Just like the title says, what should I be looking for in a z32? I am going to look àt one tomorrow as a possible partial trade towards my e46 and I was wondering what problems should I be looking for? The car in question is a 90 twin turbo with manual transmission. Any help and tips would be greatly appreciated.
I could write a lot here but unless you’re buying a 5k original mile mint example an exhaustive list won’t be needed. Since it’s a '90 most likely it has a few flaws that simply come with the age.
Some of the more important things off the top of my head:
- Make sure the current owner has NOT run the car before you get there. You want to start it up from cold. This is because if the turbos are going bad, they’ll leak and pool overnight and burn off in the first few moments of a start. If you see blue smoke out the tail pipes, odds are the turbos are going bad. Since Zs have true dual exhaust, if only one side smokes and the other is fine, then you’d only need 1 turbo.
- Check the mileage and ask for receipts (proof) of maintenance done especially the timing belt! The belt and seals are done at 60k and 120k and if it hasn’t been done you’ll need to do it. Most people sell their Zs because they don’t have the money to do the proper maintenance. I hear too many stories of people picking up unmaintained Zs, driving them home, getting a little “spirited” in their driving and BOOM because the previous owner didn’t take care of the car. Don’t be that guy!
- Check the engine bay for gas smell on start up. The fuel lines on a car this age can get brittle and crack, so you’ll need to look them over. Most of them are on top and the filter is located on top next to the brake master so it’s easy to see and trace the lines.
- The cooling system on these cars works great and no matter how hard you drive it, the engine temp needle should point slightly under the half-way (middle of the gauge) mark if it’s working properly. So make sure it warms up and watch the needle. It should go from cold to that half-way point and stay there. If it bounces around while you’re driving or goes higher than that, something is up.
Here are some good reference links:
Real good buying guide:
http://www.300zx.co.uk/tech/BuyingZ.htm
The Z32 FAQ - lots of good info:
http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/FAQ/z32faq.aspx
A limited “what to look for in a used Z” list:
http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/FAQ/FAQpages/usedpurchasing.html
An exhaustive list someone made when he had to send his wife to look at a car (very detailed, very good):
Awesome info, thank you. The owner told me the valve seals need replacing so I was expecting the car to need a bunch of work. The only thing I am hesitant about is that he couldn’t explain correctly to me why he thought that, just the whole “my mechanic friend told me this is the problem”.
is it a turbo or na car?
Reading isn’t your strong suit eh?
That’s probably not the case. Valve seals won’t cause low compression, but it could be something with the valve not seating properly or being bent if it has
something to do with the valves.
Take a video of what the motor sounds like and post it here if you can.
Also, if you’re expecting this thing to need work do yourself a favor and set a budget NOW. You could easily turn this into a money pit especially if you’re not going to work on it yourself.
Innovative has a TT motor for sale for $150 if you REALLY need to replace the heads due to a valve issue: http://www.nyspeed.com/showthread.php?163374
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Yeah I already planned on doing a compression test and checking for play on the turbos, like I said I was just wondering about 300zx specific problems that occur. He said they figured valve seals because of blue smoke but they didn’t check the turbos. I am not considering this car for myself, just to repair and sell so your def on point regarding a budget.
It’s very likely the turbos. FYI, don’t plan on checking turbo play unless you plan on putting in a few hours of labor into a car before you buy it. The easiest way IMO would be to pull the exhaust, but that takes a bit of time… and when you see the shape design of the precats, you’ll understand how these cars pickup so much power with very few mods, lol.
i was also going to add the rear steering rack and lines are known to leak of they have not been eliminated
i know its a little bit of a ride, but theres one almost identical to onyx’s sig sitting out on eden even center road in eden that i passed last week coming from the rez… im heading there again now, maybe ill try and snap a pic if its still by the road if i think of it…