Nissan 350z GT/370z GT - Owners views
Discussion
@300bhp and I dont think you are listening at all to what the OP wants and simply trying to convince everyone a 90s yank with a V8 is some sort of alternative to a 350z or 370z (a 370z which is a decade and more apart) - I am glad you like those cars, but you are so closed minded to what the OP wants and more interested in trying to school all us simple minded people. And thats also the last I will say on the subject and stick to the thread about Nissans.
Oldandslow said:
I have a 350z HR and it is a good car within a narrow set of parameters.
Is it practical? No, luggage space is tiny and split by strut brace. 2 seats, cubbies/glove box behind seats, seats need moved forward for access.
Is it comfortable? Sort of. Seat and driving position good but noisy at speed, claustrophobic cabin, doesn't deal well with rough roads.
Does it handle? Yes up to a point, good turn in, good grip. Can be snappy but 300hp through the rear wheels will always catch you out if you're ham fisted.
How does it feel? Heavy. Heavy steering, heavy clutch, coming from my Scooby it at first felt like you wrestled the car rather than drove it. After an month I stopped noticing and other cars feel ridiculously underweighted.
Economy. Drinks fuel. I average 26ish mpg if I baby it on mixed commute. Drops rapidly if hooning.
Town driving? Awful, pulls away poorly, first and second gear baulk at changes. Clutch is heavy so repetitive changes do get tiring. Hates speedbumps, ground clearance not bad but you feel every bump.
Where it shines? A decent B road, sweeping bends, smooth surfaces, masterful overtakes. Sunshine helps. Above 4k rpm it makes a glorious sound.
I do love it though.
This.Is it practical? No, luggage space is tiny and split by strut brace. 2 seats, cubbies/glove box behind seats, seats need moved forward for access.
Is it comfortable? Sort of. Seat and driving position good but noisy at speed, claustrophobic cabin, doesn't deal well with rough roads.
Does it handle? Yes up to a point, good turn in, good grip. Can be snappy but 300hp through the rear wheels will always catch you out if you're ham fisted.
How does it feel? Heavy. Heavy steering, heavy clutch, coming from my Scooby it at first felt like you wrestled the car rather than drove it. After an month I stopped noticing and other cars feel ridiculously underweighted.
Economy. Drinks fuel. I average 26ish mpg if I baby it on mixed commute. Drops rapidly if hooning.
Town driving? Awful, pulls away poorly, first and second gear baulk at changes. Clutch is heavy so repetitive changes do get tiring. Hates speedbumps, ground clearance not bad but you feel every bump.
Where it shines? A decent B road, sweeping bends, smooth surfaces, masterful overtakes. Sunshine helps. Above 4k rpm it makes a glorious sound.
I do love it though.
Utterly fantastic car, and everyone loves them. Properly engaging to drive, feels like a piece of heavy machinery. My wife refused to drive mine.
You take you life into your hands when you go out in the wet, and forget snow and ice days. I got well stuck on a slight incline once, had to go get a tractor to pull it into the village.
Mine was Azure. 04 cars have cheaper tax.
Since registering on this Forum with a Focus RS Mk2 I have subsequently owned a Vauxhall VXR8 and a Vauxhall Corsa VXR (Stage 2). Recently I purchased a Nissan 370Z (manual) with 380 miles on the clock from a Nissan main dealer.
Whilst it may not be the fastest I am absolutely loving the ownership experience.
Whilst it may not be the fastest I am absolutely loving the ownership experience.
Edited by Will RS Mk2 on Thursday 30th November 18:56
coldel said:
I think you have been very unlucky - if you head to the zed forums where new owners appear all time very rarely do any arrive with rust on arches, and many current owners do not complain of it. That said all cars rust, thats kind of what happens. The MX5 is famous for rust on the sills, the 300zx's also (mainly due to poorly designed drainage routes for the targa roof as I understand it) but its certainly not a 'thing' that 350z's rust on the arches, on the whole the cars do not suffer from this.
I'm unsure which forums you go to, I see lots and lots of threads about rear wheel arch rust, even in dry US climate areas, where the car was a big seller. The rear suspension and underneath panels need checking too. Other parts of the car seem to be fine though.I've had a 350Z for almost a year and like it a lot. I looked at a few and all of them had some (or a lot of) rust on the rear wheel arch lips, but maybe that's why they were for sale? The one I bought was a 2005 with 65k miles and even that has a bit if bubbling paint in the wheel arch lip area. Treatment and paint when required will be hundreds of £ but compared to the blown engines you hear about on Mercs and Porches (my other considerations), the Nissan engines are tough, so overall cost is low.
I went for a GT spec one and glad I did. The cruise control and BOSE stereo are a good plus, Also have the alezan orange seats, but not to everyone's taste! 6 CD changer is good (your modernist will abhor the lack of bluetooth) and having a tape deck is quaint.
I think it's a great car to drive. Other owners who say the clutch and steering are heavy must be comparing it to cars with soft ones. Compared to my previous TVR Chimaera, they are very nice! It IS shocking on fuel around town. Cruising on the M6 in the summer, it averaged 35 mpg, but round town short journeys when cold, 15 mpg. The trip meter is the most accurate I've experienced though. It IS a heavy car though whic you notice in twisting road, I did in N Wales. The Brembo brakes (standard on all UK models) are stunning. The ABS in my experience, hardly ever needs to cut in. There are numerous grey imports from Japan so check spec carefully.
I don't agree that Nissan servicing is reasonable. They wanted £240 near me for a P1 service which is little more than an oil change. I used a local garage who used the check sheet you can find on the web for half the price. I may have coughed up if it had full Nissan history but it hasn't. There are numerous 350Z specialists out there too, often doubling up with WRX and Evo car servicing. Cougar store in Leicester are recommended but I haven't tried them myself.
Only glitches have been ones many owners have mentioned on the net. Boot didn't open properly (padded out the side support springs), airbag light resolved with ignition on and off a few times (on youtube).
Traction control is a little bit too intrusive. Cuts power hugely at the slightest hint of wheelspin. Turning out of T junctions I notice it most. I often turn it off in the dry, but much needed in this weather.
Main issue is the length of the doors. If you park anywhere near a wall or another car in a car park, exiting and entering is a contortion if you're tall. Probably why the edges of the seats are so worn on most cars.
Another consideration mentioned in passing is VED (car tax). On cars pre March 2006, it's £315 p.a. from April 2018. On those registered after March 2006, it'll be £555! The 370Z is a bit better on fuel so £540 p.a. It doesn't make much difference to buyers when a car is £10k or more, but as they get, old it WILL affect chances of selling it.
Values of old Jags / Mercs (not sports cars granted) are being hammered if they're post 2006 bands L or M VED. Mercedes SLK350 from '06 and '07 are fetching less than an equivalent '05 for example and it has to be the VED consideration (the '08 model is much better on fuel).
Was thinking of selling in the Spring but writing this has lead me to consider otherwise.
Edited by ianwayne on Saturday 2nd December 10:09
ianwayne said:
I'm unsure which forums you go to, I see lots and lots of threads about rear wheel arch rust, even in dry US climate areas, where the car was a big seller. The rear suspension and underneath panels need checking too. Other parts of the car seem to be fine though.
Im a moderator on the 350z UK forum so tend to see the majority of threads that go up on it - I regularly set up and attend meets, including the one at coventry this year with nearly 60 zeds attending. I don't remember seeing one with rear arch rust issues but they generally are very good condition cars.Edited by ianwayne on Saturday 2nd December 10:09
The big issues I believe have been outlined, rear arch rust happens on the odd car here and there - like any car really but is certainly not a big weakness on the 350z moreso than any other car.
Thats exactly why I said most cars were immaculate about coventry - but there were lots of standard cars too. Lots of static meets attract all types of cars often new owners. The meets down in Westerham, Surrey, Kent etc I go to have bog standard cars with no rust issues to deal with. People do not hide from these meets because they have a bit of rust on the arch, thats just not realistic.
If it was such a big issue we would be dealing with body panels and body shop Wanted ads, but its not, its really not. The big issues have as I said already been mentioned - rust, if its evident, is clear to see and find. It cannot be hidden as easily as say knackered strut tops or the like. I have seen hundreds of zeds over the years, I can count a handful that have had rust issues on the rear arch - the bigger issues are things like oil gasket galleries on the later cars that you really need to worry about and check on.
If it was such a big issue we would be dealing with body panels and body shop Wanted ads, but its not, its really not. The big issues have as I said already been mentioned - rust, if its evident, is clear to see and find. It cannot be hidden as easily as say knackered strut tops or the like. I have seen hundreds of zeds over the years, I can count a handful that have had rust issues on the rear arch - the bigger issues are things like oil gasket galleries on the later cars that you really need to worry about and check on.
Edited by coldel on Saturday 2nd December 17:03
Edited by coldel on Saturday 2nd December 17:04
Well a quick search was all it took for me to realise I was not alone:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=350z+rear+arch+r...
You're right that it's not as major an issue as an engine going pop, as with most cars.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=350z+rear+arch+r...
You're right that it's not as major an issue as an engine going pop, as with most cars.
ianwayne said:
Well a quick search was all it took for me to realise I was not alone:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=350z+rear+arch+r...
You're right that it's not as major an issue as an engine going pop, as with most cars.
You have kind of proven my point, there are a few issues (never said you were the only one) but they are minor in the grand scheme of things. I am seeing lots of threads at the moment around oil gasket galleries on the later 350s and 370s which is undetectable unless you know what you are looking for and I see on the forum at least 5-10 of these posts for every 1 about any serious rust issue. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=350z+rear+arch+r...
You're right that it's not as major an issue as an engine going pop, as with most cars.
And showing a google search thread doesnt really show anything, there are literally millions of posts on the internet on zed forums, I can type the same thing https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=oil+gasket+galle...
...but it doesnt prove anything really.
By all means check a car for rust, like you would any car. But there are some very specific (more common and more expensive) issues to the zed you should be aware of if buying.
TiminYorkshire said:
Sorry to drag this thread back up from the past, but how far back will the passenger seat recline? The reason I'm asking is that I'm wondering if I would be able to fit my shorter (6'6" surf board) in on the passenger seat, which I've managed in various hatches and even an X308 XJR.
Not far that far see pic here https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/nissan/370z/i...You can remove the headrest on the GT but not NISMO version if that helps
I have owned two an early one and a later HR one, they are ok.
On paper they should be awesome cars, but they are not a sum of their parts unfortunately and terrible on track which the standard brakes even the brembo's cannot cope with.
I think there are better cars out there if you want a two seater sports car.
On paper they should be awesome cars, but they are not a sum of their parts unfortunately and terrible on track which the standard brakes even the brembo's cannot cope with.
I think there are better cars out there if you want a two seater sports car.
Dakkon said:
I have owned two an early one and a later HR one, they are ok.
On paper they should be awesome cars, but they are not a sum of their parts unfortunately and terrible on track which the standard brakes even the brembo's cannot cope with.
I think there are better cars out there if you want a two seater sports car.
If you want a sports car then you need to be looking at cheaper Porsches etc. A sports car the 350z isnt its a GT car. It can be a very good track car with a bit of effort i.e. lowered, some hawk ceramic brakes, a remap of the power delivery and remove all the sound deadening (a guy on the forum stripped it all out and saved something like 50kgs) - but ultimately it wont be a track car as its not meant to be one. On paper they should be awesome cars, but they are not a sum of their parts unfortunately and terrible on track which the standard brakes even the brembo's cannot cope with.
I think there are better cars out there if you want a two seater sports car.
Ultimately it was £35k new for a two seater V6 rear wheel drive car - peanuts really and why they are so cheap now but there are compromises.
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