I will be paying off my truck soon, and I really want a car again. I'll keep my truck for my bike. I was originally thinking of upgrading my 01 Frontier to the new 05 Crew Cab, but the truck is bigger now. I need space in my garage for my bikes. I've been eyeballing the late model 300ZX., or a Mini Cooper S. The Mini Cooper would go good with my passion for bikes, and 1 car garage. The 300ZX is sexier, cheaper, and has more go fast goodies. This 2nd car will be a keeper. I would probably drop a new egine in the 300ZX since it's bound to have more miles then a Mini S. My main needs is 2+2 seating, and sporty. Anyone got any experience with either of these cars?
Re: Thinking About A Second Pet Car............ (SP8)
The 2+2 300ZX's are pretty hard to find these days, especially in any kind of decent shape. They also weren't available with the Twin Turbo engine, though I suppose it's possible to put a turbo engine in one. Maybe. But they were also kind of goofy looking, with the longer wheelbase.
I had a 1990 300ZX-TT that I bought new (that's exactly my car in the picture above), and just swapped last year for a 350Z Roadster. The 350 is a very nice car, but there are some things I kind of miss from the 300. The old Twin Turbo seemed a lot faster than the 350, even though it's supposedly only a 13 hp difference. It seems like more.
Also, the interior of the 300 was much nicer, but then again, the sticker price back then was $32,000, which was a pretty good amount of money 15 years ago, so it should be more of a high-end car than today's 350Z.
In any case, as I said, the 2+2 300 wasn't quite the car the Turbo was, and I think in the long run you might be better off with the Mini. I'm not sure what you'll be using those rear seats for, but the ones in the 300ZX are good for grocery bags, and that's about it. You can actually put adult humans in the back of a Mini.
The Mini will have much newer technology, and it will be a lot easier to find a decent one around. And they're fun!
Re: Thinking About A Second Pet Car............ (AZ Scott)
I'm a short guy at 5'4", so I might be able to fit a adult in the rear of the 300ZX. I thought all late model 300ZX cars have rear seats. The last style 300ZX has timeless beauty. Just like the 98 R1, or R7. I love the new 350, but I think the 300ZX is a touch sweeter. Especialy for the amount of money you can get a 300ZX for. I was thinking of getting a 300ZX with a high mileage N/A engine, and droping a rebuilt TT engine in it. I would look for one from a Southern state with no snow. So the chasis would not be exposed to road salt. The Mini S is sweet, but I worry I may get into more trouble with it. I bet the thing handles like a go kart. It has a power to weight ratio about equal to the RX-8. That's nuts for a car that small. That's not even with the 207hp John Cooper Works kit added. I use to have a blast in a 83 3dr Honda Civic years ago. The Mini must be 10 times the fun. I want to goto a couple of trackdays a year with this pet car also. So I will be tuning the suspension, and engine a bit. Nothing crazy, just some extra reliable power, and handling.
Re: Thinking About A Second Pet Car............ (SP8)
This is the 2+2 model:
Besides being longer than the coupe, you can spot it by the fuel door, which is behind the wheel well on the 2+2, and in front on the coupes.
They made the coupe in a non-turbo, 220hp V6 or the Twin Turbo 300hp V6.
The 2+2 only came with the non-turbo.
The turbos can also be identified by the little slits in the front air dam for the intercoolers, and by the rear wing. Of course, many of these cars were modified with all kinds of aftermarket wings and bodywork, so you can't be absolutely sure by looking at them.
I don't know how many of each type were sold, but if I had to guess I would say, maybe 50% Turbo coupes, 30% non-turbo coupes, and 20% 2+2's. (Maybe oneducs can check my math... ) They also made a roadster for a couple of years, but it was mondo expensive, something like 45 Grand, in mid-90's dollars.
Re: Thinking About A Second Pet Car............ (AZ Scott)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AZ Scott »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">They also made a roadster for a couple of years, but it was mondo expensive, something like 45 Grand, in mid-90's dollars.</TD></TR></TABLE>
That was a really nice looking car. Never saw many of them, but they were sweet.
Re: Thinking About A Second Pet Car............ (SP8)
I sat in a RX-8 for the hell of it today. That is a sweet car. It's a perfect 2+2 package. I want to test drive one. I here rotary engines don't have as much low end torque as a traditional engine, but I'm sure that wouldn't matter on the street. I also saw a automatic with paddle shifting. Looks cool, but I stay away from automatics. They seem to always break before a standard shift will. I had a thing for the late model RX-7. I still think it looks better then the RX-8, but those are only 2 seaters. I need to sit in a Mini S to see how it feels. The Mini must be awesome to park in a city. It's the next best thing to a bike IMO. I'm trying not to buy a brand new car, but the RX-8 got my attention now. It's a perfect 2+2 in a nice tight package. More money then a late 300ZX, but I won't have to worry about someone rebuilding it wrong. Plus I think the RX-8 is smaller then the 300ZX 2+2. Thanks to AZ for bringing the size difference to my attention. I thought all late 300ZX models were the same.
Re: Thinking About A Second Pet Car............ (SP8)
I've driven a couple Mini's and they really feel like front drive go-carts. They are tiny. Is the Mini S all wheel drive or front drive? I'd go with the RX-8 just because you don't see so many of them on the road already. And if it's anything like the last RX-7, people will still be enjoying them 12 years from now!
I found a mint 1990 300ZX 2+2 with only 54,207 miles on it. I'm gonna look at it after working out tomorrow. Only problem is the dealer wants way to much money. It's listed at $10,990. No way am I gonna pay that much. I'm gonna shoot for $6,500, but no more then $7,500. This car is exactly what I want in a 300ZX. It's pre-owned certified, low miles, one owner, and worked on by one dealer.
Thinking About A Second Pet Car............
) They also made a roadster for a couple of years, but it was mondo expensive, something like 45 Grand, in mid-90's dollars.
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