andrew.pacey Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Hi All, I have recently purchased a 350Z, which I absolutely love! I've wanted one ever since I got my FTO....it's taken some time but I've finally got one! :-) I'm trying to find out a little history about the car. When I purchased it, I noticed a very small amount of paint bubbling on the front lip of the bonnet - which the dealer is going to put right - this was a condition of the sale. However, I've also now noticed the same around the drivers side wheel arch. Touching it has caused quite a big chunk of paint to fall off, and exposed some rusty metal. It looks as though it has been touched up / resprayed in the past perhaps. It would be good to find out exactly what has happened in the past, so I have a bit of ammunition for the dealer. The HPI check came back clean. The car was MOT'd at Roxby Road Garage in S****horpe - the current registration is Y?53 EAE, however it was previously on a private plate C** AMO. The car is silver and has the GT pack. Can anyone help me trace the original owner? Many thanks in advance to anyone that can help. Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FIDDYZ Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Sorry Andy, you got any pics of the car? I know it sounds weird but people have been known to "fish" for info on these forums to use the info to make documents up .... I know you may not be but it pays to play safe... Pics and proof may get you more info... I seem to remember someone on here or the other channel having a bit of rust on the arch trouble... Cant quite remember who but it was someone at a recent meet and the dealer was going to be sorting it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 Thanks for the reply! Only pics I have at the moment are from the day I actually bought it, so I could show the missus before picking it up a couple of days later. See attached. You can see my FTO in the background too. Am I going to struggle to get the dealer to sort this given the car is 4.5 years old? Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FIDDYZ Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 IIRC The body work has an additional body work wtee... Someone is bound to correct me if I am wrong!! Just having a look on this it looks like there is a 12 year anti corrosion gtee.... http://www.nissan.co.uk/home/services/m ... ?ln=/en_GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 Thanks - that is reassuring. Although I suppose that will go out of the window if it turns out someone has 'repaired' the wheel arch, if it's had a scrape or whatever. Hopefully someone out there will be able to put me in touch with the original owner so I can find out the full story. I've got a previous MOT, I'm going to try ringing the garage that did it to see if they can help find the owner. I don't have the V5 yet as I only got the car on Friday - that should give the name of the previous owner which might be helpful. Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FIDDYZ Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Good luck with it. Good choice on the colour BTW, you picked the fastest one Out of interest, it has still got the lining on the wheel arch hasnt it? If it has, its not hard to take off and then have a look underneath, you should see the results of any repairs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 Yeah, it still has the wheel arch lining. I'll take it off at the weekend and have a look to see if anything nasty is lurking underneath. My preference would have been black or blue colour wise....but went with my head in the end. A few years ago I had a Saxo VTR in black and it was notoriously hard to keep the paint looking new. And the black/blue zeds I've seen have all had lots of stone chips on the front bumper...they obviously don't show up as much on a silver car. Hope I can get it sorted - I'll be disappointed if not.....the 13 year old FTO I traded against it didn't have any corrosion on the body work (or at least none that was visible on the surface!) Anyway....I'll keep my fingers crossed. I love absolutely everything about the zed! Well, apart from the fact it cost me £85 to fill up its monster tank the other day.... Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincolnbaggie Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Andy, which dealer did you buy it from? If it was a main dealer, then they should sort out any bodywork problems for you. Are you based in Scunny yourself? If so, I'll probably see you around (mine is also a silver GT - you'll spot the number plate!). I tend to spend quite a bit of time at the Shell garage next to Asda's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Thanks for your reply mate. Yeah, I bought it from a main dealer - Crystal Motors in Boston. I don't actually live in S****horpe....that's where the car was MOT'd previously so I'm just assuming the previous owner must have lived in that general area. I'm not quite sure how the car ended up in Boston!! Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Well....this goes from bad to worse! In my lunch break I spent an hour going over the car with a fine tooth comb. It's obvious that the rear end has definitely had a lot of paint work done. When I viewed the car it was really sunny, so none of it was noticeable. The rear bumper has been sprayed, as has the tailgate. You can see mask lines on the bumper, and the tailgate and bumper are both a minutely different shade to the rest of the car. One of the rear arches has a rough paint texture on the lip, as if someone has sprayed over dirt & grime. I'm absolutely fuming! I've spoken to the dealer who want to see the car. But the salesman was very defensive. "It's a 53 plate car so more than likely it will have had some paint work". You what? A few stone chip touchups etc yes, I don't expect to pay £15k for a car from a Nissan Main Dealer that has had a dodgy respray! Am I being unreasonable? Where do I stand? I've spoken to Nissan GB who wanted to speak to the sales manager at the dealership, however I said I'd rather speak to them direct initially. Now when I say 'dodgy respray' I'm not talking a real cowboy job...but it's not perfect, and if I was paying for that respray there is no way on earth I'd accept it. If it was an option, I'd quite happily give the car back for a refund and buy another Z from elsewhere. The whole reason I bought from a dealer was to ensure that exactly this did NOT happen. I asked the woman at Nissan GB if she had any documentation relating to a dealers obligations under the Nissan Approved Used Car scheme, but she said she had nothing. Spoken to the garage that did the previous MOT to see if they could put me in touch with the previous owner - haven't heard anything back yet :-( GGRRRRRRRRRRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 It's obvious that the rear end has definitely had a lot of paint work done. When I viewed the car it was really sunny, so none of it was noticeable. The rear bumper has been sprayed, as has the tailgate. You can see mask lines on the bumper, and the tailgate and bumper are both a minutely different shade to the rest of the car. Quite a number of the panels on a 350 are plastic/like for instance, the front and rear bumper, sills, A pillar cover, the rest is either metal or Aluminum (bonnet), hence especially on the brighter colours it's very obvious that the paint is a slightly different colour on the different panels. So that part might be normal, can't speak for the bits that have been masked without seeing it for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 I'm hoping for a sunny day tomorrow so I can wash it - if so, I'll post some pics. The most obvious work is around the rear screen - there is a mask line around the window rubber, leaving a thick open edge on the lacquer - which can be flaked off with your nail. Obviously in time the weather will get under it and cause it to flake off. The drivers side front wheel arch has a small amount of paint bubbling - touching it causes paint to flake off. The paint that flakes off is incredibly thin! There is rust underneath the flaked paint. Do they not make cars like they used to? My 13 year old FTO which I p/x'd for the 350Z had virtually no corrosion at all on the paintwork. It was like new when polished. The bumper is smooth to the touch all over, but you can see a mask line 'through' the lacquer - around the top edge of the bumper, then around the outside of the number plate recess - as if some silver has been sprayed upto the mask line, and then the whole lot has been re-lacquered - if you see what I mean. The bit on the bonnet, which I did notice at purchase and the dealer is fixing as part of the sale, is paint bubbling - albeit a small amount. If you put your nail through it, there is a white powder underneath. Is that due to the bonnet being aluminium? I'm much calmer about it today...regardless of any imperfections in the paint work, I can't seem to stop smiling when I'm driving it! Fingers crossed the dealer will sort. In my eyes the open lacquer edge needs sorting, the bonnet and wheel arches need sorting properly, and the back bumper needs respraying properly. I just hope they don't touch up over the corrosion etc, only for it to come back again soon. It needs to be done properly. I don't think I'm being unreasonable for a 4.5 year old car that has set me back £15k! Although the salesman at the dealership seems to think all of this is perfectly normal of a car that age. My passenger window has stopped working properly today too - sometimes works, sometimes doesn't - when it does it goes very slow. I'm sure the dealer will sort that too. Thanks Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 OK - it's been glorious here today, so have given her a good wash. She looks stunning! With the exception of the following pictures, which show the paint problems I have been talking about. First off, here she is looking sexy as **** Here is the paint bubbling on the bonnet, which I noticed before purchase and the dealer has already agreed to fix This is the bubbling I found on the drivers side wheel arch the other day - touching it caused a bit of paint to fall off leaving the rusty metal exposed This is the problem I described where there is an open edge on the lacquer on the tailgate. This is a close up, it doesn't 'look' that bad with the naked eye. The following two photos show the masking I described - looks like the silver was painted on upto the mask line, and then the whole lot lacquered - so you can see the lines but cannot feel them And finally here is the colour mismatch between the bumper and the rest of the car - not sure if this is the difference between metal / plastic materials that you are talking about? Seems quite noticeable to me Am going to take it in to the dealer tomorrow and see what they say. What do you guys think? Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I think you have a repaired / replacement rear bumper that hasn't been done particularly well..... As for the front bubble, I have a tiny one on mine, stone chip + British weather gives that result. With the rear lid issue as well, it sounds to me suspiciously like a poor blending job been done on the back of the car after an accident..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I think you have a repaired / replacement rear bumper that hasn't been done particularly well..... As for the front bubble, I have a tiny one on mine, stone chip + British weather gives that result. With the rear lid issue as well, it sounds to me suspiciously like a poor blending job been done on the back of the car after an accident..... +1, certainly doesn't look right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincolnbaggie Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Personally I'd try and get my money back from the dealer on this one and look for a better example (one with no potential hidden problems) as there are shed loads aroud at the moment for good money. If it has been resprayed/touched up due to accident damage they will know this (they should be experts at spotting such things after all) and are trying to fob you off with the "they are all like that" rubbish. How did they describe the car in their advertising? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 That is a shoddy job if ever I saw one!! How did you not notice? How many times did you see the car before buying it? Sometimes your heart 'blinds' you to looking certain things when you really really really want a specific car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thane Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 i was going to look at that car, but before i went it dissappeared off their site so i assumed it was sold and went to wakefield to pick mine up (still waiting for it to be fixed). will keep my eyes open for you when i get mine back and if you keep it, best of luck with the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Sarnie - to be honest the pics make everything look incredibly obvious - they had to - I've taken the photos very close up with a digital SLR. The bumper lines only show in the right light. With the naked eye nothing is particularly obvious except the bonnet which I noticed pre-purchase and the dealer agreed to fix as part of the sale. The wheel arch is now very obvious since some of the paint fell off when I touched it after spotting a tiny bubble. The trouble is with these cars is that the minute you're sat behind the wheel all you get is a big grin and an overwhelming feeling of happiness! So no doubt I didn't inspect as closely as I should. I also probably didn't pay as much attention as I would if I was buying privately or from an independent dealer - I wrongly assumed that being 'Nissan Approved' these cars are hand picked and chosen by people who know what they are doing. Lesson learnt the hard way! I took the car back to the dealer on Monday - expecting their guard to be up and on the defensive. To my surprise after pointing out everything there was no disagreement. They have sent the pictures that I have taken to Nissan to see how much is covered under the 10 year anti corrosion guarantee, and once they have an answer will discuss options. Also pointed out that the passenger window doesn't work correctly, and that they didn't give it the correct service prior to purchase - it's done 25k and they gave it a P1, but I believe it should have had a P3 since it is 4 years old. The book states 'when either milestone is reached' - i.e. mileage or age. P3 is 4 years or 36k according to my book. So - awaiting to hear back from the dealer now. Still contemplating asking for a refund, depending on what they come back with. I've had everything out of the boot and there is no accident damage - so not really sure what has warranted a respray of the rear bumper and tailgate - perhaps vandalism? Haven't been able to get in touch with the previous owner....I'm hoping once I have the V5 I might be able to track them down. Thane - you sure it was this car? As far as I am aware, it was only listed on Autotrader the week before I bought it. I've basically just been waiting for a low mileage GT to pop up locally. Thanks to everyone for their help and replies - looking forward to a long and happy 350z ownership - whether it be with my current one (fixed) or a future one following a refund! I'll definitely be getting another if I follow the refund route.......the missus had better watch out because I'm in love with this car! Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincolnbaggie Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I would still go for the refund and get a better car; so cheap at the moment. Thane (and others), we really need a Lincoln area meet at some point - quite a few owners showing up in this neck of the woods (although I've only seen two in the last two years round here)! Local meet anyone? Pyewipe Inn one night and a drive round? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Good luck with it all, keep us posted with how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I'd defo get a refund if possible. Once a car of mine get gets damaged, its tainted and will never be as it was in my mind. Its like taking back a bird who has cheated on you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.pacey Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Hi Guys Where would I stand legally in asking for a refund? If I decide to go down that route, it'd be good to be armed with all the relevant information. The contract of sale is very vague - the only thing it really says is that if the car is inspected by myself or a third party (i.e. RAC car check etc) then the garage are not liable for any defects. I had a general look at the car....checked tyre depths, oil etc etc but certainly wouldn't class that as an 'inspection' as my mechanical knowledge is limited. I'm sure there must be some information somewhere on exactly 'what' benefits buying a car on the Nissan Approved Scheme brings you - but I can't find anything anywhere. And the lady I spoke to at Nissan GB was unable to provide anything either. Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thane Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 i am wondering if it is the same car, and may have been damaged and thats why it dissappeared just before i went to look. Also, when i tried to get a quote for the insurance it was a good few hundred dearer then mine, despite being pretty much the same car less some of the options. i would push for the refund as the car has some history that noone is wanting to divulge, and given the figure you've paid this isn't acceptable. What worries me with my car and possibly yours, if theres some history to it and its sold to you under the approved scheme, they might try and kick up a fuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixy Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 The condition of that car from a main dealer is totally unacceptable in my opinion and I totally understand why you felt a lot safer buying it from them so you must feel really let down. If it's had any sort of touch up work done the waranty will not cover it - had a similar thing with my type R - paint started bubbling on the roof so I trotted down to Honda expecting warranty work on a 2 and a half year old car - they measured the paint thickness and said it was thicker than factory paint so must be resprayed. I got hold of the previous owner who told me some drunk idots had run over the roof which meant it needed a spray job - done very badly! Had to pay for it myself in the end but I had owned the car for quite a while by then. In your case as you've only just bought the car I would say it's not up to the standard and value that should be expected and you have paid well over the odds in that case, not to mention it may have had an unrecorded accident which is not on HPI. You could get the AA out to inspect it and do a report to help your case? - contact trading standards asap - they have a website and helpline called consumer direct. Best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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