Help me decide on my first Japmobile
Discussion
Hi all
Just signed up to this site in search of a little advice. I'm looking to buy my first 'for-fun' car (or 'waste-of-money' car as the wife would say). I want a Japanese motor, but can't justify spending more than £5k right now (preferably less than £4k really). I've kinda convinced myself I want a 350Z, can anyone confirm this as a good choice? Or can anyone recommend a better option?
I've seen some decent ones in my price range
cheers
Just signed up to this site in search of a little advice. I'm looking to buy my first 'for-fun' car (or 'waste-of-money' car as the wife would say). I want a Japanese motor, but can't justify spending more than £5k right now (preferably less than £4k really). I've kinda convinced myself I want a 350Z, can anyone confirm this as a good choice? Or can anyone recommend a better option?
I've seen some decent ones in my price range
cheers
Edited by KSP1990 on Sunday 10th July 14:07
I would get out and drive one/get a ride in one. Ask on the owners clubs, I did when I was looking for my piece of Japanese goodness.
Although this will probably get laughed at I drew up a list of my basic criteria (inc. price) and then put in a bunch of car names that fitted and just whittled it down based on what my heart was saying.
If you want older cars then you have a plethora of available metal, I got my Skyline for £6k but that's only because it came from Japan and prices for landed ones are lower. Or there are the usual suspects 300ZX, Impreza's, DC2's, Galant's, Supra's (Mk3's), Celica's(?) and MR2's.
If you want to go newer then Swift's, 350z's, Impreza's (again), CTR's, RX-8's are good vfm, but some have their drawbacks so make sure you're aware and have the budget to deal with problems, there is nothing worse than a car sat unused.
Good luck, you won't regret it.
Although this will probably get laughed at I drew up a list of my basic criteria (inc. price) and then put in a bunch of car names that fitted and just whittled it down based on what my heart was saying.
If you want older cars then you have a plethora of available metal, I got my Skyline for £6k but that's only because it came from Japan and prices for landed ones are lower. Or there are the usual suspects 300ZX, Impreza's, DC2's, Galant's, Supra's (Mk3's), Celica's(?) and MR2's.
If you want to go newer then Swift's, 350z's, Impreza's (again), CTR's, RX-8's are good vfm, but some have their drawbacks so make sure you're aware and have the budget to deal with problems, there is nothing worse than a car sat unused.
Good luck, you won't regret it.
Thank you for your response! I'd love to get out and test drive some, but I don't want to be "that guy" who turns up to view a car for sale knowing I just want to test drive and have no intention of buying it (at that stage), I'm not a time waster. And I don't know any people with Japanese motors I could borrow for a couple hours ( in fact I don't really know many people in general). I'd feel less guilty wasting a dealer's time I guess 
so I think I'll just keep my eye on used car dealerships.
I'm looking for a car that is pretty sorted already, so probably not a really old motor. I will do stuff to it over time, but stock cars seem to be cheaper, but old stock cars are usually naff. This is what lead me to the 350z. From what I know about them they have enough grunt from stock to keep you relatively happy until you can afford more awesomeness, and they're also not too old so rust doesn't appear to be a massive issue with them right now. Older cars which have been tricked out are also quite expensive, e.g skylines
Just wondered if there were any major issues with the 350z that would make it a definite no-no for a newbie. I know I haven't tested any yet but right now that's what my heart is pulling towards. I will give others a chance though
Any further opinions and experiences people have with their current cars is more than welcome!
so I think I'll just keep my eye on used car dealerships. I'm looking for a car that is pretty sorted already, so probably not a really old motor. I will do stuff to it over time, but stock cars seem to be cheaper, but old stock cars are usually naff. This is what lead me to the 350z. From what I know about them they have enough grunt from stock to keep you relatively happy until you can afford more awesomeness, and they're also not too old so rust doesn't appear to be a massive issue with them right now. Older cars which have been tricked out are also quite expensive, e.g skylines
Just wondered if there were any major issues with the 350z that would make it a definite no-no for a newbie. I know I haven't tested any yet but right now that's what my heart is pulling towards. I will give others a chance though
Any further opinions and experiences people have with their current cars is more than welcome!
Generally with Jap stuff reliability isn't much of an issue...but on anything older than 10 years, rust will be.
If you do go for something older, personally I would import a fresh and solid one from Japan.
A 350z would be a good choice as far as a fun daily goes, more of a cruiser than traffic light GP car.
If you want something a bit more spritely and lighter, then Civic type R/Integras would be worth a look.
Do you prefer FWD or RWD? any preference on numbers of doors/seats? There's a wealth of choice out there tbh.
If you do go for something older, personally I would import a fresh and solid one from Japan.
A 350z would be a good choice as far as a fun daily goes, more of a cruiser than traffic light GP car.
If you want something a bit more spritely and lighter, then Civic type R/Integras would be worth a look.
Do you prefer FWD or RWD? any preference on numbers of doors/seats? There's a wealth of choice out there tbh.
If I were you, with a £5k budget, I'd do one of the following-
-Clean DC2 integra, £5k should land you one from Japan.
-Mk2 MR2, £5k should buy a minter, and the turbo import is stupidly quick.
-Corolla T sport, 190bhp hatch, bit more of a leftfield choice.
-Turbo'd or Supercharged mk1/mk2 MX5, £5k is a decent budget to buy one thats had all the hard work done to it, and they're dead reliable.
-Clean DC2 integra, £5k should land you one from Japan.
-Mk2 MR2, £5k should buy a minter, and the turbo import is stupidly quick.
-Corolla T sport, 190bhp hatch, bit more of a leftfield choice.
-Turbo'd or Supercharged mk1/mk2 MX5, £5k is a decent budget to buy one thats had all the hard work done to it, and they're dead reliable.
If you do get one from Japan I recommend Torque GT, and I've only ever heard good things about JM Imports.
Don't be afraid to ask for passenger rides in your choices from owners clubs, I had some two passenger rides in a 300ZX and Supra Mk3 before I got my car.
If you're still set on a 350 then EVO did a long term test of one, there was a road test in issue 107, search on the evo site to see if the long term tests come up. Their buying guide is here: http://www.evo.co.uk/nissan/350z/6220/nissan-350z-...
Don't be afraid to ask for passenger rides in your choices from owners clubs, I had some two passenger rides in a 300ZX and Supra Mk3 before I got my car.
If you're still set on a 350 then EVO did a long term test of one, there was a road test in issue 107, search on the evo site to see if the long term tests come up. Their buying guide is here: http://www.evo.co.uk/nissan/350z/6220/nissan-350z-...
I've been daily driving a 350z for about a year, paid £5500 for it with 60k on the clock and I'm pretty happy with it. Car is good fun and plenty fast for road use.
Not as spritely in 1st and 2nd as you might imagine but 3rd onwards it is fast. For me the cabin didn't feel as cramped as the s2000 and mx5 did so more comfortable as a daily driver though a completely different style of drive from those two. Expect good handling muscle car rather than scalpel sharp sportscar. With a great driving position the zed always feels special considerably more so when you drive back to back with ordinary cars.
I drive mainly A roads through Wales and it's perfect for that, fun when the roads clear and comfortable when it's not. The big torquey engine also means it sits happily in 6th from 40mph so you not always changing gear if you're stuck in slowish traffic. I wouldn't choose one if you do mainly town driving as they don't feel so spritely in low gears, steering and clutch are reasonably heavy and gear change can be a little notchy so crawling in 5mph stop start traffic blows. Thankfully I don't do that much.
Costs.
Got through the MOT with no faults, not bad for a 12 year old car, mechanic can't believe how good a condition the underside is in so don't think rust is an issue. Tyres are £100 per corner for decent mid level rubber. Pre 2006 keeps you in the lower tax bracket although still £280. I get a tank average of around 27 mpg when driven mainly on A roads. Have seen over 30mpg once. Expect much lower if you have a large amount of stop start town miles.
Clutch replacement is one of the more expensive fixes between £1000 - £1200. They can go anytime from around 40k onward so if you are looking at a zed with 70k+ make sure they have evidence of a recent clutch change as some don't go until 80k or more.
Look for - good service history rather than total mileage as many do 150k and more, Rays alloys, brembo brakes, after market exhaust for more sound and a clutch change that includes dual mass fly wheel the more recent the better.
Not as spritely in 1st and 2nd as you might imagine but 3rd onwards it is fast. For me the cabin didn't feel as cramped as the s2000 and mx5 did so more comfortable as a daily driver though a completely different style of drive from those two. Expect good handling muscle car rather than scalpel sharp sportscar. With a great driving position the zed always feels special considerably more so when you drive back to back with ordinary cars.
I drive mainly A roads through Wales and it's perfect for that, fun when the roads clear and comfortable when it's not. The big torquey engine also means it sits happily in 6th from 40mph so you not always changing gear if you're stuck in slowish traffic. I wouldn't choose one if you do mainly town driving as they don't feel so spritely in low gears, steering and clutch are reasonably heavy and gear change can be a little notchy so crawling in 5mph stop start traffic blows. Thankfully I don't do that much.
Costs.
Got through the MOT with no faults, not bad for a 12 year old car, mechanic can't believe how good a condition the underside is in so don't think rust is an issue. Tyres are £100 per corner for decent mid level rubber. Pre 2006 keeps you in the lower tax bracket although still £280. I get a tank average of around 27 mpg when driven mainly on A roads. Have seen over 30mpg once. Expect much lower if you have a large amount of stop start town miles.
Clutch replacement is one of the more expensive fixes between £1000 - £1200. They can go anytime from around 40k onward so if you are looking at a zed with 70k+ make sure they have evidence of a recent clutch change as some don't go until 80k or more.
Look for - good service history rather than total mileage as many do 150k and more, Rays alloys, brembo brakes, after market exhaust for more sound and a clutch change that includes dual mass fly wheel the more recent the better.
Edited by IAJO on Tuesday 12th July 14:05
Thanks guys.
I don't really like MX5s, but I am after something RWD. At the moment the second one which has caught my eye is a Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT) twin turbo.
Cheaper to buy and tax, but more expensive to insure. But I wouldn't have to spend money turboing it (unless it's broken)
What do you guys think of the GTOs?
I don't really like MX5s, but I am after something RWD. At the moment the second one which has caught my eye is a Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT) twin turbo.
Cheaper to buy and tax, but more expensive to insure. But I wouldn't have to spend money turboing it (unless it's broken)
What do you guys think of the GTOs?
Bloody complicated is all I've heard about them (10 ECU's!!), however as all opinions are formed from what others have said I'll leave it upto someone who's owned one.
If you want something RWD and moderately powerful have you considered Supra's/300ZX's or GST-T Skylines? All can be had pretty cheaply (under £10k) and are still alot of fun. Just gone through the 2nd MOT with my Skyline, no advisories
If you want something RWD and moderately powerful have you considered Supra's/300ZX's or GST-T Skylines? All can be had pretty cheaply (under £10k) and are still alot of fun. Just gone through the 2nd MOT with my Skyline, no advisories
Thanks guys.
I don't really like MX5s, but I am after something RWD. At the moment the second one which has caught my eye is a Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT) twin turbo.
Cheaper to buy and tax, but more expensive to insure. But I wouldn't have to spend money turboing it (unless it's broken)
What do you guys think of the GTOs?
I don't really like MX5s, but I am after something RWD. At the moment the second one which has caught my eye is a Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT) twin turbo.
Cheaper to buy and tax, but more expensive to insure. But I wouldn't have to spend money turboing it (unless it's broken)
What do you guys think of the GTOs?
IAJO said:
Not as spritely in 1st and 2nd as you might imagine but 3rd onwards it is fast. For me the cabin didn't feel as cramped as the s2000 and mx5 did so more comfortable as a daily driver though a completely different style of drive from those two. Expect good handling muscle car rather than scalpel sharp sportscar. With a great driving position the zed always feels special considerably more so when you drive back to back with ordinary cars.
Fair summary.I was disappointed with the engine when I drove an early one - didn't feel as quick as 276bhp should have done and felt strangled at the top-end (something I've read is partly fixed with the later, higher-output cars). But then I was and still am used to screaming Hondas with featherweight flywheels and 8k redlines, so I'm probably atypical - it is still a nat-asp V6 with a fair chunk of power!
It's also not as practical as you expect - the rear brace really gets in the way. But if you compare it vs S2000/MX5/similar, rather than vs Integra / 200SX / 4wd brigade, then it's absolutely fine and as IAJO says is more of a daily-driver.
Depends how much practicality / refinement you need...
Practicality and refinement is secondary as this will be my second car, my '13 Vauxhall Astra is my sensible every day car. I'm just looking for a fun weekend runabout and something I can tinker with, but also make all the right noises and kick the tail out every now and then
The GTO being AWD makes it more stable but less fun , but I do like them very much. A 300zx would be great too, but getting one which is in good aesthetic condition within my budget seems difficult. The 350z is younger so even non-imports which have been sat in UK weather for years seem to still be in pretty decent shape.
S2000s and MX5s just don't take my fancy, I think deep down I am biased towards chunky V6s. Initial purchase price is causing me to lean more towards the GTO now, as I've seen some for less than £3k, but I just can't decide!
The GTO being AWD makes it more stable but less fun
, but I do like them very much. A 300zx would be great too, but getting one which is in good aesthetic condition within my budget seems difficult. The 350z is younger so even non-imports which have been sat in UK weather for years seem to still be in pretty decent shape.S2000s and MX5s just don't take my fancy, I think deep down I am biased towards chunky V6s. Initial purchase price is causing me to lean more towards the GTO now, as I've seen some for less than £3k, but I just can't decide!
GTO has a rep as a moneypit - very complicated electronics and not as reliable as the Jap average. That and the Pulsar GTi-R are the two Jap cars I wouldn't even consider touching.
GTO is also heavy, so not as quick as a twin-turbo V6 should be - there's a reason the (uglier but similar powertrain) R32/33/34 are a lot more expensive and sought-after!
Consider if you want big power / big acceleration, or a balanced/fun driving experience...and also consider how deep your pockets are - turbo'd '90s Jap cars do need more TLC than an n/a '00s Jap car.
GTO is also heavy, so not as quick as a twin-turbo V6 should be - there's a reason the (uglier but similar powertrain) R32/33/34 are a lot more expensive and sought-after!
Consider if you want big power / big acceleration, or a balanced/fun driving experience...and also consider how deep your pockets are - turbo'd '90s Jap cars do need more TLC than an n/a '00s Jap car.
I think the GTO's are priced that way for a reason due to their complexity people sell them on with problems (hidden or visible). The 300ZX would take time to find the right one in a good condition but there are still quite a few about. To keep costs low you'd have to get one of the non-turbo'd ones, but iirc it's still a 3.0 V6 so plenty of power.
350's will be easier to find in better condition unless you find a really cherished ZX, and you won't have to deal with the rust which is something you do have to keep your eye on with that age of Japanese car (mine is going to need to be re-undersealed next year).
350's will be easier to find in better condition unless you find a really cherished ZX, and you won't have to deal with the rust which is something you do have to keep your eye on with that age of Japanese car (mine is going to need to be re-undersealed next year).
Don't believe all the bad press about GTOs. In 8 years the only expensive faults I had with mine were the ABS relays and the alternator.
0-60 in 5.6s isn't slow by any measure. If you're happier knowing your car will take a corner as if on rails rather than hanging the tail out, top gear-wise then do try one out.
0-60 in 5.6s isn't slow by any measure. If you're happier knowing your car will take a corner as if on rails rather than hanging the tail out, top gear-wise then do try one out.
From what I just read (I didn't read everything just bits)
The only car I would suggest for you is a 350z. It will fit your budget (just) and they're great cars. I had a spin in one after buying my S2000 and wow did I want one.
Cant speak as an owner but having been in one they are very nice cars to be in and some of them sound amazing.
The only car I would suggest for you is a 350z. It will fit your budget (just) and they're great cars. I had a spin in one after buying my S2000 and wow did I want one.
Cant speak as an owner but having been in one they are very nice cars to be in and some of them sound amazing.
havoc said:
Consider if you want big power / big acceleration, or a balanced/fun driving experience...and also consider how deep your pockets are - turbo'd '90s Jap cars do need more TLC than an n/a '00s Jap car.
Somebody mentioned a MR2 Mk2 earlier. There is a proven way to eliminate the turbo TLC issue. Get an n/a which has had a V6 slotted into the engine compartment. I know several people who have one. The wide flat torque band makes it an ideal road car for daily use. Definitely within the OP's £5k budget.No good if the OP wants 4 seats though.
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