Aside from the obvious checks for crash damage or poor repairs, the first thing to check with the 350Z's bodywork is the front bumper and headlights for stonechip damage. Bearing in mind a new headlamp unit from Nissan is £500, a cracked lens could be a costly item to miss out on when buying a 350Z.
Top doesn't like going down on cold days
The Roadster's roof is well made and should show no signs of wear. It won't go down on a cold day at anything below 8-degrees Celcius and you will need to warm the car thoroughly before trying to operate the roof. This is mentioned in the owner's handbook, so is not a fault as such, more a quirk of the car.
For Roadster and Coupe models, the fuel filler flap and boot lid release can both become reluctant to work on the first press to open them. It's easy to fix the fuel filler flap with a new release spring and 'bumper' feet, and if you are caught out at a petrol station there is an emergency release lever hidden under the boot's trim to open the filler cap.
To sort the boot release, you can slip some penny coins in under the release springs to give them more of a 'ping' when you press the release button. You can also remove the counterweight that is fitted to cars without a rear spoiler to help the boot pop open more easily.
Another common fault with the boot is for the rear hatch struts to stop working effectively. It's another simple fix to replace these struts, which cost £25 each.
PHer's view:
"One rather bad downside to the roadster model is the way the roof would not go down on a cold day. As anyone who's owned a convertible before, this was a big shame because sometimes the best trips out are in winter with the roof down. The thing had heated leather seats too which made it all the more disappointing."
Paul Birkett