| I read all the FAQ's as mentioned first. Due to work obligations I couldn't travel and had to send my wife off solo to inspect my last TTZ with the below list. It's pretty anal, and probably has some mistakes (use at your own risk- I have nowhere near Z the knowledge of the burning bushes that keep this site inline) but I got a good product in the end. Hope it helps. Exterior
-Any visible damage
-Check windshield for cracks / spidercracks
-All OEM glass has VIN etched on it
-Check front spoiler for cracks / rubs (hitting parking block)
-cracks in the spoiler are not easy to fix (new front bumper)
-Check gaps around all body panel seams- they should be symmetrical
-hood to fender / bumper
-door to fender
-seal around headlights to front bumper
-hatchback to rear quarter panels
-rear trim (where it says 300zx) to rear bumper
-front bumper to hood (lines should match up)
-look for gaps where black rubber trim matches up to body panels
-look down body lines from front to rear- should match up
-bottom line- symmetry is the key!
-Check for condensation or any signs of previous condensation (interior waterspots) in headlights (seals bad)
-Remove t-tops and look for rust or scratches along painted parts of frame
where t-tops sit
-Do the t-tops go on and off easily (seat themselves)
-Check all weather seals
-Check spoiler/wing for any cracking or evidence that any water has been
seeping into mounting to back deck
-Any evidence of repaint/repair
-Underneath all weatherstrip around windows (if paint doesn’t match, it has been
repainted- lift it up and look
-Overspray in wheel wells (pull trim back if able and look for mismatch paint)
-Any missing fasteners in wheel well or underneath frame
-Any cracking in plastic trim around the wheel wells
-Does the plastic wheel well trim line up with vehicle lines?
-Check plastic and composite trim underneath the engine/front end
-If plastic is not in tact, it has hit a parking block, etc (shatters easily)
-Is engine guard (aft of the plastic trim) in tact? (what I replaced on Z)
-Look under the car in general
-Are there any scrapes?
-fuel lines run under car- ruptured fuel line = bad!
-dented drive train (large round tube running from engine to
rear tansaxle- you have to really get under it to see this)
-If there is buildup of undercoat- it’s OK (normal) …look for inconsistencies in undercarriage (like something scraped the underside)
-No dents in the exhaust
-Make sure that rock guard (bumpy texture on bottom ¼ of car) is symmetrical
-Check the paint inside of the doors (where VIN sticker is)- shouldn’t be any
“orange peel” (evidence of repaint)
-Look for anything new looking that is structural that attaches wheels/steering
assembly to frame
-Check all wheels for scrapes (too close to curb)
-Z wheels are clear coated paint (just like body panels only silver)look for repairs
-Check all four tires for cuts (look on the inside of tires as well- usually where they
happen)
-Check the wheel lugs- they should be symmetrical in shape/size
-General rubber trim condition (is it cracking/fading?) Under hood inspection
-Bottom line: no burning or fresh oil smell at all
-Check block/head gasket for any leaks
-will NOT show drips underneath because of plastic/composite trim underneath engine
-Check for any coolant drips
-Coolant smells sweet
-blown head gasket will have coolant and oil leaks (mega bucks to fix)
-Check battery terminals for corrosion Interior Inspection
-Leather seats / trim
-Does it appeared to be dyed after the fact? (color rubs off in your hand/clothes?)
-Seat belt condition (frayed?)
-Tears?
-Rub marks on driver’s door / center console leather
-Ring marks on wheel / shift knob
-Rub marks on suede trim
-Cracked trim anywhere (sun/heat on dash)
-Glove compartment- does it open and close?
-open and close (light pressure) a few times
-check that lock works
-Check that plastic trim in door aft of handle is secure and doesn’t lift when you
pull on it
-Check door trim plugs on both doors (aft of where interior trim stops and paint starts) Interior Mechanical Inspection Turn key, but not all the way to start (work on battery power) -Check that driver’s seat moves in all 8 directions
-Check that driver’s seat lumbar support works (mechanical handle, not electric)
-Check that passenger seat is adjustable (mechanical, not electrical)
-both forward and back, as well as tilt of seat (wheel)
-Check that power window work (ON BOTH SIDES)
-Check that power door locks work (ON BOTH SIDES)
-Turn headlights on
-Low beams should come on
-Push left console lever forward- bright lights should come on steady
-Pull left console lever back past neutral position- bright lights should come
on intermittently- check more than once times
-Make sure headlights are aimed properly (and not crosseyed)
-during day, can check by pulling up close to a wall with lights on)
-Put your foot on the clutch and shift gears though all 5- should be smooth
-Radio should come on
-Check AM and FM (all buttons work)
-Check that antenna comes up and down
-Check that CD player works (all buttons)
-Check all speakers (turn radio/CD up) and FEEL both door speakers and back
speakers)
-Check that interior lights (overhead) works (there are two switches)
-Check that hood release works
-Close hood- drop it from about 12” from closed position- should close and lock
without pushing down on it (gravity should close)
-Check that trunk release works
-Check that fuel door release works
-Check all pedals (clutch, brake, accel)
-Clutch pedal especially…clutch pedal will show the most wear (with this
mileage, pedal should show wear but not be smooth anywhere)
-New pedal (deep friction lines shows it has been replaced)
-Check center console (make sure it opens and closes- latches)
-With car in neutral and parking brake set, have someone push on front of car and make
sure that it doesn’t roll backwards or forwards Start Z -Should start right up
-RPM can spike slightly but down to idle w/in a few secs
-RPM should be steady
-let it idle for a minute or two
-check for any abnormal smoke coming from exhaust while idle (burning oil)
-Check for any idiot lights (engine light, HICAS light, airbag)
-Do the headlight drill again (dim/brights)
-Do the radio/CD drill again
-Do interior switch lights (on overhead) again
-Do seat adjust drill again
-Check windshield wipers in all positions
-Check windshield misters (right lever back)- two streams of fluid should appear
-Oil pressure should show- not much less than ½ indicated (should increase with reving)
-If you rev high enough, boost should register over 0 (check again for smoke from
exhaust)
-After rev, RPM should return to pre-rev idle average
-Listen for any squealing from transmission
-will vibrate through tranny, you will feel it an hear it
-if it is there, it may stop when you step on the clutch (throw out bearing)
-Step on clutch and shift through gears- should be smooth and not hang up or grind at all
-Clutch pedal should not be hard to push down at all Test drive (25 minutes optimal- highway speed as well) -Check reverse- shouldn’t grind going into reverse
-1st gear
-Check friction point of clutch
-When 1st engages, it shouldn’t be more than ½ pedal extension from full
down position (especially with a new clutch installed)
-Turn the radio off! Listen for engine sounds / vibrations
-Turn air conditioning down to 60 degrees, hit AUTO and make sure its cold
(factory specs have expelled air around 45 degrees in Auto max blast)
-Make sure that all aspects of air conditioning work
-Various fan settings out of Auto
-Defog
-Lower only (legs) / upper only
-Turn air off after confirming it works (to hear engine sounds)
-Run though all gears- no grinding during shift or after shift at all (smooth)
-Boost: accelerate in 1st or 2nd hard but smooth (at least 4500 RPM)
-should boost close to 9 PSI when you get on it (gotta judge this on the stock boost gauge)
-noticeable acceleration when turbos kick in
-check boost after shifts- should go to close to 9 PSI in all gears
-look in rear mirrors while turbos are spooling (NO white smoke)
-white smoke=burning oil=leaking/dying turbos
-should hear clean turbo spool (whine) while accelerating and wastegates opening when off the accelerator (slight purging/whooshing sound)
-most important! (turbo health is #1 cost of post-buy expenditure/costs)
-Listen for any knocking/pinging during acceleration (while going up to 4500 RPM)
-Watch the temp gauge- should not go over ½ regardless of how hard it runs during test
drive
-if temp gauge spikes/runs hot, it is an indication of possible blown head gasket
or coolant system issues (big bucks)
-Steering/handling (should be tight and responsive)
-look for HICAS idiot light while making turns
-Switch from touring to sport on handling
-touring should feel “mushier” than sport (harder) with normal road irregularities
-Roll down windows while moving less than 20-30 MPH
-listen for suspension squeaks Post Test Drive
-From idle in neutral, push accelerator to positive boost
-look again for any white/black smoke from exhaust
-repeat multiple times
-Let car idle for a few minutes to cool turbos before turning off ignition
-Look under hood again and look/smell for oil or coolant leaks
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16:11:42 06/12/07
