Anyone own a 350z or know about them?

LightngSVT said:
Another thing Im wondering, is there local "clubs" for Z cars? Im used to Lightnings, so I know whats around and whats happening, the Z and M car are new to me. I see with the M cars there is the BMW Club of America, etc that do events locally. Is there similar with the Z? I like to hang out with owners of the same car and talk cars, race, etc.



You can check out Z Car Club of America . They have a listing of all Z clubs. You can also check out my350Z.com or 350zmotoring.com and look in the events section. Most clubs post things there.



Or you can move out this way. You are more than welcome to join our club...East Coast Z Association
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One more thing, the Roadster is heavier then the Coupe, which it means that it's slower when it comes to acceleration and cornering. In australia it weights close to 100kg more, that's about 220lbs. And it also doesn't look as good as the coup with the roof up, I think the best thing about 350z is the roof line.
 
Let me say, first, that I feel the new generation Z is simply one of the most beautiful cars on the road. I absolutely love the styling. Now, that being said, I had to trade my 2003 Touring 350Z in for one huge reason: the ride. I had other regrets, too, after I owned my Z for a few months, but the harsh, bouncy, jarring ride was too much for my fragile back. Yes, I test drove the Z before I bought it. But rather than looking at this purchase from somewhat of a practical perspective, I let my emotions get the better of me. I knew the ride was harsh (much harsher than a sport's car should be in my opinion), but I loved how it looked and its acceleration. So I bought it. After about two months of trying to convince myself that I loved the car I got buyer's remorse in a big way. It's my own fault. Never let emotions make expensive decisions. As someone else mentioned, the tires began to seriously feather to the point where it sounded like a dump truck coming down the road, and Nissan did nothing to help the situation. The impracticality of a two-seater with very little storage space also became a big problem once I started using the car in real-world situations. Visibility is poor out the back window.



So, my advise to you: If you are single, have another car as a commuter car, don't need to carry much luggage, and have a back and neck that can take the pounding this car will definitely hand out, then the Z is your car.



For me, I am SO happy I traded my Z in on an Infiniti G35x! The ride is much better without sacrificing handling, the engine is basically the same as in the Z, and in real-world driving the G is more user friendly.



Get an Infiniti G35 coupe!
 
Well its good to hear the downsides too. I hadnt really considered the G35 (hadnt really considere the 350 until last night). The ride was very firm, but didnt seem harsh to me? But we do have some nasty roads in MI.



As far as the other concerns, I am married, but this is a toy purchase I have a COntour SVT for daily driving. We have no kids and since the wife will be getting an SUV towing, hauling and carrying the dogs is already taken care of. The funny thing is that the BMW dealer calls me about once a day to see if I have made my descision yet? He's not being pushy really, but I didnt really expect that from them? They even offered another $800 off the car after I told him about the Z???
 
LightngSVT said:
...we do have some nasty roads in MI.
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I'm not sure if you want to drive the car year-round because if you do the 350z will definitely need snowtires! The nice thing about the Infiniti G35 sedan is they make an AWD version. I own the AWD version and got through anything Mother Nature threw at me this past winter.
 
I love my 350z. I purchased it in May 2003 and enjoy the heck out of it. The biggest issue has been the "tire feathering" causing road noise.



I personally like the coupe better, but the roadster is great, too.



The ride can be harsh if the roads are poor, but it's a sports car.



The G35 is a great alternative. I wonder what the insurance would be for that.



p.s. studybuddy: see you at ZDayZ!
 

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Watch out for the brake dust. They are worse than BMWs for brake dust and you'll probably need to do a good cleaning on the wheels at least once a week.



One tip I have for you is in avoiding the neverending stream of water that pours out of the hatch after you wash it. Something I did on the 350Z that I detailed regularly was to pop the hatch and place a folded Absorber up at the top. Then you just close the hatch and go to work. The water that pours off the roof pretty much gets soaked up by the absorber and makes drying the car a whole lot easier.



Have fun with that car. That front end is like a driving wall and gets hammered by bugs and rocks. Definitely get a clear bra or something on there to protect it. :bigups
 
You have a very good point. That hatch holds water when you wash it until you move and the front bumper is definitely a pain with rocks and bugs.



Brake dust is definitely a problem, but I have Hawk HPS pads now and they reduced my brake dust by 75% at least.



You made some very good points about washing it though :) It can be tricky.
 
fotodad said:
So, my advise to you: If you are single, have another car as a commuter car, don't need to carry much luggage, and have a back and neck that can take the pounding this car will definitely hand out, then the Z is your car.
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Here are minor issues with my 350z:

- Don't spray any products onto the door panels, it leaves em' all greasy, blotchy looking

- Alot of brake dust, I wipe em' down about twice a week.

- If it has a Bose "premium" system and you want to improve it, be prepared to replace the entire crappy Bose system

- rock chips on the front bumper, (the paint is thin)

- gas gets pricey if you have too much fun w/ the pedal :D



:2thumbs: I love my Z!



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Nothing for over a month (May 10) on this thread and then this update. Did you mention anywhere else that you decided on the M3? I searched your other postings and couldn't find any mention. Last we heard you were looking at a 350Z coupe. Just very curious on what the rest of the story is.



Paul
 
I posted a thread with pics after I detailed and Sovereigned it. Not much story really, The M3 and the Z were my top 2 chioces. I really liked the Z and had a deposit on a roadster, but knew I couldnt live with it because the roadster isnt very attractive (The coupe is very sexy however). I came across a good deal on totally mint condition, low mile M3 cabriolet while the Nissan dealer took thier sweet time trying to find me a gray Track coupe with polished rims. Honestly the test drive sold me on the M3. And the M3 has a back seat and a very decent sized trunk plus (most likely) better resale. Dont take any of this as a slam in any toward the Z, its a sexy, fun to drive car and I may own another one someday (had a 91 TT) I just felt more at home in my M3 and the extra 60hp didnt hurt either.
 
Thanks Chuck, I think you made a good choice with your M3. I love the looks of the Z's also but I think I'd be more of a G35 guy. I love how they look and think it would suit me better.



Paul
 
I have had myt 350Z since last November and I love it. Some of the things discussed in this thread are so true. I have had the tire feathering and the window streaking issues. Both were fixed by the dealer with no problems. I do have few other small problems that I want them to look at.



The door panel issue is so true. You def don't want to spray anything on the panels unless you want blotching.



The car is great for the money considering the performance you get. There are tons of mods available for the car. Its unreal.



Jngr..thanks for the tip on the Absorber on the hatch. I am def going to try that one out. :xyxthumbs
 
I pre-ordered my 350 in March of 2002. I've made a number of appearance mods, but am waiting for the warranty to expire before going FI. What a great and fun car!!!!!
 

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Wow, MSOsr your car looks hot! I think in the end both are great choices, its just preference. I like the fact the M3 looks better with the top down as I really wanted to go topless this time, where the Z is much sexier as a coupe. New for new it isnt a fair comparison based on priced but a few year old M3 is almost the price of a new Z. IS there really a wrong choice between the 2, I dont think so.
 
I've had an M3 (1997 new) and new Zs (1990, 1992 TT and my 350) and you can't go wrong with either model. AND I agree with you that the 350 Roadster doesn't look nearly as sporty with the top up (but it sure looks cool while you're putting the top up or down!)
 
The top on the 350z is just so out of shape / proportion with the rest of the car and just runs the fluid, sporty lines. Now if they would have done a top like the Ferrari 355 had that mimics the lines of the coupe it would have been different. The roofline of the coupe is the best design feature of the car, it just has such a nice flow to it.
 
I bought a 2004 Silverstone, auto, 350Z at the end of February. I have almost 9,000 miles on it already. You will love the car!





"I own one, the things to watch out for are the front tire feathering..." -nuff



If you bought an '05 that shouldn't be a problem.





"If you like the 350, check out the Mazda RX-8. My pops has one, and it is fast as hell. It is lighter and handles better than a 350." -brwill2005



While it is lighter than the Z, I've blown away every RX8 I've come across and.......I have a stock automatic. :grinno:





"Oh yeh, the paint is really really thin, so grab a clear bra if you can. If you can't, you're going to enjoy looking at some rock chips..." -StudyBuddy



Very true. I drive 300 miles a week and 260 of those are on the highway. I do have quite a few chips and scratches already.





"Watch out for the brake dust." -Jngrbrdman



I second that! I put Klasse AIO, then Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax and it comes off like a breeze.





My other grips is: The oil dipstick is located in a horrendous spot! What a pain-in-the-a$@!!!! It looks like a Kia engineer designed it's location.
 
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