Buying a 350z in 2020
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From: CT
Buying a 350z in 2020
Hi guys new to the forum 
I Currently own a 2011 Focus 5 Speed.
I'm looking at buying a 350z, 6MT within a few months. Preferably with about 60-80k miles
What are some main things to look for when purchasing one with 60-80k miles?
Also, in your guy's experience, are these cars relatively cheap to maintain, especially being 15 years old?
Any help would be much appreciated.
I Currently own a 2011 Focus 5 Speed.I'm looking at buying a 350z, 6MT within a few months. Preferably with about 60-80k miles
What are some main things to look for when purchasing one with 60-80k miles?
Also, in your guy's experience, are these cars relatively cheap to maintain, especially being 15 years old?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 8,625
Likes: 1,394
From: Aurora, Colorado
Welcome- these questions have been asked and answered many times. Please read some of the other threads on this forum to get answers. My personal advice is to PAY for a full mechanical assessment on any low mileage Z you are serious about buying. A trained Nissan tech who can do a stem-to-stern inspection can advise you better than any of us behind a keyboard. Also, if there's no service records or history on the car, get ready to replace all fluids (engine, tranny, diff, brakes, clutch and radiator) once you take delivery.
Good luck and IMO the Z33 can be relatively inexpensive to own, strictly depending on how hacked up it is.
Good luck and IMO the Z33 can be relatively inexpensive to own, strictly depending on how hacked up it is.
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Joined: Dec 2013
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From: West Coast, Florida
Welcome to the forum.
If available, obtain any service records for the vehicle that the current owner / dealership may have. This will be your best source for determining where to begin. Typically around this mileage range you may find oil leaking from the valve cover gaskets onto the exhaust / engine and into the spark plug tubes. Consider getting ready to replace spark plugs if at the higher end of the mileage spectrum. Other than that not much else may need repair, but check common wear items such as brakes, oil, ball joints etc. These engines are pretty bulletproof so as long as they are well maintained then they should not have many problems.
The term "cheap" is subjective and is dependent upon your income. If you are used to working on cars such as Porsche then yes, they are cheap. If you are used to working on old 90's model Hondas then no, they are not cheap. If you take the time to learn how to do the work yourself than they can be pretty inexpensive, (again, subjectively) to maintain.
I'd recommend only replacing parts with OEM or other quality parts. To give you an example, my Z is an '05. My alternator and starter are still the originals that were on the car from the factory and still going strong. Not bad for being 15 years old.
Items such as sensors should only be replaced with anything other than OEM Hitachi sensors if you have absolutely no choice. Although some do just fine replacing items such as camshaft sensors with replacements from Autozone, the Z tends to hate these aftermarket sensors and it can sometimes cause additional headaches. Again, just my opinion. Do what works for you and with what you can afford.
If available, obtain any service records for the vehicle that the current owner / dealership may have. This will be your best source for determining where to begin. Typically around this mileage range you may find oil leaking from the valve cover gaskets onto the exhaust / engine and into the spark plug tubes. Consider getting ready to replace spark plugs if at the higher end of the mileage spectrum. Other than that not much else may need repair, but check common wear items such as brakes, oil, ball joints etc. These engines are pretty bulletproof so as long as they are well maintained then they should not have many problems.
The term "cheap" is subjective and is dependent upon your income. If you are used to working on cars such as Porsche then yes, they are cheap. If you are used to working on old 90's model Hondas then no, they are not cheap. If you take the time to learn how to do the work yourself than they can be pretty inexpensive, (again, subjectively) to maintain.
I'd recommend only replacing parts with OEM or other quality parts. To give you an example, my Z is an '05. My alternator and starter are still the originals that were on the car from the factory and still going strong. Not bad for being 15 years old.
Items such as sensors should only be replaced with anything other than OEM Hitachi sensors if you have absolutely no choice. Although some do just fine replacing items such as camshaft sensors with replacements from Autozone, the Z tends to hate these aftermarket sensors and it can sometimes cause additional headaches. Again, just my opinion. Do what works for you and with what you can afford.
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 16
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From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Important! DE model 2003-05 Single throttle body. HR Model 07-08 Two throttle bodies, the 07-08 are more sought out for as they produce more power from factory have a different front bumper hood headlight tailight and interior style more updated. Google 350z DE or 350z HR to see what I’m talking about and compare, HR’s are more rare I would say and therefore a little more expensive. I would advise buying a bone stock Z at 60-80k miles the price should be around $8-11k look on cargurus.com to help you shop around 😁
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Joined: Oct 2020
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From: Dubai
Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Nissan 350z
Watch full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YcVt3OeVTA
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