Check Up on What's Below

After purchasing and receiving a used car, any used car, the next thing anyone should do is to get the car, a thorough check up. There is only so much a buyer could see physically and feel from a test drive especially since sellers do not usually let you go all out on a test drive. You would be lucky if you are allowed to drive on a highway. So, I need to have do some tests done on my Nissan Fairlady Z by professionals to determine if there is anything that could be potentially wrong with the car. Of course, I hope nothing is wrong because if it is not the case, it would mean I have to spend a lot to restore it. The first problem I have is finding the right person to look at my 350Z. My father suggests I let the workshop that works on his Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes Benz E200 because this workshop usually works on Audi, Volkswagen, BMW and Benz, and could easily handle my 350Z. At the same time, my father's friend recommends I see a used car dealer friend of his. I talked to that friend and he is very knowledgeable about 350Zs as he sold a few before. He asked me to let him take a look at my 350Z and he can tell me what needs to be done and tell me where to get it done. Unfortunately, he is a busy man and I could not bring him the 350Z.

Before this, I have already ordered and received new Brembo brake pads as I previously saw the pads were almost gone and to me, it was my first priority to get it done. So, I decided to have the brake pads changed at the workshop where my father sends his cars. I drove down to the workshop and showed the owner of the workshop, my new brake pads. He took a look at the existing brake pads and told me that I was mistaken as the brake pads are still very thick. So, I decided to save it for next time. Next, he looked under the hood and saw that the engine oil is still very clean from the dipstick but there are some oil leaking from the valve cover area. It could be the gasket or seal that has worn out. I also realize that the plastic cover for the car battery lock has broken, the cover for washer fluid and radiator lock are missing. Those are the parts that I should be looking for from chop shops. Then, the owner put the 350Z up on a ramp. Finally, I could see how it looks like under the car. I was especially curious about the extent of the exhaust modification and from the view under, it seems that it has been modified from the exhaust manifold all the way to the muffler. I could see clearly a plate stating the brand "Supercircuit" and I thought I should pay Supercircuit a visit to have the exhaust checked out. I could learn more about the exhaust mod too.

Cable Tie instead of a lock

Supercircuit plate on Y-pipe

After that, together with the owner, we looked at all the mechanical parts of the car. He noticed that there are some dents on the front lower arm bars and cross member. Some of the bush on the bars are worn out too. On the rear, there is a M-shaped metal and that also is dented. Most probably all these dents are caused by the car hitting speed bumps. The long wheelbase and low position, coupe chassis are the main culprits that makes the 350Z prone to hit speed bumps. Everything else looks alright except for a little rust here and there. The car came down and we went for a test drive together. I told him about the transmission not shifting right when going into 4th gear and also the high position of the clutch pedal. He said it could either be the synchros are gone or it has been a while since the transmission oil is changed. The clutch pedal was missing a guard and that is why it is higher than usual. The clutch pump might need to be changed but the good news is there is still a lot of clutch left.  Quickly, I took note of everything he said and I know what parts that I should start looking for. However, since the 350Z have been around for years, parts are harder to come by now. He also mentioned that since the car can still run normally, I should gather all the parts needed and restore it all together. Although we found some issues with the car, I felt relieved when he said I could still drive it without much fear.

I do have a few friends from the Celica Owners Club that move on to either the 350Z or the V35 Nissan Skyline. So, I told my friend the issues that I am facing with the 350Z and he suggested that I let a garage called "Redsun" have a look at my car. The owner of that garage has vast knowledge on Nissan's sports car such as the R34 Nissan Skyline/ GT-R, R35 Nissan GT-R, V35 Nissan Skyline and Nissan Fairlady Z. I talked to the owner about my problems especially the transmission issue and he told me to bring my car over once he is done shifting his garage. He also mentioned that instead of replacing the synchros, it would be much easier to change the entire gearbox. I have to prepare for the high cost of purchasing and exchanging of gearbox. It is also not so easy to find a pristine manual gearbox these days. So, it looks like I will have to wait for time to tell. Meanwhile, I will just drive the 350Z like a normal car and try not to do much damage to the engine.