Any Suggestions?

Hey,
I came across an ad in the papers the other day for a '90 ZXTT, I want a Z32 but wasn't really aiming for a '90 or '96, more like a '94 or '95 but any Z32 are rare here in Michigan esp. around the motor city. I called the guy up and he's 52 years old and has 3 cars so he said he uses this car for pleasure. There is 85k miles, he has done all the right and tune-up and changed the oil every 3k miles. He says he has records of everything. I don't think he has changed the turbos yet since its still pretty low miles for the turbos before the ware out. He has repainted the car black which was the original color becuase someone keyed his car while having dinner at a fine resturant. He said hes asking about $14,000 for it but I don't think it's really worth that much, since he has repainted it so the vaule must go down. He has stored the car and never seen winter so that's good. I am considering this car but the only down fall is that it's a '90 and he has repainted it. But if the price is right (which is lower then what hes asking, maybe less then $13,000) then I might considering buying it. I'm trusting that he has droven it with good care since he is older. I am going to go out soon to take a look at the car in person. What are some things I should look for when buying a used car? Oh and he said he also has changed new tires and everything is stock. Are there any real problems with the '90 models? I heard they just cost a little more the maintance then the others and they don't have the hamburger emble on the front. The only reason I like this one is becuase I wanted a well kept car from the previous owner, Black,Stick Shift, T-top, and of course...TT. Is there anything I can mention to the owner that I can have him lower the price? I know the re-paint is one of them. Oh, is that call back anything major? I heard there was a call-back from Nissan about a part that fails sometimes and shutdown your car. Not exactally sure about that though, but if there is and he hasn't done that maybe I can mention that. Is the bluebook value for this something like less then $10,000? But then I know he would just say he kept it in mint condition.... *sigh*

I forgot to mention that everything is upgraded, he has chrome tires, Leather interior, power, etc...

Thanks in advance for your help.

Well I Think He Want To Much! If You Go To Autotrader.com U Will Find Many Newer Zs For About 10k I Seen A Couple Of Tt With Upgrader Going For 10k Or 12k And I Read That 90 300zxtt Is Not A Good Year To Buy So If It Matters Try To Get A 91-96tt

if i remember right, the '90 300zx had a problem with valves warping. and the '96 year has 15 less horsepower than the other years.

The HICAS system is known to cause issues where the car would shutdown. Like mine for example. The HICAS light will come on then Check Engine then car dies. If I turn the car off and back on the issue goes away for a while.

This was more common in the earlier years of the 3rd gen Z.

Easy fix? Take that crap off! You can go to a Nissan dealer and they will disable the system. Many Z owners will take off the HICAS even before they have issues. It makes the car seem to float going into hard corners. HICAS is a check and balance for the average driver. Without it you can feel the road more and you get more control. It isn't very costly to have done either. I would recommend that bit of surgery for any HICAS plagued Z. :)

Sounds like a sweet car to me. Go for it.

And I would offer $12,000. It sounds like he knows the rarity of a Z in the condition his is. So he may counter with that point. If he does, go for $13,000. But remember! You CAN walk away. Don't overpay for a car just simply because of an old man that wants to sell his baby for what he values it. You can always wait and find another near you or plan a roadtrip and get one from somewhere else.

That was always my downfall. I would get worked up and buy into a car that was overpriced. And trust me when I tell you that if you jump the gun a better deal will present itself to you after it is too late!:banghead:

And that's my :2cents:

I'd say 14k is a little high...granted it's in good condition, like everyone else is saying i'd offer somewhere in the ballpark of 11,500 to 13000 and see what he takes. and as for the 90 TT being a bad year, i'll tell you from experience that it's not. I own a 90 TT and a 90 NA(which is being built and converted to a TT) and i've had only one major problem with either of them and that was the tranny going to hell in the NA. So i'd see how low he'll go for it and how long he's willing to hang on to it(give you some time to shop around). If you don't want to pay that much for it, then don't. Look on a site like autotrader and see if you can find one within a reasonable driving distance for lower. And i wouldn't stress the repaint all that much cause if you're going to hook this Z up, and who buys a Z to not hook it up for something, you'll probably have it repainted again anyway. Hope this helps ya.

Hey guys,
Well, I went to take a glance at the car yesterday and had a good 30 minute talk with the owner. He seems to know a lot of stuff since he has already owned 3 Z's in his life. 240, 280, and the 300. He really knows how to take care of his car though. Looks outstanding and rust free...well from what I could see from the outside and under the edges of the car. I couldn't look under it, too bad. We went for a ride in the car and it still runs great, tranny sounds in good condition; no need to replace anytime soon, and there are no problems with the interior. But the boost doesn't seem that strong but that could be becuase he wasn't pushing the car that hard at all, just a nice cruse around the town. He knows how rare this car is esp. around my area. The lowest I was able to get was $13,000 and I am satisfied with that since that might be the only chance I might ever have to see a car, esp. like this, in my area. I am going back on Wed. to drop down a deposit and take a look at the paper records of his maintance, oil change, repaint, etc... Everything works great such as power stuff and no leaks from the T-top since it was raining about 10 min before we met up and I didn't even hear a hissing noise during the ride or felt any air. I think I finally found the car I always been looking for (to be exact, about 1.25 years now) I doubt I would have to replace the turbo anytime soon but when I do... I guess it's time for the Z to me some aftermarket products. I really don't like the ducktail spoiler. It wasn't raised higher like the other older models. So I might replace that soon. But other then that, I love the car.
Also on autotrader.com, there are only a few Z in my area of 50 miles radius, and most are in pretty bad condition, or uncompareable to this beauty.
As for the HICAS problem. If the light does go on, I heard all you have to do is put more power stearing fluid in and that should solve the problem. But let's say it does happen to occure and you do nothing to solve it, could it lead to big major problems? Can you disable the system yourself without the help or need of the Nissan dealer technician help?

I cannot wait till next weekend to pick up the car, finally I get to meet my baby :)

By the way, I noticed on the lower part of the car when I checked for rust, the paint seems more rough like the orange peel effect. Is that normal?

Thanks for your time and help.

the side skirts and both bumpers are made of a different kind of material (somebody help me out on this) that is rough. i think that is what you are talking about. glad to hear you have found a great car, especially a z32. one of the most beautiful cars out there. take good care of her.

Oh, well at least I know it's not the paint then. Yeah, that is what I am talking about, the rough material around the side. I'll be sure to post pictures of my new beauty once I go out and get it :)