i have a very important decision to make. i could sell my maxima at the end of the summer for $5000 (or sooner if someone else wants it..). it'll have the following mods: intake, ypipe, catback, UDP, lightened stock flywheel and possibly ECU.
i've put alot of time and work into this car, however a friend of mine got a 90 300zx N/A 5speed. i have completely fallen for this car.. lol. its silver with grey interior (seats are in bad shape, but i wouldnt get them anyway), headers, stillen intake, stillen ECU, stillen front lip, UDP, 17x8.5" konig monsoon lookalikes up front, 17x10 monsoon knockoffs in the back, TTZ exhaust, 25% tints. its definatly faster than my max (although not by much), it handles as good as our friends 87 MR2 5speed (mid engine=grin) and its got Ttops (my max doesnt have a sunroof ).
i dont need a big car, but i kinda like 'em.
the Z is very moddable (i'd keep it N/A or maybe drop a TT motor in and pull off one of the turbos and have a small quick spooler or something..), looks great, handles great, RWD!!!!!!!!.
my max is big, almost perfect (as far as mods go), FWD , i'm faster than 95% of the cars i see/mess with (the Z is faster).
i have always loved both cars. now what do i do. sell the max for $5k at the end of the summer and get an N/A Z with low miles (less than 100k) or keep the max and rebuild the heads w/new VTC, rebuild tranny and get it painted (its not bad, just some scratches).
i could easily regret both decisions.
i'm leaning more towards selling the max for a Z, but i just dont know

 

Torn, torn like an old sweater.....i did the same thing about 3 years ago, i bought my max on an impulse, my friend had one with a VE, i was stupid and didnt go my research or i would be driving a 93-94 se 5 speed. Decide if the car is REALLY what you want and then decide if you want to buy it.

 

i made the mistake of buying 2 BMWs before the max. finally got a VE powered max (was looking for 92-94SE or 4th gen), but i've also always wanted a 90-96 300zx.
my desire to have either car is split 50/50.
the max needs more work, the insurance for the Z would be more so in the end i'll end up spending about the same amount of money

 

hows the weather where ya are?
if ya get a ton of snow that could affect your decision
other than that rwd has alot goin for it
its a tough call, but if ya wanna know what i would do id go with the z
hope your happy whatever you decide

 

Would I get to drive this Z?
Would I get to race this Z?

If you go for it that will mean we will have to do some serious cruising be for you sell it
I was against it but your miles are rising, although you could get another VE

 

well, not much to say here...the z is awesome, but my friend that wanted one for forever decided not to get 1 after he saw one in a wreck...supposedly they crumble, might affect your decision...

 

i had 2 torque boxes before my max (86 and 87 bmw 325...121HP, 174ft/lbs) and i drove one of them through last winter and i taught myself to control my drifting and not to be stupid with it, so i can deal with RWD on snow/ice/rain/dry/whatever. i dont need anything particular about either car.
like i said before, i'm done repeating myself, you guys will start to get annoyed..lol

 

I happen to have both cars. My brother just purchased a 1990 SE, and I have owned 2 300ZXs. I love the cars. Both of them. Nissan makes a great V6, along with a competent chassis and drivetrain. To me, the Maxima has always been about making a sedan as much like a sports car as possible. The 300ZX, however, is that sports car. It's like the pure spirit of the Maxima's sportiness. It is the most driver-oriented car I have ever driven, and quite simply it's a blast. I would get the 300ZX, no doubt. You should not miss this opportunity to own a classic.

Jon

 

personally I'd go for the Z, its a 5spd so you're not bad off at all....plus its got some good mods on it already!! I've always liked the Z32 body style and man oh man the t-tops is just an added plus....the only objection is the lack of 3 more seats, but for me that would just mean I wouldn't always end of being the designated driver!

 

i dont usually let anyone drive my cars. my first car (the 87 325) both my parents drove because it was originally my moms. the second, i let my mechanic drive..and thats all.
2 friends have driven the max. i dont even trust my dad moving it, so that means after a long night, i have to drag my @$$ outta bed at like 630am to go move it so he can goto work if i park in front of him..i'm wicked **** about people driving my car, but i suppose a fellow 5spd max owner could be allowed.
anyway..the mileage thing isnt a real problem, the money i could buy a Z with (ontop of the $5k i could get for my car) could goto a motor/tranny rebuild and have alot left over.
i think i'm going to drive my friends Z around alot, and see how i like it compared to my soon-to-be lowered max (friday!!!)

 

Yeah ok. The Z is one of the safest cars around. Go to Twinturbo.net and search for pics of "NVMYTTZ's" wreck, "Greg(Dallas)'s" wreck and many others. If I had to choose a car to get in an accident with, it would be a Z..

 

i own a classic max. 3rd gen SE powered by a VE 5 speed. thats rarity at its best (as far as i'm concerned). however, an N/A t-topped 300zx 5 speed would be damn rare (although i looked for close to two years for the perfect max, and found one..after 2 years and in the past 2 days of looking for a Z, i found 5 that appeal to me and could afford).
the only thing that makes the decision tough (only thing..theres like 100 things) is that i love my max, i've put alot of time into it, i couldnt ask for a better car. however, its FWD. the only thing this car lacks is RWD. everything else is perfect. i dont need the extra seats/space or anything, but its good to have.
the Z is RWD, lots of aftermarket, very fast (although friend with Z thinks i'll beat him..), RWD..RWD..RWD.
also, for the Z, i can get a second motor with less than 100K for pretty cheap (again, friend with Z is dropping VG30DETT in as soon as he can afford it) with intake, headers, pulley, ECU.

 

ehh...safety isnt my biggest concern. just dummy features to save me from my own stupidity. good brakes, ABS, good steering, good tires, seat belts. as low as the Z is, i'm sure its more prone to sliding under other vehicles (i'm assuming i'll get into an incident with an SUV if anything..theres so many of them) so that cant be too safe..
i'm a teenager (18) and almost fearless with a good amount of sense (sense/stupidity ratio is probably pretty good..lol) so i'm not looking for the safest thing, otherwise, i'd buy a volvo.

 

you misread what Mike said....he saying it IS a safe car.

 

so i did
edit (for what its worth): the safety of the Z is plus but not a deciding factor.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I didn't actualy expect you to let me drive it. Although if you offered hehe. Get the Z sell me your mods!

 

very well put