350z debate
Author
Discussion

WWESTY

Original Poster:

2,690 posts

267 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Both are facelift (post 07) cars, both GT spec.
One has 65k miles and 3 owners, the other is 18mths younger but has 80k miles and 6 owners.
Older one has more "blemishes" but is a good example.
Younger one is better presented but still not perfect.
Both have full service history, but older one has a bit more paper to back it up.

Which would you choose???

liner33

10,861 posts

231 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
The one with the best oil pressure and or the one that has had the oil gallery gaskets replaced .

Also always buy on condition not mileage

WWESTY

Original Poster:

2,690 posts

267 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
liner33 said:
The one with the best oil pressure and or the one that has had the oil gallery gaskets replaced .

Also always buy on condition not mileage
Thanks - have had that issue pointed out.

Re condition:mileage its always a tough one I think as the mileage has such an effect on future value too. At the moment the 2 cars are pretty much the same price, but in 2 years and, say, 10k miles?

Condition wise the higher mileage one is better than the other cosmetically, but as mentioned I think the lower mileage one probably has a better history. Mechanically, I'm not an expert, but they are both in good order and have long MOT's.


griffter

4,143 posts

284 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Fewer owners and lower miles does it for me, all else being equal. Whatever anyone says, miles wears cars.

That doesn’t mean high miles cars are a bad thing - I chose my 93k mile S2000 needing tidying over a near immaculate 20k mile 350z roadster. The S2000 “felt” right and they were both priced the same (by the time I’d knocked a bit off the S). What have me confidence in the S was meeting the owner, seeing the continuous service history and satisfying myself it had been cared for by diligent owners. That’s what matters.

liner33

10,861 posts

231 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Whilst higher mileage cars are cheaper it can cost more money to tidy up a scruffy car.

The mileage difference here is negotiable imo these are 10+ year old cars

drgoatboy

2,027 posts

236 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
how many miles will you do?
When a car ticks over 100k it magically becomes much harder to sell and worth less money.
If you are doing 10k a year the high mileage one will take a big hit in a couple of years time....

coldel

11,029 posts

175 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Yes for the UK market the 100k mile mark is like a trigger for a bomb that has been built into any car. Bizarre and fickle market we are in!

Go to the 350z-uk forum and look at the buyers guide, anything from gaskets (as mentioned) to rust, to any minor mods you might not have noticed. Prices are really bottoming out at the moment for them, so a decent time to buy.

crankedup

25,764 posts

272 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
coldel said:
Yes for the UK market the 100k mile mark is like a trigger for a bomb that has been built into any car. Bizarre and fickle market we are in!

Go to the 350z-uk forum and look at the buyers guide, anything from gaskets (as mentioned) to rust, to any minor mods you might not have noticed. Prices are really bottoming out at the moment for them, so a decent time to buy.
Yes it’s strange imo, perhaps stems back to the 1960s when many cars were badly built, relative to now, and engine tech was rudimentary perhaps. I can recall when I was a spotty teenager old bangers were ten years old and over 100,000 miles likely scrappers. Perhaps this image has stuck?

coldel

11,029 posts

175 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
I remember older cars only had 5 digits for the mileage on the dash, so they would roll over to 00000 at 100k and maybe it was a psychological thing!

I lived in Paris for a few years, people use cars to drive across Europe and are much less fussy on the mileage thing - maybe it is island mentality.

liner33

10,861 posts

231 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Yep 100k+ is perfectly fine in other countries, it's a psychological barrier imo

ZX10R NIN

30,525 posts

154 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
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With the examples you list above I'd go for the lower mileage example but this would be dependent on the price difference between the two.

jonmiles

107 posts

85 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
liner33 said:
Yep 100k+ is perfectly fine in other countries, it's a psychological barrier imo
That would be Kilometres, not Miles.

100,000km is only 62,000 miles.

WWESTY

Original Poster:

2,690 posts

267 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Thanks for the input everyone!

Price is basically the same, hence the focus on mileage/age.

coldel

11,029 posts

175 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Its not like for like though, the higher mileage is a younger car with a better history and condition? What about things like the clutch, have they been done? Clutches on 350z's can easily reach into £1k territory to replace. Brake discs and pads easily go past £500 even for mid range ones. Tyres, for premium tyres looking at £100-£150 each. Your lower miles car wont make much financial sense if it needs all that done vs the older one for example.

WWESTY

Original Poster:

2,690 posts

267 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
coldel said:
Its not like for like though, the higher mileage is a younger car with a better history and condition? What about things like the clutch, have they been done? Clutches on 350z's can easily reach into £1k territory to replace. Brake discs and pads easily go past £500 even for mid range ones. Tyres, for premium tyres looking at £100-£150 each. Your lower miles car wont make much financial sense if it needs all that done vs the older one for example.
Higher mileage is indeed younger and appears better cosmetically. It has receipt to show clutch been done.
Both have decent history.
2 years usage will probably be 12k tops so still not 100k, but close!
Both have long mots.

coldel

11,029 posts

175 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Im veering towards the higher miler one based on what you have said, have you tried messaging on the 350z-uk forum, there could well be past owners of the two cars on there who could give you some feedback (many 350z owners go on to buy 370z or just hang around on there like me!).

Clutch is a fairly big job as I say you will have a bill for £800 to £1000 if you do the flywheel at the same time so bonus if thats done. And check the gallery gaskets are done on both with receipts again as its hundreds of pounds of work - all will outstrip cost wise any depreciative value you see in the 100k mile car.

liner33

10,861 posts

231 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
jonmiles said:
liner33 said:
Yep 100k+ is perfectly fine in other countries, it's a psychological barrier imo
That would be Kilometres, not Miles.

100,000km is only 62,000 miles.
I was thinking about the USA to be honest where these cars are popular

liner33

10,861 posts

231 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
Neither is KA57CVZ is it ?

coldel

11,029 posts

175 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
OP, if the ads are on AT, PH or Ebay how about posting up them here for people to have a nose over. Anyone in the market for a 350z would have looked on those three sites anyway so you wont be giving away any state secret car for sale biggrin

WWESTY

Original Poster:

2,690 posts

267 months

Wednesday 18th September 2019
quotequote all
coldel said:
OP, if the ads are on AT, PH or Ebay how about posting up them here for people to have a nose over. Anyone in the market for a 350z would have looked on those three sites anyway so you wont be giving away any state secret car for sale biggrin
All the info and comments are much appreciated thanks!
While I appreciate the offer, I have been bitten in the past where I’ve done all the research on a possible purchase only to find a new buyer suddenly jumps in ahead of me - can’t prove anything, but....