Which 300Z had 4 wheel steering?

All 300ZX Twin Turbos have 4-wheel steering, or Super HICAS as it's called. Personally, I think the best route to go is to buy the lowest mileage 300ZX you can afford. The 300ZX doesn't really have any "major" problems, but maintenance and parts are fairly expensive. Premium fuel is mandatory, so with today's fuel prices that can be expensive also.

Dustin

Me ( snipped-for-privacy@Nowhere.com) wrote on Wednesday 18 August 2004 08:11 pm:

Kyle,

I have a 1990 that I've owned since 1991. Here's the big ticket items (over $500) that I can remember:

- New Nissan transmission due to grinding in gears ($2500 installed) in 2002

- New set of fuel injectors ($2000 installed) in 2004

- New stainless steel Greddy exhaust ($900) since 1996

- Three timing belts (varies, but do it as soon as you buy it unless the seller has a receipt) at 60K intervals.(I currently have 160K).

There were other things earlier on (AC evaporator, some fuel injectors), but they were picked up while the car was under warranty.

I've been only towed once due to mechanical failure - the clutch switch relay went out. I have a very slight leak in the heater core that you can sometimes catch a whiff of, but doesn't cause the coolant level to drop noticeably between changes every couple of years. Some oil seepage here and there, but nothing that causes the oil level to drop noticeably between changes. Turbos still spin freely.

Just keep up on the maintenance. And change the oil religiously.

All turbos had this.

VTC's are one of the high dollar repairs ($1000 just for the pair), the '93 and up cars have "the good kind" that don't give problems. Also the early cars had a bare oil feed line on the right side turbo (they get clogged up) which the later models have an insulated one.

I'd get a 93 or newer and spend your money on finding a low milage one instead of findind a cheap one and spending 3X the money later fixing it.

Thanks for your input guys. I have always liked the look of a 300ZX ever since they came out. Having a Ford dealership in the family I have always had Mustangs. Now that I have been without a Mustang for 7 years and having sold the dealership I need to get another sports car. After driving my friends Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 I now realize that I want the 300Z twin turbo. I think a 93 is probably the best bet.

I was surprised to see the price of injectors!

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan so the car will be stored most of the year and just used during the summer months.

Kyle

Only the twin turbo's had HICAS (4 wheel steering)

Things to watch out for

Leaking rear main seals leaking valve cover gaskets Engine smoking due to worn out turbos.( turbos are 1700 $ a piece) engine smoke due to worn out valve guide seals VTC problem VTC solenoid control problems (leaking) AIV system issues A/C compressor clutch failures leaking power steering plumbing/lines cam position sensor issues

Shall I go on ?

Some not so big things to look for. make sure if you go for the t top that you have the covers. check to see if there are any torn seals around the window and t tops see if the gear box gets really really hot... that is an issue.

I think everything else has be said.

Which ain't half bad, considering the Z32 is a 15 year old design that was way ahead of it's time. Most of these issues have been addressed with after market parts, if they are really to be considered "issues" at all. Worn seals and leaking (5 of the things you listed) are going to happen on a car that old. The Z32 is a solid design, and there are many instances of people getting 200K-250K miles out of the original engine *and* turbos. Given the power these cars can produce with minimal modification, clutches can be a larger expense. The lower the mileage is the less likely the car has been beaten on, and if maintenance records are provided, Kyle shouldn't have any qualms about finding a fast, reliable twin turbo. Maintenance records over the life of the vehicle would definitely be worth a premium.

Dustin