Celica Forums General Discussion General Went test driving today... now I'm just frustrated

meh, just save up and get an Elise

you will be sorry you buy a convertible. I would buy a 350z, I chose between 350z and the celica gts.I bought the celica lol. Someday I wish i hadnt. The 350z is a nice car but shit for less money i felt i was getting more car with. I Also I own a 240z 1971 model and I Guess I was expecting more from nissan on the 350z. If you have ever drove a 240z that is tricked out you will see what i am talking about. The 350z is not the rev monster my 240z is and does not handel nearly as well. I think nissan held back on there design. But if I were to buy again I would get a 350z just to try it. Hell its just a car you can always get another if you dont like it.

there is a 240z???

Look into the S2000. If it's a convertible you want, go with the S2K. Not as much torque as the Z, but it still should be a lot more fun. Throw in a Turbo later down the line and you're good to go. I miss my convertible.

i thought it was 240sx and it was 300zx

Dont buy the nissan. It will only bring troubles. Ive read the boards and all those problems happen alot. I would also suggest against the miata. Its not a whole lot of car and its not that good looking. Since youre leaning twards the miata Id wait and check out the new solstice. Its a bit quicker than the miata an will cost less. Gm said they were going to release the base model at under 20. If it were me Id buy like a first year c5 corvette or something.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wake up you.

^^^

Anyway, I am aware of the 350z having major issues. I'm hopeful they may have solved these by now on the 04 model, but I'm still looking into the issue. I don't really want to drop $32k on the S2000 when I can get just as much car for more than 5 grand less...

yeah go with s2k its definetly more fun to drive then the 350z
it handles better. and when driven right is just as fast

the g35 is a 350z, just with tow extra seats, a slightly changed body, and a bigger dent in the wallet. but personally, i would go with the z. you might consider taking a lot of time trying to find a zr for a reasonable price

speaking of the mr2. you can get a cheap mr2 with some miles on it, it will probably run you 11k$. and then spend about 10 more thousand to drop a 2zz engine and a 6spd tranny. it will be way worth it and it will be cheaper than the s2000 and it should perform/handle better than the s2000. but the interior of the mr2 is cheap, unless you do some work to it

The 240z is the old Datsun design, the first car of the "Z" series. And a thing of beauty it was.

i thought it was 280z...

Update on all this junk:

Celica will either be done Friday, or a week from today (next Monday). When I get it back, I'll take her out for a final road trip... maybe down to SD or something. Probably put it up for sale within a couple days. As for cars, I think the Z is my likely choice now. I want a covertible, but the S2000 is just way too much; I don't want another car payment. Teh Miata has space issues. I grew 1/2 inch this past year... another 1/2 and even a racing seat wouldn't help me fit into the Miata.

Only thing that would change my mind would be finding a certified preowned 2004 S2k. Goodluck to me on that one.

i dont get it, the z is almost the same price as the s2000 bro. just look for a used certified s2000. like i said, used s2000 have less than 50% chance of the previous driver fuckin around with it cz s2000 owners are pretty old and dont care about racing. patience is wut you need, just wait until a good deal comes to u, til then drive ur celica around. i would get an older s2000 if i were u, cz of the rev limit. cant stop loving the 9000rpm noise. ull be wasting ur money on 350z tires while you can pay that extra buck in the beginning to get an s2000 or else ull regret it later.

Actually, there is a BIG price difference.

The base Z is around $27k sticker price. The S2000 is around $32k sticker price. That might not sound like much... but picture a Z with $5k of speed mods.

I have a week before my Celi is up for sale, so I'm actively searching for a certified 2004 S2K. I actually would rather have the lower rev limiter in the '04, because with that lower limiter comes more displacement and more torque.

The 240z was the first car of the line, introduced in 1969. Then the 260z (1974), and after that the 280z (1975). The 280Z was great, but the original design was the 240z. The 240 was way cool, just not as sophisticated as the 280. Then they did the 280, 300, and 350 zx. Somewhere in there they becam Nissan.

After reading what everyone's said about the 350z, I wouldn't touch it. I'm way happy I got a Celica!

Just did a quick search for a manual s2k certified and found them ranging from 22kfor a 2001 to 34k for a 2004

Seeing the high price of the 2004 i priced a new nnew one and got the price to 32800. I personally didnt like the over priced lips and side details. The 200 dollar shift knob was laughable at best.

base 350z is 27k, but that probably is manual door locks, windows, and cloth interior. s2000 comes in leather seats and all the options plus its convertible like you realy want it. good luck man, hopefully you can find an s2000 you like.


look here bro, awesome prices.
http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/resul...amp;certified=y [autotrader.com]

Nope, the base Z comes with power windows, locks, etc.

In fact, they don't make ANY Z with manual windows OR locks

Actually, it's sort of funny. The Base is the trim I WANT too. The only stuff the higher models have on it is leather, HIDs, and suspension. I plan to throw in racing seats anyway... HIDs are cheap to install (in any color I choose) and I'd probably tear out the stock suspension for better stuff anyway.

if you install aftermarket HIDs, you cant get it locally. you have to buy it online and install it urself. a good kit is gonna go for 500$ and then you have to install it urself cz its illegal for a shop to do it unless you know the installer. aftermarket HIDs dont have motors on the headlights to reaim the light to the floor. once a bulb burns, you have to pay 100$ minimum, and its recommended you change both bulbs if one burn. you have to wait for shipping for a few days, and til then you cant drive at nights without lights. nissan has tire and tranny problems, if you out of warranty, you have to take care of it urself. s2000 has a better resale value, more reliable and unique plus its convertible(i think thats wut you wanted in teh beginning). a z is 27 minimum, its gonna be 29K minimum out the door with tax and everything, while if you check out the site i gave u, a certified s2000 with less than 10000 miles on it can be 28k out the door easily if you bargain a bit. still ur choice, but wut im trying to tell you is plz go test drive the s2000 before any decision, im sure ull love it when you drive an s2000, it handles better, lighter car, better looking, less to be found on the streets.

go w/ the s2k it wont disapoint u. i'm 62 and 180 and sitting in the car was like slipping in2 a glove it was perfect had enough head room and leg room it took a little while to get used 2 the sides being a bit narrow but so what long hauls wouldn't b a problem and if you want 2 autox then there r plenty of parts for the s2k 2 do that too. i don't own 1 yet but plan on getting it when i can afford another car. it handles great most are in good shape w/ few miles on it and they got a nice kick in the pants when you need them

hahahaha...modding the seats to gain your some leg room . if you're done with modding for Performance, you can always mod for the most comfortable car

Okay guys. I made up my mind. Know what I'm buying and plan to throw my car up for sale this weekend...























Over the past two days, I did some serious research on the Z forums. In the end... the feathering issue isn't one I want to deal with. I also looked into racing seats... and nothing is going to make the Miata comfortable enough. The S2K is stretching my pocketbook... but I rather buy a $30k car I'll love than a $27k car that's a pain. Now I just need to hope someone around here is looking for an auto GTS

Dude, you're buying a BRAND NEW s2k!?

Oh man, congrats...Any idea on what color!?

Yeah. I socked away some money to mod the Celi that obviously won't be needed now... so that'll help with the S2K fund

Color? Same color as every other car I've ever owned.

That's awesome bro...What dealer are you planning on going to?

Have you gotten any price quotes yet?

I don't think they're dealing too much on those, are they?

I've looked at the dealer in Cerritos Auto Square about a week ago. Went the same day I test drove the other two cars, just didn't get behind the wheel. I don't know how much they are dealing. Invoice is supposed to be around $29,500... so I'm going to keep shopping until I get one for under $31k. It might not be easy, but god knows there are enough Honda dealers around here. If I'm patient and the dealer knows I'm paying cash, I'm sure I'll find someone who will play ball. (knock on wood)

Yup, money talks bro...You shouldn't have a problem

great choice! hope you get a good deal!

Thanks

Once I get the car, my goal will be to beat lucky's 1/4 time. It's sort of sad that I'm not sure I can, even with the 2000

red

fellow ranger nice choice

You'll be able to bro...Drop a Turbo in that biatch

I've never owned: 1) a stick 2) a car with over 200 hp

To avoid killing myself, I think I'll wait a while before dropping in a Turbo.

Yeah Steve... I've always loved the S2k. It was never a matter of liking other cars more. It was more the price issue. But like I said... you only live once, I'm 19 with a good job and have very few living expenses... why not go for it, ya know?

Oh yeah, funny fact here. Insurance for the S2k will be identical to what the Celi is

Miata, lighter. More of a racer than people know, esp the lack of experienced knowlege on this board. Miata, costs less, more of the power you know. Easier to put a bigger Turbo on a car that is already Turbocharged than one that isn't. Go with the Miata.

how come s2000 insurance the same as celica? that sounds odd. did you pay a lot for ur celicas insurance or wut?
an s2000 should be about double, did you call ur insurance and make sure?
i previously posted something, but dunno why it dissappeared. to get the cheapest price, a good idea is to call AAA office and tell them about the car you want to buy, and they will contact the dealers around and then call you back telling you whose giving the best deal. so you would get an estimate of how cheap they are willing to go down without you bargaining at all in first place

Actually, I work at my insurance agency.

People don't realize how high of rating group the GTS is in. It's an IRG 24 with state farm. This is identical to both the S2000 and 350z. Evo's are only an IRG 20.

so r you an insurance agent? is that how you make 'good money'? commission involved?

Not agent. I could work sales and straight commission for a subsidiary company... but with State Farm, it takes YEARS to become an agent. SF agents make around $100-250k a year.

I'm just the office manager. Do everything the agent does, but it's not as sales-oriented. Commission if I do sell policies, though.

Need to work more hours. Went part time this summer so I could be lazy and kick back for once.

not bad being the office manager when ur 19. you must have worked long with them