Outline Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Howdy - I posted a long while back pointing out that I was looking at buying an early 350. Since then, I've been through what feels like every other car on the market, and I'm back to wanting one! Just wondering if I could get some feedback on how realistic owning one is. I'm 22 (1 year NCB) and earning somewhere around 23k a year. Small savings, so half of it would be financed. Currently driving a C2 VTS - so it's a phenomenal leap in just about every department. Insurance is coming out at £100 more a year. Really, I just want to be talked into or out of it - I know you're all honest and enthusiastic about your cars, and I've read enough on the 350z to know I want one. But now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexx Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Depends on how much you drive. Zed's are thirsty cars, and you will only be returning 22-25mpg for mixed driving. If you get a pre-06 car tax will be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyBoy Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Hi, welcome to the forum I'm about your age, and i've not found insurance or anything to be that bad tbh, depends where you live. The running costs are another matter though. From what you posted your income as, I likely have more disposable income than you, and i still find the Zed makes regular inroads into money that previously would have been spent on other fun stuff (going out, hobbies/sports etc.). It's never left me with a bad taste in my mouth as i love every minute i'm in it, but you may have to be prepared to fund it like a hobby rather than a car. You're the best person to assess realistically how much cash you have kicking around each month and whether you can absorb things like new brake pads (£200+) or a heavy petrol month. On another note, the Zed might be a letdown after a hot-hatch, they don't feel all that fast because of the linear torque until you look at the speedo and realise how accidentally illegal you are. DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outline Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Could've added more to my first post. I drive ten miles to and ten miles from work a day - not the best journey I know. Motorway use on the weekends. I'm used to 35MPG, and expecting a drop - it's more the accumulative costs of servicing/tax/tyres and so on that I worry about. Generally looking at 2004/2005, although that £100 a year isn't the biggest impact as I say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 at 22 I think you will find the nsurance the difficult and expensive thing. So companines at your age wont cove ryou and those that will may charge you a hefty premium. Bets of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSensible Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Key question really is what are you other outgoings? If you live at home and then don't pay much in the way of rent, bills etc. I'd say you'll be fine. It's definatley a fair step up in running costs through, tyres are best part of £100 each, it will eat brakes if you drive hard/track it, plus its a thirsty beast who only likes to drink 98 RON. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outline Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 M13KYF, insurance really isn't too much of an issue, several quotes at £100 more, and it comes out at £600 cheaper than a Golf GTI! Key question really is what are you other outgoings? If you live at home and then don't pay much in the way of rent, bills etc. I'd say you'll be fine. It's definatley a fair step up in running costs through, tyres are best part of £100 each, it will eat brakes if you drive hard/track it, plus its a thirsty beast who only likes to drink 98 RON. These are the questions. In honesty, this is hard to figure out right now - my girlfriend is living away for the next six months, and until then I'm paying twice the amount in bills/rent/just about everything! However, still managing to find £200-300 a month for a fairly luxury lifestyle (I'm talking eating out, not holidays abroad). Payrise in the new year will help, and with her back in six month's time, that's roughly £450 I won't have to worry about. I'm fairly confident, but it's difficult to assess, as we still have getting onto the property ladder to consider. What sort of figures/timescales am I looking at for things such as brakes/tyres/servicing/any other expenses? Help's much appreciated by the way - the extent of my mates' help is 'GET IT IT'S GORGEOUS'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfman Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 As said. Remember its 98 ron to. When I first got my zed I was doing a 30mile all round commute. I'd spend around £50 to get to work and back a week. Might have some fuel left for a little trip. Thing you want to think of is, you may need to replace hefty items. Clutches are prone to going as I'm sure your aware. Disks and pads can be cheap if you just get average stuff. But your still looking at the best part of £500 for front and back. Tyres £400 for all 4 - ish. It all depends how much you want it. Over the past year I've spend ALOT of money on my car just repairing it. But it's worth it as I love the car. Only way to find out is to get one! I'd get the smallest loan you can though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 How much are you looking to spend on the car. Fuel is 110ish a tank of v power now, roughly see 275-300 miles a tank Tyres depends how you drive but budget 1k a year Brakes depends how you drive, average for normal driving 120 a set for 2yrs But remember, older cars will have more wear and tear. An exhaust can be anything from a few hundred to over a couple of grand. A clutch will set you back about 1500 quid fitted. You have to have money to fix it when things go wrong. I was 21 when I bought mines. I roughly spent around 500-600 a month a fuel at first. Tyres didn't last me long, brakes needed changing at 18,000 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tprice Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! where are you located mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tprice Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 servicing is every 9000 i beleive, im sure some1 will correct me if im wrong though, but most service bits can be done on your driveway! so its really not that expensive, the main thing is the fuel mate! but you dont have to drive at 6000rpm everywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 but you dont have to drive Eat 6000rpm everywhere! Really The fuel is the biggest part. Servicing I'd say averages around 200 a year depending on mileage. The car isn't majorly expensive compared to any other although will drink fuel and don't like short journeys. Older cars are now starting to show issues though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 im 24 and earning less than you are, but im definitely set on a zed - a 100 mile commute each week sounds pretty reasonable to me, thats only 4800 miles a year all in, whuch is well below average. if you want a sports car and can afford the insurance, id say go for it! I think considering the fact its a 3.5 litre V6, its one of the best value to buy - your only other options for that kind of pace are either an old school Jap turbo car (Supra, Skyline, RX7 etc) but these will be expensive on a regular basis, or a porsche or Beemer - both of which will have ruinously expensive parts and servicing. Yes a clutch on a zed is a lot, but it would be lot more for an M3! Whats your car history? driven anything with 280bhp before? As you say, stepping up from a C2 will be a big change... ever driven RWD before? if you havent, get some training, completely different animal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tprice Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 neil whats with the EAT bit hahahaha! my car has cost me so little in fuel this month, £0.00 in fact best car iv owned did i mention it hasnt left the garage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 My c2 vts was a pretty wild beast and revd crazy high. Sold it with 6k on clock as it fell apart. Changed to a mini cooper s jcw and I was surprised how much quicker it felt than the c2. Then I bought the zed and although not substantially quicker it was a different type of fast. The feeling of being pushed rather than pulled is a different experience. Just be sensible and you will be fine. It is bad in the winter though if you have no experience of rwd's. Much more experienced drivers have no issues driving in snow etc. Ideally though to enjoy the car fully you'd be looking at 400 a month in fuel at least so you an have a blast at the weekend. It is possible to do a tank in, in less than 100 miles although you need to drive hard. How much are you looking to spend on the car alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tprice Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 some bargain motors on ebay for about 6-7k! some are prob in horrific condition, but bet you can find some gems out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Neil's first post has it spot on, and is very realistic IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 neil whats with the EAT bit hahahaha! my car has cost me so little in fuel this month, £0.00 in fact best car iv owned did i mention it hasnt left the garage! Lmao iPhone typo Mines hasn't left the garage and cost me about 3k this month so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tprice Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 yeah we should warn the OP that once he buys a Z the spending doesnt stop there!! you will want to continuosly mod and tweak your Z regardless of what it looks like, drives like etc! I look at mine and think - perfect, go on ebay etc and end up with a list of about £3000s worth of parts i could buy and fit lol its deadly!!! fun though until it comes to rent day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leodspider Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Im 21, student with a small income from family restraunt ( hardly work ), my insurance is the single biggest outgoing so far at just under £1000. im using about 7-90 quid a week on petrol. and its my daily. its certainly sustainable as long as you look after car, its helpful if you or your mate are good with their cars, as me and my mates service our own cars to keep the cost down, and give us the satisfaction of knowing its done properly. The only advice i would give atm is dont hit a fox at speed !! yeah we should warn the OP that once he buys a Z the spending doesnt stop there!! you will want to continuosly mod and tweak your Z regardless of what it looks like, drives like etc! I look at mine and think - perfect, go on ebay etc and end up with a list of about £3000s worth of parts i could buy and fit lol its deadly!!! fun though until it comes to rent day i agree, also watch out for tarmac or alex as sometimes their deals are just too good. Between the start of this month and end of january, i will have spent 1k on mods. as ive put in deposit for a set of coilovers from tarmac and an intake from momentum performance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outline Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! where are you located mate Haha, the amount I've heard this recently... Oxford matey. im 24 and earning less than you are, but im definitely set on a zed - a 100 mile commute each week sounds pretty reasonable to me, thats only 4800 miles a year all in, whuch is well below average. if you want a sports car and can afford the insurance, id say go for it! I think considering the fact its a 3.5 litre V6, its one of the best value to buy - your only other options for that kind of pace are either an old school Jap turbo car (Supra, Skyline, RX7 etc) but these will be expensive on a regular basis, or a porsche or Beemer - both of which will have ruinously expensive parts and servicing. Yes a clutch on a zed is a lot, but it would be lot more for an M3! Whats your car history? driven anything with 280bhp before? As you say, stepping up from a C2 will be a big change... ever driven RWD before? if you havent, get some training, completely different animal! I haven't much experience of other cars of this calibre if I'm honest - learned to drive in the mother's 3.2 TT years ago, and I've driven a RS4 (V8) a little bit. But apart from test drives, nothing else that comes close. The VTS is a rapid little hot hatch, but not enough (power, luxury, comfort, style, fun, the list goes on) and I've been itching for the past year to be rid of it. Biggest alternative is a Golf GTI, which has huge insurance and is... In honesty, a bit bland? Have also been looking at BMW 1 series and Civic Type-R's. So, fairly varied I guess, and the 350 is at the top of that pile. The reason this has come about is that, if I'm to be upgrading to a £10k+ car, I don't really want to get the car I should get. So, ideally looking to spend £10k on it though could be persuaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 What I'd say then is get something around the 8k mark and put two grand away to use for repairs and fuel and maybe some mods. 8k will get you a nice low mileage 54 plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRF4N Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Or go for a nice 53 plate, well maintained and already modded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outline Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 What I'd say then is get something around the 8k mark and put two grand away to use for repairs and fuel and maybe some mods. 8k will get you a nice low mileage 54 plate. It's definitely a thought. To be honest, going for £8k would leave £2k off the finance, giving me some freedom to use savings (or create some!) for repairs. Just threw some figures, and taking everything as bad as it can be, a 350z works out at £600 a month (this is including finance, fuel, tax, servicing, insurance etc). My current car comes out at £250, and as I say, I have a bit of cash left over (as well as a pay rise coming, and a girlfriend coming home). If I can be sensible and put this off for six/seven months until she's home and things are stable, it's most definitely doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Suits you sir, you know you want it sir, so just buy it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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