W4ffles Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hi ladies and gents, Noob here. I'm trying to get on to the Z wagon. Haven't driven one yet but I'm planning for a test drive soon with a dealership. Though I've found out at work that a colleague in a different dept has had a 53 plate 350z uk usual gt spec with 72k since new but.....it's been sitting on the drive for year with a dodgy starter apparently and flat batt. Bar the big service...what else should I be looking out for with the car been sitting not started for a year. I'm not sure if I want him to try start it by getting a new batt or anything. From experience with my current car (Subaru legacy gtb) which had sat for 1or2 years not driven or started - once it was started and driven to the garage it's 2 turbos blew albeit the engine was ok. Now I know a 350 isn't turbo but I'm thinking it might be worth towing to a garage to give it a service and look over by a mech Anyways I haven't seen it yet and don't know how much it is but could get it cheap. He has no use for it at the mo so may get a bargain! One owner since new has to be good! Thanks for your help and hopefully I will have one soon! Waffles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Welcome to The Forum. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 One owner from new is only good if he's looked after it. He spent 30k on the car then leaves it laying around because of a dodgy starter? I think it's a bit dodgy because surely you'd just put a new starter in it and carry on? So this leads me to believe that there's more wrong than just that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W4ffles Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Ya I get ya. Things il be looking out for are decent brand tyres on it, tells me an owner putting money into it! Well we both work at Nissan plant and he must have got a employee discount deal on it new and held onto to it since. He's had 2kids so he says he has no use for it. He didn't have it for sale at all...I just got his name from a colleague I work with when I said I was looking at 350zs...then he mentioned you should ask if the other guy would be willing to sell if he has just left on a drive. So I did get in touch and I'm due to see it one of the days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouthwash Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Just keep your eyes open for any obvious with a car that's been left to the elements with no use for a year (standing water etc.). This last year hasn't particularly been brilliant in terms of weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridz Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 One owner from new is only good if he's looked after it. He spent 30k on the car then leaves it laying around because of a dodgy starter? I think it's a bit dodgy because surely you'd just put a new starter in it and carry on? So this leads me to believe that there's more wrong than just that. Agree.You need to check service history, mileage etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W4ffles Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 One owner from new is only good if he's looked after it. He spent 30k on the car then leaves it laying around because of a dodgy starter? I think it's a bit dodgy because surely you'd just put a new starter in it and carry on? So this leads me to believe that there's more wrong than just that. Agree.You need to check service history, mileage etc. Oh ya that's a given, il be checking for that and making sure it's got its major service done etc. But will the likes of bushes cease and need replacing or any hoses or anything in particular? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W4ffles Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Just keep your eyes open for any obvious with a car that's been left to the elements with no use for a year (standing water etc.). This last year hasn't particularly been brilliant in terms of weather. That's true, cool cheers ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIXXERUK Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Tyres ! I would budget for replacements, check the walls for cracking and it's likely they will have flat spots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W4ffles Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Tyres ! I would budget for replacements, check the walls for cracking and it's likely they will have flat spots Ya was going to be checking for perished tyres thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Could be a bargain at the right price. I'd budget for changing all fluids though, tyres, battery and the dodgy starter. Needs to be priced appropriately otherwise you will lose out on the service costs of bringing it back up to a good running standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Just keep your eyes open for any obvious with a car that's been left to the elements with no use for a year (standing water etc.). This last year hasn't particularly been brilliant in terms of weather. Well, presuming it hasn't been cleaned during the past 12 months it will almost certainly have been subjected to bird poo which can easily attack the paintwork as it's fairly acidic and the purple stuff is very acidic. My RS Turbo was left out uncleaned for 12 months and the paintwork really suffered quite badly with dull patches and dull streaks where the bird poo had run in the rain. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Make sure you go over some rough ground and/or speed bumps and listen for knocks and squeaks. That will indicate it may need new banana arm bushes and/or drop links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock_Steady Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Bird poo.. I tell ya, some of the birds round where I live must have cleft arse holes judging by the size of the poo they deposit on my car. Either that or cows have now got wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I've just bought a 2005 roadster with 38,000 miles and FSH that was sat in a multi-storey for 9 months. Other than being very dusty and having a few bumper scrapes it's perfect. Although it did require new pads, discs and tyres all round. The roof was also a bit stiff at first. I can honestly say its the best buy I've ever made. The body shop that repaired the bumper offered me double what I paid. The guy I bought it off had owned it from new, but left it in his work car park space when he got a new e class cabrio last august. Some people have more money than sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W4ffles Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 Cool, thanks for the tips guys. If you've any others let me know. Test driving a running one in a dealership tomorrow with similar mileage to the standing one I'm talking about above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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