3rd Time was the charm

After a disappointing end with the previous viewing of the turbocharged Toyota Altezza, I had one appointment left. I was getting desperate and depressed. Nevertheless, I went ahead to make an appointment with the owner to meet up. I asked to meet at a local Tesco to view the car and this time, I bought my friend as well. I told my friend that if this 3rd viewing does not go well, I would need another plan. The Altezza owner was late to our meetup but when he arrived, he came with his crew of 3 more persons. His friends arrived in a first-generation Lexus LS460 and it was modded. As soon as he arrived, all 4 of them looked at my Nissan Fairlady Z. One was looking at the boot, another at the interior and another 2 at my engine bay. I was surprised because each of them was asking me a lot of questions regarding my 350Z and the questions were very professional. I knew these guys were either mechanics or real enthusiasts. I made sure to inform them that my car was in good condition and comes with a lot of goodies. The only fault was the fading paint. I could tell the Altezza owner was very interested and in his mind, he might think that I was such a fool to want to swap with his sedan. After around 45 minutes (longest view ever), it was my turn to look at his Altezza.

The owner started the engine and the first thing I noticed was the loud exhaust. The engine bay was clean and stock with no modification. The idling was stable and there was no weird sound. I looked around the exterior and, to be honest, it looks so much better than my 350Z. The paint must be either newly painted or well taken care of as I could tell it was polished. I found out later the owner works in a paint shop. The Altezza had the Neo Sports body kit from the factory and that is exactly what I was looking for. If I had to pick a fault, it would be the white, Advan RGII rims that were not my preferred design and its color is too much of a contrast to the black paint. Inside, everything was stock and very well preserved. The only thing out of the ordinary was the re-wrapped steering wheel and carpets. Both these were red and black colors, bringing some contrast and sporty feel to the interior. The car as a whole is a beauty to me because of its pristine condition. It is not in perfect condition but this is close. Next, I drove this Altezza around the carpark of Tesco with one of his friend in the passenger seat and vice versa. I was glad I asked my friend along.

When we were done with the test drive, we exchanged feedback. The clutch was a bit weird as it was hard to balance but the drive was pleasant. I did notice sometimes the pedal would not bounce back after being depressed. I was ready to make a deal with him to swap my 350Z with his Altezza. The condition of the Altezza was in good shape to me and I was willing to swap without the need for a top-up from him. I could just swap, drive with no issue and not need to spend a large sum to restore like I did with my 350Z. However, I did mention about the pedal should be checked. It could be a lack of clutch oil or the clutch pump was dying. The night ended with me shaking the owner's hand and agreeing to the swap. I told him that he needed to check the clutch and I could only proceed with the change of ownership next week. So, we shall wait for that but I am excited that I will be changing a new car.