StuckInTheSand

Hows it going everyone,
Obviously I'm in the market for a 350z, hence me posting here lol. Let me tell you a little bit about what I have to work with.

Right now Im currently in Afghanistan, and anyone who has been in the military and deployed here (or Iraq) before know how much tax-free money you come home with. Ive always wanted a Z since my uncle first bought one when I was maybe 15. Being 21 now going on 22 and having the finances available, I want to get one of my own. There are specifics Im looking for such as black leather seats, no stupid looking aftermarket rims, and either black or white exterior. My price range is no more than 20k, and I dont know how much to put down (thinking between 3 and 5k).

I want an 07-08, but what would you suggest? I know theres a difference in how many intakes there are, but what are the pros and cons of the 07+ to the 03-06?

Whats a good mileage for getting one of these cars?

What are your average expenses for maintaining the car? I live in the desert in SoCal and also have a 2000 honda civic with about 74k miles so thatll be my long distance driving car and general beater, as well as my wifes daily.

And lastly, whats some cheap work you can do to the car to get small increases in performance? im not a master mechanic but I can do a fair amount of things on my own.

Thanks a lot guys.

PS - any current or ex-military here?

Syner

You have so much tax-free money, yet you have to finance?

Plenty of resources on this, but to put it simply:
HR = more power
That being said, I enjoy my DE. As a street cruiser that never gets tracked or raced, it's more than enough to have fun with.

Some members are pushing 300K. Maintenance is key. You can buy a well-maintained 100K miler that will out last a 50K miler that's been run hard every day with zero maintenance. Look at who you're buying from.

The same as any other car?
Oil. Gas. Insurance.

Not going to happen. Cheap and Z don't mix.

Enjoy the car stock for a while; mod when you know what you want improved.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

the cost to hp ratio on these cars suck, i spent about $3800 to get 15 hp.

StuckInTheSand

[QUOTE=Syner;10356688]You have so much tax-free money, yet you have to finance?

To answer that.. I dont want to drop 20k straight up then have no money left for me to do whatever I want with or put some in my savings for whatever else. Id rather put down 5k then have an affordable payment.

As for everything else, thanks for the help.

Syner

They're getting older and cheaper. $8-15 (especially DE's)

I wouldn't finance a car that old, personally.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

you can get a good hr for about 15-18k now days...

StuckInTheSand

We'll see when I get out of here, I still have a while.

StuckInTheSand

yeah thats what Ive been seeing

Syner

Don't jump at the first one you see either. There are too many new users like:
"Just bought a Z today - had some minor issues: scratched interior, lights don't work, seats are torn, body damage, seized motor, blown transmission, no tires - BUT STILL AWESOME!"

***the next day***

"Something is wrong with my Z?!?! Help me!"

travlee

iTrader: (8)

if you get the HR, the slave cylinders in them suck... replace it with the zspeed heavy duty one and then you will never have to worry about it again. if you do the oem it will go out again... trust me. the one in the car went out on me 6 weeks after buying, i bitched at the dealership and they worked with me some but put oem back in it.... a year later it did the same thing. now i have the heavy duty one and i should be good for the life of the car now

pyshin

iTrader: (14)

I agree that if you are in the SoCal market you can easily get an HR for a good price...If I got my 08 HR Z with 43k original miles, 1 owner, clean CARFAX, and Certified Pre-Owned from a Nissan dealership for $18k... You can find one from a private seller for less.

Although I agree that the Zspeed combo to fix the slave issue has been the best for years... A new competitor has entered the market from other reputable Z specialists (https://my350z.com/forum/drivetrain/...ation-kit.html)

Deteria

iTrader: (2)

Off topic: Travis, do you track your car? I'm still on my oem slave and my car is 7 yrs old @ 52k miles now.

OP: I think you can find yourself an HR for about 10-20k range depending on condition / trim / mileage. I'd definitely aim for HR regardless at this point in time (as the Z is a 10+ yr old car). There are countless threads on HR vs DE and I can tell you that if you gots the $ for an HR, get an HR. Getting a DE is like settling for a Z.

@Syner: There is nothing wrong w/ financing. Safer to not blow all your liquid assets on a depreciating asset.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

i am actually interested in this, i came across it a couple weeks ago. i would like to see it in person... but since i already have the zspeed one there is no need for me to do this. i do like the wilwood master though that came with my kit

i was going to but then decided not to. think it is just luck of the draw on em

Syner

It may be "safer," but it's also dumber.

At 0% interest I would agree. A 10 year old vehicle will have insanely high interest rates though. Financially, it doesn't make sense and you end up losing in the end.

pyshin

iTrader: (14)

I believe that the admin scotts300 bought a kit from Z1, hopefully he posts up a review from tracking it because I am very interested in a kit as well. Honestly even without a review I'll probably purchase it, Z1 has a great reputation.

kaze06

I nailed down 3% on my '03

Syner

When? How old are you? Do you have good credit?

OP sounds young and like he doesn't much credit history.

...and combined with depreciation, I guarantee you took a bigger hit than 3%

travlee

iTrader: (8)

betting co-signer also....

Syner

oldschool350z

iTrader: (1)

I think since you have the $$ get a 2008 hr and enjoy