hey whats up everyone? i just got my first 350z a couple of days ago.. i had a 97 240sx and i traded it for this plus 500 bucks lol.. it was a deal i had to do it.. anyway im loving the car so far a totally different level from the millions of 240's ive owned.. its the touring model and right now it's fully stock minus the injen cai.. planning on getting rims, exhaust, and exterior stuff.. its at 125,xxx right now.. any maintenance tips or anything i should check on? get done?

 

Wow, why the heck would that person want to make a trade like that?! You sure got a steal! The main issue to look out for with the 03 Z is the transmission grinding and factory alignment causing premature tire wear (which would have likely already been corrected on your car). I have an 03 with 68k miles and the only issues I have had are a window motor going out (very common), cooling fan motor (also very common) and one o2 sensor going bad... all of which were easy and cheap fixes with me performing the labor. Congrats on your Z!

 

thanks man! yeah the only gear that grinds is 3rd thats if i jam it but if i shift normally like a grandma then it wont lol how much do used trannys and vq's cost anyway?

 

holly 125k+ miles? and the car still driving you smooth?

 

smooth like butter, its all highway

 

thats a hellova deal! how many miles were on your 240?

 

The 04.5+ Zs have a tranny with upgraded synchros, so if you replace your tranny it would be wise to upgrade to one of these. The code for the upgraded tranny is CD009, you can find these used with low mileage for $600-$1,000 and you can buy one brand new from Nissan for $1,500 or so. If you only get a high-rpm grind in 3rd, you could probably get tens of thousands of miles more out of the tranny if you can deal with it. I would start by changing your tranny fluid for a high quality synthetic which may alleviate the grinding or at least reduce it.
The VQ is a tough motor, unless it has been abused there is no reason it won't last you for many more miles. Used VQ35DEs seem to go around 2 grand. Keep in mind that the VQ in the 350z changed over the years so you would have to make sure it is compatible with your specific year.

 

174,xxx !! hell yes it was a deal thats why i did it! im so glad i did

 

i have two quick questions.. i failed inspection for having bald tires.. the tires on the car right now are 255/40/18 all around.. would it be to put on 225/40/18 ?

 

its hard to even believe! is it clean title and everything (mine isnt, bought/fixed it up from a wreck)??

 

clean title!! i know its really hard to believe.. the guy texted me the same nite i made the thread.. at first i thought it was a joke but he was serious! we did the trade literally the next day! hahaha

 

^ thats insane! well enjoy your new Z

 

The stock size for 18" wheels is 225/45-18 front and 245/45-18 rear. That being said, 225-40-18 all around will "work" but it is not what the car was designed for and will POTENTIALLY (not definitely) change handling, speedometer calibration and TCS/VDC readings to a noticeable degree.

 

thanks alot! so tire size has to be staggered? why did this guy put 255 40 18 all around?? lol

 

Prove it!! I dont' know ONE person (myself included) that hasn't told a perspective buyer that the miles AREN'T highway. LOL

Sounds like you have the right idea. Since you have no car payment, you might as well buy a new tranny, and it's still a good deal! Keep an eye on the classifieds section of this site. They pop up pretty frequently.

Also i believe there's a thread somewhere here on what parts need to be replaced inside the tranny to make it right again, if you wanna go that route. (probably the cheapest route)

How much was your trade in worth (Blue book value, not with all your add-ons)

 

No idea, we've already proved that he's a knucklehead by doing the trade. If he wanted a "square" setup he should have done 245/40 front and 245/45 rear which is the correct way. 255/40 is just wrong altogether. What color is that, LMS? Looks good.

 

Welcome to the forum & congratZ. Nice LMS.

Doesn't really matter what you say. If a cars been all highway, pedals won't be as worn, nor will the seat bolsters in theory.

 

Good point!! I just usually get a little leary when a seller overly pushes that as a selling point. Makes me wonder what he's hiding. (making a generalization, not saying this necessarly applies in this case)

 

Congrats

 

i paid 3500 for the 240sx, rims i paid 800, and new exhaust was 500.. it also had a gas leak too i told him up front that it had a gas leak but he wanted to trade anyway.. its cause he said he had a s14 before and wanted one bad again.. he showed me his whole album of photographs of it.. i almost said no but with that kind of offer how can you!? lmao

my tires are almost bald and i have no money for new tires so im getting these rims for basically 350..



they are staggered rear are 275 50 r 18 and front are 235 50 r 18.. what do you guys think? and threading is good all around still alot of life left