Any 350z owners here?

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pmanliu

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Hey all,

i was wondering if there are any 350z owners here... I am looking at a possible deal with my friend and have been researching the z for answers, however there are one or two things i would rather hear first hand from a group of people i trust :tup:. First off, details on the possible car:

2004 (2004.5) 350z 6MT
Base model
40,000 Miles
System (waiting for pictures and mod list)
Exhaust (not sure which one.. but it aint no ebay exhaust :tongue:)

Hes asking ~$12,000. If i do buy it, i will be buying it beginning-mid may. KBB says this is a fair price... i'm semi-ok with it since he also has a system and exhaust on his car


now here are my questions:
my two major concerns are reliability and cargo space. I am a college student... and will have to lug my cargo back to school once a year. I understand that the 350z can barely fit anything but i was wondering exactly how small it is. Would two mediums sized suitcases be able to fit or would i need to get suitcases that are more pliable. (e.g. duffle bags) for better cargo management. I also heard there is a specific suitcase made for the 350z, but could not find it :rofl:

next is reliability. Since my friend is a 2004.5 model, that lets off some tension in my shoulders (the 2004 model was very unreliable and many problems for those who dont know, nissan fixed it with a 2004.5 model). However i have read posts about needed 3 sets of tires a year, feathering, etc. I was wondering how extreme these problems are and if there are any others ones i should know about first

why am i looking at the z? I'm 19 and i realize that later on in life i would probably not be able to have the opportunity to drive a 2dr 2 seater around as my dd. When i have a family & all i'll prob look into whatever fx model is out at that time. So, i am considering the z... while i still can. The FX is a great car and by all means i love it. It wont be sold, but probably driven by a sibling instead as their dd.

thanks all,
pat
 
Well it has a cargo area, but there is a large suspension brace that cuts through it. You could always stick stuff in the front seat.
 
Hey all,

i was wondering if there are any 350z owners here... I am looking at a possible deal with my friend and have been researching the z for answers, however there are one or two things i would rather hear first hand from a group of people i trust :tup:. First off, details on the possible car:

2004 (2004.5) 350z 6MT
Base model
40,000 Miles
System (waiting for pictures and mod list)
Exhaust (not sure which one.. but it aint no ebay exhaust :tongue:)

Hes asking ~$12,000. If i do buy it, i will be buying it beginning-mid may. KBB says this is a fair price... i'm semi-ok with it since he also has a system and exhaust on his car


I was one of the original Z owners. Sold the car for my FX around 2007. It was one of the best cars I've owned in regards to the enjoyment I got from driving it. The Z is not a perfect car. It had its issues like any other cars. If you can though try and get your hands on a Track or Touring model. They make the Z a whole lot better than the base.


now here are my questions:
my two major concerns are reliability and cargo space. I am a college student... and will have to lug my cargo back to school once a year. I understand that the 350z can barely fit anything but i was wondering exactly how small it is. Would two mediums sized suitcases be able to fit or would i need to get suitcases that are more pliable. (e.g. duffle bags) for better cargo management. I also heard there is a specific suitcase made for the 350z, but could not find it :rofl:


Easiest way is to test it out before you buy it. You can actually cram a lot of stuff in the Z if you are creative enough. I've transported a full HKS dual Hi Power Exhaust system and on another trip 4 wheels with tires (19x9.5 and 19x10.5) inside the Z. You're going to have to use the passenger seat also. There were suitcases made for the Z when it first came out. IMO they were over priced and not worth the money.

next is reliability. Since my friend is a 2004.5 model, that lets off some tension in my shoulders (the 2004 model was very unreliable and many problems for those who dont know, nissan fixed it with a 2004.5 model). However i have read posts about needed 3 sets of tires a year, feathering, etc. I was wondering how extreme these problems are and if there are any others ones i should know about first

The early Zs did have some issues with the tire featuring and transmission. If your friend was the original owner he should have done the TSB alignment and transmission swap for free. Mine was a 2003 with both issues. My 3rd gear kept grinding at ~15k miles. Took it into Nissan and they swapped out the transmission for a new updated one and fixed the oil line recall all in one day. Painless. However if the previous owner didn't bother to do any of the above mentioned maintenances then you are SOL because the warranties were based off of the in service dates of the car. After I had Nissan fixed the above problems my Z was perfect up to the point I sold it. I was lowered and running 255/35/19s and 285/30/19s and all my tires wore evenly.

IMO the Z is not a good college car. Maintenance is pricier than most cars and it sucks premium gas like nothing. I was averaging 17 mpg in town driving and the tires under normal wear conditions will last you about 15-20k miles. And being that the rears are bigger than the fronts you can never rotate the tires to save life of the rears. But if $$ is not an issue for you then by all means get one. If you have any more questions you can ask me or visit www.my350z.com. One of the best Z sites out there.

And since I'm talking about the Z I'm going to whore out my old pics :)

///252


why am i looking at the z? I'm 19 and i realize that later on in life i would probably not be able to have the opportunity to drive a 2dr 2 seater around as my dd. When i have a family & all i'll prob look into whatever fx model is out at that time. So, i am considering the z... while i still can. The FX is a great car and by all means i love it. It wont be sold, but probably driven by a sibling instead as their dd.

thanks all,
pat
 
Last edited:
Pupp said:
Your Z looked awesome. Those Volks were a really nice looking wheel.

Are you tempted by the 370Z at all?
Click to expand...

Even though the new 370Z is better than the 350Z in many aspects such as performance, weight, interior, handling..etc. I'm still a big fan of the original Z33 design. IMO the lines of the 350Z were much cleaner and more unique. Nissan hit it off with the concept back 2001 and I was really happy that most of the original design made it to the production version. The first time I saw the 350Z I knew right then and there that I was going to own one. Didn't get that feeling with the 2009. I don't think I'll pull the trigger on the new 370Z. I'm still waiting for the day Toyota and Honda get their act together and release a new sports car. I missed out on the Supra MKIVs, I won't miss out on the next one.

And yes I'm still in love with the Volk GTS wheels. Too bad the largest size they have are 20's or else you'll be seeing some on my FX.
 
Z33_2_FX35 said:
IMO the lines of the 350Z were much cleaner and more unique. Nissan hit it off with the concept back 2001 and I was really happy that most of the original design made it to the production version.
Click to expand...

I agree that the Z33 design is a classic. The rear end is still one of my favorite views.
 
thanks for the responses,

after further research and talking to my friend i agree that the 350z will not be a practical college car. My friend has a system in the back which only makes the cargo space problem worse. I would have to get rid of the system myself b/c he wants to sell the z without having to part it out.

Right now i am looking at 2004 g35 6mt coupes (I know the 4 dr is much more practical and also cheaper but i'm not a big fan of the 4 dr. If i wanted a 4 dr i would keep the fx lol). The g35 seems to have much more luggage space in the trunk + rear "seats" but also have their problems. We shall see what happens

thanks again -pat
 
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