polaris

34 minutes ago, SNEW350 said:

 

That's pretty bad - I'd be concerned about how the car looks underneath. Depending on your budget I'd look elsewhere; there are nicer examples to be had. Regardless, 2003, 150k miles and doesn't start: £1-2k?

18 hours ago, SNEW350 said:

Hi all,

 

I’m planning to make an offer for a 350z, 53 Reg, around 148,000 miles.

 

This will be my first sports car if you would like. I haven’t inspected it at all and I plan to do so with a mate who works as a mechanic so has more insights.
 

1. What do I look out for during my inspection?

2. How can I tell if this car was look after? 
3. If we identify issues or works to be done, What would be a reasonable offer without offending the owner? 
4. Are they worth and do they hold its value?

Thanks,

 

S

I made quite an extensive inspection checklist when I was looking for 350Z's. Interested? It's an Excel sheet.

EDIT: Maybe share a link or some photos of the car? PM me directly if you don't want to share publicly.

New bonnet struts and a little engine bay detail. Need to figure out a way to get the plenum nice and clean.

Bonnet Struts

Engine Bay Before

Engine Bay After

Technically, assuming 350Z prices lag slightly, the recent GBP/USD crash should benefit you if you buy now. Also, you'll essentially be hedging against inflation and currency fluctuations as the value of a 350Z should increase long-term (3-5 years). I'm no economics expert but that's how I understand it.

For some accurate data I tracked using Fuelio:

Average mileage per month: 484

Average cost per month: £213.38

Average fuel consumption: 24.51 mpg

I travel mostly short distances except when I head into work roughly once a week. I drive how it's supposed to be driven but I don't rag it. Road tax is the killer at £660 a year with insurance coming in at £800 which is reasonable for my age.

Like @Azurez33 said, double check where you can. Check all the injectors, plugs and coils. Don't just glance and say 'ok', crank it and look for a spark on all 6.

If still no luck, then do a bit of research around NATS failure. See if the symptoms match yours.

Maybe a hard ECU reset?

It would really be helpful if we had a video of the car cranking! Also, is it an import? How many miles?

14 minutes ago, HEADPHONES said:

Your bolster wear looks identical to what I had.

For a few pounds and about 20 mins work you can get it 95% perfect.......

 

I see what you mean - the wear is nearly identical. I'll definitely get it sorted. It's now on the list!

Thanks for the recommendation. 

Regarding three of your replies @spxntaneous_Z.

Quote

This is all the information he gave me. He’s my neighbor and just moved recently. No codes were pulled though. Should I suggest he look again?

I'd look again. I believe that Nissan specialists can run further diagnostics if he wants to pop down to a garage.

Quote

I’ll tell him this. How would you go about fixing the immobiliser if that is the case?

If it's NATS immobiliser failure (it can happen) then you can bypass it with an UpRev map (£449). Horsham Developments are the people for that job. Read more here.

Quoting that website: 

Quote

UpRev also allows us to bypass the immobiliser on supported cars. The 350Z, 350GT and G35 Skyline can all suffer from NATS immobiliser failure. Often Nissan cannot help, especially on Japanese imports. The error codes are often P1610 and/or P1614.

EDIT: Regarding...

Quote

It ran fine with a slight misfire two days before it stopped

I'd pull the injectors and check them. No harm in it.

Remember: air, fuel and spark. Ensure you have those three key ingredients first before you do anything.

Time for a bit of leather care. The photos don't do the difference justice (due to image size restrictions).

Leather Cleaner: Gliptone Liquid Leather Cleaner

Leather Care: Autoglym Leather Care Balm

Brush: SONAX - Leather & Upholstery Brush

Applied both products using a clean microfibre. I agitated the leather cleaner using the brush.

Seat

Before

After

Bolster

Before

After

Headrest

Before

During

After (it was slightly wet when I took the photo, no cause for alarm)

6 hours ago, Azurez33 said:

At work we buy the sets which will more than certainly have the style or type of clips you require here, they run different edges, thickness, fitment style, Center bore width and arms. If you go to your local spurious parts suppliers ie auto stores euros they will sell the big multiple boxes, I’ve done numerous Zs and had the clips needed, will see if I can get the box number for you whilst at work today 

I've found them mate, but I appreciate the offer. I wasn't clear in my previous reply, these were the type I needed. I've already tried them and they fit perfectly. I was just comparing to the other types I had. 

20 hours ago, HEADPHONES said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391631271373

 

I got these for the arch liners and engine bay

I'd already tried that type and a slightly longer version (for the front bumper) and neither fit. I bought these instead and they match with what came off the car.

Answering my own question here but whatever. I've just found the "Head Lamp Cleaner" assembly on 7zap.com. I clearly wasn't looking hard enough!

EDIT: Additionally, I've also found this - It's for the 370Z but looks identical to the one I've got.

13 hours ago, Willsy1980 said:

They are not identical, but the ones for the 370z are CLIP: 01553-09321 may be a useful point to start the hunt.

BTW they are £2.45 each at Nissan  

Go on Ebay, probably get 20 for that price 

That actually isn't the clip I'm looking for. I've tried that type and a longer version (both recommended on this forum) and neither fit.

The clip I'm looking for has three "prongs".

16 hours ago, ZMANALEX said:

Just your standard front bumper fixing.

 

100s in stock.

I don't know what you mean by "standard"? I know for sure that there are at least two different types of plastic front bumper clips. The type you sell, the type I bought, didn't fit, hence why I asked.

Hi all,

Does anyone know where I can find the schematics for the UK 350Z variant? I'm currently using 7zap.com but it's clearly for a different model as the headlight washers on the front bumper are missing. I've checked the other available schematics and I still can't find it. 

More specifically, I'm trying to hunt down the part number for the push clip in the photo. It's from the front bumper but, like the headlight washers, it's missing from the schematics. I would just chance it online, but I'd rather be sure before I buy.

Thanks in advance

Cleaned the MAF sensor today just for the sheer fun of it (apparently they should be cleaned every 50,000 miles). There was actually a tiny bit of muck which I managed to very satisfyingly blast out.

I did another PSF reservoir change. For anyone else thinking about doing it, you'll need roughly 225ml worth of PSF to fill up the reservoir to just under the cold maximum.

Decided to run a can of BG 44K Platinum (£22.50 from Amazon) through the system. It's nearly a 16-year-old car so I thought why not. I've listed my current fuel stats (tracked with Fuelio) below and I'll compare them once I've travelled a similar distance. This testing wouldn't find itself in a peer-reviewed journal but no harm in it. 

Current fuel stats:

AVG: 24.62MPG over 2,657 miles

BEST: 30.15MPG (over a full tank)

On 03/09/2022 at 19:27, davey_83 said:

Nice one pal. How did you drain the old fluid initially? 

I used one of these kits to suck out all the fluid in the PSF reservoir. I believe the reservoir only holds roughly 1/3 of the total volume so I'm not getting it all out but I wanted to keep it simple. In a few weeks, once new is mixed with old, I'll do one last change which should remove a bit more old fluid.

I can confidentially say that the steering is now much smoother and lighter. Only downside now is that each pothole gives more feedback to the steering 

3 hours ago, davey_83 said:

Hi, we always use to top up the fluid to max (say if a rack, pas pump or lines were being replaced) and then start the engine so the pump is doing it thing working the steering slowly from lock to lock, topping up along the way. Pump needs to be working in order the bleed the system effectively. 

Thanks Dave, the juddering is slowly disappearing which I assume is air being worked out of the system. A quick drive around some bendy roads and following your advice did the trick.

Slowly changing the 16 year-old power steering fluid with genuine Nissan Power Steering Fluid (KE909-99931). I'm doing it piecemeal over the course of the next few weeks to ensure most of the original fluid is changed. I've completed two PSF reservoir changes so far and the steering already feels much smoother. Though admittedly, this could be placebo talking.

This was partly changed due to an issue with the PSF bubbling/boiling after a semi-spirited drive so I'm hoping this will sort it. See a video of the problem here. After changing the fluid, with the engine on and front wheels in the air, there is a slight but noticeable juddering when turning the steering left to near full-lock. Weirdly, this refuses to repeat itself when turning the steering full-lock to the right. Any ideas? If so, why does this only occur to the left? See update below.

UPDATE: The steering now judders slightly at low speeds (<5 mph). I'm thinking a bit of air in the system or possibly the fresh fluid is less viscous and thus letting air in somehow? I never started the car when replacing the fluid to avoid running the PS pump dry but I did alternate the steering full-lock left and right to squeeze out as much fluid as possible. As always, I appreciate any advice.

After numerous Google searches, I have concluded that there's air in the power steering system. Thankfully, this is an easy fix by alternating the steering full-lock left and right several times with the car on the ground. I'll give it a go tomorrow and report back!

Old power steering fluid (assuming 2006 original):

New genuine Nissan power steering fluid:

Just a quick update: I spoke to a local engineering shop who offered to weld/mill out the 4 sheared brake bleed screws for £100. Only issue is that I now need to take 3 of the 4 calliper's off to give to them... fun times.

On 06/08/2022 at 13:57, harrison140 said:

Welding a nut on will work I done it years ago on a bike the heat make's the aluminium of the caliper expand as well if you turn it while it's still hot 

Think I'll have to take the caliper off? I'm thinking: disconnect brake line, drain fluid from caliper, weld nut, remove, sorted.

6 hours ago, davey_83 said:

Along with the club meet yesterday she had her MOT straight after, made sense as the garage was on the way back home. 

 

Less a windscreen chip (that's been there ever since I've had the car) and oddly a missing nut and bolt from the drives side downpipe a clean bill of health. Even asked the tester anything to look out for over the next 12 months, said not a thing and made a comment of her being really clean and tidy underneath - not bad for 92k

 

Happy days 😁

 

 

 

You could eat off that underbody, how is it so clean/rust free?

On 06/08/2022 at 11:21, davey_83 said:

Sorry to see this pal, one of the rear inner bleed nipples on mine weren't budging so left it be at the recent brake fluid change. Take it you're replacing the inner caliper nipples also? 

Yep, replacing both screws on each caliper. The last brake fluid change was back in 2019 so I reckon someone just ridiculously over-torqued them. The service manual states 13.5NM but I've found these titanium screws require at least 20NM to stop brake fluid from escaping. Could be due to a slightly different screw shape or damage to the caliper threads.

I could trying welding a nut on...

This has since been fixed.

A while back I sheared off a brake bleed screw trying to bleed a caliper. I wanted to get this sorted quickly so I decided to replace them all with stronger titanium bleed screws. Despite the fact I applied copious amounts of WD-40 Penetrant and lightly tapped each screw with a hammer, three more sheared off at around 50NM  At least the new screws looks great...

Any ideas on the best way to get these out? I was thinking drill out as much material as possible then hit them with a high-quality screw extractor. Might re-tap depending on the quality of the threads.

New titanium bleed screw and genuine Brembo dust cap:

Old Brembo bleed screws:

The worst outcome: