I have an 05 roadster and it is rock solid, however the 07 and younger have the HR motor which is an improvement (in both design and HP) over the DE in the 03-06.
It is all about the condition the car is in, was it well cared for? Miles are important if all other things are equal. Nothing beats a good test drive and have the car looked at by a trusted mechanic. If I were in the market I would probably be looking at an 07 or 08. Last years of the 350 or a low mileage 05 for an equally low price. Also, check the current book value of any car you are considering on both the nada and kbb web sites because you are going to want to pay less then book value.
I have a used 03, was one owner (female) with 78k miles so far a ton of issues..... but mostly wear items so I cant technically complain as its expected. But my suspension is all ****** up (lower controls arms ruined)
That's really a question only you can answer, depending on your budget and how much you can take of yourself if something comes up with the Z. Given that you seem to be concerned about wear and tear and longevity of the vehicle you purchase, I think you have come to a conclusion but don't want to spend the extra money. Good luck with your choice, either way I know you will thoroughly enjoy owning a Z.
One item that hasn't been mentioned on the '07-08 HR-equipped Z33s is the CSC. The concentric slave cylinder (CSC) has been known to leak and then fail on those cars, the earlier Z33 designs (DE and revups) used a more standard outer slave. But due to the design of the CSC, owners will have to drop the tranny to get to it and most report the OEM CSC just fails again after replacement. There are stronger CSCs available on the aftermarket, but that's up to the owner to consider.
By contrast, the early Z33 models haven't had this problem. As a pre-order track model owner, I've never had a problem with my clutch slave in over a dozen years.
Had a few Nissan vehicles over the years, one saved my life taking an impact from a drunk driver. Had nothing but reliability out of every one. I am hoping to get the same reliability out of this z. I just recently got mine, (I waited for years), but I came across a female driven, unmolested 08 6 speed Z that was regularly serviced at Nissan. Only upgrade was a Pioneer Avic unit in the dash.
I have been looking hard for the past three years, it was really hard to make up my mind and find a good one. The day I went down, well the night before someone went there to get it, but their financing fell through, I came the very next afternoon as three more people had appointments to see it the following day.
Good luck on your decision, I totally understand what you have been wrestling with!
I was in the same position 2 weeks ago when I finally bought my June 2007 Touring 6MT 350z.
I studied the market for around 12 weeks and contemplated the different years, almost bought anniversary model. Then I researched about the HR engine. That sold me. I didn't care for DE cars with almost half mileage. I could feel the difference in engine with the 5 cars I tested. 2 were HR 3 were DE 1 of those was a roadster.
My car was a unique example and very well looked after. Clutch take up, interior, engine and body all top notch. Oh and that bulging bonnet!!
I went from getting a 350 at any cost to holding out for a HR and saving up an extra 1500 toward buying it.
The remaining 350s for sale are mainly all DE ones and I know at least 3 that have been for sale for over 3 months. The HRs sell quick.
Hope this helps.
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