faris13

sold this and got my 996... couldn't be happier. That Z was a blast though...I'm gonna miss her.

raclaims

Pretty sweet looking car but now that I have a few German cars I will never go back to a Japanese car...if you did not already post your thoughts...how did they compare?

washington dc porsche

I almost purchased a G35c instead, a friend of mine just had a Turbo Kit added to his this past summer but still I prefer the 996.

nycebo

I love the look of that car. When I was younger and it was what I could afford (new to new that is), I would have been as happy as a pig in ****.

But, since you have made the move to 911s, welcome to the world of rear engine vehicles!

faris13

Yea I love the 911...obviously a completely different feel being a rear engined car so I'm still getting used to it. Well the 996 drives much smoother than the Z, the gearbox is just a huuugee improvement. The Z is more of a "brute", it's loud and you feel everything...like the shifter vibrating like crazy.

The 996 is also significantly faster. Some of these F/I 350z's are just completely ridiculous. There's a good amount of guys pushing 600+ hp with twin turbo setups. Also you can slap a supercharger on these cars for relatively cheap. One thing I will really miss about that car is the sound, the thing sounded like a beast at WOT with my short ram intake on it.

Mother

Rode in my brothers the other day ( acutually bought for his wife as leverage for him to get his 1998 Lamborghini ) the new 300 HP model same color 19" wheels and it did move pretty well and he has had many of them over the years they have been dependable and I think nice styling, but to me in the end it's still a nissan. I like driving a piece history like porsche, ferrari etc. To each his own I guess.

faris13

of course there is no comparison between a porsche and a nissan but with the 350z your getting respectable performance for a decent price. And while porsche and ferrari obviously have longer histories the Z has a heritage of its own.

I was lucky enough to uprgrade to a 996 and I am pretty sure I'm a porsche guy from now on...I'm addicted, But for those who can't afford a porsche the Z is an amazing car IMHO.

Mother

Sorry was not trying be a snob, I agree bang for buck you can't beat it. I grew up in that era and still miss some of the coach refinements of the older cars which seem to have gone out the door being replaced by the lighter plastic or materials in the new cars. In the older cars if I got stuck out in the boonies I could eat the leather and still survive. I guess I just have to get used to change.

nycebo

Yeah, the 350Z is definitely not a compromise; it's a phenomenal car for the money or otherwise. I would still be delighted to drive a car like that around. Mind you, when I was in my early 20s, I would have done just about anything to drive a car like that around. And, when you DO factor in the money, it's almost a no-brainer.

But, I will say that the convertible doesn't look as good.

mundman

I test drove a 350 with 7k on the clock and it was loose in the turns rattled like a p.o.s.. but it had a nice pick up off the line. I passed. German is a whole different story

faris13

yea for the price I thought it was a blast...Alot of the Z's had interior rattle problems, luckily mine didn't after 34,000 miles. Hmmmm i thought the Z handled the turns pretty well. The stock tires on those cars were crap...it was amazing to see how much a good set of tires helped.

And yea I'm with you nycebo...the convertible Z with the top up didn't look right at all.

vove

Best move you've ever made with automobiles. Congrats.

LVDell

I'll be the first to step up and say that I love the Z. However, my love is for the classic Z's. I have an 81 (see my signature) that is a blast to drive. As I have said in the past, there are MANY times that I walk into the garage and pick the Z over the 996. Just depends on what mood I am in. If there were also an older late 70's/early 80's 911 I can almost promise that would be the car I choose almost everytime! There is just something about the classics and the connection you feel to the past heritage--regardless of make.

vove

Dell, your Z is special though and has sentimental values. Didn't your father handed that Z down to you after he had bought it brand new??

LVDell

Yes, he sent it to me a couple years ago before he passed away. Of course there is alot of sentiment and connection I feel to my father when I drive that car and all the memories of my childhood, etc.

But........I truly love the feel and drive of that car. True rear wheel drift, no power steering, no electronics, no bells and whistles.

And the greatest thing, I still have the sales invoice when my father picked it up in the summer of 81. A whopping $8500!