@80sFast, huh? When I looked I thought parts were more than that.
Well I’m going to be following cause I was looking at 944s but may add the 300zx to my list, especially if there are easy power upgrades
@80sFast, huh? When I looked I thought parts were more than that.
Well I’m going to be following cause I was looking at 944s but may add the 300zx to my list, especially if there are easy power upgrades
I’ve had two 944 turbos and loved them. I prefer them over the 300zx.
I got prices from the Lindsey Racing website. Nothing seemed too crazy. I’m sure either way I go it’ll be a money pit all said and done...I’m cool with that.
In reply to Cotton :
What did you like about the 944 over the 300zx?
In reply to 80sFast :
I preferred the handling of the 944, also the power and power delivery of the 944 turbo vs 300zx NA. Both my 944 turbos had chip and exhaust and were a good bit quicker than stock. Also, something that’s hard to explain, but the 944 just “felt” better. It has a very old school German feel to it which I really like. I looked at 300zx twin turbos as well, but being such a nightmare to work on turned me off.
I used my last 944 turbo as a DD for awhile and it was very reliable, comfortable, cold ac etc. it made an enjoyable DD. It got totaled in an accident with a semi truck. I still miss that car.
80sFast said:In reply to irish44j :
I agree the turbos would be less trouble. But at the end of the day I just want a turbo car because I think they’re cool, and frankly that’s the whole point of getting one for me.
Interesting that you felt a 944 is a more airy cockpit. Did the 300zx you drove have t-tops? I just always assumed the Nissan would be more wide open because of its size.
I"ve been in a few, none with T-Tops off (I don't recall if they had them or not). It's definitely a "cozier" cockpit that really envelops you. I mean, it's very comfortable and pretty nice in an early-90s Japanese sort of way.
The 944s have the removable sunroof panel and it is practically the entire roof (and fits in the hatchback). With that off it's almost like being in a vert, but without the wind buffeting. But even with the roof on, the car feels very open inside since it has a huge hatch glass and the windshield is raked so hard it's practically right over your head (downside is on sunny days the sunvisor flipped down is right up in your face lol).
Again though, just an impression. You should definitely sit in both and see how they feel to you in terms of controls, visbility, etc.
octavious said:@80sFast, huh? When I looked I thought parts were more than that.
Well I’m going to be following cause I was looking at 944s but may add the 300zx to my list, especially if there are easy power upgrades
Granted mine is an older car with some 924 parts and some 944 parts, but I've found pretty much everything to be pretty "normal" in price compared to my e30, other than a few random things. I'm sure the 944T has some more specialty stuff that may be pricier, but a lot of 944 were made so there's not a shortage of parts on rockauto, aftermarket, and secondhand.
What’s the consensus about working on the 944 platform? Obviously the engine bay is tight on a 300zx, but from what I’ve read it seems the transaxle on the Porsche can be a pain.
Im not really scared about working on either car as it seems the internet knowledge on both platforms is fairly deep, I have decent facilities at my disposal, and some mechanic friends that would help me. With that in mind is there some reason these cars are difficult to work on it or is it that things just take longer?
Porsche jammed the turbo on the wrong side of the engine. Lots of piping, lots of bolts that are really hard to get to. T There are something like a dozen oil seals on the front of the motor. Doing a clutch job or an oil pan gasket on it is a total PITA. To the point where it's worth checking to make sure both have been done/are good on a car you're considering buying.
There's a huge wealth of knowledge on working on them out there, I just wouldn't own one as a daily driver. They're old, expensive German cars. Weird shizz is going to go wrong with them.
I will second/third/whatever the point that a 300zx is not as much better of a tourer than a 944 as you would expect it to be. 944s don't feel particularly small inside, but z32s definitely feel a little tight compared to how big the car 'seems'. I also second the idea that there are ways in which a 944 turbo is probably not much or any easier to work on than a 300zx. In general I would say get the 3.0L 944, but since there seems to be much more love for the 944 than the 968, im going to throw a wrench into things and suggest you buy a 968 instead. The same money might just get you a nicer 968 than 3.0 944.
I think I’ll need to take a few test drives in each to see how the interior feels for me...and more importantly my wife.
It doesn’t seem like there is a clear winner between either one. It will probably come down to how I like the “feel” of each and what kind of example I can find in my price range.
One thing about the 944 I’ve been thinking about is that I would most likely keep it kinda sorta stock. I could see myself going down a rabbit hole with the 300zx.
In reply to Vigo :
I just can’t get into the 968. I feel like the 944 is it’s own thing when it comes to style and the 968 is a knockoff off 911.
In reply to 80sFast :
Hrm? The 968 is a 944 with 928 headlights. It's not a 911 knock off....
In reply to docwyte :
Just styling wise, the headlights just make me think it’s trying to look like a 911. Mechanically I know they are completely different but my stupid brain just sees the headlights.
For a tourer, consider a NA Slicktop Z32. It weighs a couple hundred pounds less and has a lot less complexity in the engine bay (and rear suspension). You can get a super clean one for $5-10k.
Its no rocket, but it will make respectable power, and there really isn't a rabbit hole to go down. You can make ~225whp and thats about it before you are getting inside the motor. The TT you can make 500-600 on stock internals so the rabbit hole is very deep.
In the 944 world there are two prices unaffordable and cheap. Any cheap 944 is generally a disaster not worth owning. For 944 turbo models, this is more true and more costly.
You can get 996s for what a nice 944 turbo costs, and it looks like a 911 because it is one. You can also get a clean 350z for that price.
If you buy a basketcase 944, expect tons of downtime and enough minor repairs to rebuild most of the systems in the car.
My buddy has a black Z32 twin turbo. He removed the engine and rebuilt it as well as upgraded the turbos. Runs a NISTUNE or something ecu. That thing is a straight up monster. It amazed me that he could easily drive it because it was so tamed until he got too far into the throttle. To be fair he's had around 10 of these cars and has the tools and shop to drop the motor just to swap out the turbos.
The path to put down power in a 300zx seems to be pretty well laid out. I’ve been trying to look into handling/braking mods and it’s been kinda hard to separate real upgrades from bling.
Any one have a good resource for a well setup street 300zx suspension, wheel/tire combos, and braking system? For the 944 there seems to be a much more abundant amount of information to create a balanced car, not just a powerhouse.
ProDarwin said:For a tourer, consider a NA Slicktop Z32. It weighs a couple hundred pounds less and has a lot less complexity in the engine bay (and rear suspension). You can get a super clean one for $5-10k.
Its no rocket, but it will make respectable power, and there really isn't a rabbit hole to go down. You can make ~225whp and thats about it before you are getting inside the motor. The TT you can make 500-600 on stock internals so the rabbit hole is very deep.
I have been looking for a 2+2, NA 5 MT 300zx, and they are hard to find
i even bid 2nd highest on BAT last week, it was RNM
most NA I find here is either trashed or gimpomatic :(
80sFast said:Any one have a good resource for a well setup street 300zx suspension, wheel/tire combos, and braking system? For the 944 there seems to be a much more abundant amount of information to create a balanced car, not just a powerhouse.
Bilstein and Koni both make fitments for the Z32. You can easily get a coilover setup on either of those, valved to your liking. Most of the other stuff you see is 'bling'.
Wheel and tire depends on your classing desires, but 17x10s with 255/40-17s are a good fit. Gotta get the offset right. 17x9s fit easily. Thats a respectable size with low consumable costs for trackdays.
If you aren't making insane power, the stock brakes are pretty good. They are aluminum fixed calipers and a reasonable size rotor. Lots of other Nissans try and rob brake parts from the Z32 for upgrades.
In reply to ProDarwin :
Would you say a square 255 setup is the way to go? I saw the old GTZ by Millen ran 265 front and back. But it seems most people prefer a staggered setup, just haven’t seen any good reason as to why.
What about spring rates? Any suggestions?
I would definitely run a square setup.
Whatever compromises you are willing to accept will determine width. Z32s use a 25" tire from the factory... if you want to >255 you have to increase diameter (in a street tire) IIRC. For R comps there are a lot of options.
I don't know what rates are recommended. If you search around other forums you may find Heitkotter's build thread for his STX Z32 (that he won nationals with).
All of this depends what you want to do with it. Im assuming if you want to have a 'tourer' that you aren't serious about any form of competition and are more interested in trackdays. If that is the case I would lean toward a 255 setup out of convenience.
In reply to ProDarwin :
This unit?
http://www.fresnoscca.com/forums/showthread.php?2732-FS-1994-Nissan-300ZX-Slicktop-STX-prepped
Yes, that's the one.
AnthonyGS said:In the 944 world there are two prices unaffordable and cheap. Any cheap 944 is generally a disaster not worth owning. For 944 turbo models, this is more true and more costly.
You can get 996s for what a nice 944 turbo costs, and it looks like a 911 because it is one. You can also get a clean 350z for that price.
If you buy a basketcase 944, expect tons of downtime and enough minor repairs to rebuild most of the systems in the car.
IDK if I agree. My 924S (which is, for all intents and purposes, an early 944 with an '88 944 engine) was $1000 on craigslist and I probably have about $3k into it. It runs well (I did a partial engine rebuild and refreshed everything), has entirely new suspension, working AC, new Boxster seats, and a "good" and complete interior. Everything on the car works except the rear defrost (since I"m too lazy to fix it since it's not my winter car). I did all that over a winter (the car had been sitting for two years). It's N/A but not difficult to work on. Guess it depends if you want to do some work ont he car or if you want "turnkey ready to go."
The one big upside with the 924/944 = galvanized body. So even at 30 years old, you're not gonna have to deal with rust (except maybe the battery tray). I'm not sure how rust-prone the z32 is, but I've owned enough Nissans and other Japanese cars to know that "there will be rust" unless it was a garage queen.
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