I'm going to sign for a new 05 350z this weekend, they have mine sitting in their lot. What are some things I should look for before actually signing the papers? I can always tell them I don't like that one and ask for another.

1. No drills on bumper.
2. Mileage is low enough to show that it hasn't been test drived by 102938109238 people.
3.No exterior damages.

Any other things I should check? Was there an incident when you were so excited to drive the car home you didn't check something which you found later to be a problem? Please help me from your expierences!! Thanks!!

 

May sound silly but check the dinky retractable cupholder...mine was broken and I didn't notice it initially. It's possible I broke it too though.

I think the test-drive mileage stuff is a lot of superstition. Sure a thousand miles is a lot, but I don't believe a 200 mile car vs a 2 mile car really makes any difference in the long run - even if the car was driven hard.

NzZ

 

Dents, dings, scratches, bird poo, curb rash, swirls in paint, full tank of gas (be sure its the good stuff too!)

CaptinB

 

make sure the floormats are in it... i was so excited when i first got the car i didn't notice my floor mats were missing untill about a week had gone by

 

Little things you should check to see are in-tact....

1. The antenna
2. The Ashtray
3. The plastic cover that goes over the tow-hook mount in the grille
4. Floormats
5. Wheel lock key (if equipped)


Things NOT to do:

Do NOT buy any of the aftermarket protectants, undercoatings, or any of that other crap the dealer tries to sell you. It's all pretty much worthless.

Do NOT drive away without a full tank of gas.

Do NOT let them sucker you with ANYTHING in return for a survey rating you feel they don't deserve. (There are stories about buyoffs for good ratings....Highly unethical)

Do NOT let them detail the car for you. There is probably more sand in their car-wash towels/sponges/whatever than in Hawaii.

Do NOT hesitate to ask a thousand questions if you have 'em.

Do NOT be fooled, this car comes with no road-hazard warranty on the tires (I think this is true in most cases)

Most of all...Enjoy yourself...You're buying one hell of a car!!!

 

make sure they give you 2 master and 1 valet keys

 

If your buying a new car make sure it doesnt have more then 15miles. Check the exterior of the car and interior. There should be no flaws(scratches,stains,etc..). You could always go back when something is missing. Like my footrest was loose. Oh another important thing make sure the engine oil dipstick is inserted all the way in. Oil spurts out when it isnt.
I recommend not to use your Z as a daily driver. Since I got my beater car,my Z seems much more fun driving even after 2yrs of owning it. Anyway good luck!

 

All this advice it doesn't really matter, cause you are going to buy the car no matter what. If you do find stuff wrong get it in writing. I had a scratch on the hood of mine and paint scraped off the front bumper. I forced them to repaint both. Mine also had 250 miles on it. I later found a sheet in the glove box that showed that the dealer they got the car from let a guy take the car home for the weekend and he didn't buy it. I also found a thing of mascarera behind the seat. This stuff pisssed me off, but I wasn't about to wait 4 months to get one from the factory and this was the only one we could find. So my advice is buy it but have them fix anything you find.

 

Check what the rev limiter is set for.....If it's set, say at 7500, I would'nt give the car much consideration. If anyone is gonna rag a car I'm about to own, it had better be me........p.s. never mind, I just realized you are going new........

 

Thanks guys for all the helpful information!

Learned a few things I didn't know about. Now I just have to wait until this weekend, AGH ITS ONLY THURSDAY!!! Thanks again!

-K4ngsta

 

Know that feeling, Patience is NOT a virtue, (of mine anyway). Good luck and NO clock watching.....

 

Check out this link:
http://www.courtesyparts.com/350z/delivery.html

I will take a print out with me when I will be getting my Z. I also wonder how can one check what fuel they put in it. For what I know they can put water in it as long as it drives.

 

Don't sign until you know exactly what you're paying for down to the penny.

 

INFO POLICE:
That's a shift light/buzzer not a rev limiter.

 

Check the tire pressure -- tires are often purposely over-inflated during shipping.

 

Don't obsess about mileage. When the cars arrive the mechanic has to put a set number of miles on the car in most situations to make sure the car isn't gonna fall apart. It sounds kinda dumb but they just wanna make sure your tire doesn't fly off while you're driving home. I think mine only had 2 miles on it because I got it right off the truck. They just unwrapped everything and drove around the block. They didn't even remember to remove some of the plastic from the front bumper.

 

Best thing i could say would to be hold off maybe 2 more years before you get one. So many teething problems with this car that maybe by then they will be worked out. Im taking mine in next wensday for the dreaded transmisson problem (only 2500 miles)and will have them check for the chronic front tire feathering problem that 350Z owners seem to have with their cars.

 

Don't forget to check the build date. You'll want one that was built mid-present '04 instead of late '03 or early '04.

 

SO I GOT MY Z!!!

had 24 miles on it .. and paid 31,300 OTD .. gotta make a new thread!!! whoo hoo!!

 

Congrats on the new Z!

I was going to say that if used you should check every panle very close to see if the orange peel matches threwout the car. Also to see if there might be any clear runs and or other defects in the paint. Just tells you if anything has ever been painted if you know what to look for, which perhaps means an accident may have occured.

Even on a new car, things get painted before being sold sometimes. I have a friend who runs a very nice body shop and he gets BRAND NEW cars from dealerships in all the time to repaint or even replace fenders or other parts of the car where damage has occured. Weather it was damaged in shippment, just scratches, or a bumper compleatly ruined, who knows.

Should also check to see if all gaps line up properly.

Annnnnyways, seeing how I was too late with that, have fun and enjoy the new car!