Enjoy!!!

http://search.ebaymotors.com/search/...m=R2&catref=C3

 

That really means nothing. These are all auction bids that have days left and it doesn't mean that the person will sell for the price they may get. The only one that does not have a reserve is all messed up.

 

First, I completly disagree with the concept that GM does not make a quality automobile. They do, and I can't find anything about a Nissan superior in that department.

Second, the idea that someone looks at the right C4 Corvette (LT1 or LT5 powered car) and a 300ZX TT and picks the 300ZX TT just baffles me. They were underpowered barges with little or no redeeming value in my mind - and the Corvette soundly trounced them in performance.

At this point, someone will probably mention modifications...

I'll take a small block Chevrolet or LT5 against all comers there.

 

I love the 350Z.....but I'm a Chevy guy and my experience......and it's extensive ....is that the notorious intake leak and the optispark are both easily repaired and can be long lasting repairs. But niether are hardly a reason to condem GM. Inital problems with the opti were corrected by 1995 and proper use of correct sealants and installation can easily fix the intake leak....I know I've repaired dozens of them. (son own's a hi-perf shop). Heck, we've got both fixes down to around 3-4 hours complete. I've seen optis last anywhere from 40k miles to well over 100k miles....it seems to be related to how and where it's driven....besides, how long do you expect one to last? Nothing is forever.

Buying new or used is comparing apples to oranges.

Personally, I've spent hours behind the wheel of C5's.....Z06's included and I think the are the absolute BEST value out there for overall performance and technology....but I still can't afford one....

Personally, I think the interior of a C5 is worlds better than the Nissan......touch and feel included.

My "disappointments" with the 350Z are simple......as is the practice with most car companies....the initial models have a lack of power...they all seem ot launch a new model all full of promise and make us wait until next year for the real performance models... A car that weighs this much with only 285 or so horsepower is going to be an also ran in today's market of 400 ++ horse competitors. You have to ask...why? and also when is this going to be remedied? I haven't heard of a major increase from Nissan.....only street rumors of turbo versions or larger displacements........

Secondly, as with the CTS, there are HUGE fields of textured plastic!! I DON'T want to have plastic touch me at the door panels.

Finally, the rear strut brace is farggin' HUGE.....there's NO excuse for this....it destroys and luggage capability and with proper engineering could have been handled in a much better manner.

As far as your comments that a Z06 would have been too much af a beast to drive daily........I found the exact opposite. The Z06 is as compliant, quiet and great riding of a car as I've driven. The power and torque of the LS6 make it an absolute joy to drive anywhere. One could surmise that if your comparison is valid, then the 350Z must be some kinda' p u s s y c a t and not a real sports car.....not true, but it's what I get from your statements.

As I said, I've spent a small amount of time around the 350Z and love 90%+ of it....and would love to use most of it's "formula" as a basis for a 5th gen......just less plastic and much more appropriate engine power levels (read......V8) and it's world class.

 

There do seem to be a few Camaro's out there with an overabundance of problems. Also there is a short list of fairly common problems. From what I remember intake oil leak is not a difficult fix and should last. Another design problem was having the optispark under the water pump. From what I've seen the water pumps tend to go between 90,000 and 120,000 miles. The water then shorts out the opti. This is something they really should have put in planned maintenance.

To give another counterpoint though, the problems I've had are power window motor, and exhuast manifold gasket leak. I had the waterpump replaced around the appropriate time as well. Repairs weren't that expensive really and other than that it's been bullit proof.

If GM had just put it in the manual though....heck Honda puts the timing belt change in at 60,000 miles!! And that's over $300 to do!!

 

FWIW, I owned a 1995 A4 Admiral Blue Corvette (LT1, obviously) from 1996-1997... never had any leaking problem.

In fact, the only problem I did have was the glossy finish wore off the inside, drivers door panel pull twice... but they replaced it both times...

 

Darth, that blue is my favorite color of all time. I bet that car looked great! I was looking at getting an LT1 Vette before I bought the Z in 1998 but the prices were too high. A good 92' with decent miles was still over 20k. I also drove a few 300Zx's, not really to buy but just to see what they were like. The non-turbo is such a dog. It barely beat a 95' Grand Prix that a friend was driving. Even the turbo seemed unimpressive. All the Z28's that I drove felt much faster and judging from the ones that I raced after I bought my car, I can say the same thing.

 

Actually, SRT-4 has much cheaper interior than Z, but it does cost about 2/3 of its price. Out of all those cars, Evo is probably packaged the best. I'm stunned, though, as to why car magazines squeeze out something in the high 14's whereas it was witnessed to make low 13's passes?

In any case, WRX, EVO and SRT are fun vehicles. What makes you think Nissan isn't? I think it is just as fun as the others, perhaps in different ways. At least you can come out the corner fishtailing. And you don't have massive torque steer of the FWD SRT-4. Besides, 350Z runs same numbers as SRT-4.

STi and WRX are priced at about 45K here in Canada, and 350Z is around the same price. And if I was choosing, I personally would go with the Z because small compact 4 - door vehicles that cost that much just do not appeal to me. And I happen to like sports cars more than rally cars.

 

You know, it's really strange. Let me pull some numbers off their websites:

(edit: prices are in CDN dollars)

350Z
Performance 44900
Touring 44900
Track pack 46500


G35
5-speed auto 45000
5-spd auto w/ performance pck 46000
6-speed 47000


The price differences are minimal, it is strange that it translates $5 K difference in your case.

 

even my leaky w/p didn't short out the opti.

 

Wow...

The sheer idiocy of buying a car on Ebay stuns me.

 

I can't win with you guy's. So I'm done.

 

It did.

I absolutely LOVE Admiral Blue... some day I'll find a 94 or 95 Admiral Blue ZR1 and I will own it.

To be honest, it was the first Admiral Blue I found after a YEAR of searching, so I sacrificed the wanting of the M6 for the A4... I also wanted Beige interior instead of the Black, but it just wasn't going to happen.

It was sitting in the back of a local dealers lot... just came in off lease, and was burried in about 4 feet of snow... I saw the roof line sticking out of the mess!

We dug it out, and after 20 minutes I was able to see the whole car.

I drove it home Dec. 23rd in the snow.... then I had to watch her sit for 4 months!! That was rough!



Admiral Blue!

 

Can someone please tell me what is wrong with plastic interior pieces?? I can see in a luxury car where weight is not as big of a concern, but if plastic is the lightest product they can use, go for it. I see the same argument trying to be used with the Camaros plastic body panels. Last I heard, the aftermarket companies sell alot of platic, fiberglass and Carbon Fiber pieces to reduce weight in a car. Carbon Fiber is ok to use though because it is sooo expensive yet fractionally lighter than glass, and I know everyone needs a carbon fiber pieces because they are soooo much stronger than steel parts. Well wake up, none of those pieces are structural pieces and will break just as easily, are a bitch to work with from a body shop/paint point of view, but then again you can't paint it because you need to let everyone know that you spent the money for CF and so you leave that ugly graph paper looking desighn on it. Ok i'm outta breath now..gotta go.

 

There is nothing wrong with plastic interior pieces. However, cars are expensive these days and the plastics used in the interiors should have a richer look and feel - more like leather and less like milk jugs. People spend most of their 'car time' inside of it, after all.