Nissan 300zx twin turbo?

Question

Ok, I have become obsessed with the nissan 300zx twin turbo. I have gone to z1 and ultimatez just to see what i would do with the car. I have checked ebay, craiggslist, and cars.com everyday that's how obsessed i have become. I plan to put on an exhaust z1 chip air intake bov with hard pipes and fuel injector kit. I pretty much know everything about the car except this. How is the reliability? I dont want to spend 2,500 in a car thats 13-18 years old then the engine goes up? If you owned one or have one just give me some tips please. Those arent the only things i plan to do thats just for 6 months after i own i dont know what i want to do after that. Its probably gonna have anywhere from 90 - 130,000 miles on it. Some of the ones that i see have had a eng. I am gonna try n get one with little to no mods. Ny help would be great. thanx

Answer 1

Do everything wthin your power to get the youngest, lowest mileage, best maintained Z32 300ZX in America. Get the absolute best example you can find of the two-seater (not the 2+2) and stay away from the targa roofs. Ideally you want one that's been owned by some middle-aged woman with a perfect service history and low mileage. You'll have to pay more for the car, but it'll be worth it.

The V6 in those cars is pretty tough, and makes good power. In fact a standard manual twin turbo 300ZX is faster down the quarter than a standard manual 350Z!

Answer 2

I had a 94 300ztt and loved and babied it. it was very reliable. it was the biggest pain in the *** i have ever worked on but it payed off. However a friend of mine has a 91 that spent six months at z1 in atlanta and it refuses to run right and is plagued with problems. (not z1's fault)  

Answer 3

When you buy a 300zx make sure you take it to your mechanic to check it out first.  My friend used to have a 1991 300zxtt and it was very reliable since he took very good care of it. The only problems he had were leaky t-tops and a bad ac condenser.  When you do get the car, invest in a turbo timer.  And when you get those modifications make sure you tune the car at a reputable shop.  And another thing, when you get a bov please recirculate it to prolong the life of the turbo.  I know the whoosh sound is cool but buying new turbos isn't fun at all.

Answer 4

They are very reliable, however general maintance is expensive. The parts aren't cheap either. Since your "Obsessed" make sure you learn the in/out of the car. Lean to do most of the repair work yourself, it will save you tons of money in the long run. If you get one get atleast a 91. The 90 had some casting issues with the heads causing the Crank angle sensor to fail. Another well know problem for the Z's are the high pressure power steering hose. They leak and if not taken care of immediately it will cause the alternator the fail. So far they seem unreliable, but that's not the case. These is just common issues. Another thing is cam seals leaking oil. This is also very common, but it you follow the proper maint sched you should be ok. I have a 93 that I bought in 2000. I haven't have any problems that won't do to normal wear and tear.  To get a lot of maint tips, go to  http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/te...

here is a list of step by step maint tips with pics and if you look around there are tons of post and ppl willing to help.  I also have to tell the Z1 rocks, but they are a little on the expensive side. Any way good luck and welcome the The Z World.

Answer 5

The reliability on any Nissan is great. Since the 300zx you are obsessed with has a tt engine you are going to have to maintain the car... A LOT. Anyways, if you like the car enough and down the road some s**+ t happens to it thats the price you're going to have to be willing to pay, especially for a 13-18 year old car. I suggest you buy it. If it has a clean title and if anything does ever happen to it, who cares, its a project and thats what makes buying a badass car worth it especially a 300zx tt for 2500...

GOOD LUCK!