[medman]

Hi fellow Z-lovers...
I'm new to the board. While not a Z owner "yet" (RSX S currently), I shall be "full of Zness" in 4 months. Not a day goes by that I have to dig deep within and hold back from purchasing an 04 Z.

Here is some food for thought regarding the upcoming 05 Z. The info is from my neighbor who happens to be the general manager at a So. Florida Nissan dealership. He advised me that the 05 Z will have AT LEAST 310hp, more standard features, and best off all, the dreaded feathering should be a thing of the past. Speaking of the feathering, he stated that a new response from Nissan was to install a "spacer" on the suspension. Not sure what he ment however.

Anyway, just wanted to add my two cents and and say "hi" to others who share a common desire.

Waiting most patiently for September....counting the days...

 

[steve350z]

i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but i would not trust a dealer to tell me anything at all. especially ones that know more that Nissan does on the matter (they have not released the specs on the 05 Z yet, so i doubt there wil lbe any change at all). best bet would be to wait for Nissan to relase the news. I was told that the 05's were going to have a US version of the NISMO S-Tune with a factory turbo, and this by a manager as well. sorry if this seems to sound wrong, i am not bashing you at all, just the tactics that dealers use to try to sell a car

 

[gdojr]

Welcome to the board Medman.

Steve is right. Nissan has not yet released the 05 specs, and most believe there will be no significant engine changes.

Nissan has announced the repair (TSB) for the feathering issue. Reviews are mixed as to whether it works. Some of us hope it does not! I had my '03 feathering issue resolved (?) three weeks ago. There is a thread dedicated to this issue in the "problems and solutions" forum. Just a note, Nissan claims the '04 models do not have the feathering problem. I do not recall any members with '04 models who are experiencing the problems.

The "spacer" you refer to is actually a replacement connecting rod on the front right side of the suspension (there is also a TSB for this fix, can't remember the #). This is also discussed in the feathering thread in "problems and solutions".

Hope you enjoy this board, it is one of the most informative out there.

 

[dave079]

Welcome to the board. I have to agree with what everyone is saying. Never trust a dealer furthur than you can throw him. Sometimes dont even trust them that much. They know as much as any of us do about what the '05's will be like. Hopefully though the specs will be released soon enough.

 

[sluggoZ]

Steve350Z your right. I also heard that the early 2004's still have the feathering problem.

Oppma plant is where the tire feathering started.

Tochigi plant is Nissan's best plant. (Infiniti Production)

Production was changed to the Tochigi plant beginning Jan. 2004.

They have supposely corrected the suspension problem and the convertible top problems.

I'm in week 13 waiting...I came very close in buying a roadster in January off the dealer's lot. (very happy about that decision)

No vin #'s yet so I'm still waiting. My dealer says that the vin#'s come in every Wednesday for the following delivery.

Good Luck!

 

[toykilla]

I considered waiting for a 2005, but i just could not stand to wait anylonger. I also knew that if nothing new/big was revealed that I would hate myself for waiting.

Think about it. You could buy a 2004 now and have it heavily modded, beyond anything the Nissan will release, well before the 2005 is available.

 

[jinxxycat]

I have to agree with everyone's comments. Although dealing with the dealerships is a PITA, we still love our Z's. I hope that you have a good experience buying, just remember you probably know more about Z's than they do if you have been on the Z forums for long. Good luck with your purchase, I know you will love the Z!!!

 

[Richard 350z]

All car salesmen and their sales managers are lying jerks. This is not specific to Nissan. I have bought lots of new cars, and it is always the same run around.

This thread is the only place I have ever heard anyone say that the '05 Z will get a hp bump. Frankly, I doubt it.

I have had a Nissan dealer tell me there will be a factory turbo next year, and I'm pretty sure that it's BS. I know an engineer for Nissan who is in a position to know exactly what is coming out of Japan for the 350Z, and he told me he has not heard a word about a factory turbo. I don't think he would lie to me. After all, he's not trying to sell me a car. LOL

 

[FLZ]

Hey folks, Couldn't imagine waiting for the '05s but here's what I picked up from Consumer Guide.News The 2005 Z-cars get several upgrades. As with the early-arriving '05 midsize Altima sedans, Nissan answers critics by replacing cheap-looking interior trim with better-quality stuff, including soft-touch material on the dashboard and console. Also added are lower-dashboard knee pads, a padded console armrest, redesigned automatic shifter, and shoulder-belt "service arms" that eliminate the need to reach behind when buckling up. There's a sturdier center-dashboard lid too, with power operation on cars with optional navigation. Finally, the '05 Zs adopt Euro-market suspension calibrations said to give a smoother ride, plus a tandem brake booster to replace a single master cylinder.

Nissan has hinted at more available power and other enhancements for future Zs. The most likely, we think, are a supercharger option, possibly by 2006, and available all-wheel drive borrowed from the platform-related Infiniti G35 sedan.

 

[DiRN]

Most of this was already done for the 2004.5 models though.

 

[gdojr]

never mind...