My friend's '93 300ZX TT

"Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)" (6speedhaven)
10/16/2013 at 16:35 • Filed to: 300ZX, z32

At the moment it's a little over 500 rwhp if I remember correctly. He plans to do some other things to get that to 550 rwhp (or hp? I can't remember anymore). He tracks this car while also driving it on the street sometimes. His other daily driver is his Miata. hahahaha

DISCUSSION (15)

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
10/16/2013 at 16:37

This only fuels my newfound want for a 2+2 NA.

Sparf > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 16:42

IMO if you're going to get a Z32 get a TT, since you'll end up dumping way too much money (more than the price difference between an NA and a TT) if you want to upgrade it to TT levels of performance. The NA is slightly underpowered (especially if it's a slushbox) so you WILL want to upgrade it.

Casper > Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
10/16/2013 at 16:45

Gotta love the Z32s. A buddy is building a blown VH45DE swapped Z32 at the moment. Next spring we are going to race it against my Z in a few different formats for fun to see where they stack up. I'm quite sure anything high speed he is going to be king since the cars are just rock solid at over 160 MPH.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Sparf
10/16/2013 at 16:45

Its an unachieveable dream at the moment anyways. I'm newly licensed, so A) a TT would probably be (admittedly) a bit of a handful for me, while an NA would be sluggish but blistering in comparison to my 8.1 0-60 Audi.

B) Insurance for a sporty coupe would kill me.

I have a feeling I won't ever seriously consider either for a looooong time.

Casper > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 16:49

Sparf makes good points. Personally I hate the 2+2s because of the impact to weight distribution and looks, but to each their own. The VG30DE was a great engine, but it is low on power by today's standards and very complex. If I were going to get another Z32, I would look to get either a TT and delete the HICAS or get an NA 2+0 planning to swap and knowing it will be more expensive in the long run (but a bit lighter and debatable better ratios).

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 17:54

If you want any advice on Z32s, you can ask my friend directly by visiting his tumblr here ! If you don't have a tumblr feel free to ask anonymously, however he'll have to reply to your message publicly rather than replying privately (which requires a tumblr account/blog) He's extremely knowledgeable about the Z32 and his mod-list is here . Don't be afraid to ask him anything, don't hesitate on anything you'd like to know more about to make an informed decision. He's cool and likes to help.

Montalvo > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 17:54

I kind of went through the same process, although I have more years on my license. Insurance will always low blow you so I just think well I am going to get shafted by them anyway might as well wine and dine myself first. I would recommend looking for a car that is easier to work on let alone would find people willing to work on and build from there. While 2+2 has potential but it is tough to find qualified people to work on it let alone a more cramped TT. My search for a new toy/DD has taken me from sti->300zx->3000GT->M3 I am bouncing between E36 or E46. Is there any bulletpoints you are trying to look for? I am sure everyone on here could toss out a few alternatives or things you haven't really thought about.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Montalvo
10/16/2013 at 18:14

I've gone to Oppo for assistance on a few different occasions. I'll give you my quick rundown, but I'm pretty tough to find something for (by the way, if you can find a cheap but well-maintained and lower mileage E46, do that. More desirable, nicer to look at, still pretty reliable-even if a bit less so than the e36-and DAT INDUCTION NOISE):

-I'm 16, I'll be 17 in a month. I'm on my second car, a 1991 Audi Coupe Quattro 20v (First was an Ex-SCCA racecar, a 2002 Dodge Neon ACR that was converted back to street use but kept the rollcage, bucket, brakes, etc). I love it to death, but if someone was to approach me and give me a good offer, I'd sell it immediately. That's just how my family is, buy it, enjoy it, try to make a profit or break even, and move to the next.

-I only have however much the Audi sells for to spend. It's one of the cleanest and low-mileagest (yup. Trademarked.) examples I've seen in a while with 86k, and is/was constantly maintained. I like to give myself $7500, since its not too optimistic and is just above what the typical Coupes usually sell for.

-It's gotta satisfy my parents- Airbags, and preferably built like an absolute tank. They're very picky though. My Dad (a massive gearhead, bigger than most of us on here I'd say) just wants the best for me, meaning some tough guidelines. His '08 Subaru STI had very, very thin-feeling doors, so as of now Japanese cars are ruled out (I'm working on that one though). I've also been told it has to be FWD or 4WD, but that seems pretty loose.

-Needs to be reliable. Whatever it is, I'm going to be DDing it while also autocrossing. I can do some work here and there, but again, I'm only in high school and just got my first job. If I need to buy parts every weekend or get stranded on the side of the road, it's not going to work out. To add to that, parts need to be cheap, for all of the above reasons.

-Somewhat interesting or fun. Good handling is a must. I could care less how fast it goes, my Audi does 0-60 in 8 seconds but I love it. It makes a great noise the whole way there, and it handles really well on twisty little roads or just about anywhere else.

-4-5 seats-to carry people

-Manual.

So far, it's definitely pointing in the direction of an SVT Focus. I'm open to all suggestions though, of any kind.

Sorry if that turned out to be overwhelming/not what you expected, I'm pretty tough to look for haha

04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 18:22

As a previous SVT Foci and other similar priced cars owner, I have to say the SVTF is one of my most missed vehicles.

I've owned a bugeye STi and an SRT-4 as well. But you absolutely cannot beat the SVT Focus in dependability and overall driving experience. Both my bugeye and SRT-4 were dependable and never had issues other than general maintenance. But I know from other owners that it's not always the case, whereas with my Focus I never felt the need to worry. They're easy to mod, gorgeous, and becoming quite rare (especially ones that haven't been completely ruined by "tuners").

Now it's a different league from a 300ZX, but in the range of it's competitors I would definitely like to have one again. And I deeply do.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > 04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches.
10/16/2013 at 18:27

For me at least, it makes a lot more sense than a Z32. More room, more economical, easier to deal with, fun (in a different way than a Z32), and more manageable. Plus, you're the fourth Opponaut who has commented to me saying they owned one, and the other three couldn't have preached it much more. It sounds like a win-win to me, so I'll hopefully end up with one of those someday.

Montalvo > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 18:32

Not overwhelming at all, seems actually nearly identical to my criteria. First time I heard about the doors on the sti though. My mother was adament on the awd thing but honestly it isn't always feasible, repairs cost a lot more due to the more complicated setup. A budget would help lockdown your options, were your previous cars under your name and will the next be under yours too?

sloPro > Casper
10/16/2013 at 22:37

at a local car meet i saw a z31 with the vh45 swapped and his plates read "450zx", pretty gnarly.

also by blown, u mean super- or turbo-charged? in either case that ain't gonna fit under the hood! will it?

Casper > sloPro
10/16/2013 at 22:56

He's doing a roots blower and later a twin charge system. He is getting it extra low by making a custom manifold, but he is still doing a bump in the hood like the Stillen 350Z. He's keeping me up to date with pics of mock up and designs he's testing.

Kinja'd!!!

04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/16/2013 at 23:47

Go for a Sonic Blue, Comp Orange, or Yellow one. Those are all the more rare and sought after colors. Not that it matters, but they're all stunning as well lol.

Dsscats > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
02/28/2014 at 01:27

I have an NA 2+2 Z. AMA.