If I found one of these at a car auction should I worry about its dependability? When I was looking into early 90's sports cars 5 years ago I heard a lot about these cars falling apart.

3/17/2009 11:22:19 PM

Had one, busted lots of knuckles on it(it's so tight under that bonnet).

Mine wasn't terrible in terms of dependability, but it wasn't a turbo or an automatic. The interior used this thin cheap leather that fell completely apart. The power steering system tried to put me in the grave at 150,000. They're pretty slow by today's standards. Handled well. Parts were expensive at the time since many had to come from the dealer. T-tops leaked. Bose stereo is complete crap. Rear panel and bumpers faded terribly. Windshield wiper linkage wore out and left me with my head out the window in a rainstorm. By the time I got it the independent rear end tail hopped worse than a camaro. The climate control never worked right.

I'm sure I did more work than that, but I don't remember what it was other than the typical timing belt/water pump, etc.

If I hadn't liked the car I might have called it a money pit.


[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 12:09 AM. Reason : My girl called it "cute". Pro or con? You decide.]

3/17/2009 11:58:46 PM

The twin turbo has been labeled by some as the most complicated car to roll out of Japan.

3/18/2009 12:13:43 AM

Oh! I remember! I had to pull the intake manifold, which involved removing a half dozen melted-on hoses in the 3 inch gap between the VG30DE and the firewall. The manual called for the use of Nissan approved tool #273249(6-year old Japanese child) but I managed with a set of needle nose pliers that Thor himself might use to smite cockroaches.

[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 12:25 AM. Reason : .]

3/18/2009 12:19:26 AM

Quote :

"#273249(6-year old Japanese child)"

thats fucking great, i about spit my drink out

3/18/2009 12:59:37 AM

is it running? if not, stick an inline 6 in there

3/18/2009 9:17:36 AM

Hell, the damn VG30DE fits pretty tight. I dunno how well you could cram that RB engine in there.

3/18/2009 9:23:23 AM

Quote :

"The manual called for the use of Nissan approved tool #273249(6-year old Japanese child) but I managed with a set of needle nose pliers that Thor himself might use to smite cockroaches."

I lol'd. Awesome post.

3/18/2009 10:24:39 AM

RB>VG

3/18/2009 12:32:07 PM

How about early 90's RX7's

Are they dependable and if it messes up how hard is it to find someone that can fix rotary engines and will they charge more since its a special kind of engine

3/18/2009 4:03:55 PM

I would not call them dependable. And yes, they are expensive to have work done to them. There are only a handful of folks I recommend.

The only way I would buy one is if it were DIRT cheap or if it had a brand new/remanufactured engine in it. They're only good for about 80k miles on average.

3/18/2009 4:09:31 PM

The 300ZX is what made me fall in love with cars. I owned a 93 convertable. It was totaled around 80k miles (not my fault). I didnt have many problems with it, but mine was fairly stock. I did put in a transmission line controller and a K&N airbox, but that was it.

I dont know if its fair to say the car isnt worth much past 80k. There were a lot of people in the 300Z club, as well as the twinturbo.net (whatever it is/was called) that had the car well past 100k without major issues.

Same shit I used to hear about BMW engines: not good past 100k miles. Yet I at 220,000 miles on a 97 Z3 2.8 (hope it goes to 300k knock on wood).

I'm not a mechanic, however, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 4:19 PM. Reason : .]

3/18/2009 4:18:23 PM

I meant the RX7...if you can find an FD engine that's gone over 100k, then it's a miracle.

The VG30DE and VG30DETT are some incredibly reliable engines, and will run MANY miles even if run hard, as long as they've been taken care of. The factory tolerances are incredibly well-maintained, and all reciprocating assemblies are balanced and matched really well.

Nissan has had a real winner with the VG-series engines...I've seen MANY of the single cammers (VG30i, VG30E) go WELL over 200k, even 300k, and I've seen some at 400k. The VG30DE in the Maximas between '95 and '99...I've seen several over 250k.

Adding shit like HICAS, vacuum-boosted clutch integrated into braking/HICAS system, and the like made the 300 a bitch car to work on and a general pain in the ass. Still a very reliable car, even with all its complex shit.

And if you're talking about Triangle Z Club, I'm a past president and member. Tho I was kind of a shitty president.

[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 4:32 PM. Reason : blahblah.]

3/18/2009 4:31:38 PM

That makes sense. I DO know how bad the RX7 engine was. Maybe we crossed paths at some point. I was with the triangle Z club for a short period. Probably back in 1999-2000

3/18/2009 4:51:49 PM

I was too. Name?

BTW, I'm digging your PA-28R. Nice plane

[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 5:14 PM. Reason : aeroplane]

3/18/2009 5:12:16 PM

Damn guess I'm going to have to try to find a early 90's supra, I know head gaskets are loose on those but it only matters on turbos.
Maybe a mr2 but I still am not sure if I like it enough.

3/18/2009 5:42:29 PM

Find yourself a nice FD with an LS1 in it. Problem solved, awesome car.

3/18/2009 7:09:23 PM

After owning a 91 supra I have to at least have a stick shift and turn pretty well b/c my supra wasn't a turbo but it was still fun as hell to drive.

Not sure how much a LS1 is and how much gas would be for it but i'm trying to spend less than 5000 and put a lot of new parts in it.


[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 7:43 PM. Reason : damn thought fd was something else]

3/18/2009 7:23:25 PM

I wanted a 300zx TT so bad in highschool. It was my dream car. These days, while I wouldn't mind owning a nice stock one to just cruise around in, I can't justify the mod potential to pain-in-the-ass ratio. So ironically, I own and work on turbo and nonturbo Rx-7's, FC and FD.

And I am one of the only people in Raleigh who knows how to work on them. That's not me bragging, just acknowledging a sobering reality. I'm hardly a professional, and I don't actually do side jobs for money, just give people advice. I would trust half a dozen shops in the whole country.

And stay the fuck away from Mark III Supras. I spun a bearing on one (and it was a damn nonturbo) and so has basically every other Mark III owner I know personally. The 1JZ swap for it is nice but it is a wiring nightmare due to model year differences in the dash harnesses.

The late 80s/early 90s tuning game is getting tough. The decent cars are falling apart and parts (OEM and aftermarket) are being discontinued. You're better off getting an s2000 or something. I wouldn't recommend that particular scene to a newcomer. It's not like it was 5 years ago when I got into it.

The 3000GT/Stealth twin turbo cars are highly underrated, as long as you get a 94-95 model (stay away from earlier models). Their motors and AWD drivetrain can easily handle 500-600whp (just use a thicker weight oil for the bearings), they're not quite as heavy as people think either, at 3600-3700 if you ditch the stock exhaust. You can get a lightly modded or stock 94 Stealth twin turbo for 8-10k in pretty good shape

3/18/2009 7:28:28 PM

you won't find a properly done LS1 FD with a good body and interior for less than like $15k man. they're not cheap. Rolling chassis alone are $6-7k if they aren't dilapidated. There's only about 7,000 of those cars still left on the road. You can find 2nd gen rx-7's with lesser V8's (5.0's, carb'd SBC, LT1's) for the range you are looking at though.

[Edited on March 18, 2009 at 7:34 PM. Reason : .]

3/18/2009 7:32:02 PM

I had a MKIII for 4 years and didn't have any problems except the clutch went bad and I needed a new radiator and a coolant hose broke. Then again I never drove too hard and rarely went over 4rpms I just took turns like a madman and accelerated up to 40mph faster then most people.

3/18/2009 7:48:26 PM

I think you should consider raising your budget and getting an s2000. It's a car for taking turns, it's not too old, and it's going to be more reliable than these early 90s cars. It's also faster than what you are used to but not way beyond your experience level like an LS1 swapped car would be. And it sounds like you haven't done a ton of work by yourself, which is fine, but 15-20 year old cars break all the time no matter how well they are designed, especially when they are modified.

3/18/2009 7:51:13 PM

Since this is turning into one of those threads...
get a pre-OBDII Camaro!

3/18/2009 9:09:16 PM

300zx looks waaay hotter than an mk3 supra (and maybe even mk4 )

3/18/2009 9:19:53 PM

i miss my old z. no problems. was a 92tt

3/18/2009 10:16:37 PM

Yeah go for an S2000.

When I mentioned an LS1 FD I wasn't paying attention to his budget

3/18/2009 10:42:06 PM

i've wanted one of these since i was 12

someday i'll have one

buying a jeep was higher up on the vehicle list though

3/18/2009 11:23:43 PM

Quote :

"The VG30DE in the Maximas between '95 and '99...I've seen several over 250k."

I thought those had VQ30DE engines

3/19/2009 12:23:53 AM

Well then if I can't get an early 90's sports car I can't afford any sports car
5000 was a highball number for me

3/19/2009 1:43:37 AM

One of my friends has owned two 300's, and from all the shopping around that I've done with him I would say that you're not gonna get much of a 300zx for less than 5000, especially if you're looking for a tt.

3/19/2009 3:14:05 AM

SEX-2000

3/19/2009 8:20:37 AM

i'll sell you a 1992 3000GT VR4. PM if you're interested.

3/19/2009 9:09:48 AM

you can get an early 90s sports car. but you will have to learn how to work on it because if you drive it any it will break on you in some way, no matter what anyone tells you. you will need to budget for parts and tools, and even more than that if you care about maintaining the certain-to-be brittle interior.

3/19/2009 12:30:44 PM

I will probably have the car checked out by my mechanic and have any older parts replaced which should still keep me under budget depending on how bad the car needs to be fixed/how much the car is.

Anyone have any opinions on the dependability of the 3000gt? I have heard mitsubishi's aren't very good cars but then again my sister told me this and she knows nothing about cars, I just think she had a friend with one that had trouble.

Wow twin turbo all wheel drive 300HP. This car almost seems too fast for me

[Edited on March 19, 2009 at 5:04 PM. Reason : slow ride]

3/19/2009 4:53:55 PM

Well they weigh 2 tons.

How much for the VR-4?

3/19/2009 6:08:27 PM

Well I'll look into the 3000gt but I'm looking for more of a nonturbo car with around 200hp and real good gas mileage. I don't race much, I just like to accelerate from stop lights and make quick turns.

If I spend another 1-2000$ I noticed I'd be able to afford a 2000 Celica, Prelude, or RSX.
I read reviews on these cars and it seemed that they didn't really get good acceleration until you hit at least 6000rpm. Which of these cars is the fastest at 3-4000 rpm? Any other opinions on these cars? Is it even worth getting a Celica or RSX if I don't get the 200hp model? How would they compare to a 1991 nonturbo Supra as far as how they drive? (I know they are all 4cylinder and front wheel drive)

Thanks for the help.

3/19/2009 6:18:11 PM

There is absolutely nothing wrong with winding an inline 4 out to 6000rpm.

An RSX type S is so cheap there is no reason not to get it over a base model.

3/19/2009 6:23:26 PM

I know I'll do it occasionally but which car will accelerate faster in the city streets where I don't have time to get up to that many RPMs because I could usually feel the horses kick in on my Supra at around 3500 rpm which made it easy to pass cars on crowded two lane city streets.

3/19/2009 6:27:44 PM

A nonturbo is nice but you're going to start wanting more after a while, believe me I've been there. 300hp is great but keep in mind with AWD there is quite a bit of loss so that's not exactly what you're seeing to the wheels. I didn't buy my car for "racing" either, I bought it to fix up and cruise around in and for the occasional track day. It's a great car and I get compliments quite often. I won't lie to you and say they are 100% reliable, but a car's only going to be as reliable as the person who owned it right? And with any 10+ y/o car you might run into issues. But as far as the power goes, it is definitely enjoyable and I really wouldn't describe it as "too much" as long as you're safe about it. With that being said, the 90's GT cars (zx/3000), you can only go so far modding a nonturbo before you hit a brick wall and need to make the jump to forced induction. if you can be happy with a 200-220hp FWD (or RWD in case of the zx) then more power to you. I'm just saying from my own experience that lots of kids join a platform with an N/A and start doing intake/exhaust/clutch/crank pulley before realizing they've wasted so much money and could've bought a twin turbo in the first place. Now there are folks that have done the conversion but then you run into issues with compression and boost unless you swap motors, etc.

3/19/2009 7:17:57 PM

300ZX naturally aspirated takes premium gas, and gets about 20mpg.

I sold mine for $2400. It needed paint, but ran fine. Around 200,000mi. Interior was spotlessly clean, but the seats were showing wear, as mentioned above. It was just another ricer machine to me.

3/19/2009 7:37:27 PM

Quote :

"I know I'll do it occasionally but which car will accelerate faster in the city streets where I don't have time to get up to that many RPMs because I could usually feel the horses kick in on my Supra at around 3500 rpm which made it easy to pass cars on crowded two lane city streets."

Any of those cars that have been mentioned that make their power up high have really short gearing, so getting to a high rpm takes no time at all. Just driving my S2000 around casually i hit 5,000 rpms all the time. Same with my GS-R.

3/19/2009 7:59:40 PM

Cool well after looking into it I can't find the RSX under 7k, and the only Celica I can find under 7k is the GT so its looking more like I might try to find a Prelude.
Has anyone driven one, thoughts and/or opinions?

That 3000gt Specter is selling also looks awesome but I may check out some auctions before I buy from a private seller.

3/19/2009 8:27:13 PM

I absolutely love the Prelude and would own one in a heartbeat. As far as finding a good example...it's tough, because they quit bringing them here after '99, and there are a lot of ragged out, riced out ones. Best bet is to buy from an individual, an older professional who's looking to move up to something a bit more exotic in his or her later years or retirement. It's not only a favorite ricer car; lots of older people are in love with the car.

And good luck on that one.

3/19/2009 9:51:35 PM

so you just want a four banger or a 6 cylinder turbo? or is a car with a v8 next. this thread started at a nissan, then to a mazda then to a toyota, then to a mitsabitch, then back to toyota, then honda. not trying to be a dick, but there are many threads about what car is good for what type of driving, and it just sounds like youre not going to get anything.

3/19/2009 10:34:15 PM

Naw dawg I am definitely getting a new car but first I wanted a early 90's sports car but as my budget went up I went towards a early 2000 sports car.

3/19/2009 10:45:17 PM

gotch ya

3/19/2009 10:48:20 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1083027883.html

jump over this deal

3/19/2009 10:56:40 PM

stay away from 2004 models, trust me on this one.

3/19/2009 11:03:30 PM

how about

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1072216714.html

3/19/2009 11:09:13 PM

Has anyone driven a sport shift transmission?
How is the manual with no clutch?

3/22/2009 9:46:40 PM