300zx vs Corolla

[KenshinX]

well if you all didnt know I had gotten into an accident intht begining of april with the corolla it was not totaled but it needs much work on the passenger fender area

right now I have the choice of repairing the corolla or getting another car my dad has spotted two 80s 300zxs an, 85 and 86 both in good condition the white is very basic no t-tops or 5spd or spoiler it only has 78,000 miles the grey one which is an 86 I believe isgoing for $1400 and has the t-tops spoiler 5spd with 140,000mile and needs paint job but is in good condition.

My question is should I just fix the corolla or try the 300zx. is the 300zx a good car ? - would like the members of the forums opinions. Thanks in advance.

[AndysPlit]

In my opinion I wouldn't purchase any 300ZX from 84-89 unless it was the turbo version, or the Nissan 50th anniversary edition. However, if these prospects fell into my lap I admit I would be curious too. I don't mean to disrespect anyone's taste if they are in favor of the Z31. Personally, I think Nisan made more alluring Z's, but I believe they were machanically sound like most of their product line.

I remember there was an article in Road & Track or Car & Driver years ago that put the Corvette toe to toe with the 300ZX of the that era. Unsurprisingly the Corvette beat the ZX in performance but as quality standards went that honor was won by the Z.

[KenshinX]

hmm I would like to read car&driver article. but thanks for the input Andy Im really trying to decide upon adaily driver because I need a car right now and I cannot drive 260z nor do I want to. My father is a huge toyota fan and I really dont wanna give up the corolla on him, but it does not hold found memories..

[AndysPlit]

Toyotas are great cars, I admit. What year is the Corolla?

As far as the article goes, the best place I can think of to find it would be the microfisch resources at your local library. Yweah, believe it or not the old-fashioned way would suffice. But, I am sure there are plenty of owners' reviews on the Z31 on-line.

[KenshinX]

Its a 1997 Corolla CE, yes corollas have a rep for having good strong engines

[red_dog007]

Its a 1997 Corolla CE, yes corollas have a rep for having good strong engines

My girlfriends brothers Corolla is on its 3rd motor with just 140,000 miles on it. My sisters Corolla has 175,000 miles but since 140,000 you have to put a quart of oil in it a day or the engine will go out just like the Corolla that is on its 3rd motor.

Mom's van (Sienna) blew that motor at 110,000 miles.

Though, I would only get a Z31 if it had a turbo in it. The motor is super strong and super reliable. It is the same motor found in the 90's 300zx. Stock they handle much more power, and the turbo for the 84-86 can be modified a bit to take 15psi w/ an intercooler (peak efficiency) up from a stock and stock limited 6.8psi.

Only the turbo one would be worth it because the cars are expensive to work on either repairing or to modify, plus they are a pain to work on. The engine bay is embarrassing to look at, and its a major pain to work in.

What I would rather get is a 90's 300zx even if it is N/A rather than driving that Corolla around. N/A 90 versions can be found for the about the same price as the 80's 300zx.

[e_racer1999]

what price range are you in?

i see miatas around here for ~1500.

i was thinking about a Z31 once upon a time before i found a decent 240Z. they clean up nice.

as for the corrola; they are very dependable, good on gas, and fit 5 people. good for a DD.

however, my heart is RWD.... why not look into a P10 G20? (edit - after reading this sentence, i realized that the G20 isn't RWD... ) or even an M30? keep it nissan, baby!

[KenshinX]

Well, from my experience the corolla is a good car with great gas milage. I know of three other owners of a 94[212,000miles stock engine] 96[110,000 i believe] and a 97[not sure, but I know its over 120,000] as well as myself. My corolla is at 135,000 miles and still running strong not one thing was wrong with it until I got into an accident. It was a good car, but I dont know I guess the Idea of having a 2nd Z in the yard is all to intriguing to me.

[KenshinX]

well since the repairs for the rolla would be around $1100 my dad wants to get the car fully repainted (exterior) the parts are just $300 ( I need the door skin passenger fender Tire rod alumimnum wheel possibly and a couple other parts) and labors pretty cheap from who we looked at. So I guess the budget would be $1000 - $2000. keep in mind im just looking for a DD if i were to get the Z31 I wouldnt do any sort of mods or upgrades as far as performance goes.

[AndysPlit]

I don't blame you for pondering a second Z. My DD is an 86 VW Vanagon. Horrible gas mileage, but fun to drive in its own right. Plus the cargo space is amazing........However, I am thinking of selling it and considering an 83 or so 280ZX 2+2 for my DD. Sounds nuts? I can't afford anything newer right now.

Well, from my experience the corolla is a good car with great gas milage. I know of three other owners of a 94[212,000miles stock engine] 96[110,000 i believe] and a 97[not sure, but I know its over 120,000] as well as myself. My corolla is at 135,000 miles and still running strong not one thing was wrong with it until I got into an accident. It was a good car, but I dont know I guess the Idea of having a 2nd Z in the yard is all to intriguing to me.

[justin260z]

Corollas are a trap. They are GM, that should say enough. My mom has a 1995 Corolla DX automatic, and she is always complaining about the vibrations, shifting, fuel mileage and other stuff. My dad and I did a DEEP tune up on it including an entirely new fuel system, and distributor.... and it still runs poorly. The sad part is... it only has 125,000 miles.

IMO I would not support either vehicle... I would find a really old Honda. I had a 1981 Accord and it got 50mpg, and I had absolutely NO problems with that car for an entire 2 YEARS. That was the most reliable car I have ever had.

Just fwiw, I bought the Accord for $55, and all I EVER did to that car was put in a new battery, Wal-Mart tires, and change the oil every 3500 miles with Mobil 1 synthetic.

[zbane]

Corollas are a trap. They are GM, that should say enough.

Toyota's a part of GM? I think not.

They do produce lemons from time to time (as all carmakers do-a friend had the worst Volvo built, but that's a different story.

Caleb-whenever you have a car rebuilt after a severe front end collision, which yours sounds like, it will never be the same. There have been several discussions on this site about the z31, and from what I gather, either they are great, or they will drain yor wallet.

Turbo vehicles can be fun, but they (the turbos) need servicing from time to time-not cheap, so be thankful that these two are na.

Considering the budget and time constraints, I would start looking for a new-2-u car, as Jason said, miatas go faily cheap. My sister has had hers since 1991, and barring the new engine (forgot to change the oil:finger: ), the car has done very well...except for the rust.

Miata not your thing? There are many a good car out there just waiting to be found.

Start looking around, and don't let your eyes grow bigger than your wallet.