Buying 350Z - Things to watch for?

[Skrilla]

So I decided to go for a 350Z, and I did some research on common issues but thought there might be someone on here who was one that could ad some insight. I am getting it inspected ofcourse, just some further info is great.

car is an 03 with 65K miles.

Any issues??

[picmerollin]

my350z.com is a huge wealth of z33 info.

major things to look for with an 03:

tranny - (if its a 6 speed), some have had problems and the fix was the change to a CD009 (IIRC the code), they made this change half way through 2004 eliminating this problem. Many with issues have been changed under warranty.

alignment issues- some early 350z's had bad tire feathering problems, this I think was a minor problem- just need a good alignment.

the tranny would be the main issue I would look for, just try to find out if they had it replaced under warranty and make sure it is not too notchy or making grinding noises. Some owners had no issues even with the original pre cd009 transmission, so this may not even be a problem.

I noticed on my 2005 that the trans was a little notchy on some shifts and after I switched the fluid to redline mt-90 it shifted smoother.

[2EFNFAST]

When people talk about a notchy shift feeling, what exactly do they mean by that?

[heavyD]

Originally posted by 2EFNFAST
When people talk about a notchy shift feeling, what exactly do they mean by that?

It means that there is a slight rubbery or mechanical resistance in shifter action. Many cars that carry a lot of HP/torque suffer from this as beefy gears can sometimes mean less than smooth shifting action. Honda is known for its buttery shifting transmissions which is true as they can afford to sacrifice strength as most of their engines are all rated less than 200 ft-lb torque.

However if you are testing a used car and actually feel constant grinding during shifting it's probably a good idea to move on and look at another car.

[yellowsnow]

03-05 models have tire feathering issues. look at the tires, and see if there is uneven wear.