robbygraham Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Hi, been looking at 350z's for a while now, got about £9000 to spend, only jap car i have owned is a nissan micra, so know nothing about these, would just like a few tips of things to look out for when looking for one to buy, I want burnt orange colour but thats all i know, currently driving a clio 182, and also what sort of prices are people paying for insurance, obviously mine will differ as i'm 21, just would like a kind of guideline. Thanks Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Welcome Plenty of info on here, have a search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I just spent a touch under 9k for my Zed so happy to pass on a few little nuggets I have picked up over the last 4 weeks. - check for clicky rear axle, its a clank if you pull away in 1st or reverse. Its a £300 part to replace if you have that noise. - mine had 42k miles on it when I bought it (04 plate) clutch went about 2k miles later, £600 in parts cost. I have also heard of problems with the windows electrics, so make sure to check those. There are two types of 350z in effect, a GT and non GT version. Only differences are the sound system, heated leather seats and cruise control I think. When looking online i found plenty of non GT versions which haven't sold for months. GT versions though seem to fly off the shelves. Worth bearing that in mind. Check the tyre tread, its circa £500 for a good set of replacement tyres. Standard tyres are Bridgestones but a good replacement set are Falkens or Vredesteins, Michelins are top of the range though. There are plenty of Burnt Orange at the £9k price range, those and Silver are the most common. Then you will find a fair few Gun Metal colured cars, followed by a few Blue and the occasional Black. You will also note some apparent bargains, mostly these are Japanese Import cars (you can identify by the rear square number plates) and are a bit higher on the insurance than the UK sourced cars - other than that they are pretty much the same thing and drive just as well by all reports - you just need to be aware that there can be some unknown history prior to the import date. You might see some cars offering built in sat nav, unless its got Nurrish stamped all over it (have a look on the threads here) it is a Bird View sat nav that came with the car (if its an import with sat nav it wont work at all) the Bird View I have heard is a bit poor and has no updates on it for a few years, dont let a dealer or seller try to haggle on price because of the sat nav, it really adds little value to the car. Make sure to check the service schedule, there is a link on the site somewhere which shows how often it should be serviced, look for Nissan stamps and that its up to date. Check the MoT and any recommendations on the MoT, these will cover things like tyres, exhaust etc which might need replacing soon. Listen to the engine for any noises like its been thrashed, any clicking, tapping etc. If in doubt get RAC or one of the engine minded guys on here to take a look for you (someone from the site kindly offered to check one over for me in Cornwall, I didn't end up looking at it but its great people on here are willing to do this). On that note, take a second set of eyes with you. I went alone and bought the car, I fell for it the second I saw it and could have bargained more on price in retrospect, I went with my heart not my head and now having to spend a fair bit getting it up to speed after a bit of neglect by the previous owner. Have you had a look on the Zeds for Sale section on the site? Also post onto the Wanted section that you are after one, a few members may be selling and the cars on here are generally in fantastic condition which other members will vouch for. Before the clutch went on mine, it was a joy to drive the second the V6 roared into life - enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Oh and insurance wise, I pay about £600. But I'm old. And I am a 'consultant' which helps. And post code is insurance friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Echo what the others have said in terms of buying advice but also check the FAQ section on buying. Hope I'm wrong but I think you'll get utterly punished for your insurance at 21. Ive got a decade on you and 6-7 yrs no claims and it costs me £700 a year. Pls get a quote before you buy one or you may end up with a lovely car you can't drive! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter10 Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 The previous posts pretty much nail it for info on the car. I'm 23 an had my car since February. It's a 2007 car so cost a bit more on insurance than yours will. I pay about £700 for insurance and my cars before this one were a Clio and Fiesta Zetec S so no performance car experience. I do tend to live in a part of London which isn't too bad, except there has been a huge increase of arson lately around here. In my opinion, get a GT model unless you aim to completely modify the interior, it's well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Mcgoo Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Good effort Coldel Here is the link for potential buyers etc....Have a read......viewtopic.php?f=17&t=23843 Oh, and welcome to the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbygraham Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 thanks for the replies guys, has helped give me a few pointers in respect as to what to look for, my postcode is a decent area for low premiums, i currently pay £490 for my clio 182 with 4 years no claims, but i'm still expecting a hike in price when i make the move. I saw an advert on autotrader, and the guy said that being a non GT model makes the tax 200ish rather than 450 for the GT model is this true, i thought it was all based on emission, and they both have the same engine don't they, its just effectively an extras pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexx Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Thats tosh what he says about tax. Pre 2006 cars are in the lower tax bracket. Its got feck all to do with the car's spec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Yeah I saw that ad, he is talking nonsense. Like I said, its harder to shift the non GT models didn't realise some people had got that desperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyd Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Welcome Im 22 and my insurance is 1k with 3 years no claims. Admiral/ elephant/bell are probably your best bet. Make sure you add older family members as drivers - dropped my premium by 600ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demolition49 Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Also if your looking at impprts the specs start going all over the place as i think the jap models were much more customizable in terms Of options, even down to non brembo brakes, worth bearing that in mind! Glad your thinking of a Z im so glad i have got one, ever since ive had Mine its been bulletproof apart from A random cut out i had today, i cant think of any Other car id want to be in except a z... Next car will 100% be a 370z and also fyi im 21 and my insuracne is 1900 with points declared and 2yrNCB and im due to renew next Month hoping for a decent cut in the premium, but not too bothered car is worth it and More! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Welcome to the forum Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Welcome to the club, I echo pretty much what coldel has said. He has summed it up pretty well. One thing I would say is don't rush to get one, make sure you look around and fine the one that suits your. There will be some gems in the for sale section of the forum that have had a lot of tlc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Yeah its definitely a buyers market, if you got cash ready to go then you are in a good position to bargain for it. Especially the Orange of which there are plenty of them going around. You should be looking for a 04 plate (sometimes 05) GT pack, also keep an eye on the alloys, standard are the 6 spoke you can see on my signature, there is an upgraded set called Rays which are better quality (do a quick search on here) and worth getting if you can. If you find a few you are serious about, drop a post on here with the links I am sure people can give you a good informed view, some may even have taken a look at them already or know the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I got mine at 22 & never paid above £800 for insurance in N/A form Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbygraham Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 I wouldn't really look at any that were imports, didn't realise the orange was one of the more popular colours,of the times i have seen them (rare) they seen to be either blue or silver. What are the important service intervals on these as i dont want to be hit with a big bill straight after buying it, when i bought my clio 182 was hit with a £600 bill for new cambelt, then had a service done at the same time and the alternator caught fire, just a little unlucky with that, but at least now it runs like a jem. Again thanks for the help and the welcome to the forum, i'm sure i will be on here fairly often with question to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Read this post... http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=32280 At the price you are asking ie £9k you are looking at early models which when launched Orange seemed to get chosen quite a lot. No idea why, but when I was looking at around the £9k mark it was certainly the most available colour. I can't vouch for colour popularity of later models which cost more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam rs Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 If you can,buy from a garage or dealer. You can still haggle on price as these big engined cars only appeal to a few of us (not families) and the dealers cant shift them as easily. If you buy from a garage you will have some comeback and ask about warranty (at least 3 months) They will have also done a hpi check before they bought the vehicle in. My car was sensibly priced but i still got £1000 off at a dealer. You will get a gt for the money and as said above you should aim for a uk car with history. If the right car seems too far away try to think that £50 on train fares or petrol might be money well spent if you get there and its what you want.If its not dont buy second best just because its local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I bought mine from Coventry, so forked out the train fare. There was one much closer but had extra mileage etc - it is fun on the drive back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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