Just an intro - Bought 1st Z today!!! :)
 

Hello! The clutch in my Elantra went out stranding me at the bottom of the ramp at my parking garage so, yesterday, I scrapped it for $300. Today, at work, on craigslist, I found my '85 300ZX, test drove it on my lunch and fell in love with it. The body is great. I do have the dreaded fading, powder in your eyes interior, a little bit of rust above the windshield. Otherwise, the car runs great and has only 105K!!!

Anyway, my uncle will of course be helping with most of the work but I'm really excited to learn as much and do as much of the work myself. After 28 years in a mechanic family, it's about ****ing time! I know it's going to be a process but it'll be awesome to see how it turns out.

Glad I found this forum so I have some homies to ask questions to! This is the first Z I've ever driven so if there's anything you can think of that a new owner should know please add it! This is also my first forum, I'll always welcome feedback or criticisms.

Thank you! Nice to meet you!

Sarah! :icon_super: lol

Welcome to Zdriver! :) And that is in pretty nice shape. And I see you are in Phoenix, I am in East Mesa. Good luck, and hope you learn what you need on here. Lots of helpful, and encouraging people on here. ;)

z31's are good cars. they last. my 86 T has over 100K on it and my 85T over 200. One issue with the 85 n/a is the four lug wheels. if you want a different wheel hard to find something that fits without adapter plates. I will copy in my general boiler plate how to treat a Z31 to make it run better and less trouble. you don't need to do it all at once but the battery system is critical because poor connections low voltage cause much grief. Unless they look pretty new change out the master and slave for the clutch hydraulics another lesson you learn at Oh dark thirty on a rainy night. Get the timing belt done unless you have proof of when it was changed. when it breaks on an interference engine it is not a pretty sight.

Get your battery load tested. Be sure you have clean, tight corrosion free terminals on both ends of your battery cables. Be sure the ground (negative) cable goes to a bolt into the frame before going to the starter. grounding through the starter is not a reliable connection. Z's don't like low voltage. causes the electronics to act funny. it is possible to have enough amps to crank but not enough voltage to run the electronics. If you have one size fit all cheapo clamp on terminals they are a problem waiting to happen.

Clean the connectors for the maf or afm, ecu and tps. Deoxit by CAIG is probably the best connector cleaner on the market. spray with CorrosionX after cleaning and before putting together this will help prevent any further corrosion.

Replace outer tie rod ends, and ball joints. replace the bushings with poly (don't forget to lube them as directed unless you like squeaky things). New shocks. all those things will make you think you are driving a different car. doing them piece meal is a waste you won't see a great improvement until you do the complete job. Rear bushings nice too but more work and you won't notice as great an improvement. Rear shocks also because if the fronts are gone so are the rears. if car squats when you jump on the gas the rears are gone. If you have the electro adjustable shocks they are DEFINITELY GONE.

Thanks Wildman! Maybe I'll see you around! :):):)

Hi RogerZ! Thank you so much for all of that wonderful information! I will definitely keep this list and start checking things off! When you said "I will copy in my general boiler plate how to treat a Z31 to make it run better and less trouble." did you mean you were going to put something up for me to read? Let me know so I can get it if that's what you meant. Also, if you don't mind elaborating on the 4lug wheel issue... I don't know why that is a bad thing. Anyway, thanks again - super stoked!

Sarah

4 lug not a bad thing just really hard to get wheels that you like better than the stock models. what I posted is a distilled version of many things I learned about z31 that will correct many issues you see posted. there is more but those are kinda the things people forget. you see people asking about springs and such when the problem is bad shocks and bushings. electric issues again solid battery and cables eliminate a lot. twere me if timing belt questionable I would do the O2 sensor and chts whilst doing that. At 105k miles you are past timing belt recommended replacement. if you decide on that get the kit from courtesy Nissan (also they have other parts) I purchased the stuff for my 86T piecemeal. saved a couple bucks but not really worth the effort. you would be surprised at the amount of parts you can purchase from amazon.com and save some bucks. just an fyi. Download the fsm from xenon site FREE. invaluable resource. take the electric schematics to kinko and blow up to 11x17 get a much more readable diagram. anyway great car enjoy. more fun to drive when you get the suspension worked over as above. keep your eye out for an 86T they are the best of the z31's not very humble opinion altho the z32 are the prettiest of the lot.