Help: Looking for a 350z (What is the best model?)

[Louis]

Hello all,

 

Budget: £7000

 

I was hoping to get all of your 350z professional opinion's

 

I'm planning to purchase a 350z, however I've had some difficulty for months looking for the right one for me. From what I've read around the internet, I've found that the "350z HR edition", does in-fact have the best engine considering the 296hp.

 

However my decision is always a bit sceptical, considering the road tax had dramatically gone up from the 2006 model which is £535 in comparison to the 2003-2004 models which is £305.

 

So my questions are, which 350z should I get? Is it worth getting a newer model considering the tax?

 

Edit: I'm sure this question will come up, but yes I am planning to modify it.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Louis

[ATTAK Z]

Answer to your question is 'Yes', HR is a better car but you'll be lucky to get one for £7K

 

HR started in 2007 BTW and has the bulge bonnet and twin air intakes

[Louis]

Yeah I've had some huge difficulty looking for one let alone finding one in my budget range. But I was originally considering getting a 2005 FairLady model in pearl white. Considering the colour is so rare to find I'm opening up my options a bit.

[Irn Bru]

Imho it really depends on if you are going to mod it or not, the older de Zeds have much more mod options and for under £1k you can get 300bhp, hr interior is nicer but again there's plenty of modding options to improve the cabin look in a de. If your keeping it standard (which I doubt you will), then the hr is the better option.

 

btw and Ginger is the fastest colour

[Louis]

Imho it really depends on if you are going to mod it or not, the older de Zeds have much more mod options and for under £1k you can get 300bhp, hr interior is nicer but again there's plenty of modding options to improve the cabin look in a de. If your keeping it standard (which I doubt you will), then the hr is the better option.

 

btw and Ginger is the fastest colour

 

Hi there Irn Bru! Thanks for your reply,

 

You bring up a very good point there, I am planning to modify it. I should probably come up with a mod-list of what I need if that's the case (I was planning to do that after I got the Z regardless) .

 

Thank you for the welcome

 

Ginger is the fastest colour? I wonder why...

[Stan]

HR actually produces 313bhp. The regular DE is 276bhp and DE revup is 296bhp.

 

With the revup you still get a facelift interior/exterior and decent power and you should be fine with a 7k budget.

 

If you go for a fairlady you may have to consider standard JDM things like speed limiter removal, fog light addition and FM stereo band expander.

[Zeezeebaba]

I had the same choice a couple of years ago. I liked some of the cosmetic changes that came in 06 with the Rev up but didn't want to pay higher tax. If your lucky you can find one that just comes in before the tax hike came into force so early 06 Revup cars.The GT4 special edition also has the Revup motor but they hold their value well.

IMO the HR is over rated and suffers from several design flaws that have reared up since its launch. Not saying the original DE was perfect but the HR can be more expensive to fix for very little gain in real world terms. They are heavier cars than the DE which negates that extra rev increase. However when they are running OK the engine is smoother and less course than the DE. The bonnet bulge looks cool and the oil dipstick is in a far superior place to the DE.

I ended up buying an early 05 car so a stock 280 bbhp original. The intention was to plough the money saved into mods. I now have a car that visually looks like a Revup 06 plate and puts out healthy power the right side of 300 bhp.

I use no oil between services but it's generally accepted that a little oil usage is normal in the Z especially Revup cars.

Whichever you choose they all suffer from certain issues common throughout the range especially ball joint and bush wear on front suspension components.

Whichever you choose I'm sure you will enjoy it

Edited April 18, 2017 by Zeezeebaba

[RDON]

Silver is the fastest colour! come one guys dont you know that!!! lol...... one lucky guy has mine to look forward too very shortly! then pearl white will be the fastest colour rofl....

[Irn Bru]

Silver is the fastest colour! come one guys dont you know that!!! lol...... one lucky guy has mine to look forward too very shortly! then pearl white will be the fastest colour rofl....

If your a blind man and mix silver paint with pearl white paint you get Sunset Orange, so yes Sunset Ginga is the fastest colour

[Willsy1980]

Nah don't listen to these lot, Gunmetal is the fastest colour.

Also if you get a Roadster, they go from 0 to Sunshine at the click of a button

 

Honestly though, best thing to do is drive a few if you can. Worth travelling 500 miles to buy the right one rather than settling for a lemon because it's local.

[jimmy.farrow7]

Stubby aerial adds and extra 25bhp

[jimmy.farrow7]

In all honesty though you can buy a HR,DE,rev-up and it can blow up on the way home, all depends how well its been looked after. I have an 05 DE in ginger ands its been mechanical faultless in 3years, any Zed will put a smile on your face good luck

[Irn Bru]

Hello all,

 

Budget: £7000

 

I was hoping to get all of your 350z professional opinion's

 

I'm planning to purchase a 350z, however I've had some difficulty for months looking for the right one for me. From what I've read around the internet, I've found that the "350z HR edition", does in-fact have the best engine considering the 296hp.

 

However my decision is always a bit sceptical, considering the road tax had dramatically gone up from the 2006 model which is £535 in comparison to the 2003-2004 models which is £305.

 

So my questions are, which 350z should I get? Is it worth getting a newer model considering the tax?

 

Edit: I'm sure this question will come up, but yes I am planning to modify it.

Tbh mate my adice would be to buy your Zed from a member off here. 9 times out of ten it's got great service history and a trackable life story, either by the way of a members build thread or by the owner posting about issues and how they resolved them and plus the fact we all love our Zeds and do tend to look after them very well. Plus it'll have mods that'll be on your wish list already, most likely. I bought mine from a member after he traded it in, but I was able to track it down on here and look up its history via his build thread. Nearly 3 years with it now and it's been faultless.

[davey_83]

Buy the best example you can for 7k, beit a 03 or 06 model - 100% go for a UK GT spec. A Tidy early spec DE, will be a better buy than a rough 06 RevUp for example.

[Olly350z]

You're not the only one who has had trouble identifying all the models and you won't be the last fella! As far as a time line goes its a little like this,

 

03-05 PREFACELIFT 350z DE (lower tax 286BHP) This is the first addition of the 350z, and what a car! They are known for a couple issues, flaking wheels, compression arms, clicky axels so on and fourth. Nothing world ending

 

05-06 FACELIFT 350z DE REVUP (lower tax but tweaked engine at 296BHP) This version comes with all the benefits of the facelifted car while retaining the lower tax bracket with a bit more humpf. They are known for oil consumption issues so be weary of them

 

07-0+ FACELIFT 350z HR (Higher tax but newer engine at 313BHP) This is the facelifted version of our Z and sits in the higher tax bracket. All of the issues with previous models have been addressed and fixed, however they have there own issues, gallery gaskets causing low oil pressure is fairly common.

 

To further confuse things, there are varying options and trim specs for all of the models above. Im not going to list them all but ill say this, JDM fairladys are missing all the toys that the UK GT has. So aim for a GT with the seats, wheels, brakes and so on and youll ve onto a winner!

 

And Welcome to the forum!

[PeteWiix]

Hi and welcome to the forum,

As a new owner (last few months) firstly I would like to say have read around on here as there is loads of advice on issues seen with all models and what to look out for and a lot of help from the members if you need it.

Also be patient, it took me 6 months of looking around and a few frustrating times when the car I wanted was sold within a few days of it being advertised, but at the end of the day I ended up with a GT spec HR in good condition with full service history for under 6K. Still learning about the car which is part of the fun

[Zeezeebaba]

You're not the only one who has had trouble identifying all the models and you won't be the last fella! As far as a time line goes its a little like this,

 

03-05 PREFACELIFT 350z DE (lower tax 286BHP) This is the first addition of the 350z, and what a car! They are known for a couple issues, flaking wheels, compression arms, clicky axels so on and fourth. Nothing world ending

 

05-06 FACELIFT 350z DE REVUP (lower tax but tweaked engine at 296BHP) This version comes with all the benefits of the facelifted car while retaining the lower tax bracket with a bit more humpf. They are known for oil consumption issues so be weary of them

 

07-0+ FACELIFT 350z HR (Higher tax but newer engine at 313BHP) This is the facelifted version of our Z and sits in the higher tax bracket. All of the issues with previous models have been addressed and fixed, however they have there own issues, gallery gaskets causing low oil pressure is fairly common.

 

To further confuse things, there are varying options and trim specs for all of the models above. Im not going to list them all but ill say this, JDM fairladys are missing all the toys that the UK GT has. So aim for a GT with the seats, wheels, brakes and so on and youll ve onto a winner!

 

And Welcome to the forum!

 

Slight correction, the HR and Revup still retain the chocolate suspension components that part is common throughout the range unfortunately

[Blocko]

I wouldn't look at it as a which model question but rather look for the best example you can get for your money. Any HR for 7k is likely to be a dog but both the early models and the revup are good cars. Try a few and buy the best one you can find for your budget.

 

I have a revup and the higher tax. I pay considerably more in tax than I do in insurance but I like my car so that to me was worth the extra couple hundred quid a year.

[coldel]

Good advice from Blocko, obviously consider your needs in buying a car (you don't buy a car you don't want!) but also consider condition as these cars are not cheap to repair and maintain. In terms of the first and second generations so 03-05 and 05-06 although 05-06 had higher BHP as I remember they have lower torque so overall performance is pretty much comparable. So don't expect any noticeable on the road performance difference.

 

I see you have a budget of £7k, I would seriously consider having a slush fund spare in case of repairs. A new OEM clutch and flywheel plus labour will put you back £900+ for instance. So look for something with plenty done to it in terms of perishables but do have something back, you don't want it to be sat outside gathering dust because you don't have cash on hand to sort out any major issue that arises.

 

Good luck with your search, do come on here and ask questions before buying, you will get lots of good advice.

[GreenLandy]

Having owned both a DE and now an HR I find the HR far superior. This is largley due to looks, smoother, more powerful engine (with more revs too!), the dipstick, a nice interior and, perhaps most importantly, the traction control isn't a complete dick every time it's slightly damp. Granted the rev-up covers most of these points, but I feel the HR is worth the extra.

 

If you're worried about £200 a year in tax though, the 350Z is the wrong car for you. I'd also say that £7k isn't going to get you an HR, certainly not one you'd want to own. Rev-up is probably the one to go for.

[Jay84]

I wouldn't look at it as a which model question but rather look for the best example you can get for your money. Any HR for 7k is likely to be a dog but both the early models and the revup are good cars. Try a few and buy the best one you can find for your budget.

 

I have a revup and the higher tax. I pay considerably more in tax than I do in insurance but I like my car so that to me was worth the extra couple hundred quid a year.

I'm glas you said that about the higher tax on the rev up, as i'm paying higher tax than the DE.

 

As has been said, shop around, test drive lots, and service history.

Welcome

[lazza]

as far as the road tax is concerned the cut off for lower tax was beg of 06 ive got a an april 06 car and pay the higher road tax £515 even thou its still a de so i would def check the car first if this is an issue

[Zeezeebaba]

Lol maybe you had a bad DE, I drove plenty of HRs when looking for mine and they certainly were not superior. Smoother engine note and decent dipstick aside of course

In fact the dipstick is the person that decided to put the clutch slave in the bell housing and paper oil gallery gaskets on them. The extra revs and less torque plus extra kerb weight negate any performance advantage in the real world. I do like the humpy bonnet even if it is only there because the HR lump is to tall

Edited April 19, 2017 by Zeezeebaba

[GreenLandy]

My DE was fine; maybe you drove bad HRs I don't drive 10/10s all the time so find the extra revs make it a more useable and enjoyable beast to drive.

 

Agreed though that internal clutch slaves are a modern monstrosity. Gaskets can be an issue, but on DE the spark cylinder seals are also a widespread PITA.

 

Going back to the OP though, I would get the best example of a 350Z that you can afford and not worry about HR vs DE vs DE rev-up. They're all similar and not having owned one before you'll enjoy whatever you get.

[Zeezeebaba]

I had a crack in one HR that had 8k miles and it was very nice but far from superior lol. However it would have blown my mod budget out the window

Agreed the OP needs to buy on condition relative to budget. A nice Revup would be my bet, all the facelift trimmings whilst retaining a budget to mod.