New Owner's Guide

You just purchased your Z32, and now you want to slap some NOS and bodykits on that shit to haul in the bitches, right? Wrong. Time to get a little James May-ish!

There are a handful of things you should really do as soon as you buy your Z. Of course if it's on fire and is missing three wheels, you should probably get that checked out. But for the less obvious stuff, read on.

Engine

• Replace all fluids unless you have proof of it very recently been done.
  • Motor oil, transmission fluid, differential oil, and coolant... do them all!
• If you don't have proof it was done recently, perform a 120k timing belt kit immediately. The VG30DE(TT) is an interference engine. This means that if the timing belt, or one of the related components (like an idler) fails, the pistons will smash into the valves, and you'll need a new engine.
• Clean every electrical connector you can. Z32s are notorious for corrosion forming on electrical connectors and causing all sorts of running issues.
• Make sure your TPS is set correctly.
• Make sure your Timing is set correctly.
• Check your spark plugs for their condition and gap.
• Clean clean clean clean! A clean engine bay is a happy engine bay!

Exterior

• On most Zs today, the black rubberized coating on the window/windshield trim is worn and the chrome shows through. Recoat these trim pieces with plasti-dip for a cheap improvement that drastically improves the appearance of your car!
• If it's faded or missing, pick up some 3/8" 3M black trim tape and replace the accent stripe along the base of the car.
• Give your car a good wash, claybar, and wax. Obviously.
• Get some headlight polish and bring some shine back to your tail lights.
• If your factory "NISSAN" and "TWIN TURBO" emblems are faded and cracked, pick up some new ones. They're inexpensive and help the exterior appearance a bit.
• If your third brake light strip is faded (they turn red over time), pick up some "lens smoke paint" like VHT NiteShades, clearcoat, and some high-grit sandpaper and re-tint it.
• If any body panels have been fiddled with (like the front fascia), see if you can loosen the bolts and re-align them a bit.
• Remember, the devil is in the details.

Interior

• Bring some life back into old leather with leather conditioner and cleaner.
• Clean the dash and door panel areas with soap and water. Avoid oil-based shiners like Armor-All, they tend to dry the material in the sun and cause cracks.
• If your shift knob is worn (or some obnoxious aftermarket type), consider replacing it (and the boot). NISMO has brought over the red-stitch version from the '99 Fairlady Z Version S, which is a popular install.
• Vacuuuuuum!