350ham

Top of the morning to all!!!! So I've been searching for a 350Z for damn near two years but just wanted to wait for the perfect one, and not rush into it. SO after many many searches and shopping and calls and test drives (12+) i am down to my final two choices AND will be getting either by Friday. ONLY thing is I wanted to just ask a couple things prior to finalzing everything... some things are hard to search, or just aren't as accurate as the horses mouth itself....

So here goes......

First choice which I'm totally in love with is an '06 Touring Convetible in Silver with the navy top. 6MT. With ONLY 38k miles and listed for $9995, two owner car, which I can most likely get dropped to around $7. Only thing is, the tires may need to be replaced soon and theirs a weird sound when releasing the clutch from under the car. Any idea what that could be? And in terms of price what I've learned from the scouring of the World Wide Web is, it's low on mileage and listed pretty cheap..... anything fishy?

Second is a little bit of an aged '05, with 105k it's the enthusiast, convertible 6MT. A little rough around the edges, top needs to be replaced, accessory belt needs changing and brakes, and the back right panel beneath the gas tank has a small dent. I can walk away with that one $4500...

I guess my main concern is what would be he best course of action to make sure I'm not leaving with a money pit? I've checked VINs on both, both are clean titles, two owner and one owner car respectively. Plan on getting an inspection done by the Nissan dealer here BUT their charging $140! Feels a bit high to me ...

350ham

Any advice or words of wisdom is much much appreciated. Be blessed all.

MicVelo

Honestly? How do you figure the owner of the $10k vert is going to drop trou to the tune of a $3k-off negotiated price?? If you could negotiate down that much, I'd say that would answer your question below.

Especially after you state: "...what I've learned from the scouring of the World Wide Web is, it's low on mileage and listed pretty cheap..... anything fishy?"

There's NO WAY anyone here can give you an assessment of either car without putting hands on. And that's what you're paying Nissan the $140 to do for you.

zakmartin

It'll be the best $140 you'll ever spend. And if the owner drops the price $3K, expect there to be issues.

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

$7K on an '06 with 38K miles sounds like a steal. The noise under the car with the clutch - is that while it is running or turned off? If it makes the noise while off, it might be the slave. If it makes the noise while it is running, probably TO bearing.

And yes - if you're concerned about buying a money pit, then $140 is wise investment. That's only like 3 tanks of gas.

350ham

Got it. Thanks guys. Seems like the 06 with 38k may not be happening since hey just had a guy put a $2000 deposit on it, I'll be waiting a couple days to see what happens. But I was just taking a stab by saying around 7k I'm sure it'll be tough but I could maybe walk away at $8500 I'm sure. BUT let's see. I'll be an owner soon enough, I've waited quite some time to not rush into this, so I can wait a few more days. I'll post as soon as I finalize. Thanks once again guys

iideadeyeii

iTrader: (6)

TOB 100%. Mine's been bad since I bought it 5 years ago.
Not a big deal. Replace it when it needs a clutch

NR350z

Im not knocking it, and maybe it's dictated by location, but you've searched for over two years and all you've come up with is an 05 that needs a bunch of things for 4500?

Maybe you need to change where you're looking ? Also, simple stats don't give a complete story ... similar to that of running a mile and climbing a mile high mountain, in each the distance traveled is the same, but quite different...

Im with everyone else, spend the $140 and save three and four times that down the road.

CanZFan

Another vote here for doing a pre-purchase inspection at Nissan. That was my last step before buying my '05 AE. They found a couple of very small issues, but commented that the car would be an excellent purchase. Small amount of money for a substantial peace of mind.

350ham

Well the search for two years has been more or less a search for information , owner feedback, common issues, test drives of some with barely 10k on them and some with 100k plus. But the $4000 is simply an option b/c of the low price tag and my budget is essentially 10k but why not save me something and put that towards modifying it. But I have a couple other options that I'm looking at and checking out today and Sunday, I'll have a decision made by Monday, so I'll update then.

Thanks once again for everyone's insight. I'll be paying $200 and a 6 pack for two cars to be inspected by a Nissan tech on Monday.

350ham

So after much consideration and doing a second test drive, wasn't really in love with either due to minor imperfections and me just being too damn **** about things. So I'm most likely going with an option in Erie, PA. I'll be flying out Tuesday from D.C. to test drive and get it inspected out there at a reputable shop. Pretty sweet deal from the looks of it for an unmolested Z. '03 w/ 74k on it with brembo kit, touring for $6300. So let's see how that unfolds. I'll be driving it back about 6 hours, so I'll get a good feel for it on the drive I'm sure. Wish me luck! Pictures will be posted RIGHT AWAY after handing over the cash. If theirs anything particular I should look out for, please do lmk.

iideadeyeii

iTrader: (6)

I bought my Z about 6 hours away and since it's a new car to you it will probably go by quickly.

The bremo package is great and, in my opinion, adds about $500 or so value to the car over a Z that does not have it(I don't have it, but the regular brakes are better than any car I've ever owned)

zakmartin

Just remember that Pennsylvania is part of the salt belt. Be sure to check EVERYWHERE for rust before forking over the cash. Look for painted over rust while you're under there as well. A small awl or screwdriver will be your friend while you're doing this.

Edit:
Better still, take it to a shop to have it inspected. You can call a couple local shops before you fly over and ask them to do a rust check while they're doing their diagnostic.