The 1990 Nissan 300ZX
AFTER:
Pictures above are before and after pics of our black 1990 300ZX, normally aspirated, when we first got it, after a wash, and when fully buffed out! It needed a lot of work, especially the paint and the transmission. We bought it with 137K miles and a blown transmission. We drove it 5 hours with only 2 gears to get it home to work on it - that was fun.... This was a solid car, even with the miles. More information follows:
The 1990 300ZX without the turbo had 222 hp and required premium gas. It was a real head-turner. With the automatic transmission, these cars are not very fast, unfortunately.
What we had in ours:
- Added Prolong engine treatment to help smooth, lubricate and cool engine. Ran with Castrol 10W30.
- 25K mile transmission from SOKO
- Tinted windows all around
- Aftermarket alarm
- Kenwood cassette player
- AIV valves - They pump air into the catalytic converters for emissions. They go out at about 80K on almost every Z. They are very expensive ($750 replacement for each).
- Auto trans - Especially in 90 and 91, they go out every 100K or so - it's common - they overheat. Replacement is expensive, and you have to replace the radiator too (it contains the trans cooler).
- Turbos - At about 80K they tend to develop problems. If you see a leak, assume repair is coming soon!
- Suspension - Make sure the rear wheels in particular are straight - if they are bent inwards on the top, suspension work is needed.
- T-top seals - They tend to leak after a few years.
- Timing belt - It MUST be changed every 60K, and it's not cheap ($300+). If it goes, so does the rest of the engine, so it is REALLY important!