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contemplating my first jap car!


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okay, so first things first i am driving a mk4 golf gttdi (go easy on me) but im looking to convert to a 350z (what I believe to be the best jap option). basically there are a few things I want to know if I can get some help before I bite the bullet as it is a sizable commitment for myself....

I am looking for a convertible model and a GT trim!

 

What are the costs like for maintenance?

are they reliable?

what things should I look for whilst buying? ie, corrosion etc.

is it worth the extra for the 300?

what is the fuel like? (my commute to work is around 8 miles each way but m'way with no traffic. but I am cycling atm because it is saving me 3k a year!)

 

if there is any other advice that I should take note of I will be grateful for the information

 

Cheers fellas!

 

Craig

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Welcome aboard Craig. :welcome:

 

Buyers guide here; http://www.350z-uk.com/topic/77426-buyers-guide/

New members/potential owners guide here; http://www.350z-uk.com/topic/22880-guide-for-new-memberspotential-buyers/

350Z Service schedule here (useful for when looking at cars to know if it's been serviced correctly); http://www.350z-uk.com/topic/31110-service-schedule-for-a-350z/

 

They are reliable as are most cars when maintained correctly. FSH is a must imo when buying a used car. They should only be run on Super Unleaded so avoid ones that have been run solely on 95 octane fuel.

 

Corrosion wise: check the rear quarters around the wheel arches/fuel filler flap, OEM exhausts rust especially around the back box/pipes etc.

 

If you can afford the HR engined Zed over the DE variants then I'd go for it but there isn't a lot of difference performance wise imo although the interior/exterior updates are better on the HR.

 

Fuel can be heavy depending on your driving style but what 3.5 L V6 isn't? :shrug: Currently I'm seeing around 23MPG on my daily commute back & forth (5 miles each way) to work although that is solely urban driving in stop/start traffic. :thumbs:

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thank you for the speedy response!

yeah my golf costs me roughly £10 a day! its remapped and all that malark which will not be happened with the zed as they dont really need it from what ive heard! so cycling is still the option regardless of whether i grace myself with a zed.

 

sorry if im being foolish here but what is HR or DE?

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thank you for the speedy response!

yeah my golf costs me roughly £10 a day! its remapped and all that malark which will not be happened with the zed as they dont really need it from what ive heard! so cycling is still the option regardless of whether i grace myself with a zed.

 

sorry if im being foolish here but what is HR or DE?

Not foolish at all. ;) It's basically to do with the engine code names.

 

2003 - 2004/05 have the DE engine (VQ35DE)

2005/06 - 2007 have the RevUp DE engine (VQ35DE RevUp)

2007 - 2009 have the HR engine (VQ35HR)

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okay, so first things first i am driving a mk4 golf gttdi (go easy on me) but im looking to convert to a 350z (what I believe to be the best jap option). basically there are a few things I want to know if I can get some help before I bite the bullet as it is a sizable commitment for myself....

I am looking for a convertible model and a GT trim!

 

What are the costs like for maintenance?

are they reliable?

what things should I look for whilst buying? ie, corrosion etc.

is it worth the extra for the 300?

what is the fuel like? (my commute to work is around 8 miles each way but m'way with no traffic. but I am cycling atm because it is saving me 3k a year!)

 

if there is any other advice that I should take note of I will be grateful for the information

 

Cheers fellas!

 

Craig

 

the Z isnt an inteligent buy but an emotional

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okay, so first things first i am driving a mk4 golf gttdi (go easy on me) but im looking to convert to a 350z (what I believe to be the best jap option). basically there are a few things I want to know if I can get some help before I bite the bullet as it is a sizable commitment for myself....

I am looking for a convertible model and a GT trim!

 

What are the costs like for maintenance?

are they reliable?

what things should I look for whilst buying? ie, corrosion etc.

is it worth the extra for the 300?

what is the fuel like? (my commute to work is around 8 miles each way but m'way with no traffic. but I am cycling atm because it is saving me 3k a year!)

 

if there is any other advice that I should take note of I will be grateful for the information

 

Cheers fellas!

 

Craig

 

the Z isnt an inteligent buy but an emotional

 

I've always gone by emotional value! who needs sense when you've got a steering wheel eh? :lol:

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