I want to play
 

'sup everyone! Don't have a Z but want one bad enough. Just posted my truck for sale here and on other forums to get her gone and replaced with a 13 or newer PW touring/sport.

I'm lucky enough to be 10 minutes away from Z1 here in Carrollton, GA so that had a little influence on my decision to look at Z's. When I was young, I did have an 83 280ZX and loved every minute of owning her. Had a ton of stuff since then but most recent toy was a 2011 STI sedan. I'm ready to start modding again!

My question is this - aside from the front fascia having LED DRL's in the 13 and up models, is there anything mechanically that changed from 09 to 13? Based on pricing for used examples, I can handle the expense of a 13 but if there's nothing significantly different from an 09, I may just go that route and save some money for my friends down the road at Z1!

Been loving all of the info I've found so far here! Thanks.

:welcome:

Lol

Kinda wound up aren't you?! :)

Steering lock issue has been fixed and an oil cooler added (which is sufficient for street use, but would probably need to be upgraded for track).

I don't think there have been any big changes in the drivetrain but I could be wrong.

The Navigation unit in the 2009 is something of an oddball.

The ESCL (steering lock) was deleted some time in the 2010 MY.

The hatch "button" springs on the earlier models are weak.

I'm sure I've missed a lot.

If I were to get another 370Z, I'd go with 2011 and up. YMMV

Nothing major oil cooler as stated above. Steering lock. And then the few motors that had oil consumption issues. Other than that there have been no power train changes just little things here and there. I picked up an 09 with 10k on the clock just for the 15k I saved over new.

Your best bet is going to be a 2010+. The 09s had some oil consumption issues. It's hit or miss, but since it's going to be out of warranty its probably better to spend a few bucks more on a slightly newer one. Make sure you get the sports package. If it doesn't have the sports package you'll end up either regretting it or spending a ton of money to replicate it.

OK so here is my take on the sports package. Rays forged wheels more than likely going to be replaced eventually anyways. Vlsd diff, vlsd is **** it's unpredictable at best, better to be replaced with a clsd anyways. Brakes they are OK nothing special. Rev match is cool but not necessary. So 3500 or w/e it Costs you should make sure it's worth it for your needs.

It's far cheaper to get the sports pack than to piece it together afterwards.

Like I said above though if you go aftermarket you get far superior parts than what comes with the package. The stuff on the sort package isn't that great. That's all I'm saying it all depends on what the car is going to be used for I guess.

At a higher cost. And if you get the sports pack you can sell the OEM parts to offset the expense. Without the sports pack you have nothing to sell to recoup the cost. It makes no sense to buy the car without it. Even if you have no intention of keeping the parts you can sell them when you upgrade.

OK OK you got me

pck, a 13 touring/sport is a good choice. As others have mentioned, no worries about steering lock and added oil cooler vs older models. The 13 also has euro tuned shocks, not sure what that means but I rode in my cousins 09 with less than 8k miles (yes a garage queen and only taken out on clear weekends) and my 13 with over 10k miles. While subtle, my 13 had a slightly different and in my opinion, better ride. The shocks felt as firm as the 09 but was better over rougher roads without any hint of float or bounciness.

As for sports package, I'm with Chuck, get it. You can never add SRM after. In Today's world, all sports cars come with it. Imagine trying to sell your car 5 years from now and yours being the only sports car on the for sale list without SRM. Good luck with your choice :tup:

:hello:

In '12 Nissan added a pressurized and larger radiator overflow tank which increases the circulating volume of the coolant system. The oil cooler and the pressurized tank were to address the well know overheating issue on our cars. My '13 runs around 200 degree in DD and 220 with spirited driving. You still need an oil cooler on '13s for track work, but on the road most folks find the cooling upgrades Nissan added sufficient.

I have an 09' and I've never had mine above 220°. Which is normal temp for aluminum motors. Chevy LS motors run 200°-220° as well. But I will tell you I get brake fade like a mother fucker.