Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post

carbonguy · 03-28-2010, 07:09 PM

Greetings 370Z Forum.

My first post here...a rather long one I'm afraid.

I'm in my late 50s and have always loved performance cars. I had a 1970Olds 442 W-30 that was heavily modified and a 76 and 78 Trans Am. But ever since I was a kid I wanted a Corvette. So after looking at a 350Z late 04, I purchased my first Corvette C6 in 05. Traded that for 07 Z06. And traded that for 09 Z06 essentially to get an upgraded interior and a few other goodies. I did look at a GTR but the mark-ups were crazy - I remembered the 06 Z06 was going for as much as $15K over sticker. When I bought my 09 Z06, I paid $13K UNDER sticker.

I've been hanging out in Corvette Forum since 05. Loved the Corvette's rich history, the "Corvette wave", American muscle, etc. Seems strange to be on another forum and reading the posts here. Kinda like moving to a new home.

So what am I doing in a 370Z? After owning the 09 Z06 for exactly 1 year, I had only 3900 miles on it (I have 3 other cars). I realized I drove it only about half as much as I did my 07. Perhaps some of the thrill was gone. Pretty much a garage queen. The car was blazing fast but I rarely ever used all 505 HP. Putting that kind of power to the ground on stock Goodyears could be tricky.

The monthly car payment was pretty big and I realized that it just didn't make financial sense to keep the car, especially because I plan on retiring in June. Personal property tax in VA is also a fair chunck of change.

So I considered some other cars but came back to Nissan as I did in late 04. When the 370Z came out, I thought it was great looking. But my socks were knocked off when I saw the 40th Anniversary. Loved the color, wheels and red interior. I went to 4 Nissan dealers and they all had one. Prices varied, especially for my trade (by as much as $4K!). But I got the lowest price (well under invoice) and highest trade for my Z06 from the same dealer. One dealer said the price I was paying wasn't possible.

I agonized over the decision for a week. I considered refinancing the Z06 or just paying it off but it ultimately didn't make much sense to keep it. The dealer sold the one I looked at but another one came of the truck the next day and it had all of 5 miles on it. They put it in the showroom and after a test drive, I pulled the trigger.

Now getting rid of a car is certainly not very important in the overall scheme of life, but I was virtually sick to my stomach. The Z06 was part of me. I'm a Corvette guy! Or at least was.

But that was 2 days ago. After putting about 150 miles on the Z, I've grown to really love it. Sure, it doesn't have the power, but the handling and breaking are superb. The design is fresher than the Corvette which dates back to the 05 model year. The seats are a bit more comfortable and the interior better. Great transmission. But most of all, the 370Z is great fun to drive and I must say the car has grown on me immensely the last 2 days. Yesterday was a sunny day and the paint just glowed. Couldn't take my eyes off it. Yes, I miss my beloved Z06 but this 370Z is making the transition easier.

Will be getting a clear bra put on in a couple of weeks.

So here I am and looking forward to contributing here although I typically don't post much.

One question for Z owners: Where can you buy 370Z shirts, jackets, caps etc? There is a whole cottage industry for Corvette clothing & accessories But my internet searches reveal very little for a 370 Z.

Thanks for listening.

03-28-2010, 07:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
carbonguy Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Northern VA Posts: 23 Drives: 2011 GT 500 SVT Rep Power: 15	09 Z06 to 40th Anniv. Z Greetings 370Z Forum. My first post here...a rather long one I'm afraid. I'm in my late 50s and have always loved performance cars. I had a 1970Olds 442 W-30 that was heavily modified and a 76 and 78 Trans Am. But ever since I was a kid I wanted a Corvette. So after looking at a 350Z late 04, I purchased my first Corvette C6 in 05. Traded that for 07 Z06. And traded that for 09 Z06 essentially to get an upgraded interior and a few other goodies. I did look at a GTR but the mark-ups were crazy - I remembered the 06 Z06 was going for as much as $15K over sticker. When I bought my 09 Z06, I paid $13K UNDER sticker. I've been hanging out in Corvette Forum since 05. Loved the Corvette's rich history, the "Corvette wave", American muscle, etc. Seems strange to be on another forum and reading the posts here. Kinda like moving to a new home. So what am I doing in a 370Z? After owning the 09 Z06 for exactly 1 year, I had only 3900 miles on it (I have 3 other cars). I realized I drove it only about half as much as I did my 07. Perhaps some of the thrill was gone. Pretty much a garage queen. The car was blazing fast but I rarely ever used all 505 HP. Putting that kind of power to the ground on stock Goodyears could be tricky. The monthly car payment was pretty big and I realized that it just didn't make financial sense to keep the car, especially because I plan on retiring in June. Personal property tax in VA is also a fair chunck of change. So I considered some other cars but came back to Nissan as I did in late 04. When the 370Z came out, I thought it was great looking. But my socks were knocked off when I saw the 40th Anniversary. Loved the color, wheels and red interior. I went to 4 Nissan dealers and they all had one. Prices varied, especially for my trade (by as much as $4K!). But I got the lowest price (well under invoice) and highest trade for my Z06 from the same dealer. One dealer said the price I was paying wasn't possible. I agonized over the decision for a week. I considered refinancing the Z06 or just paying it off but it ultimately didn't make much sense to keep it. The dealer sold the one I looked at but another one came of the truck the next day and it had all of 5 miles on it. They put it in the showroom and after a test drive, I pulled the trigger. Now getting rid of a car is certainly not very important in the overall scheme of life, but I was virtually sick to my stomach. The Z06 was part of me. I'm a Corvette guy! Or at least was. But that was 2 days ago. After putting about 150 miles on the Z, I've grown to really love it. Sure, it doesn't have the power, but the handling and breaking are superb. The design is fresher than the Corvette which dates back to the 05 model year. The seats are a bit more comfortable and the interior better. Great transmission. But most of all, the 370Z is great fun to drive and I must say the car has grown on me immensely the last 2 days. Yesterday was a sunny day and the paint just glowed. Couldn't take my eyes off it. Yes, I miss my beloved Z06 but this 370Z is making the transition easier. Will be getting a clear bra put on in a couple of weeks. So here I am and looking forward to contributing here although I typically don't post much. One question for Z owners: Where can you buy 370Z shirts, jackets, caps etc? There is a whole cottage industry for Corvette clothing & accessories But my internet searches reveal very little for a 370 Z. Thanks for listening.