint chips on the hood and front bumper,
brightness of headlights (they start to dim before they fail)

 

Powertrain (Engine & Transmission) is 5 years / 60k miles
Bumper to Bumper is 3 years / 36k miles

 

just bought an '04 with 20K miles in it for $24,500 And I love it